Two days earlier...

John and George had sat across from one another for a long time — a really long time — before the crying had stopped, but eventually the crying did stop, and it was replaced with silence. Heavy silence, yes, but it wasn't so bad that it hurt. It was bearable. So they sat, and they didn't say anything. Neither of them ever spoke up.

Someone came looking for them eventually. Whether they were an original Unknowable or an ex-Shadow, John certainly did not know, but neither did George. He didn't recognize this person. But then, of course, George was not quite so well-acquainted with these people as Paul was; most of his involvement with the Unknowables was done through Paul.

Whoever it was standing in the doorway didn't really matter. They said, "Mr. Lennon, I was sent to come and fetch you because Mr. McCartney is out of surgery. You're allowed to come and see him now. Mr. Harrison, you've been asked to a meeting with Darren and Marbella."

So George followed to the room where he was to meet with Marbella and Darren. George entered the room that was set aside as a conference room. Marbella and Darren were there, as promised, but Barney was there, too. "Hello," George said, taking a seat beside Barney, opposite Marbella and Darren. "What's this all about? John shouldn't be alone right now."

"John is with Paul," Marbella said. "He'll be fine."

"Paul isn't exactly in an position to be offering emotional support right about now," George huffed. "He's borderline comatose. I don't see what good that's going to do John."

"He'll be looked in on," Darren said. "I promise you don't need to worry about John, okay? He'll be well looked after. We need you to focus now, George."

"Okay..." George said slowly. "Focus on what exactly?"

"Stuart Sutcliffe," Marbella said.

George frowned. "Has something happened to him?"

"Not exactly," Marbella said. "We took him away as soon as you arrived here. You and John were both too busy fretting over Paul to notice."

"Well... yes," George said. "So, where is he?"

"He's all right," Darren said.

"He's being contained," Marbella said.

"He's unharmed," Barney chimed in to reassure George.

"This is a lot to take in," George sighed.

"We want you to come in and question him with us," Darren said.

"Question him?" George frowned. "Why? What's he done?" And then it dawned on him. "Wait, there was that mess a few years back, wasn't there? Paul thought that the Shadows brought him back, but you said you didn't."

"Yes," Darren said. "Start Sutcliffe was supposed to die, and something stopped that from happening, almost twenty years ago. We noticed it, but we assumed that it was the butterfly effect. Paul had already been here for a little while. We thought it a reasonable assumption. But when Paul brought it to our attention that Stuart had told him that the Shadows were the ones to bring him back, we suspected there might be more going on than we were previously aware of."

"Okay..." George said. "I'm confused. Where do I fit into all this?"

"Well," Darren said. "We've been in there all day, and Yoko's been in there with us. But he's scared. Understandably so."

"I think it's an act," Marbella said.

"You think everything's an act," Darren scoffed. "Anyway, as I was saying. He's scared. We think it would be helpful to bring in someone who he knows."

"He doesn't know me that well," George said. "I haven't seen him in years."

"You were in a band with him," Darren said.

"Yeah, a long time ago," George said. "And he left. And now we are some of the most famous people in the world. Things might be a little tense."

"John just stayed with him," Barney pointed out. "Clearly there's no hard feelings."

"That's a different story," George said. "For Stu, John was always a different story from the rest of us. Why don't you send John in there?"

"We can't trust John to act impartially," Marbella said dryly.

"George," Barney said, taking hold of his wrist very gently. "The F.H.O. is hunting us all down as we speak. They're looking for you and Paul, specifically. If there's any chance that Stuart is wrapped up with them, involved in all of this, then we need to find out."

George sighed. "Yeah, all right. What am I supposed to tell John if he asks?"

"He's so wrapped up with Paul," Barney said. "I don't know that he will."

"But if he does —"

Marbella rolled her eyes. "Then tell him that Stuart is taking this harder than expected, emotionally speaking, and that we need to contain him for a little while until he's well again."

"You want me to lie?" George said. "You want me to lie to John right now? While he's vulnerable? While he can't tell what's real and what's fake?"

"Yes," Marbella said.

"To protect him," Darren said.

"Can we trust you with this or not, Harrison?" Marbella huffed.

George frowned. "I... I want to take down the F.H.O. I want to make sure Paul's safe, and John, too."

"Then you know what you need to do," Marbella said, staring at him intently.

George tried to swallow the lump that had appeared in his throat. "Yes," he said. "I do."

"You'll do it?" Darren asked.

George nodded, sniffling and blinking back tears.

"Oh, George," Barney sighed. "I'm so sorry you ever got swept up in all this."

"Me, too," George smiled sadly. "But I chose this. Ten years ago, I was offered an out. I didn't take it."

"Can you go to him now?" Darren asked.

George sighed, but he nodded. "Yeah."

Darren, Marbella, and Barney all escorted him to the room where Stuart was being kept. Marbella opened the door just enough to poke her head in and say, "Can we speak with you for just a minute?"

A moment later, Yoko stepped out of the room. She smiled. "Hello, George. It's good to see you."

"Hi, Yoko," George said. "Glad you're all right."

"How's John?" Yoko asked.

"Um... adjusting," George said.

"And Paul?" she said.

"Still unconscious, but out of surgery," Barney told her.

"Good," Yoko said, nodding. "Now, what was it that you wished to speak with me about?"

"George has come to try his hand at getting Stuart to talk," Marbella said.

"You make it sound like I'm going to waterboard him," George said with a grimace. "God, I'm just going to sit and talk to him."

"Right," Marbella said.

"You're up," Barney said, slapping George's back.

"Godspeed," Yoko chuckled.

"Right," George said. "Thanks." Then he entered the room. He made sure to click the door shut behind him before he dared to look at Stuart. He stared at the door knob for several moments, breathing in deep and exhaling.

Stuart was handcuffed to the table that they had him seated at. When George turned around to face home, he gasped. "Oh, George!" he cried. "George, please help me! What's going on? Please, get me out of here."

"Let's talk, Stu," George sighed. He sat down opposite him. "We're just gonna talk, okay?"

"Why?" Stuart asked, bottom lip trembling. "George, please — what in hell is going on?"

"I need you to trust me," George said. "If you trust me, and you answer my questions, then I can get you out of here. All right? Can you do that for me?"

"I... I can try," Stuart said.

"That's good," George said. "Trying is good. Firstly, do you know who the Shadows are?"

"Yes," Stuart said.

"Can you tell me what you know about them?" George asked.

"They're an organization and they time travel," Stuart said. "They want John dead."

"Yes," George said. "Good. Have you ever met with the Shadows before?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"In 1962."

"Have you met with them since?"

"No."

"Why did you meet with them in the first place?"

"I was supposed to die. That's what they told me. Something with brain, but they saved me. And they wanted me to help them kill John but I said that I'd never ever do that. Then they left."

George sighed, disappointed. He'd thought they were getting somewhere. "Stuart," he said. "You don't need to lie to me. You're safe here."

"Wha-what?" Stuart frowned. "I'm not lying."

"These people," George said, "all these people here, can protect you. You just need to tell them, and me, the truth."

"I am!" Stuart said. "These people, why would they protect me? They don't believe me."

"They don't believe you because you're lying, Stuart," George sighed.

"I'm — not — lying!" Stuart insisted. "Where's John? I want to see John. Where's Paul? Paul will tell you. I told him years ago — he knows!"

"John and Paul are a little busy right now," George said.

"George, please —"

"They don't believe you because half of them were the Shadows before they broke away to form this alliance they've got now," George hissed. "They know you're lying. Marbella Giasson is standing right outside this very room as we speak, and she was President of the Shadows. You can't trick them like you did Paul, Stuart."

Stuart fell silent, mouth hanging open.

"So tell me the truth," George said. "Tell me the truth, or I can't keep you safe."

Stuart stared down at his hands. "I can't."

"Why not?" George said.

"They'll — they'll hurt me," Stuart said, barely above a whisper.

George frowned. "Who'll hurt you?"

Stuart shook his head. "No, no, no. They'll hurt me really bad, George"

"I can protect you," George said. "And Barney, Darren, and Marbella can protect you. When Paul is well again, he'll be able to protect you, too. But only — if — you — tell — me."

"I'd rather these people kill me," Stuart spat. "It's better if these people kill me. They'll hurt me so bad. They'll never stop."

"Who?" George asked.

"They'll do it if I tell you who they are," Stuart said. He shook his head.

"These people here won't kill you," George said. "They'll keep you locked up here."

"That's still better than the alternative," Stuart said.

"They'll keep you locked up here for a very long time," George said. "They locked up an agent from the F.H.O. a few years ago and he's still here."

Stuart looked up for the first time since George had convinced him that he knew for sure that he was lying. "An agent from the where?" he said, eyes wide.

George frowned. "An agent from the F.H.O.," he said slowly.

"You... you know about them already?" Stuart asked.

"Yes," George said.

Stuart tried to blink back tears, but he couldn't hold them back. "You... you promise to protect me?"

"You're safe here," George promised.

Stuart nodded, sniffling. "It's... it's them."

"Them...?" George said.

Stuart looked him right in the face. "The ones who stopped me from dying. The ones who asked me to kill John. The F.H.O."

George felt like the whole world just fell apart. "Right," he said. He rose to his feet. He felt like everything was happening in slow motion. "Right. Okay. I'll be right back."

"George, where are you going?" Stuart said, panic creeping into his voice. "George, you promised you'd protect me! George!"

"I told you I will be right back," George said. "Sit tight."

Stuart was still shouting after him when George stepped out of the room, all but slamming the door shut behind him. His heart was racing.

"Did he tell you anything?" Marbella demanded.

"What did he say?" Darren asked.

"George, are you okay?" Barney said.

"You're white as a ghost," Yoko told him, frowning.

George felt as if he'd run a mile. His chest rose and fell rapidly. "It's the F.H.O.," he chokes out.

"What?" Darren said.

"The F.H.O. saved him," George said, leaning forward to put his hands on his knees. "It's them — it's — it fucking them —"

"Oh my god," Barney said. He slapped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He's worked with the F.H.O.?" Darren asked.

"I — I don't know if he complied with them," George said.

"If he didn't they would've killed him," Darren said. "I know the F.H.O., and I know President Wilson better than most. He would be dead."

"That's what you said about the Shadows, though, right?" George said to Barney. "You and Paul, you thought that he should be dead if he was saved by the Shadows and then didn't agree to their terms."

"But he was never in touch with the Shadows," Barney said. "They never did any of those things."

"And if we had and he refused us," Marbella said, "he would be dead."

"We should go in there," Darren said to Marbella.

"Wait, there's more," George said.

Yoko frowned. "What is it?"

"The F.H.O.," George said. "They told Stuart that they wanted John dead."

Barney turned to look at him the fastest, his eyes wider than George knew a person's eyes could get. "What did you just say?" he said, and he sounded distraught.

***

It took time — a lot of time — but they wore Stuart down and got a full confession out of him, which Marbella recorded, and Darren wrote out a transcript of word-for-word. Barney, George, and Yoko all stood behind where the two of them sat, all with their arms crossed and their expressions stony.

"They didn't save my life first," Stuart said. "They came to me while I was dying — the F.H.O., that is. They told me they could save me, as long as I did what they wanted after it was done. I was so out of it, so I — I agreed. I didn't know what it was they wanted from me, so I just — I said yes. And they saved me, then said they'd be back for me. They left me alone for weeks — months — and I started to think they might forget about me. But they didn't. Of course, they didn't. They came for me, they said I had to help them kill John Lennon, and I said no. They reminded me that I had agreed to their terms, and received their help. But I said absolutely not." He was quiet for a little while, then.

"What did they do after you refused them?" Marbella prompted.

"They said they'd kill me," Stuart said. "They said they'd kill me if I didn't comply. I told them to do it. But then... then they said they'd kill Astrid. They said they'd make me watch. They... they..." his face crumpled and he cried into his hands.

Marbella tried to contain her exasperation. "Why did you tell Paul McCartney that you were saved by the Shadows?"

Stuart sniffled, tried to slow his breathing and wipe away his tears. "They told me to. They said he should hate the Shadows, and that he should think the Shadows are the ones who wanted John dead. They said that Paul thought he was trying to save John."

"So this is all why John came to stay at your apartment in New York?" Marbella asked. "To make sure he died?"

"No," Stuart said, confused.

"Well, that's when they wanted him to die," Marbella said. "On December eighth, 1980."

"What?" Stuart frowned. "But Paul was attacked, not John."

"Paul jumped in front of the gun to save John," Marbella said.

"So... so John would have died there?" Stuart asked.

"Yes," Marbella said.

"Oh," Stuart said.

"Is there anything else that you have to confess, Mr. Sutcliffe?" Marbella asked.

Stuart shook his head for a long stretch of silence. Then, finally, he said, "No."

***

"Hey, George," Barney said as he walked up behind him.

"Oh," George said when he looked up to see who it was. "Hello, Barney."

After the hours spent wrestling a confession out of Stuart, and the emotional distress that all of the new information caused him, George had escaped out a back door. He was sitting in the ground underneath a tree, running his fingers through soft blades of grass. He felt like he hadn't been able to breathe for about a year, and this was the first time the air was reaching his lungs, his brain, in such a long time.

"Maybe you shouldn't be outside," Barney said. "What with the F.H.O. on the hunt for our blood." All the same, he sat down at George's side.

"I know," George said. "But I needed to get away from it all. Just for a bit."

"I get it," Barney said. "Believe me, I get it. Do you want me to leave? I didn't mean to intrude on your alone time."

"No, it's okay," George said. "God, I can't believe that all this time... the F.H.O. wanted John dead. How does that make sense? Why would they bring Paul here to save John if they wanted him dead all along?"

"I... I really don't know," Barney said. "I'm sorry. I wish I had more answers to give to you."

George shook his head. "It's... it's just..." he inhaled deeply and looked up at the sky, grey clouds swirling above his head. "It's just that this is going to break Paul."

"I know," Barney said. "You know you have to keep this from John, right? For now."

"Yeah, I figured," George said.

"And Paul, too," Barney said. "When he's awake, we have to wait to tell him."

"Yeah," George said.

"Thank you, George," Barney said. "You're taking on a lot. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you."

George shrugged.

They sat in silence for a while, then Barney looked at George. "Have you had enough of a breather?"

"Yeah, I suppose," George said, shrugging. "Why? Where are we in a rush to get to?"

"Darren and Marbella are calling another meeting," Barney said, getting up on his feet. "They want your input."

"Ugh," George groaned. "When did I become more involved in all of this than Paul?"

"When Paul got shot and fell into a coma," Barney said.

"Right," George said. "Sorry, that must've just slipped my mind for a moment."

Barney laughed. "Come on," he said, extending a hand to help George up off the ground. "The sooner we get there, the sooner it's over with."

"I suppose so," George agreed. He accepted Barney's help up. "Do you know what this meeting is supposed to be about?"

"I do, yes," Barney said.

"Can you give me a little heads up?" George said. "Like, a little warning before we go in there?"

"Um," Barney said, considering this. "No."

George scoffed.

"You're... you're probably going to want to be sitting down when you hear this, is all," Barney said.

"Is it about Stuart?" George said. "Can you at least tell me who it's about?"

"It's not about Stuart, it's —" Barney sighed. "Look, just come with me, okay?"

George sighed. "Yeah, all right."

So they went to the conference room for the second time that day. It felt like so long ago that George was called to meet with Marbella and Darren to discuss Stuart, but it was only about eight hours earlier. And he'd been with John for a few hours before that. And he'd been helping Paul track down John for the whole day before that. God, George couldn't remember the when last time he had slept was. He thought that, at least, after this meeting he could probably go to bed.

He quickly realized that this was not the case.

"David Bowie is dead," was the first thing Darren said when George sat down at the conference table.

"Wait, what?" George frowned.

"He's been shot."

"By who?"

"The F.H.O."

"Are you sure?"

"Is that really so much of a stretch, George?" Barney asked.

"They left this note with his body," Marbella said, and she slid a couple photos across the table so that George could take a look. In each of them, there was a piece of paper visible beside Bowie's lifeless form. It read: WE'RE COMING FOR YOU, PAUL.

"Okay, yeah," George said. "That's — uh, yeah — that's probably them, I guess." He felt like he was going to be sick.

"The same note was found at Billy Joel's house," said Marbella.

"Billy Joel is dead, too?!" George cried.

"No," Darren said. "He's pulling through. The police got to him and he's in the hospital."

"They're picking off people who the Beatles have worked with," Barney said.

George shook his head. "Wha-what do we do?"

"We're going to get John Deacon and Roger Taylor and bring them here since they are from the future just like Paul and Yoko," Darren said. "We're also going to bring Ringo here, as he is the fourth and final member of the Beatles to remain out in the open."

"You should, however, downplay the severity of the situation to John," Marbella said. "For the time being."

"Right," George sighed. "Of course."

"We'd also like to bring yours and Ringo's families to a separate facility where they can be kept safe while we've taken care of all this mess," Barney said.

"That would be very much appreciated," George said. "Thank you. But what about all the other people we've worked with? I mean, there are people who've played background on our albums, and people who have produced us and sponsored us. We have a whole album with all different collaborations."

"We're doing our best," Marbella said. "We're also trying to make sure that this isn't the exposure of magic, though."

"So, you're just going to let them die?" George said.

"No," Darren said. "We wouldn't do that. We just can't bring them all here. We have a lot pull in a lot of places, because we have magic. We're having as many people as possible put under heavy government protection with some of our own agents with magic at their disposal planted there, as well."

"Right," George said. "Good. Wonderful. When do we leave?"

All three of the people sat at the table with him appeared to be puzzled by George's question. "When does who leave?" Darren asked.

"All of us?" George said. "Or, you know, whoever is coming along?" he added, but they all still looked very confused. "To go get Deaky, Roger, and Ringo?"

"Oh, you're not going along," Marbella snorted. "We're just trying to keep you up to date."

"Oh," George said. "Okay... but, no. No, I'm going to go."

"George, listen —" Darren began calmly.

"We can make this transition into knowing about magic thing a whole lot easier because they know me," George said. "Magic and time travel."

"John Deacon and Roger Taylor already know —" Marbella started, but George cut her off to.

"What about Ringo?" George asked. "Hm? John was ripped off a sidewalk and dumped here, I was kidnapped by the Shadows and held hostage and then thrown back into Paul's house with him, and Paul went to bed one night in 2015 and then just woke up in the sixties! Can we try — please, can we try — to make it easier on someone? Just this once?"

The room was silent for a moment, and then Darren said, "It would make the transition easier on him if it were to be someone he knows."

"Then we send Yoko," Marbella said.

"I'm your best bet to earn Ringo's trust," George said. "We've been best friends for years? Why would you send Yoko over me?"

"Because I have more faith in her abilities," Marbella said.

"Well, I don't really care whose abilities you have more faith in," George said.

"Excuse me?" Marbella snapped.

"Barney, you know I'm the best option to make it easier on Ringo," George said. "Darren, you do, too! I know him better than anyone, and he trusts me fully."

"Man's got a point," Darren conceded.

"No," Barney said.

"What?!" Barney exclaimed.

"Thank you," Marbella said.

"You agree with her?" George huffed. "You agree that Yoko's abilities are superior to mine?"

"No, that isn't it at all," Barney said. He rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid. If I let you go off on this mission, and you get hurt, or worse, then Paul's gonna kill me the second he wakes up. And you, too, if you make it back."

"You're not my mother and neither is Paul," George said. He turned to Darren, arms crossed on top of the table. "I'm going."

"I'm fine with it," Darren said.

"Whatever," Marbella sighed. "Only to Ringo, though. Darren, go with him. I can go get John Deacon and Roger Taylor on my own."

"Fine," Darren said. "Come on, George. Let's get it done."

George nodded, and followed after him. Darren led him to the weapons supplies, hand George a gun, and then said, "Ready?"

"You're not going to take one?" George questioned.

"Magic."

"Right."

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Darren grabbed hold of his arm, and they were off. They landed on the lawn in front of Ringo's house, and Darren turned to George before anything else to ask, "Do you feel okay?"

"Yeah?" George said. "Why wouldn't I?" he added, and Darren opened his mouth to say something, but before he got the chance George pointed to the front door, which stood ajar with the doorknob hanging off. "Look!" He bolted toward the door, not bothering to wait for Darren. He turned the safety off of the gun Darren had given him on his way (at least, he was pretty sure he did; he wasn't absolutely positive seeing as he had never so much as held a gun before).

George burst through the front door.

There was a woman who had Ringo pinned to the floor underneath her boot, gun aimed down at him.

George lifted his own gun, pulled the trigger, and —

Nothing happened.

Fuck the safety.

"Darren!" George cried.

The woman looked up, startled. She switched her aim from Ringo's head to George's, and that gave Darren just enough time to burst in beside George, throw out his arms, and shoot blue streaks of lightening out of his palms and into her chest.

She fell backward off of Ringo, and her gun hit the floor right before she did. She twitched and sizzled for another minute, and then went limp altogether.

"What —" Ringo cried.

"What the hell, George?" Darren huffed. "Have you never used a gun before?"

"What the fuck?!" Ringo yelped as he crawled backwards, away from the corpse that was lying next to him.

"No, I haven't," George said.

"Well, why didn't you tell me that when I handed you the gun?" Darren said.

"Figured it was pretty self explanatory," George said. "Evidently, it is not."

"Jesus," Darren sighed. He massaged his temples.

"What the fuck!" Ringo said again.

"Shit, Ringo," George said. He shoved the gun into Darren's grasp, then made a beeline for Ringo, dropping to his knees at his friend's side. "Ringo, are you okay?"

Darren crossed the room to kneel where the woman laid, dead. He started to rifle through her coat.

"I — I think —" Ringo stammered breathlessly. "How'd you get — when did you — I've been calling you, and Paul, and John for, like, two days, man! What is happening? What the fuck is happening?"

"Ringo, I can explain everything," George said. "But I need you to come with me now, okay?"

"We don't have time, George," Darren said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but we tried slow and sweet, and it's just not gonna work out this time."

"Who — who are you?" Ringo asked, but Darren didn't answer.

Darren held up two things for George to look at: a bade that read Willa Monroe, F.H.O. Field Agent, and a piece of paper that read YOU'RE NEXT, PAUL. "There'll be more of them here any minute," he told George, and pocketed the items from her coat. "We need to get out of here, and we need to get out of her now."

George sighed. "Ringo, I'm really sorry for this."

"Sorry for what?" Ringo said, and Darren approached. "George, sorry for what? What is he going to do to me?"

Darren pressed two fingers against Ringo's forehead, and Ringo slumped backwards, asleep. "I'll get his family. We need to be quick."

George nodded.

***

Once Ringo was contained and well sedated, and George and Ringo's families were safe and sound and far away from all of this, George thought that maybe he would get to sleep now.

"George!" Barney called to him before George could escape to the first bed he could find. "George, I'm glad I found you!"

"Don't tell me there's another meeting," George groaned. "Because I haven't slept in, like, I don't even know how long. I think it's been over forty hours, but I don't know. I am hungry and I am exhausted and I can't —"

Barney laughed. "It's okay, George. I just wanted to tell you that Paul woke up for a few minutes."

Despite his exhaustion, George mustered a grin. "He did?"

Barney nodded. "John said he asked for you."

"Oh, should I go to him?" George asked.

"When you wake up, yes," Barney said. "But for right now, you've done so much — we should not have asked so much of you, and I am sorry. Paul's asleep again now, anyway. You go sleep. C'mon, I'll show you the room that's been set aside for you."

George nodded, and followed Barney without saying a word. Barney didn't try to strike up conversation either, and George was very grateful for that because he simply did not have the energy to talk.

"Goodnight," Barney said. "Rest well."

George managed a smile, and a murmured, "G'night." He stumbled through his bedroom door, collapsed against the pillows, and he was asleep before the thought to take his shoes off even crossed his mind.