The next morning Katia woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. She looked around and realized she wasn't in her bed. John was sleeping next to her. Katia heard the knocking again, this time louder, which caused John to stir in the bed.

"Who the bloody hell is knocking on the damn door this early?" he groaned as he sat up.

"Morning." Katia smiled as she stretched.

"Well this is a sight for sore eyes." he smiled looking down at her.

The knocking on the door continued, this time continuously.

"I'm coming!" John yelled annoyed as he stumbled to the door.

Katia untangled herself from the sheets and sat up in the bed. She was in the middle of yawning when she heard Paul's voice at the door.

"Where's Kat? She's not with Andrew."

Before John had any time to react, Paul had walked into the room and was looking at Katia sitting in John's bed.

"Good morning Paul." Katia said casually.

She was still upset with him and she had no intension of clearing up what he thought probably happened between John and her. Paul immediately turned to John with an angry expression.

"Oh come off it Paul...c'mon, let's go outside and I'll explain." John said as he led him out to the hallway. They closed the door behind them, but Katia could hear bits of pieces of the conversation between them.

"...take advantage...suppose to take care..." Katia heard Paul say.

"...drunk...she's fine...nothing bloody happened...angry with you..." John answered.

The rest of the conversation was muffled and Katia wasn't able to understand it, but after a few minutes, they both came back into the room. By then, Katia had put on her shirt and skirt and was ready to head back to her room.

"Kat, we need to talk. " Paul said as he saw her collecting her things.

"I don't have anything to say to you, Paul." Katia responded without even looking at him.

She did, however, turn to look at John. She smiled and walked up to him.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me last night." she said giving him a hug.

"Sure." John replied returning the hug.

Without looking over at Paul, Katia began walking out of the room. Paul started walking after her, but John took a hold of his arm to stop him from following her.

Paul scowled at John and aggressively pulled away. "Fuck off!"

Katia thought about taking the elevator, but instead opted to walk down the two flights of stairs to reach her floor.

"Kat...please..." Paul chased her down the hallway. Katia opened the door to go down the stairs and didn't bother to respond to him. She quickly went down the staircase and a few seconds later heard Paul's footsteps behind her.

"Kat...please stop!" Paul called out as both he and Katia reached one of the stair landings.

"Let go of me!" Katia said as she pulled away from Paul's grasp.

"Okay...but please...can we talk?" Paul replied releasing her.

"What do you want? Didn't you say enough last night?"

"Kat, I'm really sorry about what I said last night....I was just a little upset that we hadn't been able to see each other much since you started working...and I wanted us to have a nice night."

"Yeah? Well I had a wonderful night Paul...it started as soon as you offered that amazing advice of allowing myself to have a good time." Katia answered.

Paul sighed in frustration. "Kat, allowing that guy to basically grope you on the dance floor isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Well, apparently you thought it was just fine when it was you who was groping me in the back of the club."

Paul didn't say anything for a few seconds and Katia simply began heading down the stairs again. Paul didn't tell her to stop, but he did follow her until she reached her floor. As she began opening the door to head back into the hallway, Paul pushed it shut.

Katia sighed annoyed. "What? What is it that you want, Paul?"

"Kat, please don't be angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you Paul. This is just what an uptight person acts like, but you should be able to recognize it by now, since that is what type of person I am, right?"

"Kat. C'mon, you know I didn't mean anything by it."

"You know, Paul...I should actually thank you. Thanks for sending John to take care of me last night...he did an amazing job...and you know something else? Apparently, I'm not as uptight as you thought I was..." Katia said as she finally got the door open and quickly hurried to her hotel room. It took Paul a few seconds to chase after Katia. She was half way down the hall when Paul ran past her to block her.

"Did you sleep with John?" he asked in a tone that was a mix of anger, frustration and fear.

Katia looked at him. "I did wake up in his bed this morning. What do you think?"

"Did you have sex with John?" Paul rephrased his question.

"Why? Is that another one of your bets? Who can get me to have sex with them first?"

"Fuckin' hell Kat...just answer the question. Did you have sex with John?" Paul pleaded.

"That is none of your business, Paul...but if you really want to know...you may have won the bet you placed with John all those years ago in Liverpool, but last night... he had you beat...in more ways than one." Katia replied before walking the rest of the way to her room. As she opened her door, she quickly glanced back at Paul. He was standing right where she had left him, his face having gone pale.

Andrew was in the shower when Katia walked into the room. She thought about what she had told Paul. She hadn't exactly told him she had slept with John last night, but the implication of it had been made very clear. She was sure Paul would go back to question John about it. John. That was another thing she was going to have to deal with.

A few minutes later, Andrew came out of the bathroom, his face flushed from the hot shower.

"Hey! Good morning. What happened last night? Ringo told me John brought you back...that you had a little too much to drink...?"

"Yeah." Katia replied.

"I thought I'd find you here when I got back. You stayed with John last night?" he questioned.

"Yes...but before you even ask, nothing happened." Katia smiled. "We just slept." Katia answered, not disclosing any of the details that had happened with John the night before.

"What happened with Paul then?"

"Why do you assume something happened with Paul?"

"Because he came looking for you this morning."

"Fine...something did happen with Paul...and now I'm not talking to him." Katia confessed.

"You want to talk about it?" Andrew inquired.

Katia nodded and began telling him what had happened at the club between her and Paul. She was vague in the details of the ordeal, but she told him enough for him to understand why she was so upset.

"...and so I may have insinuated that something did happen between John and me last night."

Andrew looked at Katia for a few seconds before answering.

"I never knew you were still a virgin." he smiled.

Katia couldn't help but laugh. "Out of the whole story, that's what you take out of it?"

"I'm kidding! But I really didn't know."

"Yeah, well apparently it's the news of the year."

"I'll have to remember never to cross you, Kat."

"Why?"

"Making Paul believe you slept with John...that's cold."

"Well he deserves it." Katia affirmed her decision.

Andrew didn't say anything and Katia sighed in defeat.

"Tell me."

"What do you want me to tell you, Kat? This isn't about me...it's about you. Look, from what you've told me, there's been more than one occasion that you and Paul have had the opportunity to be physically intimate with one another...but you hold back. Why? And that's not something you need to answer me...that's something you have to figure out for yourself.

***

"That was John." Katia said as she hung up the phone and looked over at Andrew. "He says there's a jazz band playing tonight at the hotel bar and wanted to see if I wanted to go."

"Well that should be fun." Andrew remarked as he looked up from the magazine he was reading.

"You want to come?" she asked.

Andrew laughed, putting the magazine down. "Oh, Kat...that invitation was meant for you...and only you."

"So...no?"

"Nope. Besides, I think George and Ringo may be playing cupid again- they've already invited me to go play pool tonight."

"Okay...I guess I'll start getting ready."

Any other night she would have jumped at the idea of spending a night out with John. He was always a lot of fun and Katia enjoyed herself immensely with him, but after her little show last night in his hotel room, she was feeling a little bit more than embarrassed.

Katia met John down at the lobby that evening and they walked down to the hotel bar together . The jazz group was already playing when they arrived, but there was a table reserved for them near the back. Katia ordered a glass of wine and John joined her with another. They listened to the band in silence, with only an occasional comment thrown in here and there. When the band took their break, John turned around to face Katia.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Well I can tell you Paul isn't bloody happy with me." John said finishing off his glass of wine. "I kept telling him nothing happened between us but he has it in his head that it did...."

"Oh." Katia said, not being able to hide her guilt.

John laughed. "Did you tell him something different?

"I may have insinuated that you and I slept together." she answered shyly.

"What exactly did you tell him?" John leaned in with a wicked grin.

"Well...I told him it was none of his business..." she began, "and that even though he had won the bet all those years ago...last night you had him beat." Katia finished knowing she was blushing at the thought of what had happened between her and John.

John laughed loudly, unaware of just how embarrassed Katia felt.

"Oh boy! That explains a lot! Paul's been short of challenging me to a duel all day! Complaining to me that he didn't tell me to get you out of the club so I could have my way with you. Telling me I'm a fuckin' bastard for taking advantage of the situation. "

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you in such a hot spot with him."

"So why didn't you clear things up with him?"

"I don't know...I'm still mad at him...and he deserved it!" Katia replied trying to justify her actions.

"So then what are you and I going to do?" John asked in a serious tone.

Katia couldn't handle this situation without the casualness and humor that always accompanied this kind of conversation with John, so she fell back on it.

"We're going to finish this bottle of wine and listen to some more jazz, of course!" she forcefully laughed.

"Wait a second...last night you basically stand naked in the middle of my room telling me you feel rejected because I don't take your virginity and now you're bloody tellin' me that we're going to listen to jazz and drink wine? You're killing me, Kat!" he laughed.

"Isn't that why you invited me out tonight?" she laughed. "Besides, last night I told you there were no guarantees you'd get lucky tonight!" she smiled.

"I should have taken the chance when it was presented to me last night, is that it?" he winked.

"Hey, I warned you..." Katia smiled.

John looked at Katia and his expression went from teasing to serious.

"All joking aside Kat...you have no idea how hard it was to not take you last night...to make you mine. It's one thing for me to be a horny bastard and fantasize about you....but to have you in my room like you were...standing there...vulnerable...and willing. That was torture."

"So why didn't you? I remember what you said, but you know I would have agreed had you..."

"I know you would have...but I told you before that I couldn't hurt you like that...and last night, had you and I ..." John trailed off for a few seconds. "But I'm gonna play one last card and tell you that everything I told you last night still holds true today. If you ask me right now...now that you're sober...I won't reject you...I promise." he smiled.

Katia looked at John. He was being incredibly sweet. Sweeter than she ever thought he could be. Quick Wit Beatle John, who likes sex, drugs and rock n' roll was nowhere in sight. Although Katia had seen him constantly high during the filming of the movie, she looked deep into his eyes. He wasn't high. That one glass of wine each of them had drank hadn't inebriated their thoughts or judgement. No...John was sober too. Katia thought about the situation with Cynthia and Julian. Not only were they a family and she would be intruding on that, let alone, she could never face Cynthia again. She thought about what getting involved with John meant. He himself knew what it meant. It didn't mean a relationship; it meant having a good time...like he had with so many other girls. The fact that he didn't want them to be more than friends meant he knew what the outcome would be...and she wasn't willing to risk that.

"John...I can't." Katia final replied.

His reaction wasn't exactly of disappointment, but of confirmation.

"I knew you would say no. That's why it was so much harder to keep from making love to you last night...because I knew that would probably be the only time that I would ever find myself in that situation."

"I'm sorry..." Katia managed to say.

If she could sleep with John and wake up tomorrow morning as if nothing had happened, she would take him up on his offer; but they both knew that could never happen...and they both knew it was better to not challenge temptation or they would both lose in the end.

John took Katia's hand and gently kissed it. "Don't be sorry Kat. I think it's the best decision you could have made."

***

For the next week, Katia tried to avoid Paul as much as possible. It was a lot easier when they returned to London. Katia was working at the NEMS office while the Beatles were finishing the film and recording the soundtrack of the movie. Katia and the boys mostly saw each other over meals. When Katia did talk to Paul she was polite, but very short with him. Things between John and Paul were off too. They were constantly bickering and saying snide remarks to one another. Eventually, George and Ringo ended up breaking a verbal fight that was threatening to become something else.

A week before Paul's 23rd birthday, Patti had a dinner party to celebrate that the Beatles had received MBEs from the Queen. The Beatles thought it was crazy that they were being given such an honor.

"So Paul, where are we going to be celebrating your birthday this year?" Cynthia asked at the dinner table.

"I was thinking about heading over to Liverpool, actually. I haven't seen my dad in months and he's been going on about me making a trip there." Paul responded.

"Liverpool?" Katia asked, surprised at how excited she had inquired.

"Yeah...you want to come with me?" Paul asked sweetly.

"We should all go." John remarked.. " I haven't seen Mimi in a while either...it'd be nice to go home for a few days." John added.

"We're entitled to at least a couple days off now and again." Ringo added.

The truth was that the boys had not taken a break since filming of the movie had started. The premiere for the movie was at the end of the month and once that happened, their schedule would fill up quickly. Their small European Tour was starting in Paris the following month and after that ended, they would be heading back to the States for another tour. It would probably be some time before they had another chance to head to Liverpool.

"Kat...will you put in a good word for us with Eppy?" John came towards her batting his eyelashes. "Oh please tell him we've been hardworking lads and haven't been misbehavin' any."

Everyone started laughing, but it was evident that the boys were longing for some time at home.

For Katia, the idea of going back to Liverpool was nostalgic. She knew it would be an emotional trip; it had been years since she'd gone back and just thinking about walking the streets of Liverpool again brought back the memory of her father's death. Despite that hurtful memory though, Liverpool held very beautiful moments for Katia and she tried to focus on those instead.

**********

Paul's birthday was in four days and they would be leaving London tomorrow evening. Brian had agreed that everyone deserved a few days off and figured anything that needed to get done could be done in Liverpool, so the boys were preparing for a week long holiday. Katia and Paul had yet to clear the air between them and despite treating each other cordially, everyone could tell there was still some tension between them.

Katia knew the boys had a business lunch that day, so she headed to EMI Studios to see if Andrew wanted to get a bite to eat with her.

"I'm sorry...he went to the same business lunch." the receptionist informed Katia.

"Oh..." Katia replied a bit disappointed.

"Would you like me to leave a message?"

"No...it's alright. I'll see him later tonight anyway. Thank you." she smiled as she headed towards the door.

Katia walked down the steps of the studio and just as she had reached the sidewalk she heard her name being called.

"Jane...hi." Katia said a bit surprised to see her there.

"Hi!" Jane smiled as she hurried over to her. "I thought that was you!"

"How are you? I didn't realize you were in London." Katia replied.

"I'm wonderful! I came in as a surprise...for Paul's birthday. I wanted to take him out to lunch."

"Oh, well I came to see if Andrew wanted to grab a bite to eat too. Apparently, they all went out to a business lunch."

"What a pity." Jane said disappointed.

"But I'm sure Paul will be very happy to see you." Katia said politely.

"I have to work on his actual birthday, so I arranged it so I could come in today. I can only stay two days in London and then I have to go back."

"Oh...well that was very sweet of you."

"Hey, since the boys aren't here, how about us girls have lunch then?" Jane suggested.

***

The next evening, Katia was rushing to get everything ready for their trip to Liverpool. The boys had left earlier that afternoon, but Brian had asked if Katia could finish a few things at the office before she left, so she and Andrew had opted to take an evening train instead.

"I told you to get packed last night." Andrew said amused at how Katia seemed to be running all over the apartment.

"You're not helping, Andrew. " Katia replied annoyed.

"You do know we'll only be gone a few days..."

"I know." Katia called from the bathroom as she finished packing up the toiletries.

Andrew chuckled to himself thinking how nervous Katia always got before every trip.

He heard a knock on the door and figured it was Mal. When he opened the door, his thoughts were confirmed.

"Hi...you guys ready?" Mal smiled.

"Just about...come on in." Andrew said stepping out of the way so Mal could come inside. "Kat!" Andrew called out to her. "Mal's here!"

"Give me two minutes!" she called out from her room.

"Have a seat...knowing Kat, it'll be more than two minutes."

"Last train to Liverpool leaves at 9:20 tonight, so as long as she's ready before 9pm, you'll be fine." Mal laughed.

About fifteen minutes later, Mal was taking Andrew and Katia to the train station.

John had generously offered up Mimi's house for them to stay, but Katia had politely declined, preferring to stay in a hotel during their stay. She knew that Mimi could be a bit of a stickler and the idea of barging into her house with Andrew and having to explain and justify her living with him was more than she wanted to deal with. On top of that, she didn't want to intrude in Cynthia and John's family life. She had already felt guilt for everything that had happened with John the moment she saw Cynthia and Julian; she didn't want to relive that guilt everyday while in Liverpool.

Katia and Andrew got to Liverpool around 10pm that evening. Despite her excitement at being back in Liverpool, Katia was beat and they headed straight to their hotel to get some rest. Katia already had a busy morning planned for the next day. Brian had asked her to meet with Freda to get familiar with her duties, in case Katia needed to assist her in the future. She had already talked with her a few times over the phone and was looking forward to meeting her in person. Freda had arranged to meet her for breakfast at the hotel and then they'd head to her office afterwards.

"So you'll be busy all day tomorrow with Freda?" Andrew asked as they were getting ready for bed.

"Just the morning. But Ringo told me he'd be here to pick you up tomorrow morning, right?"

"Oh yeah...don't worry about me. I'm going to be well taken care of."

"Cynthia wanted to have lunch tomorrow with me and I think John said Mimi wanted to have us over for dinner."

"I'm sure Ringo can keep me entertained until then." he smiled as he got into bed.

"Goodnight Andrew." Katia said as she turned off the light.

***

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Katia said as she sat down at the table.

"That's alright." Cynthia smiled as she took a sip of her coke. "Freda worked you hard this morning?"

"I don't know how she does it! There's so much to do with the fan club."

"And somehow she seems to get it all done."

"It's crazy!" Kat exclaimed. "The boys are so lucky to have her!"

"So...how does it feel to be back in Liverpool?" Cynthia asked.

"I've been so busy this afternoon, that I haven't had much time to think about it. But coming here to meet you for lunch like we did years ago is so nostalgic." she smiled.

"I like it here in Liverpool...the people know me and they're nice. They give me a bit of privacy too, you know?"

"You don't get much of that nowadays, do you?"

"Not in London. The fans...the girls...they give me a hard time when I go shopping or if I just want to go out for a stroll. I get glares and stares...as if I've done something absolutely horrible in marrying John. Like I took something that belonged to them. It's not easy being John's wife." Cynthia said trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

"But John loves you."

"In his own way, he does..." she forced a smile.

"Cynthia...I am so sorry...for everything." Katia said. These weren't just words of comfort for Cynthia. This was a sincere and heartfelt apology to her friend for having betrayed her.

"But...let's not talk about me...I've been wanting to ask you how things between you and Paul have been."

"Oh...uhh...things have been a bit rocky between us." Katia replied trying to not go into too much details.

"Oh...things haven't gotten any better?"

"I just think it's better that we stay friends...Paul is with Jane...I have no right in interfering with that."

"But Jane..."

"Jane went to London...to celebrate Paul's birthday...she's the reason he didn't come to Liverpool with us."

"Paul's not coming to Liverpool?"

"I don't know." Katia said just as the waitress came to take their order.

The rest of the lunch was a bit lighter. Cynthia and Katia laughed as they reminisced about their teenage years. It was wonderful to think back about such great times.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with?" Cynthia asked as they got up to leave.

"No...I was thinking about going to see my dad."

"Of course..." Cynthia nodded. "But we'll see you tonight? At Mimi's?"

"Yes...definitely." she smiled.

Cynthia hugged her goodbye and Katia walked down the street to the bus stop. She had sat in that same stop countless times before; when the bus finally showed up, she got on and looked out the window as it drove down the same route she had taken so many years ago. She got off at her stop and walked a few blocks down to Forthlin Road. As she turned into her old neighborhood, she felt as if she had gone back in time. With each step she took, memories of her dad filled her head. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her old house. She stared at it; it looked just the same as when she had left it. She must have stood there, looking at it, for at least ten minutes before she heard someone calling her name.

"Katia? Is that you?"

Katia turned around to see Paul's dad crossing the street to meet her.

"Mr. McCartney." she smiled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Katia! I don't believe it! How long has it been?" he said as he reached her.

"Too long!" Katia said as she threw herself into his arms.

As he hugged her, Katia closed her eyes and for a second felt as if it was her own dad who was hugging her. When they finally stopped the embrace, Mr. McCartney looked at her.

"My...you've grown up to be a beautiful young lady, haven't you?"

Katia smiled.

"C'mon...let's go inside." he said as he began walking her to his house. "Is Paul here with you?" he asked as he began opening the door to the house.

"No...he stayed in London." Katia replied. "But I'm sure he'll stop by Liverpool soon."

Paul's dad chuckled. "He keeps saying that...I'm hoping one day it'll be true. Join me for some tea?"

Katia nodded.

"When Paul told me he had found you again...when they left on their first tour, I couldn't believe it. I'm sorry it's been so difficult for you these past few years, Katia." Mr. McCartney said as he set down two cups on the kitchen table. "But from everything Paul has told me, I'm sure your dad would be so proud of you." he smiled.

"Thank you...that means so much to hear you say that."

Mr. McCartney sat down and he and Katia talked over tea. She told him about Andrew and their move to London; she talked about her new job with Brian. These were things she would have loved to have talked about with her own dad, but thinking through that, she realized they would have never happened if she hadn't left Liverpool.

"You should have heard Paul when he told me you two had found each other again. He had such a hard time after you left Liverpool. He wouldn't say much...but a father knows when his boy is heartbroken."

"It was hard leaving for me too." Katia replied.

If it had been so hard for Paul though, why hadn't he written back to her. Why had he stopped? Why hadn't he kept in touch with her? She didn't understand, but asking Mr. McCartney didn't seem like the right person to ask.

A few minutes later, both Katia and Mr. McCartney heard the front door open.

"Dad...you home?"

Katia smiled. Recognizing the voice.

"We're in the kitchen."

"Kat!"

"Hi Mike!" she laughed getting up to give him a hug.

"It's so good to see you!" he smiled returning the hug. "Paul didn't say you guys would be in Liverpool!"

"Paul's back in London." Mr. McCartney said.

"So you came by yourself?" Mike asked pulling back to look to at Katia.

"No...I came with John, Ringo and George... and the girls."

"Hmmm...so Paul decided not to grace Liverpool with his presence then?" Mike asked as he walked Kat back to the table and gave his dad a pat on the shoulder. He grabbed a cup for himself and poured himself some tea before joining them at the table.

"I think Jane was in London..."

"Oh." Mike nodded and took a sip of his tea.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day, Katia?" Mr. McCartney asked.

"I was thinking about going to visit my dad. I remember he was buried at Toxteth Park Cemetary, but it's been so long that I don't think I'd remember the exact location. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get that information, would you?"

"You don't have to go very far...just ask Paul." Mike responded.

"Paul? How would he know?" Katia asked with surprise.

"Paul goes and visits your dad whenever he visits his mother. He's been doing it for years. When the boys started recording and he started making a bit of money, he hired a lady...I believe her name is Karen, to go every two weeks to clean and keep the gravesites tidy...she also makes sure your dad has flowers every month." Mr. McCartney replied.

"I didn't know Paul did that..." Katia responded softly. "He never mentioned it."

Katia never expected for Paul to do anything remotely close to what his dad had just told her.

"He probably didn't tell you a lot of things he did after you left." Mike muttered.

"Mike." Mr. McCartney remarked and looked sternly at his son.

Mike merely looked down at his cup without saying another word.

"I probably have Karen's information somewhere in my room. Let me go see if I can find it. She would be the best person to tell you the exact location."

Mr. McCartney stepped out of the kitchen and into his bedroom, leaving Mike and Katia by themselves.

"Mike..." Katia said leaning towards him. "What did you mean when you said I probably didn't know a lot of things Paul did when I left?" Katia questioned.

"Oh...it's nothing, Kat." Mike said not realizing Katia had actually heard his comment.

Katia sat back into her chair and sighed.

"I don't understand." she started. "Your dad tells me that Paul had a very difficult time after I left...and then tells me he's visited my dad at the cemetery...even hired a lady to care for his tomb...but when I left...Paul just...lost all contact with me. He wrote me back a few times and then just stopped. I don't understand why he didn't bother keeping in touch with me. If he cared so much about me, why did he just cut me out of his life?" Katia asked looking at Mike. "What happened with your brother after I left? Please tell me."

"Kat...it's true...Paul was pretty broken after you left. The first couple of months he spent a lot of time in his room...wouldn't say much to anyone. We thought it was his way of handling things...he'd lock himself in there and we'd hear him playing his guitar. Both dad and I thought he was focusing on his music to cope with you not being here. But it wasn't him focusing on his music...he was falling into a depression that we didn't realize until he started hitting the bottle. Once he started drinking, it was hard to not worry about him. He'd constantly be at the bars, coming home absolutely smashed. He'd sleep it off the next day and then hit the alcohol again. He started missing shows and that's when John began threatening him about dropping him from the band. We all thought that in itself would pull him out of it, but he didn't seem to care until John actually did it."

"John kicked him out of the Beatles?" Katia asked shocked.

"For about a week." Mike replied.

"How did Paul...get back on his feet?" Katia inquired.

"John came by one night...and they talked. I don't know what it was that John said to him, but the next day, both dad and I noticed a difference in Paul. It was an effort on his part that we hadn't seen in months. So...I'm not surprised that Paul stopped writing you, Kat. He wasn't in his right mind for a while there...he really wasn't there at all. I can assure you that my brother cares deeply for you...he absolutely adores you...when he called saying you two had seen each other again...well I hadn't heard him so happy in a long time." Mike smiled.

"Thank you..." Katia replied.

Mike nodded and took a sip from his tea. A few seconds later Mr. McCartney came back into the kitchen.

"I got a hold of Karen...I noted how to get to your dad's grave in reference to Mary's grave." he said handing a piece of paper to Mike. "Do you think you can go with Kat?" Mr. McCartney asked Mike.

"Sure." Mike replied as he studied the piece of paper. "You want to go go now?" Mike asked Kat.

"That would be great. Thank you." she smiled as she got up and picked up her empty cup.

"Just leave that there, Katia." Mr. McCartney smiled.

"Thank you so much for everything." Katia said as all three started walking to the front door.

As Katia was saying goodbye to Mr. McCartney, Mike opened the front door and immediately began laughing.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Paul McCartney himself!" he said as he took a step outside.

She could hear Paul and Mike hugging outside the door. They were laughing as they stepped into the house.

"Well speak of the Devil...how are you son?" Mr. McCartney asked as he went over to hug Paul.

"Hey Dad..." Paul smiled as he hugged him back. When he pulled back, he got a glimpse of Katia.

"Kat...I didn't expect to see you here." he said with surprise. He approached her and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I saw her in the neighborhood so I invited her in for tea."Mr. McCartney said.

"Just like old times." Paul commented.

"Yes." Katia smiled.

"Were you going out?" Paul questioned his brother.

"We were...but I think those plans have changed." Mike grinned.

"Katia wanted to go visit her dad at the cemetery...you think you could take her, Paul?" Mr. McCartney inquired.

"Sure..."

"I don't want to impose...I'm sure you want to spend some time with your dad and your brother." Katia said.

"It's not a problem, Kat. I'm planning on staying for about a week...so we'll have plenty of time to catch up." he said glancing over at his dad.

"How about some tea before you leave?" Mr. McCartney asked his son.

"That sound great. Alright if we leave in a bit?"

"Of course." Katia smiled.

Everyone headed back to the kitchen and Paul talked about the film and the recording of the soundtrack as everyone joined him with another cup of tea.

"You two should head out soon." Mr. McCartney said as he got up from the table and patted Paul's shoulder. "Kat...I hope to see you before you head back to London."

"Absolutely." she smiled as he walked out of the kitchen and into his room.

"I'm heading out too." Mike said as he took his cup and his dad's cup to the kitchen sink. "I'll see you around Kat. It's nice to have you back home, Paul." Mike said as he tousled his hair as he walked past him.

Paul laughed as he began combing his hair with his fingers. Katia stood up and grabbed Paul's empty cup as well as hers and walked to the kitchen sink. She silently washed all of the cups and was turning off the faucet when she felt Paul standing behind her. Katia didn't turn around. She grabbed the hand towel and began drying her hands instead.

"Kat." Paul said softy as Katia felt his hand graze the small of her back, urging her to turn around.

Katia turned around to look at him. As she stood there in front of him, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I didn't have sex with John." she blurted out.

It was obvious Paul had not expected Katia to disclose such information at that particular moment, but the look of relief on his face was evident.

"But I saw you in his bed." Paul said trying to hide a smile.

"I've slept in your bed and we haven't had sex." Katia argued playfully.

"Yet." Paul laughed.

Katia looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though, Kat...let's talk about this." Paul said as he walked her back to the kitchen table. He moved the chairs so they were sitting directly in front of each other.

"I want to apologize Kat." Paul began as he took both of her hands in his. "I am so sorry for what I said...and even more sorry for hurting you so much. I was just so frustrated..."

"Frustrated?"

Paul chuckled a little. "Yes...Kat I've wanted to make love to you since I was 17 years old! Tomorrow I turn 23 years old...that is 6 years of pent up desire for you! I know it's not an excuse and I am not trying to use it as one, but that night I was thinking with the wrong head. I had you there in the corner and you were looking amazing...I was so turned on by you that when you asked me to stop...well I was just so frustrated that I didn't think straight. And I'm sorry for that. I've felt awful for the past few weeks..."

"I've felt terrible too. I hated being mad at you."

"It was no picnic on my end either."

"Paul...why didn't you believe John when he told you that nothing had happened?"

Paul sighed as he let her hands go and leaned back in his chair. "I know that John likes you...and I wasn't sure he'd keep his word of not messing around with you."

"Well he did. And I'll tell you something else, John behaved like a true gentleman...he values friendship even above his own interests."

"I guess I'll need to do some more apologizing later." Paul smiled meekly.

Katia felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders now that she and Paul had cleared things up.

"Paul...your dad told me that you've gone to visit my dad...even hired a lady to clean his gravesite and leave flowers for him. I want to thank you for that. You never mentioned it to me before..." Katia said softly.

"Oh Kat...you don't have to thank me for that." Paul replied leaning forward again and taking a hold of one of Katia's hands. "I didn't bring it up because...well...you never seem to talk about him much."

"Yeah...I know I don't usually talk about him...it still hurts too much and I always end up crying..." Katia said as her voice cracked. "See..." she said with a forced chuckle as she tried to hold tears back.

Paul stroked the side of her face. "I can take you to go see him." he said.

Katia nodded and Paul felt a tear fall on his hand.

"Come 'ere." he said as he stood up and pulled her out of the chair. He hugged her tenderly and Katia wrapped her arms around him. She needed to feel Paul's embrace. She knew going to see her dad's grave after so long was going to be difficult and she was glad that Paul would be by her side.

In a half hour, Paul and Katia were walking down Toxteth Park Cemetery with a few bouquets of flowers in hand. They stopped to see Paul's mother first. They each set a bouquet of flowers down and Paul spent some quiet time with his mother. Katia watched realizing she had never been here with Paul, even when she lived in Liverpool. This was such a private moment he was letting her witness. When he got up, he smiled at her and took her hand.

"C'mon..." he said.

Katia walked slowly until Paul stopped.

"Here it is."

Katia read the headstone. "Harold Adkins 1919-1961. Beloved father to Katia."

"Theresa actually put Beloved Father to Katia?" she asked to no one in particular.

"No...I did..."

Katia looked at Paul.

"I had it added a few years back...I figured you'd be back one day."

"I don't know how to thank you, Paul."

"You don't need to."

"You know, dad never liked the name Kat...he said it sounded like a feline...and I was his daughter, not the house pet." she laughed softly as she remembered his words.

"I noticed he always called you Katia."

"My mother's name was Katia...dad said I looked so much like her..." she trailed off as she knelt down and put the bouquet of flowers she had in her hand next to his headstone.

Katia felt her chest tighten and her eyes began to tear up. It had been so long since she had let herself remember everything that had happened. Being there brought up so many emotions that she hadn't let herself feel since she had left Liverpool. She immediately broke down into sobs. Katia felt Paul's hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.

"Paul this was all my fault!" she cried.

"No...this was not your fault Kat." Paul knelt beside her.

"Yes it was...it was my fault...he died because of me...if I-"

"Kat...look at me. You did not have anything to do with this. He died of a heart attack...you didn't have anything to do with it."

"Yes I did...his heart condition began when I left for Hamburg...it was me...I brought on the worry...the stress.....I wasn't there when he needed me! It was my fault...it's because of me that he's dead."

Paul grabbed Katia by the shoulders. "No, it isn't!"

"It was my fault Paul...I killed him...I left him alone that night..." Katia sobbed uncontrollably as Paul took her into his arms.

"Shhhh...calm down. Kat please calm down and listen to me. Your dad had a heart condition long before he came to Liverpool. Dad told me after you left. Your dad asked him to recommend a doctor when he got here that could keep prescribing the medications he was taking in Canada...you didn't cause his heart condition, love. He just hadn't told you about it...but it wasn't your fault. Your dad was sick..."

"Why... didn't he... tell me?" Katia managed to say between short breaths.

"He probably didn't want to worry you...Oh Kat...you've been carrying a guilt for something that wasn't your fault...you need to let it go...."

"I miss him so much Paul." Katia cried. She hadn't broken down like this before. She hadn't let herself...but being here after so many years...allowing herself to feel the loss of her dad, it was more than she could handle.

Katia cried in Paul's arms, letting all the years of hurt and pain out.

"I promised him I would be fine...but I'm not fine Paul." Katia cried into Paul's chest.

"Yes you are." Paul said softly as he raised her face so she would look at him. "Kat you're just emotional right now and that is okay...but you're doing just fine. You have a flat of your own, you are working, you are traveling...you're just as amazing as you were when your dad was alive. He raised a beautiful daughter who has been able to overcome so much in her short years...you've remained just as sweet and caring as ever, you have friends who love and respect you for who you have become...if your dad was here, he'd say that was the definition of being fine. I know you miss him...you're always going to miss him. I miss my mum every day...every day I think about her and wonder how things would be if she were alive...and then I look at my life and I think 'You're doing pretty damn good...Mum would be proud...keep it up!' I'm not perfect Kat...I know I'm not the best person...but I'm not the worst...I am who I am...I am Paul...and you know what? I am fine...and you know what else? Kat is doing just fine too."

Katia felt weak and worn out; she had finally let go. She had never allowed herself to really grieve her dad's death; she had been afraid no one would be there to pick up the broken pieces when she did finally let herself feel the emotions, but being here with Paul, she had let herself fall. She had shattered into a million pieces and Paul had been there to pick up the pieces one by one and begin mending her back together.

"C'mon, Kat. I think you've had enough for one day." Paul said helping her up.

Katia and Paul left the cemetery and headed back to his house.

"You can get some rest in my room." Paul said as they walked into the house.

"Everything okay?" Katia heard Paul's dad ask from his armchair.

"I'll be back in a minute dad...Kat just had a hard day today." He said.

Paul took Katia into his room, a room she hadn't seen in years. She sat down in his bed.

"How are you feeling?" Paul asked as he moved her hair away from her face.

"I've been better." She said trying to smile.

"Just rest...you'll feel better...today was a very draining day for you."

Katia laid down and Paul sat down next to her. He began humming a tune as he stroked her hair.

"What song is that?" Katia asked while she closed her eyes.

"It's off the new album. It's called Yesterday."

"It sounds like a hit." Katia said as she dozed off.