They hadn't spoken much all night after the film.  Lucy eventually said what they were thinking.  "I'm going to miss you.  A lot."  It was the first time the Beatles were leaving for their European tour.  They would be gone for almost two months.  

"I'm going to miss you too, Lucy." she loved his low voice, and would miss it.  Miss him calling her whenever he couldn't visit.  Miss him singing to her everytime he came up with a new song.  

Paul leaned over and kissed her, holding his cheek.  She stroked his hair gently, and kissed his nose.  Then he pushed her down on the backseat, continuing to kiss.  "Paul...no..." she whimpered.  "Please, don't..." he pushed him off of her.  "I can't.  I'm sorry.  I'll miss you too much." 

They sat up, and she let out a soft sigh.  "I just...I'm afraid, alright?"

"Why?  What is it?" Paul adjusted his jacket.  

She sighed.  "I'm afraid...I mean, you'll be going everywhere, seeing loads of girls-"  Paul cut her off by kissing her.  "Lucy, I'd never cheat on you.  I promise you." he kissed her hand, and each individual finger.  "I'm going to miss you so very much."

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Paul woke up early and took a shower as Lucy slept.  He had managed to pull on his sweatpants before she woke up.  But as she sat up, she stood quickly.  "I haven't noticed before...you're...you're so very thin.  You never used to be this thin."  She touched his stomach and hips.  She could see his hip bones a lot more than she could before, and a few of his ribs were showing.  "It's unhealthy, love." 

He looked down at the ground.  "It's alright, love.  I've always looked like this."

"My dear, I know you haven't looked like this."  Her eyes filled with tears.  "You're starving yourself.  Or you were...you've been eating with me every day."  

Paul looked down at her.  "How...how can you tell?"

Lucy picked up his shirt from the bed.  Her silence spoke volumes.  Paul took her hands, and set the shirt down.  "Lucy?"

"Don't ask a question you don't want to know the answer to.  Unless, you already do know."  Lucy said.  Paul didn't understand.  She picked up her journal, which was resting on the nightstand.  Flipping to a page, she read to him.  The page had been folded over, and Paul hadn't looked at it.  "'About two weeks ago, I talked to Catherine in the powder room at work.  She asked me how Paul was...and I replied saying he was fine.  She...then asked me if I ever considered dieting.  Paul prefers skinny girls, she said.  I said no, and then left.  But I heard her talking about me with the other girls.  She said I was too big for someone like Paul, and that the first time he let me lie with him, I'd break the bed."  Lucy's voice cracked.  Paul reached out to touch her shoulder, but she stepped away.  Why did she continue to humiliate herself?  She didn't know why, but she couldn't help but feel as though she deserved it.  

"I haven't eaten a decent thing in two weeks.  I can't do it anymore.  And Paul doesn't seem to notice at all."   Lucy dropped her notebook on the bed.  He took her hands.  "Love, I do care.  Don't do this to yourself."

"But you've done it to yourself too."

"I've stopped.  And I know that you have too, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to say something about it.  Even if you were a bit on the heavy side, I would still love you so very much.  Your size doesn't matter to me."

Her tears began to slow.  "But what about you?  You're not responsible for what happened to Layla and me.  If you starve yourself, I don't know what I would do.  If you do such a thing I-" he kissed her.  Stroking her hair, he said, "I'll never do it again.  I promise you.  But then you must promise me that you won't ever listen to what Catherine says to you again.  She doesn't know anything...She doesn't know you're absolutely perfect."  He was nose to nose with her, making her smile slightly.  "My dear, I love you."

"I love you too."  

But her mind kept wandering to everything Cynthia said about John.  Lucy, I'd never cheat on you, he always said.  

Why couldn't she believe him?

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Paul felt undeniably guilty.  After hearing what Catherine's words had done to her, he regretted so much.  

For he had seen Catherine after that night at the bar, while Lucy was still sick.  That night, he had slipped his address into her pocket and she used it once, but he hadn't spoken to her afterwards.  

He knew that he would have to tell Lucy sometime, or she would find out herself.  And what if she never wanted to see Paul again?  He couldn't bare to lose her again.  

But what if she left him if he revealed it to her himself?  

Either way, there was potiential that his Lucy would leave him.  

But she had to know.

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 Once they had gotten dressed, Lucy made breakfast (and made sure Paul ate it) and got dressed.  Paul said that he had to run an arrand before they went out for the day.  "What am I to do?"

"Relax.  Take a bath or something.  I promise I'll be back soon, and then we'll go out walking for awhile."  he kissed her hand and left.  As sincere as he sounded, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.  Where was he disappearing off to so suddenly?

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Paul returned with a bundle tucked in his jacket.  He kissed her cheek, and helped her pull on her coat.  "Come with me," he said.  

They went to a nearby park, and Lucy was lost in watching some children play.  Paul looked down at her hand, which was resting on her skirt.  He looked down at his promise ring to her.  Clearing his throat, he said, "I...um, when you were gone, I passed by this shop in town, and I saw something that reminded me of you.  Especially when we were younger." he handed her the wrapped parcel.  "Paul...you've given me so much already," she began.  "You must have done something I don't know about."  The tone in her voice was joking, but Paul swallowed hard, thinking of Catherine.  When was he to tell her?

He kissed her hand.  "Please...I'm sure you'll like it."

She undid the wrapping paper, and smiled.  "Oh, Paul...I can't believe you remembered!  It was so long ago..." He had gotten a powder blue leather jacket, for it was her favorite color.  He remembered how much she liked the feeling of leather, and loved it when he used to wear it.  She kissed his cheek.  "Thank you."  She pulled it on.  

Then Paul said, "My dear...I was thinking we could see your parents and your brother today."  

After a moment, she nodded.  

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"Oh, hello, Paul.  How have you been?" Mrs. Rydell said.  He smiled.  "I've been fine, and you?"

"Fine."

Mr. Rydell came to the door.  Paul asked him how he had been, and he said fine.  

"Mister and Miss Rydell, I really wish to show you something.  It may shock you...but there is something you desperately need to know."  Paul held out his hand, and the couple watched as a hand took his, and a pretty blonde girl stepped up to the doorstep.  She looked just about as shocked as they were.  "Mother...Father...it's me.  It's Lucy."

Lucy's mother took a step back.  "No...no, Paul.  This isn't right."  She began to tear up.  Lucy reached out to her.  "Mother, please...it's your daughter.  You named me after my great-aunt, and at first Father detested the name but he learned to love it anyway.  My first word was 'Mum.'  And when Robert was born-"  By then Lucy was crying too.  Mr. Rydell was angry.  "Paul, this is completely unbelievable.  You cannot put us through such a thing.  My wife and I are in a state of grief."  He turned to Lucy.  "I don't know who you are-"

"Lucy!" A young voice cried.  Robert ran into his sister's arms before his parents could stop him.  "I thought you were gone." he cried.  She held onto him, and kissed his forehead.  But Mr. Rydell yanked him away.  "Do not touch my son," he said to Lucy.  

She looked at the crying little boy.  "But...he's my brother."

"Paul, you leave now."  Mr. Rydell growled.  Lucy sobbed into her boyfriend's shoulder.  Her little brother cried out for her.  "Lucy, don't go!"

"I love you, Robert." she said.  

But then the door was shut.  

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Lucy refused to come out of their bedroom.  Paul could go in there, but she couldn't speak to him.  It wasn't though she was angry with him.  But he worried that she was.  "Love," he said, "I'm so sorry.  I know you might not want to talk about it now...but if you want to later, I'm here."  He kissed her cheek for longer than he normally would, but he just wanted to be close to her.  

After a moment, when Paul was about to leave the room, she said, "Maybe...I shouldn't...have come back.  Maybe it would be best...if I just...left."

Paul shook his head.  He took her hand, wanting her to look at him.  "No, love...if you weren't supposed to come back, you would have stayed wherever you were before.  You're alive, and I love you so much.  I'll talk to your parents-"

"No, please...if they do not want to see me...if I cannot see my parents and Robert, and they loathe me, I don't want to live, Paul." 

"Lucy, please...you're frightening me.  Layla loves you...John, George and Ringo love you.  Cynthia and Jules love you.  I love you...and Robert still does."  She wouldn't look at him.  She just stared ahead.  

"Lucy?"

"Lucy, please."

Please don't leave me again.