John was running.

Dragging Louise by her elbow he fled, narrow halls alive with people, slamming them all to the side, without bothering to apologise or see if they were damaged by the whirlwind Lennon.

A mission he was on, to catch one Bassist McCartney. The thieving bastard- McBastard ... Mcthief.

No.

McBastardMcThief, too right he is. I need that fucking box tonight not next Wednesday. Why does Paul always trip me up like this. A big bloody stumbling block of doe eyes and too much goody two shoes politeness.

"Get out of me bloody way!!" John yelled awfully loud.

Brian was hot on John and Lou's heels, apologising to every stagehand this side of the Tower Bridge as he passed by.

It was sort of Brian's fault. 

He had, had the box quite secure in his inside right lower pocket of his suit jacket, along with the hundred-pound emergency stash when Paul said he had better take it for safekeeping.

Paul was now off, running for the first car out of the rank, Richard and George were jogging along for the second one so that left John, Lou and Brian creating havoc as they or, mainly, John slammed down the halls to stop Paul.

"If he leaves Brian, I'll wring ya neck"

"If he leaves John, we can go see him tomorrow" Louise punched John to get him to let her go.

"What? I don't want to bloody see that boys face this side of Christmas if I can help it" John pushed a man with a broken spotlight bulb into an open room to get past.

"John .... John! I'll bloody cripple you myself if you don't let me be" Louise ripped her arm about to escape.

Doesn't she realise all this is for her, John grimaced as she collected the back of his knee with a heel as she tried to spin and effect an escape from Johns grasp.

"All this so you can see Paulie for a few measly minutes more. You're home..... don't you just want to go home with me ..... John?" Lou questioned as she successfully pulled away, her voice more than tinged with upset.

John's footsteps slowed to a stop and he wielded around, eyes flashing angrily. He was mad at Paul, fuming at Brian, mad at himself even but never mad at her but now she was almost cowering at the look he unwittingly blessed her with.

He drew a breathe and wiped his face with his hands, wiping the sweat and the angry look away in one movement.

"Sorry Louise, I just really need –"

"John, Johnny! Hey man, forgot to give you this! Turn around wack, don't want to give away all the secrets, do we now?!" Paul smiled at Louie over Johns shoulder and tugged Johns arm so he was facing away from Louise, the box at the middle of the ruckus, hidden from Lou's eyes.

Louise pushed past in a huff, she was now pissed at the antics shown to her. She had thought dumbly a hug could quell him but perhaps she should stop dithering and lift her game or walk off and show him she wasn't having any of his childish games played in her presence.

Paul overtook her, spun about walking backwards while teasingly pouting at her scowling face, then fled toward the exit, waving cheerily over his shoulder as he all but bound for the car. Louise scowled a little more at the smiling face ignoring Johns partner in crime wave and cheerio, folding her arms tight in front of her.

George waved as their car took off. She wasn't seeing him either, this evening then.

Lou stood at the top of the stairs angrily watching the scores of women screaming for George and Richy, thumping the duco of the car, and bawling like babies. All lunging at the car as it slowed to a crawl for the hairspray and short skirts.

Louise waved an arm across the floor in front of her with a flourish, signalling for John to just walk on by.

For him to step into the crowded car park and pick his piece of candy for the night. For that is what they were- sweet, delectable and tasty she thought, his own private candy shop of love.

"Fuck off" John grumbled when he realised what she was insinuating with one movement of her body.

Louise had rocks in her head if he was pissing off now. No, he was much too close to getting something right to start the night all wrong and them females down there sprawled over the getaway motors like mud may be sweet and pretty and happy but they weren't a bit on Louise.
They couldn't say no to him, they couldn't give him a good bollocking or shout at him like he needed to be shouted at. No Lou was his candy tonight, rock candy, hard as rock she was but he'd get her sweetened up soon enough. If only she'd stop her scowling at him.

Insanity seemed to be settling in around them as Louise stood rock solid still, unmoving she was, toward the deep olive-green motor called up for them to ride in.

John was already in, Mal had seen to that but Lou .....no, Lou was steadfast at the top of the stairs stood rigid and mad.... plain sick of herself being last and forgotten and definitely sick and tired of being his own private priest in confessional.

John groaned, flopping back in the seat, should he get Mal to manhandle her, lift her high over his shoulder and muscle through?

No this wasn't Mal's mess, now was it.

John opened the door as Mal called him 'bonkers' and John set about pushing his body through the thick sea of hysterical females that grabbed and tried to kiss him, he moved slowly towards the one he had set his sights on to take home, if only she would come.

And somehow he did it, the angry bird in the sexy yellow dress was maneuvered into the car.

But it's not all plain sailing from here, she didn't get in because he wanted her to. She got in because she needed to get home and to do that she needed Mal to get her there. No John wasn't forgiven or given easy access to her as he held a hand out for her to take, his eyes begging her to just come down the stairs, hop in the warm motor and not make a fuss in front of the noisy broads pushing and shoving none too politely around them.

She sits on the far side of the vehicle well away from his vicinity, scowling at Lennon, yep Lennon, that's what he was. Not John not Winnie, nor even.... Johnny- just Lennon.

The daggers now flying directly into his eyes and heart as opposed to his back.

"Here" John tossed the fucking box in her lap and looked out the fucking window into the night.

Cars passing, brake lights flashing, a few stragglers loitering outside a pub. John growled silently at the sight, a pub is what got them into this fiasco. At the traffic lights, there was a large shop window lit up brightly, there must have been twenty or so television sets and a few new washers all jammed in to the display to make the prospective customer turn his head.

He couldn't care fucking less about the telly's or washers but they were a damn sight better than having his gizzards fried by the look in the Louise's eyes. Mad she was, should she be? Probably, but who cares. This was supposed to be great- home, together, smashing lips and other body parts together. John guessed that was a bit too early to expect but what the hell- I'm home aren't I, here and I didn't go sweet lolly tasting tonight.

The box, if it wasn't so wooden would have been scrunched up to pieces in her fist but it was hard and firm and small, very small. Louise looked at John, who was busy peering out the window and pondered his game.

She took a peek and shut the lid without a sound.

She took another, shutting it the same way.

And another.

And another.

Until her fingers settled their shaking and just grasped the little wooden box to her heart.

"Here" Lou sent the box back quick as a flash John caught it, saving it from the floor and midnight black darkness that lay at his feet.

John held it, wishing the bloody thing would ignite, burn up, catch alight with the burning rays currently being emitted from his eyeballs.

She ....

The bitch

... that cost a hundred pounds that did and she just tossed it back.

Like garbage.

John looked in the box.................... it was empty. He scrambled about his position, did it get slung to the bloody floor?

He looked like a two-headed monster as he wound himself up looking and feeling about wildly and lifted from the seat to begin feeling about blindly under his buns for the hundred pound present. Louise giggled and John leered at her, eyes half shut like a snake spying it's dinner. Lou held up her hand. She wriggled her fingers teasing him.

It was in the wrong place but John didn't care, she had it on.

"Louisssseeee" His voice moaned but his eyes softened along with the grim line that had set his lips into a thin sneer.

He smiled.

He wore the stupidest grin Lou had ever seen.

But she didn't forgive him, he might have thrown pretty bits of glass at her but it will take more that shards of clear bits of window panes to make her heart whole.

This was a good start though.

Promising in fact.

"It's supposed to go on the ring finger, Lou" John took her hand as he slid across the seat beside her. Kissing her fingers as he found the ring, removing it, removing the wedding ring.

I must actually buy a wedding ring I suppose, John thought quietly as he worked. He held the circle up, she's wearing stolen property.

Two diamonds sparkled either side of a larger one "It's an engagement ring" John revealed although Lou was pretty sure it was already. "Perfect" The ring slid up her finger followed by the hot wedding ring. "So .... What do you think"

"As a down payment ...... I guess it could work" Louise retorted with a tiny grin.

The car pulled to a stop, a few die-hard fans milled about at the late hour but most had disappeared into the night. John tugged Louise quickly inside, shutting the door firmly, leaning back against the timber with eyes closed....

Home.

"Owww your back. Have a nice time then!?" John opened his eyes.... wide.... A pretty young thing was speaking and walked out of the kitchen hugging Louise and biting her lip looking at John. Louise handed the gangly girl some money and after attempting to pocket it without looking she finally had it secured in her form fitting capris.

I am officially an idiot, Lou thought. The girl was like a bloody beacon of soft curves and youth, not like Lou.... no Lou was all squishy baby boobs after feeding and fleshy stomach still even after all attempts to put it to rights and it actually leered, yes leered at her, every time she looked in the blasted mirror.

John pushed off the door frame slowly.

Lou picked the promotional Beatles photo of the boys out from under a magnet on the refrigerator, grabbed the blue biro and pushed it toward John as he approached "Sign this please John, I promised Cathy"

John ignored both the photo and Cathy, surprisingly. Instead sliding a possessive arm around Louise, fingers interlacing with hers as he tumbled the new band around her digit.... Lou managed to get the photo signed and Cathy out the door as John ran lips up and down her neck, each sweep filled with kisses more heated than the last.

"Stop it. What's this for anyway" Lou pushed John then shoved her hand in his face making him let up on her neck and look at the ring on her hand. Lou's head was full and fuzzy with all this...He needed to......

He needed to....

He needs to......

Arrrrrrr!

I don't know what he needs to do, but he needs to do something!

Lou fought a battle inside as John grinned like a choir boy.

"Go shower" Lou grouched pushing him towards the bathroom, the diamond ring catching the light every time her hand got in the way of her eyeballs. "I can't think straight"

"I'll shower then kiss you good Louise"

"You'll shower and I'll think up diversionary tactics more like it" Louise followed him down the hall, watching his arse moving ever so pleasingly under his wonderfully snug trousers, how many had touched it. Arghhhh!. He would drive her crazy one way or the other, he would, she just knew it!

Either by her:

Thinking about all the women

Or

Her thinking about his hot arse .... that all but pulled her towards it.

John walked into the shower with a grin that would disappear soon.....

He must have bloody magnets in his butt cheeks, she moaned as she headed further down the hall to check on Evie.

Louise had prepared for this, prepared for his arrival home, prepared for his shower....

Louise had kindly placed his stripy pyjama bottoms and towel in the bathroom earlier.... and all he had to do now was.....

Scrub himself clean with the.......

                                   steel wool and ammonia                                              

                                                ..............she had sat on the ledge

.....by the antidandruff shampoo and bar of Yardley scented soap.