"Are you ready, Lucy?  Can I come in?"

"Yes, I'm wearing my dress."

"My favorite one?"

"Out of the two I have here, yes, it's your favorite."  

Paul covered his girlfriend's eyes and led her out into the living room.  When he got home, he shunned her to his room while he prepared them something nice that evening.  Lucy never complained when Paul was up to his antics, for they usually turned out rather hilarious if something went wrong, or heartfelt when everything went right.  

He helped her sit down and put on a smooth jazz record for them to listen to before telling her to open her eyes.  

Her boyfriend had set up a little picnic on a blanket in his living room.  It was already dark outside and raining, but he had shut the shades and lit about fifteen candles around the room to set the mood.  "How sweet." she whispered as he sat down next to her.  "You didn't need to do this."  Lucy took a pillow from a little stack he had made and rested her head on it.  She was a bit sleepy, even though they hadn't done much that day.  

Rubbing his hands together like a cartoon villain, Paul took something out of the little basket he set up.  It was two tiny bottles of alcohol that John and he had swiped from the refreshments cart on one of their airplane rides.  "I've been saving these for a special occasion, and I can't think of a better time than right now, Lucy.  It's strong, but you've got to try it."  Lucy wasn't a huge drinker; the worst she had ever was sneak a few extra glasses of champagne at a dinner party with Layla.  Whenever Lucy told Paul about her goody-two-shoe ways, he always teased her, but it was all in good fun.  

After they both took a sip and toasted each other, she asked quietly, "Is Robert alright?  And my parents?"  

Paul set down his mini bottle.  "They're grieving.  It's your decision whether or not you want to see them.  I'd drive you over there, if you'd like.  Or if you wanted to go by yourself I understand."  

"I want you to come with me.  But I'm not sure if I'm ready to see them yet.  I want to reconnect with Layla first," she took a tiny sip from the bottle and winced at the hard flavor.  Paul offered her a glass of water to which she thanked him.  "All I know is that she came back with me.  I don't know where she is or if she is safe.  Though, she's bound to have found George by now.  He was so very sad about her passing.  You and he visited the grave-site most often."  

If she knew George was there, did Layla hear Paul's confession about his betrayal to Lucy?  

Did Lucy know?

"Well...it's time for me to go." Paul said, biting his lip.  He and the band were leaving for America for their tour in August.  Lucy threw her arms around him.  "I'm going to miss you," she said.  

"I'll miss you too."

When she pulled away, she said, "Before you head out, I...um...I've been meaning to tell you something.  Since you're going to be gone for a few months, and I, of course, won't be there with you, I know you're going to start to get lonely and anxious..."  She looked down at the ground, and Paul was confused.  "Lucy..." 

She looked a bit teary, but was trying to hide it.  "Paul...you've got my permission to see other girls when you're in America.  If you do or don't, I don't care.  We can just forget about it once you get home."  Lucy turned away from him, but he held her cheek.  "Love, you know I wouldn't do that."

"Paul...it's not a big deal, alright?"  

"You're giving me permission to cheat on you.  That's not alright." he said, trying to get her to look at him.  "Lucy, just because I'll be gone for a long time doesn't mean I can just forget about you, and everything we've done and the moments we've shared.  I love you so much.  I'd never cheat on you.  I couldn't live with myself if I did."

But then why did Paul snog Catherine only a few months later?  

He must have looked a bit distant, because she touched his shoulder, a concerned look on her face.  "Paul?  Are you alright?"  

He nodded.  "Yes, fine."  He set down his little bottle.  "I've probably had too much of this."  Paul leaned back on his pillow, looking down at his stocking feet.  Lucy laid down next to him.  

Sighing wistfully, he said, "There was something I meant to give you before you passed away, Lucy.  I was thinking about burying you with it...but you wouldn't have known what it meant."  He reached into his pocket and produced a ring box.  She sat up and gasped.  "Paul..."

"No, no!  It's alright.  If it were that, I would have done this much nicer."  he handed the little box to her.  "It's an early Christmas/Birthday present."  The holidays were coming up, and Lucy was born on December 1st.  Before she returned, he hated that he would have to spend Christmas, and worse, her birthday, without her, in mourning.  

Lucy opened the little box, and examined the ring inside.  It was small and simple.  There was a tiny heart engraved in it, and it was filled in partially with pearl and turquoise, their birthstones.  "Oh, Paul...it's so beautiful.  You didn't need to do this."  He kissed her cheek.  "Thank you."

"It's a promise ring."  Paul took the ring and gingerly slid it onto her finger.  "Which means I promise you that one day it will be a diamond there instead, and I promise that I'll...I'll be faithful and loving from now on.  And I promise I'll kick anyone's ass if they try to hurt you or tell you otherwise." The Beatle said matter-of-factly.  She laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder.  "But you know I don't like fighting.  You're always getting too bloody violent over me."  She looked up at him.  "Paul?  I...I would really like to see John, Cynthia and Julian.  And Ringo.  Can...can we see them?"

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 When Layla and George made it to their rented house in the countryside, the first thing they did was collapse on the couch.  It was a bit misty and rainy outside, so they weren't planning on doing much there.  George kissed Layla's hand.  "I've told you about the noise in my head, right?"

"No, tell me."

George sat up.  "Well...whenever I'm back in the city I feel like I can't do anything or go anywhere without people seeing me.  I'm always on my toes...and it seems like everything is swirling around in a massive mess in my head.  I can never get it quiet.  But out here, where no one can see...it's gone."  The youngest Beatle turned to look at his girlfriend.  "And it feels so good."  he began to kiss Layla gently.  They both couldn't have been happier.

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 There was a time in their relationship when George and Layla weren't together.  The couple had had a nasty fight and broke up.  Both felt horrible and wanted to immediately get back together, but they were too prideful to say so.  

A couple weeks later, they met up.  It was revealed that both of them had been seeing another person.  Then Layla suggested, "Why not go on a double date?  I'll get to meet your new girl that way."  If Layla had really spoken her mind, she would have said, "So I can find out what this bitch has that I don't."

George forced a smile.  "I love that.  Why not invite Lucy and Paul too?"  Layla agreed to the idea.  

A few nights ahead, George and his date, Sarah, arrived first at the restaurant.  She asked him why he wanted to be there so early.  "Because I wanted a little alone time with you," he kissed her cheek.  She giggled.  George felt bad, to be honest.  Sarah was sweet, but certainly not Layla.  

When George saw Layla and her new boyfriend walked through the door to the restaurant, he leaned in and kissed Sarah passionately.  She sighed quietly into his lips, placing a hand on his chest.  He felt bad using her in such a way, but his anger and jealousy at Layla was hard to control.  He wanted to see the love of his life angry with him too.  "You've got the most amazing lips, love," Sarah whispered to him.  

"Hello!" Layla announced.  George pulled away from Sarah, and looked up at Layla unamused.  "It's nice to see you."  Extending a hand to him, Layla's date said, "I'm Elliot." 

"I'm George.  Layla, this is Sarah."  Layla forced a smile at the girl who had seemingly taken her place.  A few minutes later, Paul and Lucy arrived.  It had been only a few weeks after the boys had come back from America, and Lucy had been working so she hadn't much of a chance to see Paul.  But now that she had the chance, she and him were very excited.  

Lucy asked how long George and Sarah had been together.  "Only a week or so."  Turning to Layla, he asked, "How long have you been together?"  Layla meant to answer before Elliot did, for he responded with, "Only four days."  

Layla set her napkin down on the table.  "Lucy, will you come to the powder room with me?  Please?" 

"Yes, of course."  Paul kissed her quickly and then let go of her hand so she could follow her friend.  When they arrived in the bathroom, Layla locked the door.  "Lucy, I still love him.  Seeing them snog made me want to flip the table.  I can't stand seeing them together.  What should I do?"  She tried to fix some of the make-up on her face, so the group wouldn't see her angry blush.  

"You've just got to be honest with him," she said.  She helped apply some blush to Layla's cheek.  "If Paul and I ever got into a fight I'd want to be honest with him too when I was ready to get back together."  

Leaning over the sink, Layla replied, "That's easy for you to say.  You two have never fought."  When they left the bathroom, she found that George and Elliot had left to order drinks.  Sarah had moved quite a bit closer to Paul, and from a distance they could tell she was chatting hinm up.  Layla immediately saw jealousy burn in Lucy's eyes.  "Still want me to play nice?" Layla chided her.  One look from Lucy was all she needed.  

It was an eventful night.  By the second course of food, Layla had asked so many questions of Sarah, she burst into tears, frightening almost everyone.  George took her home before exchanging a few choice words with his ex-girlfriend, but the next day they were back together again.  Twenty minutes later, Elliot and Layla left, leaving Paul and Lucy alone.  She was a bit upset that he had let Sarah get so close to him, so she refused to let him kiss her until the very end of the date.  Because he had to wait, the kiss was quite passionate.

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"George!"  

"Stop it!  Please!"

The youngest Beatle thought he was still dreaming, and reached over to the other side of the bed, hoping that he would wrap his arm around Layla.  But she wasn't there.  

"George!"  

Snapping out of his dream, he jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen.  Layla was curled in a ball in the corner.  She wasn't crying, however she stared straight ahead, trembling uncontrollably.  "Layla..." George knelt next to her.  "Layla, can you hear me?"  

Without warning, she threw her arms around him.  "I came out to get a glass of water...It was here...I saw it.  You...you found out I was pregnant and you left me.  I didn't know what to do...everyone abandoned me.  I had a miscarriage, George.  And then...you came back.  You were trying to hurt me..."  She whimpered into his neck.  He rubbed her back gently.  He didn't understand.  None of that had happened in real life.  Why was she seeing it?  "Baby, you're safe.  I'm not going to leave.  I promise you, love.  I'd never hurt you, or our baby...if we try for another."  He teared up at the thought of their unborn child once more, but did his best to blink them away so Layla wouldn't see.  "I promise."  

He pulled away, but then she immediately grabbed him again.  "No...no.  Please, just hold me for a little while."  

And so he did.