A/N: I know that the Beatles getting signed didn't really happen like this, but stay with me! It's fanfiction, after all!

Disclaimer: ughh I'm getting tired of writing this but I don't own the beatles!

Chapter Ten: Not a Second Time

5 Days Later

Aria's POV

I wake up and have one full moment of peaceful contentment where life is good. The sunshine outside looks just perfect, and Jet is snoring next to me chasing cats in his dream. And then I remember. And I sit straight up in bed.

The article is due tomorrow.

Twenty minutes later, I am at my cubicle going over everything. I'm perfectly on schedule, and everything is right where it needs to be, but I know that I'll still have to stay in this office till the late hours of the night to make it perfect. Great way to spend a Sunday, right? The office is empty except for myself (obviously, everyone is off on Sundays), so I have next to no distractions. Except for one piece of paper sitting on my desk.

Good luck finishing the article! We'll miss you tonight, and George is planning to take Caroline out for dinner after the gig (he's getting mad because I'm writing this, yes he's here with me, as are the other two), so something's going to happen there alright. We all can't wait to read your article in the newpapers in a day or so, it'll be fantastic! And don't forget to eat something!

Cheers,

Paul, Ringo, John and George

I put the piece of paper away in a drawer with all the other notes that they (or really, Paul) have sent me. I smile to myself, thinking about the last few days. Caroline and I have gone out with the boys twice since that first night at the diner, and it's only been six days! It really is so much fun to be around them, I think they just put me at ease and make me forget about all the craziness of my regular life. The other day we had gone to the cavern, but it was a change because the band was not the one's playing that day. I laugh as I remember dancing with Ringo, as he had to keep looking down at his feet to make sure that he didn't step on mine. He is such a big sweetheart.

And Caroline and George! Well they really are coming along, aren't they? Saturday night after we all hung out, Caroline and I had gone back to my place and she gushed endlessly about him. I can't wait to see them get together as a real couple!

John is turning out to be the same as he is when I first met him, but in a much, different way, if that makes any sense at all! He is always the joker, making cracks at everything and everyone, but he can also be a real gentleman. Last time we had all gone out, John had brought his wife Cynthia along and it was clear that, although he tries to look like the bad boy (which he still is) of the group, he really loves her.

And Paul. Every time since that one night, our nights have always ended in long walks to nowhere. We've talked about everything, really- everything that's happened in the last seven years. Caught up completely. And I never, ever dreamed that I would ever even think this, but… I feel at ease around Paul McCartney. I find that I can still talk to him like I could all that time ago, and I know that I won't be judging me. I really am glad that we are becoming friends again, even if it is slowly. A forbidden thought enters my mind. What if…what if we ever became more?

But I push all these thoughts away and focus on the papers in front of me. No time to think about my personal life right now! This is it, last day to get this article done!

4 Hours Later

"Bye, Ringo!" I wave, standing in front of my office building. "Thanks so much for lunch, I really enjoyed it!" He waves back at me and shouts "No problem, love!" as I head back inside to start the grueling process of editing and re-writing the article. It had scared me half to death when I was so involved in the article that I didn't notice Ringo creep in until he shouted, "Boo!" I screamed, but immediately relaxed as he demanded that I accompany him to lunch wherever I wanted to go. We had a nice little lunch at Gillian's, and I really enjoyed the break. But now it's back to work!

Paul's POV

It is Sunday night and we have just finished playing, but for some reason the cavern is still packed. We really are getting bigger and bigger aren't we? The boys and I are sitting in the little room backstage, calming off with a few cigarettes. George, of course, has already given us the slip and run off to find Caroline. I frown a little, wishing Aria could have made it tonight. Of course, she has the article to right…wouldn't want to distract her from that. Last time she had something important to do, well I clearly made a good job of screwing that over, didn't I? These past few days have been absolutely amazing, though. We've just talked about everything, even things like her parents' divorce and my mother. My thoughts are interrupted, though, when Stan walks in.

"Ayyyy, Stan! Did you enjoy the show tonight?"

Stan gives us a huge smile. "As always, Mr. Lennon, as always. But lads, I have someone here to see you lot!" He looks over to the man standing next to him, as do Ringo, John and I.

"Hello, boys," the man starts. Who is he? "I'm Brian Epstien, manager of NEMS."

My eyes go wide and I look over to John, who has the same expression on his face and is looking back at me. Could this be it? Could this finally be our big break? With even wider eyes, I look back towards Brian.

"You see, lads, I'm always looking for new talent, and when the whole place's been taking about this group called the Beatles, well I just had to come and see for myself how good you guys are, right? So I came, and this is my third night back. And…" He trails off. Say it! Say it! Say it, goddammit!

"How would you boys like to come down to England for a few days and record some songs for us?"

This is it! THIS IS IT! I let out the weirdest noise I think I have ever made in my entire life and walk over to John and Ringo, slapping them on the back. "I…I think we'd like that very much."

"Good, good. Now, let's discuss some contracts."

2 Hours Later

"George! George! George! Guess what, mate?"

George looks confused as he walks in with Caroline on his arm. I run up to him and start jumping up and down, forgetting the age that I actually am. "WE GOT SIGNED, GEORGE, WE GOT SIGNED!"

"WHAT? Who?! When? HOW?"

John and Ringo immediately begin to fill Harrison in and I cannot stop laughing from pure joy. We're going to make it big! We're going to be the best band the world has ever seen! And you know why? We have a recording contract! WE'RE GOING TO THE TOP.

There's one person who should be here that isn't, the person who got me to this very place! I need to tell Aria!

Aria's POV

I look down at the stack of papers, almost about to cry. I'm done. I've done everything I possible can do to make this as perfect as it will ever be, and it's done! I flip through the stack of papers and relish the feeling of victory that is flooding through me. I can't believe it… I'm going to be on the front page of a newspaper! I'll just have to send a copy over to the States, hopefully now Dad will see that I'm actually making a living for myself! I check my watch. Eleven o'clock? I've been here much later than I thought I would be! It's time to go get some sleep, after a long, long day of work. My stomach growls. I haven't even eaten anything since Ringo took me out to lunch! I need to go home now. I'll just go drop this off in Mr. Sansone's office, and I'll be on my way out. I plod down the hallway, stack of papers gripped tightly in my hand. Stopping outside the office door, I hold up the stack of papers and give it a kiss. I still can't believe any of this is happening! I open the door and am met with a surprise.

"Mr. Sansone? What are you doing here this late at night?"

He looks up from the book that he was reading. "Why hello Aria, I didn't know you were here. I could be asking you the same question."

"Oh! Well, I was just in the whole day working on the article, I thought I'd drop it off in here and head on my way out."

"Ah, good, good, let me see." He holds his hand out for the papers and I hand them over to him, already missing the words that I have written down on them. He skims through them and looks back up at me. "Looks great, Aria, thank you so much. I knew I could count on you."

"Good night, Mr. Sansone." I turn and start to head out of the office. I'm almost there…

"Aria, wait." I stop but don't turn around. These past few meetings with my boss have been…just uncomfortable. I just want to go home, take a hot shower and go to bed, not deal with this right now. "I was wondering if you wanted to go get a celebratory drink, you know, you don't get your first front page article everyday." His voice was coming closer and closer as the sentence goes on. The back of my neck begins to prickle as I turn around and face him.

"No, Mr. Sansone, I don't think that would be entirely inappropriate."

"Ah, fuck inappropriate." With that, I am pushed up against the wall and feel a huge body pressing up against me, much bigger than a fifteen year old Paul McCartney. Lips meet mine as I struggle to get away.

Not this again.

I let out a scream but I know that no one will here me. Why, why, does this always happen to me? What have I don't to deserve this. I have to get out, I have to but how in the world? Help! A hand pushes my shirt up. "HELP!"

Paul's POV

I walk right up to the building, knowing with a laugh that Aria will still be inside, working madly. I just have to let her know! I have to tell her the news! I run into the building, wave to the clerk (who has come to recognize me) and make my way through the maze of cubicles.

"Aria, guess what? Guess what? We got a-"

But she isn't in her cubicle. Her lamp is still on, though. And her purse is still here…but her article isn't. Where is she? "Aria?" I exit her cubicle and look around. Where is she? Something isn't right…

Aria's POV

"Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Get off of me!" I scream, pounding my fists against the man's chest and making every attempt I can to fight off this attack. It's no use. It's no use. This is happening…this is real...I'm not fifteen anymore. I close my eyes and pray for one of the first times in my life. I need to get out of this before anything else happens. I feel his hands on my stomach and moving up as I let out another scream.

And suddenly, everything stops. He is gone. I close my eyes and slump to the ground, my head spinning. I hear voices.

"And who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm Paul fucking McCartney."

A/N: I PROMISE THAT THIS IS THE LAST TIME ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS IN THIS STORY. Don't hate me:(, although I kinda do for making the story go like this.