"A coke please" Louise put her purse on the bar in front of her and took out the coins for the drink.

"And a packet of crisps too please" George said from behind her "She's paying"

"George. Hi!" Louise felt like years had happened by since she had last seen the lads. She hugged George who hugged fleetingly, releasing quickly, it made Lou frown "Awww, I missed you, I only wanted to hug you for a bit"

"It was three seconds over the egg-timer limit set for hugging- cira '53"

"We decided that when you were ten, George"

"Do you know how many hugs I give and receive in an hour these day's!?! Our deal has been a godsend, I use it as my personal hug-o-metre" George opened the crisps and ate three large in one go.

"Well I should be excluded or un-timed at the very least" Louise spun round on the stool and looked at the stage "Where is everyone?"

"Tuning, primping, kissing the mirror"

"Paul does not kiss the mirror now, does he?" Louise giggled.

"Arrr no... but you picked on him straight up and I didn't mention names" George took a swig of her coke "Come on bumble bee"

"I don't, do I?" Louise was dismayed. Did she really look like a bloody big bumble bee!?! George just kept walking paying no heed to Louise stood stock still in the centre of the room "George no middle name Harrison, stop this instant!"

George turned around, a mouth full of teeth, chips and huge messy grin, making her rush at him. He swallowed rather unattractively, spluttering as he gulped the lot down when she descended on him "Gee Lou stop with the bossing me about bit, I'm not a kid anymore, you know. Look, you look fab, like a vanilla and banana lolly" Louise glared before dropping her gaze "Gosh, only kidding sis, get a grip would ya......"

He spun on his heel and took off toward the small room set aside for the band. "You're all buzzed up, you are" Pirouetting better than a ballerina George smirked a grin which was a mile wide and extremely devilish like only a brother can be. He was being a right royal pain in the bum just like always.

Louise was on Georges back when they entered the dressing room, trying to pull his exacting hair out. She soon stopped, dropping rapidly to the floor to settle her dress and smooth her own hair into place. George tutted and snatched the comb out of Paul's hand as Lou hastened to try and make a somewhat late good impression by smiling prettily but it didn't last, she poked her tongue out at George as he shook his head at her in the mirror.

"Always making an entrance aren't you Louise...." Ringo gave her a quick cuddle and wandered back to the mirror asking as he went "How are you luv?"

"Fine thanks Richy" Spotting John half way through shaving and Paul spreading shaving foam over his dial she waved a hand across the sea of men "Hi you two, Brian, Mal, Neil, bit squished up in here with all the entourage isn't it. It's just like old times" Louise spotted a wobbly timber stool in the corner and sat on it trying to keep well out of the way "Oh while you're all here. Truthfully, mind you. Do I look like a bumble bee?"

Brian kissed her cheek politely "You look radiant as usual Louise and if..." Brian looked around spotting George "If anyone says any different you are to let them have it" Brian fixed his tie, shooting her a wink then nodded a quick goodbye as he left to check the lighting for the stage.

"You heard him. Line up, get the teasing out and then I'll belt ya one in the stomach" She grinned happily and they all laughed, glad of the diversion from the normal pre-show jitters and routine. She was then cordially approached and kissed carefully on the cheek by Paul.

"You look like you could model in that little number. George is just in bro mode, pay no bother to the lad" Paul gave her a wink and flicked his hair about as he looked in the mirror over her shoulder. "Can I come by and see our Evie tomorrow?" Freshly shaved, smelling divine Paul combed once more...The comb sliding through his  mop-top making it perfectly perfect, then he shook his head wildly and walked off making Lou laugh as he went to grab his jacket off the hanger marked with a 'P'.

"I would be upset if you all didn't. That goes for you too Mal, and Neil. Ma is making a huge pot of Scouse in the morn"

"Be there with bells on, pet" Mal walked past with an amp and leads, glasses perched on his nose threatening to slide off at any instant.

"Should I go out to grab a seat with Brian?"

"No, stay right there, like old times May-bel.." John stood Lou up off the stool and spun her round "with new improved curves" He made no move to hide his eyes as he stared at her figure as he spun her slow.

"You're a flirt mister Lennon" she grinned, happy for the his lovely words.

John leaned in like he was about to deliver a secret, his voice sexier than over the crackly telephone line "After the gig, I want to take you out somewhere, ok Louie?" John ran fingers through her hair gently letting it trail free, guitar pick caught in his teeth, he leaned in closer still "I missed you, you know"

"I may have missed you too..." Louie looked about for the others then leaned in to drop a fleeting kiss beside his lips.

John straightened and touched her cheek, intently holding her gaze while running a finger along her jaw, down her neck. His gaze searching, as if he was recording her face to memory "How's our Evie been then, luv?"
Dropping his hand away he turned to check his tie in the mirror, he then apologised "Sorry, I've got to keep getting ready" Turning toward the table in the corner, he grabbed his guitar then gingerly leant back against the flimsy furniture. With legs weak and narrow, the card table wobbled.

His face a measure of concentration as he tuned. He was happy, yet sad.

This was his only chance to get things right with Louise but could he keep it together? With such immaturity he had shown her in the past, could he hold onto something of this magnitude, this important.

"Shes brill, bright as a shiny button she is" Lou proudly stated, she sat quietly just enjoying watching John tune his guitar, he was a little measure of downcast and nodded somewhat forlornly.

Louise hadn't bargained on John missing the baby all those months ago when the deal was made, nor did she think, he himself, would be feeling the way he undeniably was...

~~~~~

The room was chocker's and Lou finally spotted Holly by the timber door on the right, she led her new friend to Brian's table and they sat and chatted amicably.

They then watched on as pandemonium broke out when the Beatles made the stage.

The entire room moving forward,  converging on the stage. The audience went totally nutty, absolutely berserk. The music grew ever louder, louder than she had ever heard it before and she felt the sound reverberate through the round table in front of her, right into her hand that she had placed upon it.

The lads she knew had seemingly overtaken every other band in Britain now, the chaos was still in it's infancy but Louise could see the future like she herself had turned a set of fortune teller's cards over. Turning each of her friends faces over from the stack of cards, they aligned in the stars and they were rocketing away. 

Did she want to be inside all this?

It would be like a juggernaut, packed full of explosive.

Could she handle the heat?