"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die I'm gonna--"
"Shut up Serena, shut the fuck up!" Rei screamed loud clutching tightly onto her stomach for dear life; it seemed like she was falling faster and faster threw the thick puffy clouds.
"Were going threw time!" Ami cried pointing to the sherbet swirls of pinks, purples, yellows, and greens. Her soft face was twisted with fear and torment. "This is goodbye girls!"
Serena slowly opened her eyes to witness the her location, it felt to her as if she were put inside of a blender filled with tropical passion fruits. She closely examined Rei's face paled with fear, her thin eye brows were scrunched so tight an iron couldn't straighten them, and she was biting her lip so hard Serena could already see the blood trickling from her bottom lip.
And then, as if on cue, Rei, started to fade, her face scrunched tighter as if she wasn't ready to go. She was becoming more transparent, until she finally disappeared, leaving behind an ear-shattering scream that could be heard for miles. Was it painful? It sure looked like it.
Serena was calm, very calm and collected. Maybe it really was her maturing princess...or future queen features coming out. She whispered a bitter farewell to Rei.
"She's gone!" Ami gasped; she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as well, as if she were trying to resist the current of time. It was too late, and with a quick poof, Ami had vanished leaving another deadly scream behind. Serena's heart sank, and became scared as a heated knot started for form in the back of her head and in the pit of her stomach.
Mina's eyes started to water. "Where are they?!" Mina dove over to Serena and clutching her from behind tight. "Serena I'll call you. I swear I'll call you February 8th 1964!" Mina didn't scream as she vanished from above Serena, she left silently, only tugging one last hug and whispering goodbye, scared and confused.
"Lita…" Serena said in a mellow yet shaky voice, sure she felt calm, but never had she heard her voice like that when she was in such a condition. "If I don't see you again, I just wanted to say--"
Lita starred into Serena's sapphire eyes, smiling warming; as if she knew she was next…and she was.
Serena frowned. "Bye..." She cried to herself. The knot began growing larger and larger in the back of her head, Her stomach twisted and turned, she could slowly feel her body growing faint and extremely heavy at the same time. Serena closed her eyes and opened them again, only to find the corners were slowly filling with darkness. She began scream as her head pounded harder and harder heating up with each throb, she tried to swallow but her body couldn't move and now her vision was completely blocked. Her head throbbed faster and harder until she thought it exploded.
Serena awoke some time later in a large mushy substance.
"Fucking shit." she cried. Her body was sore, and if it weren't for the dreadful smell of decaying food intoxicating her nostrils she would have laid in the substance forever. She rose slowly, trembling to climb out of the newly discovered dumpster she had been laying in for god knows how long. Something smelled different, and it wasn't the garbage...she walked around taking in her surroundings. It was morning; maybe 12:00 pm. Tall gray brick walls were directly in front of her and seemed to climb the sky for miles. She inhaled the air again. Darien smelled like this when he came back from collage in America. Serena remembers the day he left her a second time to attend college clearly, she remembered how she felt when he got on the plane, how her heart only beat half as fast, and her days seemed twice as long. The sudden memory of Darien brought her back to an odd sense of reality. She was in New York, she was on a years worth of a mission, and she was alone, in a big city trying to find some boy's named The Beatles.
Determined to start her journey, Serena turned right and began walking down the alley, hopefully someone could direct her to wherever she needed to be. Serena stopped. Where did she need to be? She quickly got on her knees and swung her back pack in front of her, fishing out a thin magazine. She cursed under her breath and studded it. It had a few famous faces on it, with the title "Important Events you don't want to miss!" in big bold blue letters stretched across the yellow cover. Serena thought that it had to be some kind of disguise so no body would pick up on it as anything important. She opened and scanned the table of contents, there was a month worth of events, almost like a calendar with the page number to the right of the date. Serena checked her watch, and sure enough it read February 8th 1964. Serena licked her finger and flipped the next page, a picture of a building was there, along with the address underneath. She smiled and stood up, maybe this wasn't so hard after all! All she had to do was show up at a certain location and befriend some silly boys! Serena stood up confident, still sore with a growing headache and walked out of the alley. She looked back at her magazine and looked ahead at the traffic jammed streets, it wasn't long before Serena began getting pushed and pulled into the flow of sidewalk traffic.
"Excuse me!" she gasped as she was shoved once again. The middle age man who bumped into her turned around quickly.
"Sorry." she snorted and continued his pace.
"No, I'm sorry, you see I'm a bit lost..."
The man let out an audible sigh. "Miss I have no time for directions."
Serena could tell he was getting annoyed but went on anyways. "Could you just tell me what direction the Ed Sullivan theater is in?"
The man stopped short, and this time Serena was the one who bumped into him.
"Your going to stand outside waiting on those freaks right?" he sneered, and promptly ripped a banana peal out of Serena's tangled hair. "My daughter left this morning to wait two days outside! Its ridiculous!" The man, who Serena noticed had a large long nose and a small mustache, was yelling now, and threw the peel to the sidewalk with a 'splat!'
"I'll make you a deal!" Serena and the man were being swept with the traffic again. "Tell me your daughters name and I'll convince her to come home, just please, this is important!"
The man paused then sighed and nodded his head. "Her name is Tracey, long brown hair, freckles and braces." he lifted his hand to scratch his right eye brow. "Go straight for 3 blocks and take a left, another two blocks, and then turn right when you see a green parking meter. You cant miss it."
Serena smiled wide enough to show all her teeth. "Thank you so much! Tracey will be home pronto!"
The man didn't smile; he just shook his head and continued walking.
5 blocks later Serena was standing outside the theater, where a dozen girls sat camped outside, arguing like mad cats with a meter maid on how the pavement was public property.
"We're staying here all night!" A red headed girl argued.
"Not on my shift!" The officer ran a hand threw her black hair. "You girls will get picked up and thrown away at night, please, come back early tomorrow!"
Serena watched closely until she spotted who she assumed to be Tracey, a girl about 14, who Serena could tell, would grow up to be a very beautiful woman.
This was her chance to get Tracey home and get inside the building. Serena, whose head ache was easing down by now, ducked into an alley and pulled out her back pack. She carefully placed the magazine inside and pulled out her Luna pen."
Serena held her pen in the air, she wanted to transform, her body was telling her too but she couldn't utter the magical words. Serena felt her stomach digest her heart, and she suddenly became so scared she felt her body tremble under her long pink fingernails.
"Luna!" she cried as her knees crumbled beneath her, searching all around her. "Fuck!" she whispered. "Luna! God I'm so sorry!" she rested against a wall and tried to retrace her steps. God, Serena didn't even check the dumpster! Rain clouds were starting to form above her, no way would she be able to make it back in to her landing site, that is if she could even find it again! Serena felt her lip quiver against her will, Luna didn't even travel threw the time line with her. Did that mean she was staying with Pluto? Serena felt slightly relived. She started to feel the tiny rain drops on her nose, and the argument was becoming heated around the corner.
"Luna Pen!" she yelled, feeling that usual warm pink ribbon surround her. "Transform me into a 60's office assistant!" she closed her eyes as the ribbon wrapped itself around her, becoming tighter and tighter until it merged into her skin, transforming her completely.
The rain was starting to become heavier, and so was her hair! Serena was barely able to take her second step without falling, damn who wore heels like these?! She awkwardly rounded the corner and set her sight on Tracey.
"Tracey?" she called. The brown haired girl she spotted earlier turned around and smiled.
"Yes?" she asked excitedly. Serena was a little taken back, geez, Serena couldn't wait to see what her disguise looked like.
"Tracey, I work in the theater and your cant stand outside all afternoon." Serena heard a light 'thank you' from the officer. "We're a business and we have to look professional, with teenage girls lingering around...we don't quite meet our expectations." Serena smiled inwardly...she was getting good at this stuff.
Tracey's face twisted as she sneered and looked away. "God, why can't we stay?!" she shouted to no one in particular.
"It's a...uh...fire hazard?" Serena laughed a little, a fire hazard? Did they even have fire hazards back in dinosaur land?
Tracey didn't look that persuaded. "How did you know my name?" Her face still twisted as she spit out her words.
Serena was mentally kicking herself, what was she going to say now?! She thought for a minute and an idea came. John Lennon...if he was a 'Beatle' she would know, and if he wasn't then Serena could say he was the manager or something...yes this plan should work perfectly!
"Oh, um...well...it turns out John..." she waited awhile to see reaction register on Tracey's face. Nothing. "John uh..." She waited a bit longer, letting the name 'John' linger in the air on a line waiting for someone to take the bait.
Then, as if Serena's prayers had been magically answered, she heard a large intake of female breath. "John Lennon!!!" The red head screamed and shook Tracey by the shoulders. "What about John? What did he say?!"
Serena smiled inside and out, this was going to be too easy. "John must have over heard your conversations, he said if you left now and gave me your address he'll send some signed things over."
The girls gasped and were glowing brighter than an American Christmas tree.
"You talked to John Lennon! Oh please what's he like?" A blond girl with braces asked bug eyed in a begging pathetic sort of tone, She reminded Serena of a hungry cow.
"He's very nice." Serena said shortly, now getting soaked from the rain. "Please leave your address with this fine officer and have them sent to the main desk." Serena nodded her head, and gasped as she felt her heavy piled hair start to slide forward, and then backwards. Her right hand flew up automatically to catch her hair from toppling over and ripping itself from their roots. With her hair somewhat safely supported, she quickly rain up the short steps to and entered the building.
Serena sighed once she was inside. Small, but open front lobby was loosely decorated with expensive vases of purple and yellow flowers, tons of pictures of what looked to be former acts hung neatly and orderly framed on a wall behind the front desk. The first thing she did was take off her heel's of death. She took her shoes in one hand and made her way to a desk.
"Yes?" A small mousy woman, freshly out of high school, and not much older than Serena asked, not bothering looking up from her type writer. Serena giggled at the primitive technology.
"Sorry I'm late, I got caught in traffic." Serena said, her heart began pounding as she prayed the woman would do something to help her get close to the men in question.
"Oh." she squeaked and adjusted her thick brown rimmed glasses and began digging through a new pile of filed papers she pulled out a tiny piece of paper, apparently a pass. "Your from Crainburry correct?"
Crainburry? What was a Crainburry?! Serena smiled confused and nodded her head. "Yes, I am."
"Well Your one lucky girl!" she smiled brightly. Serena continued to nod her head as if she were to go on; but the secretary didn't, and just held out the sticky paper labeled "CRAINBURRY VISITOR". Serena accepted it and gently placed it on her blue coat and asked for directions.
"Take the stairs and then a left."
Serena thanked her and headed down that way, her shoes almost slipping out of her grasp. Passing a few doors aimlessly until she came across a bathroom. This was Serena's chance to get a good look at herself! She dashed inside and ran to the nearest mirror. She was amazed at the sight before her. Her long blond hair was piled miles high and leaning like the tower of Pisa! She quickly took out the pins in her hair and let it all fall down. She studied her light blue coat, it looked like something a detective would wear with its large buttons and huge lapels, over a dark mid thigh length pink cotton tweed skirt, and a matching lighter pink sweater. She was amazed at what white stalkings could do to a girls legs, she looked so smooth and official. Serena had to laugh at her outrageously thick cat eyeglasses, they made her look so old! Serena started feeling a headache come back, god if only the girls could see and laugh about it now. Her head was throbbing, but she ignored the pain, probably just dizzy from all the confusion and change, she thought.
"Crap." She muttered as she tried to make some of the natural wet curls come out. She was in defeat, her hair was wild and voluptuous, curling and thickening in every strand of golden blond hair, practically engulfing her petite frame, and the itchy skirt wasn't helping either! She pulled her bag in front of her yet again, placing the glasses inside and hoped to god her jeans were tucked away safely. She unzipped the bag and rummaged a bit, thanking Pluto silently and pulled out her jeans. Her two tank tops were scrunched and obviously wrinkled in there as well. Serena looked back at the mirror. No way would she make a half decent out fit out of the jeans and the pink sweater she was currently sporting. Serena grumbled, she really looked at her self, the ribbon around the waist of her skirt matched the one she pulled out of her hair minutes before. Feeling optimistic, she tied the ribbon onto her head like a band, letting her now thick wavy Mina-like bangs pile on top of each other, while the rest of her spiraling mane was separated by the ribbon. She stepped back to evaluate herself, Darien would have loved this git up.
Tears started to swell in her pools of sapphire eyes. She wiped them away as to not disturb her detailed eye makeup and briskly stepped out into the hallway. God, what had she gotten herself into? She was 30 something years in the past! The past! Away from her lover, away from her friends...and away from her guardian she had so carelessly abandoned! Another thought struck her. She had spoken English! Was this a complementary power? Maybe a tool to help correct time? Serena wish Luna was here to explain things. She had only a spoken English a few times in the past with Darien over the phone. He would learn new terms and sayings, and would often translate to Serena over the phone, and though it was a short, expensive phone call, Serena loved every bit. It also came in handy when the girls and her would put on the infamous American accents, Not to mention how fun and spiffy the 'pound it' fist shake was. Serena wondered about the hall reminiscing, trying to swallow the lump in her throat and find where ever she needed to be.
"Sorry!" a deep voice slowly brought Serena back to life, she focused on a man, only 2 or 3 inches taller than her. He was handsome, very handsome with the most perfectly delicious eyes she had ever seen.
"What?" she sniffed and looked down at her left shoulder, where a fresh warm chili dog was smeared all along her soggy coat sleeve. "Oh!" Serena sniffed, she felt her heart hit the floor like an anchor and couldn't help but let out a few sobs.
"Hey missus I'm really sorry!" The man gasped at the tears and apologized again, he tried to wipe what he could off her sleeve. "Listen, follow me and I'll get your coat cleaned." He shook his head with embarrassment and flicked the chili dog off his hands. Serena watched it splat to the floor.
"A wha?" she cried. "I don't give two shits and a flying fuck about this coat!" Serena immediately looked up after she spatted her words. This poor man didn't need to be the brute of her storm. She was on a mission, she had to suck up and take responsibility! This gentleman was cleaning her coat off with his bare hands and she had to be a brat about it.
The man looked seriously remorseful. "Did I make you cry?" He asked softly, ducking his head down to meet Serena's eyes. She didn't acknowledge him but could feel his brows lift and his eyes starring into her.
"No." She mumbled and wiped away a few tears. "I'm lost...and my cat is missing...I had to leave home before my boyfriend was suppose to propose, and if I don't find what I'm searching for I think I'm going to die." She took a short breath.
He winced at her troubles. "Well now!" The man laughed nervously. "Thats quite a load!" He lifted her chin with his left index finger, while his right and shook hers. "I'm Richard by the way."
Serena starred at his deep blue eyes and messy dark hair that mopped around his thin pale face. He smiled and nodded his head in a certain way that seemed to be a trademark, and Serena couldn't help but smile back. Those big white teeth and something about his nose seemed like it could make Rei's third degree seem nothing more than a slight sunburn. He was also supporting a large American flag tie under his coat.
Feeling collected she addressed Richard again. "Why did you smear a...I don't even know what that IS!" she wailed softly, mentally slapping herself for crying more.
"They call it a 'chili dog here'." Richard shook his head and scooped off the rest of the chili with his hand. "Your not from here are you?" He flicked off more meat chunks and licked his fingers, huge blue cow eyes still starring at Serena giving her his full attention.
Serena smiled faintly and made her eyes focus on the hanging plant in the hallway. She wasn't from anywhere but the future, then she really thought about it, she was from the past as well. Millions of years in the past, she wasn't even from this planet! confusion and depression clouded her mind as she tried to concentrate on the present. She took another glance at Richard, god he looked so familiar! Maybe if he was older...and tanner...he would ring a bell, but today wasn't a day to reminisce about the future. She wiped away the smeared and running mascara off her face, and looked up to address the question.
"No." she sniffled slightly. "I'm from Tokyo-"
"Tokyo!?" Richard whistled, his droopy eyes stretched far upwards, and look of bewilderment crossed his face. "...but yer accent!"
"I really don't know about that..." She answered truthfully, talking to this man really seemed to help. "Ive never really had to speak English until now." Serena giggled a little. "Tell me what my accent is like."
Richard still looked shocked. He frowned the corners of his mouth and slouched onto the side of the wall. "It's very seductive actually." He said seriously. "Have'unt you heard yer own voice?" He shook his head backwards and started making motions with his hands. "It's nothing I've ever heard before...you sound like yer from a bit of 'uvree where."
Serena's heart skipped a beat and was a bit taken back. Was he serious? He looked serious...she felt confusion build and she knew it showed on her face.
"Sorry luv." He smiled a cute boyish smile. "Say now, how come your not all over me, screaming like a wild banshee?"
That was enough, Serena thought. "Excuse me?" she stuttered, the warmness that was emitting from Richard seemed to stop cold. "I barely even know you!" she sneered
Richard raised his brows in amazement. "Never heard of Ringo, the greatest drummer in the 'wide world?"
"I didn't know apples could drum." Serena replied automatically, as if she were answering one plus one equals two.
He looked caught off guard. "Wot? Apples?!"
Serena thought about what he had just said, and what she had said. 'Ringo' meant apples in Japanese...maybe it just wasn't that obvious to everyone else.
"Where I come from 'Ringo' means apple."
"So I'ma apple?"
"Are you a Ringo?"
Richard stopped and made the impression that he was thinking hard. "Yes." He leveled his brows in a striate line and resumed a serious look.
"Then your an apple!" Serena was giggling lightly now as she joined 'Ringo' on the wall.
"Why are you here?" He was being a little more sincere now, and Serena could tell just how handsome and charming he looked under the cheap fluorescent lighting.
She paused a moment, looking away. "I'm here to cure a virus." She answered truthfully, flipping a lock of hair behind her shoulder, reuniting their eyes again.
Ringo chuckled "Not with hair like that!" He laughed loud. "You look like some smitten kitten hungry for milk, yeah!" He put a hand up to his mouth as if he was going to tell a secret. "...and I'm not talking 'bout the beverage!"
Serena began coughing out loud, and she knew her face scarlet. How was she suppose to reply to that?! Was that an insult? A joke? Maybe even a complement? She could only reply one way. "I'm uh...taken." There, she jumped that mile stone...well at least she thought she did, until Richard starting laughing again.
"Aw luv! I was just have'un a lark." He continued to chuckle and tried to explain after seeing the confusion flood the princess's face. "Yooh know, a joke, juss pull'un your leg there lass."
"And I bet he's trying to pull someth'en else!" A nasally British accent came from down the hall. "Come Macca boy, I swear its betta than the telly back 'ome!" There was a pause and his voice became a little harder to hear. "I'm waiting fer the part where she slaps him right and proper fer being such a purvey bastard."
"Sod it!" Ringo yelled back laughing, waving his hands slightly in the air and then grabbed Serena's hand. "I'll get you something for that mess come ahead." He nodded towards the chili stain and literally dragged her down the long narrow hall into a studio door, it was like she was skating because of her missing shoes. He even turned around to see if he had grabbed onto her hand, she as so light and tiny it was like he was barely tugging a feather on a string. "We were just finishing up rehearsal yooh know." He nodded his head again and led her inside the studio, and down a hallway behind the stage. By now the mysterious British man had scurried away. Ringo dragged her past a few doors and business men with skinny ties until they came upon a small dressing room. Ringo popped his head inside the open frame and gently tugged Serena in with him.
"Glad yer here lad's I'd like ya to meet a new mate of mine..." Ringo stopped and nudged her slightly with his elbow. "Shes the wonderful, the magnificent, the beautiful..."
Serena didn't reply at first, she was embarrassed, but eased a bit as Ringo nudged her a second time whispering "Luv, your killing me here!"
She shook a log of hair off her shoulder and smiled. "Serena?" she laughed lightly, blushing at her introduction.
"'Rena!" He repeated loudly, throwing his arms crazily into the air. "Let me tell yah now mates, you will never meet a lass like hur!"
"Why's that?" a slightly polished British accent came from behind.
Ringo grabbed Serena by the shoulders over protectively. "Hey now Macca don't be getting any ideas I called her first!" That's all he said for a moment, teetering from a large silly smile to a serious face of stone, and back to a smile. "I did find her first you know."
"You didn't answer my question." The man laughed and got up from his chair. He gave Serena a once over and stopped at her eyes, holding a stare that made her shiver.
Serena's smile faded into a somewhat form of a lost, speechless default; it was the first time someone had seriously taken her breath away. The way his perfectly tamed and shiny dark hair swooped over his forehead at the perfect angles and his perfect little nose was almost too much. The way his eyebrows look permanently arched and accented his hound dog eyes were a perfect match to his tiny lips and rounded cheek bones. He was slightly lopsided, his left brow a tad bit larger and higher than his right but still the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
Good 'ol Ringo brought her back...again.
"Because she doesn't know us Paul! She looked like she was gonna slap me back 'ta Lundon more than enough times out there!"
"Found a feisty one eh?" It was the same voice that came down the hall. Serena turned to look at the owner, sprawled out on one of the tiny couches, his eyes half way closed and sleepy looking. He was another perfect looking man. Light brown hair that was seriously disheveled, as if a hand had just been ran threw it or he had just toweled it off, even if she could only see half, he had incredible hazel brown eyes, and an irresistibly long noise that was slightly hooked at the end.
"Lennon." he closed his eyes and nodded his head quickly. "Just call me Lennon, hey?" He moved his body to sit up and observe Serena, stretched, and yawned a loud obnoxious yawn.
Serena blushed at the way he introduced himself, and figured it had to be a thing only he did. He was extremely handsome, unlike 'Macca' his eyes were in perfect symmetry with his nose and his lips were in perfect length setting in the middle of his face, he almost oozed male sexuality, and Serena could feel the flees of excitement and discovery biting at his skin. She felt a slight tug of guilt gnaw at her heart. Were these small school girl feelings unfaithful? Serena felt so.
"..Or John." he was still nodding his head in a silly 'John' manner. "Big Johnny, call me that luv."
"Big Johnny?" she gasped in embarrassment. Just the way he looked at you was intimidating! Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. "John Lennon?!" she asked herself more than the man in front of her.
"I thought we agreed on 'Big Johnny.'" He said looking disappointed. "...but I do like the sound of my name cumm'n outta that pretty pout mouth of yours." His words seemed to have dirty intentions but the innocent face he struck and the way he batted his eyelashes you really couldn't be too sure.
"...I thought she didn't know us." Paul said steering his eyes towards Ringo.
"No!" Serena shot backwards away from John and bumped into Ringo. "Damn!" she covered her mouth in disbelief. This was her BIG chance! This was where her mission started! She looked over to the door where a piece of white paper labeled 'The Beatles' hung only by a small pin. The pressure was on, the weight of the world was on her shoulders, and she had already made a fool out of herself! She wanted to die. She wanted to run to Darien, cover her face with his warm shoulders, and stop herself from crying.
"Ey 'Rena you alright?" Richard said looking genuinely concerned.
"She's got one hell of a mouth!" Paul giggled like a schoolboy, that seemed to match his angelic baby faced features. He took a seat next to John. His beautiful shinny dark hair, darker doe eyes, and his pale skin glowed like porcine, and his face was thin and youthful. He made Serena's heart beat faster, and she couldn't understand why.
"What's all this about?" A very posh British accent arrived and entered the awkward circle. "Boy's were leaving in 10." He announced in a stressed sigh, looking down at his watch.
"She's from Tokyo, you know Brian." Ringo said, not taking his eyes off 'Rena'. "Came here to help cure a virus."
Brian's head jerked up like a dog to it's name. "Like an Doctor?" He asked sounding a little too interested. Serena picked up and took her cue.
"Yes...Something like that." She said meeting his eye and tried to put on a 'casual professional' look.
"Oh thats Great!" His face lit up, and then frowned slightly looking embarrassed. "I don't suppose you would like to make some extra money by helping me out would you?"
Serena was confused, and the possibility she was having a heart attack crossed her mind. "Come again?"
"Your tag says Crainburry, are you experienced?"
Damn. What was with Crainburry! Maybe it was a hospital..maybe she was taking somebody's job...somebody could desperately needed the money to support a struggling family! Guilt was pouring in on over drive. What if he couldn't afford that 'special' guitar for his kids 10th birthday and the world missed out on a great musical legend?! She swallowed and nodded her head.
"Yes..." she said. This was a now or never decision, and Serena would be damned if she missed this one. Whoever needed a guitar could get one some other way. Pluto said that the infected time made it easy to make impressions! A plan was forming underneath all that blond hair, and she liked it.
"Oh this is wonderful!" He beamed and looked relived...how many looks can this man make in a minute?
"I'm sorry?" She asked innocently. And tilted her head. "I'm afraid I'm a bit lost..."
Brain shook his head understandably. "Our guitar player has come down with a terrible cold of sorts, and were not quite sure what to do, we can't trust the nurses because the closest medical center is nothing but students this week..and well George refuses to see a doctor." Brian's face faltered a bit and he looked back at his watch. "Please would you mind checking on him? Our boys are live tomorrow and we need him in prime condition...Plus I think he'd fancy a younger nurse his own age."
Thats all it took. Serena shot over to look at Ringo, who was looking at Paul, who was looking at John...and all three of them were smiling, a school boyish smile one would make before he was about to sneak off with a forbidden cookie, or before a teacher would sit on a tack.
"I'd fancy any nurse that looked like hur." John laughed and nodded his head slowly, only stopping to give Serena an exaggerated 'Lennon' wink.
"I...uh..." Serena felt uneasy, this was a large step, the largest in her mission! And what was she doing? She was stalling! Brian was begging her like a peasant and she couldn't deliver an answer! She mentally untied her tongue and prepared to speak. "Of course!" she finally pushed out of her mouth. "Your in a bind, I'll do whatever I can...just as long as I can get this gross stain out." She nodded towards her sleeve.
Brian's eyes were bright, he lifted his hand to meet hers. "Brian Epstein, The Beatles manager, I suppose you know John, Paul, and Ringo?"
Serena smiled and shook his hand. "Ringo yes...and you can say I've heard of John...Paul?" she squeaked at his name not really too sure who he was.
She could hear John snickering, "That's our boy to th'eh left of me." He shoved Paul and messed with his perfect hair.
Paul swatted him away and stood up. "Paul McCartney." He stuck out his callused left hand and shook hers, giving her frail hand a slight squeeze and winked. "I'm the cute one." He smiled, almost giggled, and looked back at John.
John smiled back and jerked his head towards Serena. "Nah, don't listen to his lies! Paulie here is the whipp'n boy, takes a good slap for all our dirty deeds, he does now hey?"
"John!" Brian gasped, he looked over to Serena and glared back at John, obviously more embarrassed.
Serena was surprised to find her self giggling, and it came even more as a shock to find Richard doing it with her! "No problem Brian, we should be leaving about now, right?"
Brian darted his eyes to his watch almost immediately. "Yes, yes we should, come on boys, everything should be set up for us tomorrow, and Neil should be in the car by now. If we get back to the hotel early enough we might go see the Statue of Liberty later on tonight, after the photo shoot and conference."
The boys looked pleased.
"So we can keep 'er?" Ringo said jumping up and down. "Come'ead 'Rena!" He excitedly grabbed Serena's hand and followed Brian out the door. "Luv, I simpley can't wait to show you all me special guitar songs, I write them for pretty birds like yourself."
"Guitar?" She giggled nervously as she followed along side of Ringo, his hand swinging her arm up and down. "What happened to 'greatest drummer in the 'wide world?' And I'm a bird now?"
"If I'm uh apple luv, then your a bird." He said shortly. "...and I was check'un to see if you remembered my story is all."
Serena huffed as she flipped her mass of hair out of her face. "I'll never forget someone who smears a 'chili dog' all over this cute jacket."
Ringo looked repentant, and Serena regretted bringing it up again. "Sorry 'gen luv, it is pretty nasty aint it?"
The group made it to the backstage doors and quickly exited, looking almost afraid and rushed to the parked car waiting outside.
"I'm sure I'll be able to wash it at the hotel..." It was sunny again as Serena made her way to the to the black car, its aged American Fordmodel reminded her of where she was again, and what she had left behind.
The car wasn't small, but was limited in number of seats. Brian and Paul looked at each other a nodded slightly, then they quickly walked around and climbed into the front bench seat, Paul in the middle and Brian closest to the door.
Serena didn't noticed she was starring until John cleared his throat. "After you Madame." He used proper Queens English and bowed slightly. She flashed a smile, in which John immediately returned, smiling even bigger and brighter. She climbed in next to Ringo on her right and John on her left.
"I don't think you'll be getting that stain out anytime soon gurl." John said placing a leather brown cap over his hair, his voice still loud and sarcastic, and it startled her.
"Why's that?" she pouted at the awkward brown stain.
"Everything that leaves our room never seems to come back..." Ringo finished with a sigh. "Daft hotel people...darn them, darn them right to heck, to heck I say!"
This had Brian chuckling softly, Paul stretched his head backwards and smiled approvingly. His eyes traveled from Ringo to Serena.
"'Low luv, lovely weather outside today 'em?" His hair fell from his forehead in one swift motion and hung loosely in the air, only swaying when the car took its turn out of the parking lot.
"It wasn't that nice earlier..." Serena sneered and twitched an eyebrow. "Though, If I wasn't trying to flatten my hair I wouldn't have run into America's sweet heart here." She poked the flag tie on Ringo and turned away.
"Aw, then you wouldn't have met us luv!" John smiled wide and jumped on her in a sudden embrace. "Your gonna fix our George up right and proper I hope, yes?"
"John..." Brian calmed.
"Oh Eppy!" He sighed in a sing song voice. "What would I do without you?"
"Shining my shoes and serving me chips." Ringo said numbly, his eyes glued to the window.
"Why you?" Paul snorted, his head still stretched backwards.
"Coz Paul." Ring started slowly and simply. "I'm somebody, these good looks of mine get me places."
"You can barely go anywhere with that honker of yours babe." John replied smirking.
"This 'honker' got you to Ameruccuh!" he argued playfully.
He leaned over Serena. "I'm gonna 'ruccuh' your a marry!"John fought back raising a fist.
"I'd like to see yah very well try chip boy!"
"Enough!" Serena laughed pushing Paul's head up gently with both hands. Just running her fingers threw his soft hair made her feel giddy. "John, you wouldn't be shining shoes, you look like a...uh...erm..." Serena stalled a bit, If John Lennon wasn't a rock star what would he be? What did he look like? Suddenly an image of John with a bright yellow hat on, and a yellow jacket came to mind, he was flashing another goofy grin out a window and Serena laughed out loud at the image in her brain.
"What luv? Tell me what option of life I missed out on." He jiggled his eyebrows and darted over to Ringo. "Better be better than frying some larchy nit's chips I hope." He held his stare. "Coulda been a doctor...a lawyer...fancy of sorts I bet."
"I was thinking cab driver." She said shortly. A small smile sprouted across her lips as the color from Johns face drained and his lips thinned, he looked all too much like Rei.
After a moment of silence Serena thought she had made a mistake, but relief flooded her when she heard a loud 'Hah!' erupted from the front of the car. Paul turned completely around and laughed harder. "Yeh, look at 'em with the hat! Does look like a cabby!"
Ringo looked over Serena and starred at the stoned faced Lennon. "See chap, wouldn't be frying my chips, just driving me to the restaurant too."
"Cab Driver?" He turned his head slowly towards Serena, his face so close she could feel the warmth pouring out from his nostrils. She scooted back into the seat and breathed, his sent was strong; soap, sweat, smoke and peppermint, the sent was addicting, she took a gulp and tried not to fall victim to his stare. "Not sum'then exciting like professional shark trainer or nude model?" He huffed and with a flash ripped off his leather cap and placed it hard on Serena's head covering her eyes.
"Hey!" she squealed, taking the hat up off her eyes. "That wasn't nice!"
"Neither's a bleed'n cabby!" He laughed. "You looked like a tease with all that hair anyways, juss helping you out luv."
Serena's mouth flew open, she was embarrassed by the last part of his comment and wasn't quite sure how to react. Was what she said that harsh? Maybe she was in over her head with this one.
"John I've had enough!" Brian turned and eyed his boy. "I don't want to keep telling you this, I have no problem letting Neil and myself take just Paul and Richie to see the sites."
Richard let out a cheerful 'Whoo hoo!' and Paul turned to give him a high five. Serena smiled…god they were like little kids.
"Sorry luv." He said simply, as if nothing had happened at all. He then widened his eyes like he had remembered something important. Quickly he dashed his hand inside his brown coat pocket and pulled out a pair of star shaped sun glasses, with the red white and blue stripes and stars over the lenses. "GEAR init?!" He laughed, scrunching his nose and wiggling his brows. "Got a pair for Geo too!"
Paul and Neil were the only ones laughing this time. John looked over to Serena, his smile fading slightly at being ignored. "Like your pretty hair, honest."
Serena joined Ringo in looked out the window, that lost feeling was coming back as they zoomed past the tall sky scraping buildings. "Your the first." She said in a whisper to herself. Her eyebrows scrunched as she pushed away the coming tears, and once she felt under control she let her face relax and reality sink it. She was in a car with the men she was suppose to spend the next few years with, and as far as they were concerned she was just there to check up on George. Now she had to come up with a plan to stay...for a long time. Serena knew the worry was etched on her face, the worries of losing Luna, screwing up the time line, being alone and new feelings she had for men she hadn't even known for twenty minutes! She rested into the seat and tried to calm herself for the next Beatle encounter.
John's face hardened at her words but shook it off. He looking over and tried to read her now long face, but met Richards warning eyes instead.
A moment past, he reached out and grabbed a light chunk of her mane, he checked to see if she was unaffected, and sure enough Serena hadn't noticed. He swiftly threaded the soft hair between his fingers and raised his hand above his head, dropping the golden threads on top of his own mop top.
Paul who had been watching discreetly from the rear-view mirror laughed. Brian looked into the mirror and sighed almost immediately at the sight.
John kept a straight face and gently wrapped his arms around her small waist, a look of surprise filled his brows when he felt her muscles underneath the pink sweater. He smiled and rested against her, practically under her wing like a child.
Serena peered down, her eyes lost and her mind elsewhere. The innocent image of John buried under her hair and tucked around her waist made her smile her 'Sailor Moon-in-front-of-the-kids' smile. She could tell everyone was watching.
"Told ya I like your hair." He said in a mater of fact tone, and snuggled into her lap. "Smells heavenly, be still now." He ordered closing his eyes under the large flag glasses.
The boys laughed their little laughs, each different in its very own way, she was still lost, alone, and afraid, but at least she was welcomed. Serena smiled and placed a soft hand on John's shoulder, like she had done with Rini, and even Darien many times before.
Paul turned on the radio, flipping threw stations until he heard 'She Loves You' playing across the speakers.
Neil, the man driving turned it off quickly. "Were here boys." He said and unbuckled his seat belt. Serena looked out the window. They were behind a the Hotel, and how they got there Serena wasn't exactly too sure on. John rose and stretched over dramatically.
"Nice kip I had there, ta luv." He nodded his head and prepared himself to get out of the car. Ringo, Paul and Brain did the same. Quickly they all crawled out of the car and made there way into the hotel. She was about to meet the last Beatle, her key to the whole mission, and it was the last thing she wanted to deal with.
Thanks for reading! tell me what you think by reviewing or sending an email!
Any sugestions? Please let me know!