Tw: discussion of injury and death, funeral services

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Back at the Unknowables Headquarters, John's gunshot wound was quickly taken care of and he and Paul were given a room where they could stay and rest for a few days until John was completely healed. They didn't hear from Stuart, but neither of them asked for him.

George came around on the second morning. He very gently told Paul that Barney had been found dead in the office, and he looked more than shocked to hear Paul's trembling confession that he and John had been the first ones to find Barney dead, slumped against a wall.

Nobody bothered them for the rest of day two, so Paul slept all day. After that, they talked some, then spent a lot of time not talking, then they slept some more. It was hard to figure out just what they were supposed to be doing amidst everything, so they were wound up doing whatever felt right from moment to moment.

On the third night, there was a knock at the door. John jumped out of his half asleep state and grappled at Paul's shoulder. "Who's there?" He said, sounding panicked.

Paul frowned. "I don't know." He crossed the room and peeked out into the hall.

"Hi," George said quietly. "Can you come with me? John, too? Lilly's asking for us all."

"Yeah, just give us a minute to get dressed, yeah?"

A few minutes later, they were following George at a brisk pace. They arrived at a door that George knocked lightly on and Lilly quickly let them in.

"The kids are with my mom," Lilly told them softly. "Please, sit. Thank you for coming."

They were straining to hear her, but they didn't ask her to speak up.

"I've hardly been able to think about this, but it's happening tomorrow," Lilly went on. "Barney's funeral."

None of them said anything.

"I have to..." she paused, and sighed. "I have to choose pallbearers. God, I didn't think I'd have to say that for a long time."

"I'm so sorry, Lilly," Paul almost sobbed, just barely holding it all together.

Lilly shook her head. "Don't be. And not just because it's not your fault, and not just because he wouldn't want you to, all right? I mean, don't be. Because he believed in the change you could bring. He believed you were the only one who could do it. And that's why he did what he did."

Paul shook his head. "I haven't brought about any change. I've just mucked things up a few times and helped here and there."

"No," Lilly sighed, shaking her head. "You've done a whole lot more than you think." She smiled sadly. "So, be a pallbearer? All three of you? Please, I don't know who else to ask."

John raised his eyebrows. "Well, there's not exactly enough of us here, lady," he quipped.

Lilly laughed. "I've asked Yoko and Marbella as well. Darren's recovering—"

Paul was surprised to hear that Darren was alive.

"Of course," George said.

"Oh, well, yes," Paul said quickly. "I didn't think I even needed to answer. Obviously."

John nodded. "He was a good man. Yeah, I'm happy to."

"Wonderful." Lilly nodded. "Thank you. Now I just need to find one more person, and—"

"I'll make Ringo do it!" George said.

"Oh, are... are you sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it."

"Great. So, then there's just the matter of the... well, the..."

"The what?" Paul asked.

"The eulogy." Lilly swallowed hard. "There's the matter of the eulogy. I was wondering... I almost hate to ask but I really don't think I can manage it, and you've such a way with words, and it only makes sense... Paul, would you please consider...?"

Paul got up from where he was sitting to walk over and hug Lilly. "Of course."

Paul, John, and George soon bid her goodnight softly and took their leave.

"I've got to go tell Ringo," George said. "Are you going to be okay, Paul?"

"Mhm." Paul nodded. He and John said goodnight to George and continued to their room where they changed and got ready for bed.

"Paulie?"

"Hm?"

"Are you actually doing okay?"

Paul looked up at him. He shook his head. "N-no. No, not really. But, you know..."

"No, I don't know. You don't have to do this eulogy if you don't want to, you know."

Paul sighed. "Of course, I've got to. I want to. I just... don't know what to say. I don't... I mean, the last time I saw him I was..."

"Borderline unconscious."

Paul frowned. "I was gonna say there was a wall of rubble in between us. When was I with Barney when I was borderline unconscious?"

John frowned back at him. "Well, when I got you out of that awful room?"

"The White Room."

"Yeah. Well, I wasn't alone. Not at first. Like, I said, Barney gave me that phone..."

"Right," Paul said, nodding. "Right, I forgot... you said..." he trailed off.

"But like I was saying-"

"I think I know what to say now."

John raised his eyebrows. "Really? Just from that? I mean, I could tell you more about it if you wanted me to."

Paul smiled. "Thanks, John. But I'm all set."

On the fourth morning, Paul woke slowly, blinking into the sunlight that poured through their bedroom's window. He crawled out of bed slowly, doing his best not to wake his John, who was still fast asleep. He crept to the window and looked out at the field.

After some time, John began to stir.

Paul hurried back to bed.

"Couldn't sleep?" John said worriedly.

Paul shook his head as he climbed beneath the covers. "Just woke up a few minutes ago."

They laid side by side without speaking for a long time. They had not talked very much the night before. There wasn't much to say at present. They might have begun talking about something, sometime, but there was a knock on the door.

Paul opened the door. Ringo was standing behind George, just off his shoulder, and George held two garment bags under his arm. They were both dressed in suits, which was a little odd. Paul stepped aside to let them both in all the same, and then closed the door behind them.

"Good morning," John said. "I see that you two've made up, then?"

"Well, you know," Ringo sighed. "Some things just have a way of clearing the air, and I guess almost dying in a time war is one of those things."

Paul frowned at George and Ringo's attire. "Right... Already, then?"

George nodded solemnly. "Well, we've got some time before we leave, but I thought you should probably get dressed and we'll all go have something to eat?" he suggested.

Paul agreed, because he didn't know what else he was supposed to do. George and Ringo stepped out so that Paul and John could get ready, but John stopped Paul as soon as they were gone. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," Paul said, reaching for one of the garment bags.

John stopped him again. "Come on, now you know I know you too well for that," he sighed.

Paul smiled tightly at him. "Thanks, John, but really. I'll be fine. Let's get dressed, yeah?"

They dressed in silence and joined George and Ringo in the hallway. The four of them exchanged quiet looks, and then headed down the hallway. George directed them easily to the food hall. They each acquired a light breakfast and made their way to a small, round table in the back corner. People stopped and looked at them occasionally, but said nothing to them.

George reached for salt and accidentally elbowed John's healing shoulder. "Shit, sorry," he said.

"It's fine," John said. "We're real crammed in here."

"You can say that again," Ringo chuckled and stamped his foot, accidentally on Paul's foot. "Sorry."

When the four of them were finished eating, they rose from the table and threw out their disposable dish ware. They proceeded to the exit, but were stopped by Yoko and Marbella.

"Hi," Yoko said, smiling. "Thank god you're all okay."

"Thank god you're okay," Paul said. "Wilson really did a number on you."

Yoko shook her head. "Whatever, McCartney. I hear you're making the eulogy."

"That I am," Paul said, adjusting his tie nervously.

"You've got syrup on your tie," Marbella pointed out.

Paul cursed.

They had to go anyway. They had to figure out what formation they were going to carry the coffin in, and they had to be sure John wouldn't have to use his injured shoulder.

Soon it was time, though, and they did what they had to do. And when it was time, they lowered the coffin into the ground in solemn silence. Then it was announced that Barney's good friend was going to get up and say a few words.

Paul cleared his throat more than once then finally began, "The first time I met Barney was at a park in the middle of the night. If you knew Barney, you know that he could make an impression like no one else. Right off the bat, he showed me his magic — he actually made a plate of ribs appear out of the thin air. Sort of a signature thing that he did."

A few people chuckled, George among them.

"But he very quickly became a good friend of mine. One of my best friends. I could rely on him for anything. I could put my life into his hands." Paul looked around the room. "It's... so hard to find the right words to say when so very much has been lost... a friend, a husband, a father... The last time I met Barney, well, I don't even remember it. I only know it happened because my husband was there and he told me so." Paul didn't miss the way John flinched when he said 'husband' in front of so many people, nor the look of amazement when he realized that none of the Unknowables so much as batted an eyelash. "The last time Barney and I ever met, he helped save my life one more time. Barney was... is... the bravest person that I will ever know."

Afterward, back at the Unknowables headquarters, the dining hall was crammed and, as if to call attention to Paul's eulogy, the main course being served that evening was ribs.

"I didn't even know you were going to talk about ribs," Lilly laughed softly to Paul when she found him. "They were his favorite, always, so when they asked me what they should prepare in his honor tonight... well, I couldn't think of anything better."

"It's perfect," Paul agreed. "Would you like to sit with us?" He gestured to the long table that their group of five (him, John, George, Ringo, and Yoko) was only taking up about half of. "We've got plenty of room for the kids."

"You know, I'd love to," Lilly said. "My mom is still watching the kids. I'll be with them tonight, I know I should be, but I just need a moment after planning all this."

"You deserve it," Yoko said while George pulled a chair out for Lilly.

The six of them ate and drank for a while, sharing their favorite stories about Barney. And, if only because they knew it's what he would have wanted, they did their best to laugh.

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Authors Note: So I promise from here on out it's gonna be pretty happy!!!! There's maybe one or two chapters left and then the epilogue. Wow! Thanks for coming on this ride with me.