On Loving Paul [McLennon]

Not Just Another Face In the Crowd

John and Paul moved back in with Mimi and Mike. George moved back in with his parents. They began writing more and more music. The Beatles got a new drummer, a young man called Pete Best. They continued playing gigs and became more and more popular in Liverpool. And, best of all, no one had seen a sign of Jim McCartney. Things were starting to look up for them once more.

Until one day....one terrible day....

They were in a popular Liverpool club called the Cavern where they played pretty often. It was the middle of December and their performance was going well. The Cavern was packed tight and the crowd was loving the music.

It was going great!

And then Paul spotted a face in the crowd...a single face that nearly made him freeze up. He continued playing the guitar, but he was on auto-pilot and he didn't really hear the music. He was playing the song, but he was zoned out.

His father. It was the only person he could see. The only thing he could see. His father. His father. His father was there, in the crowd.

John soon noticed Paul's strained expression and began scanning the occupants of the crowd until he found the member if the audience whom he was so sure he would find. There he was. Plain as day. Evil as hell.

It was a half hour later that they finished their performance and headed backstage. They quickly packed up their things and headed out.

"See you tomorrow!" Pete called as he walked away toward his house.

"See you!" John nodded absentmindedly.

Paul was out of it, staring ahead into space in a trance. He was completely distant and didn't even notice when he lost his balance and toppled over.

John caught him in his arms and slung one of Paul's arms across his shoulders before he began walking toward his house, dragging Paul along with him and clutching a guitar in the other hand.

"John?" George followed at his heels. "What's going on?"

"Paul's dad," John said. "He was in the audience."

George's eyes widened.

Before they got back to the house, Paul shook himself out of his trance and held his guitar higher above the ground. He stared around frantically, sure that his father was somewhere close by.

"Paul," John grasped his shoulders tightly. "It's fine. We need to get back to Mimi's. Come on."

Paul nodded and the three of them hurried around another two corners and down the street until they reached the house. Through the opened gateway and across the lawn they went. John took his house key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, then he, Paul, and George clambered into the house and slammed the door shut behind themselves.

"Paul?" Mike appeared at the top of the stairs. "John?"

"Yeah, it's us." John replied.

"Hey, Georgie." Mike waved.

George nodded. "Hello, Mike."

Without another word, Mike went off to his room.

John, Paul, and George hurried up to the room that John and Paul shared and set their guitars down, leaning against the wall. Paul then sat down on John's bed and put his head in his hands. It was only a few moments before he began sobbing and John quickly sat down beside him and pulled him in, wrapping Paul tightly in a warm and comforting embrace.

"What now?" George questioned. "Do we call the cops?"

John shook his head. "They won't do anything. They already think that it was all misunderstanding back in 1958, so what are they going to do now? Bunch of idiots and bastards, if you ask me."

George sighed. "That just doesn't make any sense! He was convicted of attempted murder and now they're saying that it was all a misunderstanding? Paul could have died, for God's sake! He nearly did!!"

Paul sobbed harder, letting out all of the worry and concern that had, barely forty five minutes earlier, been revealed to have reason behind it. And as Paul sobbed harder, John hugged him tighter.

"He - can't be b-back!" Paul choked. "He can't!" He buried his face in his hands and John kissed the top of his head, trying desperately to calm him down.

"It's fine," John soothed.

George sank into the chair that sat by the window. The same chair that had sat there since July seventh of 1958 when John sat beside Paul's bed as he rested on the one year anniversary of their friendship.

Paul's sobs soon became quieter and quieter until, gradually, the tears and choking noises stopped and he looked up, eyes red, puffy, and swollen. "How am I going to tell Mike?" He blurted out suddenly. "How am I supposed to explain to him that it was wrong? That he is in danger and that I can't protect him from that - that monster!"

"It's okay," John hugged him even tighter. "We'll keep him safe. You'll keep him safe. I'll keep him safe."

George looked at the two of them and just sighed. "I have to get home," he stated in a kind of regretful tone. "I promised my mum I'd be back right after the show. But I'll come by tomorrow. I promise."

John nodded and Paul nodded and George nodded and then he left and he shut the door behind himself and as he walked down the stairs, even through the closed door, he could hear Paul beginning to sob once more.