"What's this then Paulie? In the news without the other boys?" Lou heckled Paul as he wandered out of his bedroom, hair in disarray, rubbing his doe eyes awake. Scooping Evie up, he bounced her in his arms "She's just eaten. Stop ya bouncing or she will cover you in porridge"

Paul shrugged and bounced the giggling infant a few more times as Lou read the contents of the paper out to the gathered ensemble of bleary eyed men in the room "Yesterday, James Paul McCartney, that'll be you Paulie, twenty-one year old musician of 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool, was fined £25 and disqualified from driving at Wallasey for 12 months after he had admitted exceeding the speed limit along Seabank Road ........" that was until Paul scrunched the entire page and tossed it fair across the room. "Hey! Reading that!"

"Shushhhh Lou, Brian's' already grouchy bout that, don't go rehashing it into today's news too" Paul rubbed his face, no motor he thought, bugger me dead.

"Twelve months!" John leered "Geez, I may need to get my licence out of the bottom of the cornflake packet yet!"

"As long as it isn't a real one, we're all safe" George spat from behind his toothbrush, walking away to dump the contents of his mouth in the small sink "You know you will have to wear your specs to drive don't you John"

" ..'Course, I'm not a complete idiot"

"Oh, only a half one then. Would that be a half id or a halfwit" Lou streaked across the room to hide behind Mal, John dancing side to side to mock throttle her for the retort. Paul was more than grateful his misdemeanour was forgotten for the time being.

The second day began with laughs and fun and games then settled into what Lou though an apt description- tigers at the zoo.

All four boys, Brian, Mal and Neil, another recruit in the Beatle circus, were all pacing up and down out of sheer boredom, either in the room or out in the hall.

When needed, they, on the most part , were immensely handy...

Evie's upset, dump her into one of the lad's arms as he paced. Evie enjoying the different faces that held her high, even John wasn't afraid to show his soft side entertaining the little girl in interesting things like Paul's wallet or his now useless car keys and licence or Ringo's camera and, if very lucky, real birds, seagulls not screaming fans, landing on the balcony squawking for the meagre few cold leftover chips from lunch.

Two shows a day starting precisely at 6.25pm and 8.40pm had Lou left to the four mustard yellow striped wallpapered walls, alone. Although, she could sort Evie to her evening routine and bed.

Lou wondered if this was it.

Caged and left waiting.

****

The boys all tumbling in between midnight and beyond, Lou could hear them through the walls, banging on the furniture, yelling, tossing hellos off the balcony to the shrieking fans delight, as they all held twenty four hour vigil outside the building.

Many voices were in there tonight. Lou's headboard, touching against the wall of the living room they all now were congregated in, might as well have been acting like a gigantic megaphone. Women giggled and glasses chinked, the portable record player was spun loudly.

Paul was in the hallway, feeling up some broad. As the light danced under Lou's door, heels tapping on the timber floorboards, they moved around, alot. Lou could even hear Paul's intimate requests spoken ever so softly as they stood right beside the bedroom door. Heavy breathing an' all.

"Paul McCartney get your whoring arse away from my door!" Lou hissed from the other side as she walked by to use to the bathroom.

The door opened moments later.
"Sorry Louise-"

"Get out, don't open the door you ninny!" Lou barrelled toward him, attempting to push him, and the girl who had followed him in the room- out.

"Is this your mum?" The girl asked. Obviously she needs glasses, Lou thought grumpily, although looking down, Lou was reminded she wore a long pale blue nightie tonight, nothing akin to the short red cocktail dress that hugged the body of the pretty girl that was in danger of getting a whipping from Pauls 'mum'.

"No, this is Louise" Paul offered thinking that it was just grand to have a conversation with some strange female in a darkened room as Lou stood pushing all her weight against him in her nightgown.

It was no good, he wouldn't budge an inch. He was lagered up and happy as a pig in mud and giggled at how Lou was trying to budge his person "Lou come have a dram with us lot, luv"

"Paul please take your lady friend to the optometrist then go to bed" Louie stood back, folding her arms across her chest, feeling a little exposed; and she was wondering if she was now the boring one, the girl that made all the boys run in the opposite direction.

But she had to didn't she.

She was a mum now, not Paul's mum, though she wished he had his mum so she could kiss and hug her sons and be ever so proud. Mike, Paul's younger ragamuffin brother and Paul were too young to be motherless. Paul was only around fourteen and Mikey twelve, Lou recalled. And the way she had left them, in pain and agony in hospital, their poor father and them losing the sunshine of a woman from their lives.

It wasn't fair, both John and Paul had lost someone so precious at such an important stage in their life. John too, losing a mother in even more horrid circumstance, such a waste of life, such a rotten thing to happen to two boys trying to negotiate their teenage years without a mothers guiding hand. Lou cast her eyes to Eve, lying fast asleep in the makeshift cot, and made a silent prayer for her future.

Paul watched Lou's face contort through the gamut of emotions as the hall's bright light hit her makeup free face ... her anger at him barging in, the girl calling Lou his mum. Bloody hell Lou didn't look a day over 18 let alone thirty or forty - stupid bird. Then Lou's frown at .... what was it for? Maybe missing out, she looked towards Evie's little bed "Alright then, out of your way and such" He was lucid and conductive to movement from the room now and Lou was relieved to see the back of the young lady at least. Paul turned the girl about, swiveling her hips whilst closing the door softly and Lou was cast back into darkness, yet again.

**

Somehow, she slept an hour or two more, then sheets lifted and arms encircled her.

John.

He smelt soooo good, he must have showered and used his nice aftershave and as his chin touched on her shoulder, pressing close to her neck, she felt smooth recently shaved skin.

"I was a good boy, Louise. Just drinks with Mal and Neil luv" John whispered as he ran fingers through her hair and ever downwards over her hip. Lou was impressed he thought it best to explain.

She would have been jealous now. 

Yes, she would have been mighty upset if a woman had touched him where she wanted to, where her own hands slid naturally.

Lou couldn't not turn around and take those lips he offered her. "Oh you are awake ..... oh yes, definitely Louise, yes please" John's whispers kissed her ears as she woke fully and quickened her pulse.

John was a highly sexed individual, he had been for as long, and longer than, she had known of him.

The conquests and the tales he told, would make a sailor on shore leave blush and policeman arrest. Lou knew all this and knew damn well to keep John close to her heart she would need to be smart both in, and out, of the bedroom.

She paused her kisses and propped up on her elbow a few illicit moments later, John gazing up at her wondering what she was doing, her silhouette as inciting as her features. He was falling for her proper this time, he felt his heart wanting his head to let himself go. He watched her cast a look over at Evie and come to some sort of decision.

Her eyes had found the cot and spied on Evie snuggled down in her pink blankets, asleep, she was just across the room, a few measly feet, not far at all. It wasn't the best of situations having the babe in the same room but what could she do, she wasn't going to not bonk John's eyebrows off. She pulled the nightie up over her head and let her hands wander, happy John was as ready for her as she was for him.

She took the prize offered.

Wishing this was for always.

She wet her lips and happily inflicted, and succumbed, to temptation.