"Pay up, McLoser!" Louie slapped the cards down and smiled with pride at beating McDebtor at poker....

Again.....

For real money too.

"Louise double or nothing" Paul scratched his chin then bit down on the fingernail that he chews when he can't get a good lyric to fall on the page or get his own way or win poker "Com' on"

"No way. I need to start dinner"

"I'll go grab some fush and chumps" Paul watched over Louise while John was off taking Evie for her yearly appointment for her spleen problems. Lou wasn't particularly happy with the arrangement but she wasn't up to sitting about in a doctors surgery either.

"Why don't you go 'ave a bath. And Mal and I'll duck down the chippy if you won't let me win me lot back" Pouting but happy Paul stretched and rubbed his eyeball, grinning like a devil but finally, he frowned, as Lou gathered up her winnings, counting the pile loudly.

"Two hundred quid!!" Lou barked a laugh out "Here ya go ten pound for the tea and you've been a good lad so buy something for yourself with a fiver"

"Oh thank-you mummy. May I buy some lollies, perhaps a rock candy?"

"No, you'll get acne again"

"Piss off" Paul climbed off the couch and pulled Lou to her feet slowly, she was better but her leg and shoulder oft got tight and sore if she was remiss in her exercises that Doc Nate had made her undertake.

The accident was a few months over now but the slow burn that ate her joints at times made her want to be rather lazy and just forget the stretches and bends of the exercises, which infinitely made the merry go round of aches and pains, worse.

"When have I ever had acne"

"Remember the time that Dot bought a bag of chocolates and lollies over for the gang to share "You had the pox for a week, you did"

"Now I know you're lying"

"How so, Paul?" Louie grinned as she hung onto the door frame swinging back into the room, watching Paul cleaning up the deck of cards, shoving them in the caddy by the muted telly. Louie finally recalled the night completely as she watched him. He poked his tongue out smiling, her face fell slightly, knowing he would tease so she tried to put a cods wash on the conversation she had undeniably started "Don't tell me"

"Arrr but I will Louise Maybel Lennon" Paul walked over and proceeded to slow waltz Lou towards the bathroom, spinning her ever so slowly making her giggle as he made childish faces at her, tongue poking out or lots of teeth in an ugly grin. He had her smiling happily with nary a care in the world "You, my dear, sat and fed all the chocy olivers to Winston and I know for a fact over half the Cadbury roses slipped past your lips"

"Don't tell fibs James" but she was grinning, the night in question was so long ago yet so close. When they all had hours and hours to spend doing as they pleased, relaxing and smoking under the trees at Strawberry Fields and sitting round on the carpet in Jim McCartney's living room listening to the new forty fives that they shared.

Her eyes lit up as she recalled the images of how they sat in a circle and told crummy jokes or watched Johns personal matinee as he re-enacted a particularly funny scenario. Lou pouted "Oh but no one liked the strawberry ones, they were mostly strawberry weren't they 'cause they were off the factories faulty pile line, right?"

"And who had the acne?"

"More than likely you because you drink much too much sweet drinks" Louie heard Johns arrival home, the fans outside were muted a tad but still she could hear them squawking his name as he tumbled up the garden path from the motor.

"Geez Lou I really can't-"

"Hey up what are you two up to then? Standing in me bedroom with me missus Macca not pleasing to see" John pushed through the two-body's facing off in the hallway outside the main bedroom over acne, and set a sleepy Eve in her cot. "Lou- clean bill of health and that daughter of ours will need a bloody bed soon, the cots getting a pinch too tight... "

"I don't get acne Louise" Paul turned on his heel, this was ridiculous, fighting over spots "You on the other hand....."

Louise lunged laughing at a smirking Paul and he hot footed it out the front door to escape "Remember the lemon wedges this time, spotty" She yelled after him, it was no good the fans at the gate were screaming his name.

Lou turned back, nearly bumping into John.

John and Lou stood close in the semi lit hallway, each watching the other. 

The month or two in between the accident and their present moment had been not without tears and fights, and the road fraught with misgivings and apologies.

They had been slightly off kilter and each of them struggled to get back into a rhythm with the other. John feigned studio time to escape and Lou dotted over Eve more than necessary. Both doing so to stay out of the others pocket.

He touched her cheek ever so softly, and her eyes held his. It had been this way... a touch here and there, then both parties backing away. A look, then moving to flee the room and they both knew, absolutely knew, they shouldn't. All words had long been spoken, the anger and pain that Louise felt toward John for being so nasty when she admitted she was pregnant miles behind them. The sad regrets filled with apologies and sincerity that he conveyed. But still they flitted around the edges and lay beside each other with a great void between their bodies.

It was the longest either had been celibate since they were young teens. John couldn't remember another time in his life he had gone without the feel of a feminine body beneath him, yet he hadn't strayed, hadn't nicked off to his little black book, hadn't wanted too; hadn't wanted anyone else.

Lou closed her eyes and sighed with the feeling of his fingers dusting down her cheek, hand closing gently around her neck, she stepped forward opening her eyes, and kissed him. Testing him, tasting him. His tongue flicked hers and his hand found her hip.

The dam broke and whatever had them waiting and stopping before was now pushing them quickly together instead.

"Eve, just fell asleep"

"He's gone for dinner"

"Ten minutes, yea?"

"Fifteen tops"

Clothes fluttered off around them like confetti and John pushed her gently against the wall, time now was no friend and she hooked her legs around his waist when he lifted her.

Whatever they did right now was going to be dirty, sweaty, fast and oh so good. It was so desperately needed ....

Lou grinned over his lips and John groaned, and ground, deep.

"Floor or bed"

"Floor"

"You dirty girl"

"Ten minutes"

"Pillow?"

"Yes please"

Johns foot found leverage on the door jam and he held her tight, Lou opened for him then lifted her hips as she felt him so hard, pressing close.

Then there was that first deep satisfying thrust... and all hell broke loose.

He was taking her skyward.

"Oh god"

"It's John, May-bel..... Fuck me, you feel good"

"Five"

"What?" Johns face scrunched up as he let her have everything he had had pent up inside... the love, the sorrys, the want to reclaim her body. All flexing through his hips. His lips found her neck and she squeaked as he sucked her skin.

Releasing her skin he understood her number "ohhhh five"

Lou nodded tapping her wrist cackling and moaning as she did so. Her silliness made him grin manically and her moan had him moving even more feverishly.

"I'mmm...ohhh" Louie tilted her hips and the feelings that she had missed rose and rose "I'mmmmm yessss ahhh yesss"

The release claimed her, then him.

They lay panting and recovering on the floor.

"I missed you"

"And I you"

"Another round?"

"Dinner will be delivered shortly"

"So that's a yes then?"

"Why not"

Entertaining her once more, this time on the bed, John enjoyed watching the smooth skin of her back shining, slick with sweat, and her heart was racing, as he continued pound-

"I got a whole Lemo- Oh for the love of God"

Lou gripped the sheets, her teeth biting the pillow she was currently pushed down into, hands planted, pressed into the mattress, her waist controlled by his hands.

"Pauls back"

"I heard"

"Should we 'ave dinner"

"Let me finish, will ya"

"Hurry up then, I'm hungry" Louise giggled and John flipped her on her back.

To see her eyes smiling, to see the 'o' she made with her lips as he filled her... To see her face awash with love. "Ooooh"

"Good?"

Lou waved her hand in a so- so mannner "Hmmmm seven and a half out of ten" Then screeched as he made a grab, laughing happily as John chased her through into the kitchen.

They were back in rhythm... from all that rock and roll.