Paul took Lucy out dancing for their second date.  It wasn't a rock group at the club that evening, which he would rather be seeing, but knew that Lucy would feel a bit lost in such a wild crowd.  No, instead they were seeing this jazz band.  They were two of the youngest people there.  

Lucy did feel a bit awkward dancing with him, as she had taken ballet lessons before but never anything faster than that.  And when there was a slow song, he struggled to find words.  "Um...you c-can come a bit closer, love."

He looked amazing that evening, and she hoped that she looked just as nice.  And it wasn't just his clothes, it was his hair, his eyes...

You're so damn gorgeous...

She looked around at some of the couples, and found that they were one of the only ones who weren't snogging.  Some were so into it she couldn't tell where one stopped and the other began.  Blushing profusely, she looked down at their feet.  

"We could try that, you know."

"What?"

"Snogging.  I know no one has ever properly shown you how."  He blushed.  "I'm sorry...I kind of ruined this."  But Lucy leaned up and kissed the corner of his lips.  "You missed, my dear."  She said he was too tall.  

He was really good at it.  Lucy suddenly wanted nothing more to be alone with him.  He, of course, was moving a bit slow compared to the couples around them, but he didn't want to worry her, or worse, do something wrong.  Paul sucked on her bottom lip, making her sigh softly.  As he kissed her neck gently, she whispered, "Let's do this more often."

"Mmm...it's a date."

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 When he woke up, Paul found his Christmas present waiting for him.  There was a little note on top of it.  You always want a place to put your pictures, so I made you a scrap book.  I hope you don't mind that I already filled in some.  

He fingered through the pages.  Some of them were of him as a little boy, with his brother and friends.  There were a few of him and his mother, and shots of the lads in Hamburg looking as serious as possible. Some of the stories that he had told her made her feel awful, especially when he explained them in great detail.  And though he would never talk about, she knew that he was in the company of women constantly.  He wasn't with Lucy, however he always felt guilty thinking of all of the girls he had been with when she was staying alone in old Liverpool.  

She had taken some photos and entries from her own book, but only the happy ones.  

There was one photo that he didn't remember taking, and it was obviously a more recent one...as it showed them snogging, Paul leaning over Lucy, on his bed.  It was one that Mike McCartney must have taken.  He liked it very much...and wished he could go back in time to that photo.  

He hurried into his room, only to find that she wasn't there.  "Lucy?"  

"Are you here?"  

There was no note saying where she had gone to.  He called Ringo first, asking him if he had seen her.  "She was at John's Christmas party.  She slept over."  

He sat up.  "Was Cynthia there?"

"Yes...I believe so.  Look, Paul, I don't think John would try anything with her.  Even when he's drunk he knows what belongs to others."  

Paul hurried over that morning, around the time that Julian was opening his presents.  John answered the door.  He had quite the headache but tried not to let it show around his son.  "I assume you're looking for Lucy.  She's in the kitchen."  

She had insisted on helping prepare their dinner as Cynthia watched Jules open his presents.  Paul put a hand on her shoulder, and she stopped where she stood.  "Love...I've been meaning to talk to you.  I found your present...I mean to apologize, Lucy."  

She shook her head.  "It's fine...you had a reason to be scared.  But I didn't get to fully explain.  I wasn't going to hurt you, Paul...I thought it would just leave once I said I had no interest in trying to live again.  Without pain.  But he wanted to show me that life is pain by trying to kill me once more.  He could have...but he didn't.  So he wanted me to live."

"Can...can we talk about this in a private place?  Please?"

She thanked John and Cynthia, wished Julian a happy Christmas and left with Paul.  As they walked, he said, "I didn't mean to hurt you.  I wish I had listened."  

"It's over now.  I'm out of the hospital...I've just got to go back there occasionally, because of my complex."  She suddenly took his arm, and rolled up his sleeve.  "Oh...I was afraid that you had cut yourself again...I was afraid you were going to be upset..."

The bitter cold made him wish for summer.  And with that memory of warmth his mind began to drift someplace else.  But Lucy was there.  She had red hair then, but he knew that her smile was most likely hiding sadness.  

They were having a picnic in her backyard as her mother hurried about in the kitchen as she was preparing her own picnic with the ladies from their church.  Several women had started to arrive, and she was looking around for her daughter to help serve them before they left for the park.  

But Paul and Lucy were off in their own little world.  They were kissing on the blanket, Paul nearly on top of her.  She no longer cared if the neighbors saw.  Paul certainly didn't.  They couldn't write him off as a sleaze if Lucy was the only girl he kissed and held.  

When the women saw this, however, they gasped.  Most of them knew Lucy, and never thought this good, shy girl would do such a thing.  Of course, they most likely did not know Paul, and immediately disapproved.  One of them stopped Mrs. Rydell and pointed them towards her daughter who was doing the unthinkable: snogging a teddy boy in public.  They watched in disgust as he ran his hand up her hip, and held her stomach.  

But it was all gentle...something they didn't see.  

She was blushing madly when she shook Paul's shoulder so he would get off her daugher.  "The guests are here!  They can see you through the window!"  

He helped her up.  "Mrs. Rydell, I'm sorry, this was my fault-"

The woman shook her head.  "Hush, love.  Just help me serve the ladies.  It's alright."  And she started back towards the house.  Lucy took Paul's hand and whispered in his ear, "I bet half of them are praying to save our souls right now." 

He told her about the memory as he thought about it.  She smiled, and began to blush as she recalled it too.  "At least it wasn't my father...he probably would have thrown you out."  

They went to see her parents for the Christmas party.  Several relatives who had not heard the news about her return were absolutely stunned at seeing a ghost walk into the house.  One of her great-aunts fainted.  Most cried.  So did Lucy.  It was a long night, and an emotional one.  

But her cousins were there.  Lucy was never very fond of them, especially one of the oldest.  Whenever she and Paul were in the same room, she was fawning all over him.  It bothered Lucy that he noticed her.  But later that night, after dinner had been cleaned up and most of the relatives were drunk, he could tell that his introverted girlfriend was ready to be done with the crowd.  He took her hand and quickly led her upstairs to her room.  The cousin noticed, and rolled her eyes.  

Paul was too tired to do anything, so he didn't try anything.  They relaxed together in her room before falling asleep.  Luckily this wasn't the coat room. 

Mrs. Rydell was once more looking for Lucy, and, out of worry, ran up to her room only to find them alseep.  She didn't have the heart to wake Paul up and have him drive home on the snowy night.  So she simply shut the door, and turned off the hall light.  

I'll definitely make sure to dedicate the next chapter to George and Layla.  

I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as interesting but I spent most of this weekend watching the three seasons of Sherlock on Netflix, and feeling excited for the fourth one.  And then I saw another Beatles tribute last night.  They were fab.  Sherlock and the Beatles = fangirl breakdown. 

Love, 

Luna <3