Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which paul has a nightmare

In the following months, Please Please Me was released and it was a huge hit! So huge, in fact, that they were already beginning to prepare for a second album by the time May rolled around.

Paul was awake at three in the morning on the twenty fourth of May, standing in the kitchen of his and John's shared flat, just thinking... It's been two years. Two years since I was given a second chance at my life. Two fucking years.

Paul took a good look around the kitchen. He and John wouldn't be living in that flat for much longer. The following week, they'd be moving into a flat in London with George and Ringo.

"Hey, Paulie," Barney appeared with a tired sigh.

"Barney," Paul smiled, striding forward and hugging man. "God, it's been months.. How've you been? How's Lily? I've missed you. You'll never believe what's happened! Actually, you will, but it's so brilliant to be part of it all again! The Beatles are taking off! I'm a Beatle again, Barney!"

Barney smiled. "I'm happy for you, Paulie. I really am."

Paul frowned, looking Barney up and down. The agent wasn't holding himself up with his usual striking confidence, and his blonde was now specked with hints of grey. "Barney, what's the matter?"

Barney sighed. "Lots of things.. It's been a long time since I saw you, too, Paul. It's been a year since I brought you here for me, and I know it's been two years for you. Lily is almost seven months along with our baby, and work.. Oh, god, work. Ever since that day that I brought you in for that meeting they've been on my case for every little detail of just everything. I am so sick of this job.. I'm fucking done, Paul."

"B-but you can't quit.." Paul frowned. "I need you to be with me in all of this, Barney. And you said yourself that you don't just quit thee F.H.O., they'll wipe your memories or whatever you said they'd do. You can't do that to yourself, you've got a kid on the way."

Barney frowned, too, but he nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right..." He forced his big, charming smile onto his face but it looked half-hearted. "I can get through this, I just need to power though it."

"Exactly," Paul said, but he was deeply worried about his friend.

"So, what's been going on with you?" Barney asked, trying to appear calm and casual now. "I mean, aside from the album.. The F.H.O. caught wind of you having a little health scare a little while ago?"

"Yeah." Paul nodded. "I just wasn't eating enough, I got way too skinny. But I'm better now, much better. Nothing has gone wrong with Stuart - he knows about the F.H.O. and the Shadows but he isn't helping anyone, and he's still alive so I don't think the Shadows plan on killing him."

"Yeah, if he's still alive they're probably planning to keep it that way," Barney agreed. "Anything else exciting going on?"

"John barely has nightmares anymore," Paul grinned.

"Good!" Barney nodded. "Stuart was a small bump in the road, but it would appear that everything is falling into place now. Good, this is good." Barney looked insanely relieved and Paul was really beginning to worry now about what Barney was going through at work, but he didn't try to push Barney into talking about it.

"Well, I'll leave you for now," Barney said. "I'll try to pop in again soon. See you, Paul."

"See you, Barney."

And then he was gone.

~~~

"Ringo and George have gone out," John said, poking his head into the room he and Paul shared.