"Glorious day" John remarked as Paul passed him the reefer. Paul's pennant for weed was folklore now, it wasn't LSD and it most definitely wasn't Heroin but still John felt a small pang of guilt for partaking in the relaxing pleasure.

"Oh yeah, splendid"

And really it was only a small spliff, the thick end of one Paul had lit but had to crush before getting in the rental. No refunds for weed smells in motors apparently.

Both gazed off into the yonder, watching the trees undulating from the gentle breeze and birds lift from roosts in search of food and twigs for nesting. They were up on the ridge- alone this time.

Before it was a jostling of bodies for best views of the vista set out before them. An entrancing vision that had them all hugging it out before the footfalls back to the house began. Ringo and Linda were obviously vying for the 'Most Amounts of Film Used' Awards and George had tried to sit cross-legged meditating in the sun with John stood on one side and Paul on the other rudely offering new chants and mantras for George to immediately turndown. 'Wack off often for purity' being one of many to get dismissed.

It was peaceful, beautiful and for the first time in a long time just John and Paul. No wives or girlfriends, no bandmates- former or current, no family or roadies, no company executives or lawyers, definitely no hanger-oners or fans. Nope- just the two of 'em.

"Great party for the wedding, wasn't it" John drew in a short deep inhale of smoke and held it while Paul did the same "Bloody magic up here init"

"It's a pretty scene and the party was great, along with a pretty hostess"

With a nudge John pressed his shoulder into Paul "No perving"

"I love Issy, she's a great friend to Linda and I'm happy as the preverbal pig, or should I say ram in mud with my missus thank-you very much" Eyes cast outward Paul was content with his lot in life. Kids, wife of his dreams, beloved and wonderful, and his job was still fun, hectic yet fun. The grin he wore shone as a John picked up a few pebbles and juggled them in his hands. "You telling her soon?"

"Yeah being trying to. But the words tangle in my damn throat. What with the shooting and the general shit load of media and fan chaos. Should I invite her in to all that...and that being said, would she say 'yep Lennon I want all that crap that follows you about' "

"Hmmmm"

"Hmmmm....?"

"Yep Hmmmm"

"The wisdom falls from his mouth in waterfalls. Hmmmm- you had a lot more than Hmmmm to say about Yoko and, as I recall, Cyn as well. I recall a drunken grumbling bass playing chipmunk yelling repeatedly 'the baaaannnnds ruined with a married man in it'. Now all Isabelle gets is, what was it,... oh yeah- Hmmmm. Ta mate for all the pro-offered wisdom"

"Sally's nice. A good fit for your Jules" Without blinking Paul changed the subject. Leaning back against the rock they sat by, he craned his neck to see the lake situated below them and the sway of water as it swung to the east. John through his hands up in the air lamenting the unanswered question yet took Pauls cue and carried on regardless.

"His new single is a cracker" Clicking his fingers John wordlessly requested the spliff and took another drag.

He was mildly relaxed and the thought of Isabelle jumping in his hellish brand of fire lingered and he was being an idiot... A sigh escaped as he closed his eyes....She took whatever he said and accepted it, not that she was soft or daft but because she listened and understood his soft and daft self.

Paul clicked his fingers and John handed over the fairly meagre remains, they needed more to get any real rush but both hadn't bothered to procure it from Linda. "Yeah I know, he sent me a cassette"

"Bloody little shit didn't give me a cassette"

Ignoring the grumbly father noises coming from his right Paul carried on "Valotte is a stayer and that Too Late for Goodbyes one is a smash. I hope it does well for him, he's really trying"

"Got great talent from somewhere" John smirked, obviously it was his talent.

"Yep all those years I was teaching him guitar and drums really paid off" Cackling Paul gasped in mock shock as John pushed him half off the rock they leaned on "Settle down there grandfather, you'll do a hip... or pop your shoulder"

"See that ledge?" John pointed out the ledge to Paul some twenty feet in front of them "...it's got your name on it la"

Silence with the odd sigh and birds call lay between them, the lack of man-made noise serene and welcomed.

"So.... Are you writing anything?" Paul tested the waters, a contentious issue always when one of the two were in a drought and the other creating faster than rabbits reproducing. "Jules mentioned they were riding your bony arse up at the record company"

"That was a shambles that record, like pulling teeth" His sigh was one of ceding to the inevitable waste of vinyl... If that record company didn't want him he'd go to another or even start up one of his own. It wasn't as simple as opening a box of biscuits but it was do-able and the funds lay in his bank account to enable him to seriously think of heading in that direction "But what's done is done. Onwards and upwards right" With a rueful grin, as Paul nodded in agreement, John carried on "Right now though, I have words flowing out of me like a badly leaking tap. All down to Isabelle of course and she just lets me get on with it and doesn't push nor prod....I don't think she'd care if I made another record. Oh she'd be thrilled I'd think but she's not bloody pushing me like I was pushed in the past with deadlines and expectations..." His mind jumped back into his very near past with the recalled thoughts of his late wife, his mind grasping and shaking the drunken idiot he had been in front of his eyes like a dirty dish rag "Nearly lost her last week due to stupidity and my cock"

"Wouldn't be the first time" Paul covered his mouth with a bit of a laugh. John had always been, and most likely always would be, too straight up with people for his own good. Never mellow he called a spade a spade and if it offended the shovel workers of the world he didn't care.

"Remember that ledge" John laughingly warned. "Thought I was a goner too, then Isabelle comes in and saves the day. She's a keeper. I've got one song...." Paul watched his mate coming alive, leaning forward, animated and happy, yeah happy... Johns grin was one of complete relaxation and future horizons, and it wasn't only surfacing from the weed they ingested "I've got heaps, but this one, it's hers"

"Give her that then"

"What do you mean?"

"You said you can't pull the stuffing out of your gob and say the words.. Well then let the song sing it for you. Bloody hell how many songs have you laid down that are truth and fact, I've no doubt this is another"

"You're on the money you know. I should let her hear it first. Yeah as soon as you get off me lawn I'll knock her socks off with it"

"Good for you fella"

"How's your writing going then.... Written anything umm, a little, gritter"

"I like what I'm saying"

"I know... and I get it" John grinned guiltily at Paul as his mate spun his head and stared him down "I do! Honestly! Why do you not believe me!"

Paul scoffed but grinned happily" You know... I knew someone that would help me with the gritter side of my lyrics once"

"Oh yeah?" His fingers plucked a generic cigarette from his pack and sat it to dangle from his lips. The pack got tossed into Paul's lap "Wanna have a go again? I wouldn't mind" He never said the words, he didn't have too. Paul knew immediately what John was admitting, offering.

Pauls head tugged up in blatant shock, for all the years of their estrangement and all the years of the ever so slow reconciliation John had never uttered a word about collaboration. It had been on the tip of Pauls tongue many, many times. He always loved the brotherhood they had when a song flourished between them. He missed it, badly "Yeah"

"Yeah, he says... yer wetting your panties really, aren't ya"

"Fuck off you tosser"

"I wanna tour too"

"Did you actually fling me off the cliff because I am definitely not hearing correctly"

"You heard. Maybe not tour the Japanese prison system but I could tour a bit"

"I can laugh about Japan now...." With a phony silly shudder of remembrance Paul turned fully to track Johns facial expression. He wasn't going to miss anything "OK- explain a bit..... A bit like the Nerk Twins two nights only or-"

"Wasn't that a hoot!"

"Or.... A bit grander?"

"Oh, I don't know it was just a thought. Bloody hell you're getting all crimson and flushed, you'll explode from excitement in a minute"

"This is big! I will get a little happy and emotional for you. Even if you won't"

"Emotional. Ohhhh Paul my very first, and constant, girly fan, you are a teeny bit excited and emotional aren't you!"

"Did you tell Isabelle"

"No"

"Should you?"

"Should I? Look we have had conversations and she's supportive of me, I didn't push the subject but yeah she didn't not like the thought of my touring. Said she'd be in the audience even if I didn't sell tickets"

"It would be a complete sell-out for sure"

"Right" The word dropped in between them heavily. Doubt settled in his gut as it always did. The nausea of panic and non-belief stirring in his belly.

"Sell. Out. John... And probably selling tickets faster than my shows... only for a while though... til the gimmick of Lennon wore off" They both had a chuckle, Paul trying to contain his enthusiasm, John loosening up to the idea of touring which he had finally verbalised for the first time "Would you play some Beatles stuff?"

"I guess. Not the saccharine stuff but the later stuff, yeah"

"I'm glad you're not adverse to it completely" Fumbling with what to say Paul paused and bit his lip, letting seconds pass. A storm was on the horizon but right now it was brilliant and beautiful "Come see my next concert, watch the crowds, see the reactions for yourself"

"Does that mean I have to listen to you singing about Mary having a little lamb and koalas"

"I promise to cut Lambs, Koalas and Bluebirds from my setlist"

"I forgot about the bluebird one, what's it going to be next, a pinkbird song?"

"I. Was. Inspired"

John held his hands up "Sorry mate, you're still so easy to burr up. The bird songs, all of em, feathered or not, are great"

"I have a line for a song, well a few. Could do with your input actually. It's biographical, well it's heading that way... 'What about the night we cried' On high alert Paul tensed waiting for the witty retort and sarcasm. "...Remember the Hurricane?"

"Florida? Yeah... Like eons ago isn't it all, and they still love the music. It's supernatural. I never in a million years would have thought I'd turn the radio on in the States and hear our songs playing still"

"George gets all uptight about it but if we shut the door, ignore it, what good is it. Why not embrace and make people happy, we can still create and we can still enjoy"

"You're right you know. Listening to Isabelle fangirling, nicely mind you, lit me to review The Beatles and myself a fair bit lately. I can see how bouyed she is when she listens, how the songs, fast or slow, make her happy or reflective"

"You should marry that girl she's got you all tied up"

"Marriage- I'll answer that with a Hmmmmm and just say.. day by day man. Day by day"

"Chicks want certainty, safe havens"

"She's been independent for a while and hasn't done too badly for herself..."

"You need it then, a safe haven, I mean"

"Day by day James, day by day. Come on let's go and get some lunch I hear there's a truckload of leftovers from a wedding that was over catered" John heaved himself up and held out a hand for Paul to grasp and join him. He pulled Paul into a hug, everything that had passed between them felt and embraced, forgiven and remembered. "Love you man" uttered quietly by both, John wasn't positive if it was Paul who said it first or not but it didn't matter, he loved Paul like a brother... He only wished it hadn't taken so long to realise it.

John clapped Paul on the back with Paul returning the favour, the hug turning into a man's back slapping contest to underplay the emotion of the embrace. They stepped apart, and walked towards the gravelly path, each casting one more appreciative glance over the landscape that stretched before them before they started the descent.

"Always a good plan to over cater than under, especially out here in the woods"

John returned to the wit and twisted humour to break the swishy feelings his hugging self had them both feeling "Isabelle lets me eat out nightly which still has me starved in the morning so she lets me eat out then too"

"Oh no you don't, not this time...." Paul tore a few leaves from a tree and tossed them up in the air over his head "Linda works up a hunger ..... but she can't eat much with a sore jaw an' all"

"Ha good one. Try this one.... I have books written about me!"

"No fair" Paul pouted, even Martha had a fucking book written about her "That was some hairy writing in those pages is that what it's all like then?"

"Nah that was more autobiographical if you catch my drift"

"I think I'm gonna spew"

"You gonna leave this afternoon?"

"Will you miss me"

"Well yea, I guess. Yes"

"We have to, the kids need to get back to school and grandad Eastman is going away so losing the free sitter anyway"

"You always were a tight wad" John cracked as Paul shoved him toward the edge of the path that fell away beside him "Bring them back sometime, they'd like the lake... I'll not even charge you"

Another shove and they had each other in a headlock, John enjoying messing up the dapper Macca's mullet as Paul twisted and turned, trying to escape John's sweaty armpit.

"I'm going to ignore that because I know you love me really.... Linda and Issy were planning it before the wedding but schedules clashed. You could come to Scotland if you liked"

"I could come to Scotland. Go see Mimi. Show Isabelle the old haunts"

"Sort it and let us know. I've got nothing on for a while. Live Aid in July... you could think about joining me for that. Good cause and all"

"Slow and steady. I'll have a talk to Isabelle about it"

"Goodo"

The birch trees met them, the dogs barked and yapped and two women waved from the verandah, both smiling.

The peace of the ridge sure was lost down here but the love beaming from the two women that crossed the lawn toward them screamed a wonderful song instead.