Chapter 4: All Together Now

Murph : Thanks for all the feedback, it's what keeps us motivated! :)
Were: Honestly, I had ZERO inspiration until we got a bit of feedback. ;D Thanks for R & Ring!

After many close incidents where people nearly recognized Paul and resulted in near heart attacks, they made it to the back of the Cavern where the three of them were loading their stuff into their van. It didn't look at all like a van the Beatles would travel in, which I guess was its purpose, as the windows were tainted and the paint job was really bad; the "white" coat with a hint of rust was peeling off everywhere, revealing it's silver metal underneath.

When we reached them, their instruments, mics and amps were being carefully stacked up in a pile in the back of the van. John was in the middle of helping Ringo push his drum set up the makeshift ramp - a few planks propped up - into the back of the van. Different parts were clanging and shaking wildly as they tried to fit it in. They were almost done when Ringo noticed us standing there; he jumped up and flung his arms out wildly, causing the set to wham right into an unsuspecting John with a dramatic clash of cymbals. John began to swear like none other, hopping from foot to foot when he noticed us standing there.

"John," I mused, crossing my arms over my chest. "Same as always."
He grinned, lifting an eyebrow and gingerly placing his feet on the ground with a wince. "Oh yeah? I've gotten more polite - we've had lessons." He gave me a wink and then pulled me into a sudden bear hug. "We've missed ya - well, maybe not as much as Macca here," he stated over my shoulder, grinning at Paul.

I could picture Paul rolling his eyes and blushing. "You're the one to talk, Lennon."

"Yeah, that I am."

George appeared in his little way of sneaking in without letting anyone know and tapped me on the shoulder. "Abs! I'm taller than you are now," he teased. I took a good look at him and realized that he was right. I couldn't tell from my seat earlier but he had certainly shot up a good few inches. I pouted over our on-going argument. "You just wait..." I laughed and pulled George into a hug too.

A voice pipped up from behind me. "What about me?" I turned to find Ringo pulling his puppy dog face on me, blue eyes staring up and bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "Don't worry Rings, I didn't forget about you," I comforted.
After I'd finished collecting all my over-due Beatle hugs, they began to fill me in about their growing fame. Apparently, they had really started to hit it off after Hamburg and after releasing Please Please Me, concerts were getting filled just like that.
"This might be the last Cavern concert because of how small the place is," Paul admitted, scratching his cheek with his middle finger - he always did that, I realized. It was one of his adorable quirks. I could see a little disappointment in his hazel eyes, and instinctively my mouth curved turned downwards. The Cavern was what made them. It wouldn't be easy to just leave it behind.
"We have had good times here -" John paused to give us a naughty grin that made me unsure if I really wanted to know what exactly he was talking about - "but we'll soon be in bigger, better places. Where are we off to lads?" John asked, as if this was a routine they all knew quite well.
"To the toppermost of the poppermost!" they all shouted enthusiastically, all sadness replaced with vigorous energy.

I laughed. "Okay, so enough about the band. Has George gotten himself a girl yet?"

"No, even though they've been throwing themselves at his feet every chance they get." John attempted a swoon to demonstrate, and I had trouble holding back a snort. John certainly was the same. "The other day this blonde bird came up to him an' - you'd never believe it - he refused her! Can 'ou believe it? I would've accepted on the spot. She had the best set of-"

"It pays to not just go for the first bird you see," George interrupted what had the potential to be a very vulgar comment, glowering at John, his thick eyebrows knit together.

John shrugged it off. "Whatever Georgie. You have your motto, I have mine." He grinned, making me grimace at the thought.
"Oi, lads, I believe that I have the best way to snag birds," Paul announced, winking at me.
"Oh yes, I'm married and you have a girlfriend. Yeah, you're so much better than me." John smirked. I looked up at Paul, shocked, although it wasn't like it should have been a surprise. "You have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah," he confirmed with a small blush. I had mixed feelings about this, but I brushed them aside... for now.

"Can I help you guys pack up?" I asked, breaking up the interesting reunion.

"Sure, there's a few mics still inside," Ringo piped up politely, pointing to the door on the side of the Cavern that was propped open. I excused myself and went in, leaving them with the job of getting Ringo's drums back up and in the van.

I stepped into the room, which appeared to be the backstage, and walked across to where the two microphone stands were sitting and scooped them up. Just as I began to leave, I heard two muffled giggles coming from somewhere off to my left. I peered around the dim stage but saw nothing. I resumed my walk to the door when suddenly I was nearly stampeded by two girls coming out of nowhere with pens and pads of paper. I heard them shriek when they found the open door. I ran after them, wondering if this was a regular thing now.
Outside the girls were all over the four of them begging for autographs. I caught Paul's eye and raised my eyebrow. His response was a sheepish grin. He signed for both of them and motioned for me to get into the van with them. I gladly followed him in as he shut the door behind me, earning looks of hatred from the two girls.
I sat down by Ringo who had saved me a spot next to him. I gave him a quick smile which was returned sweetly. "What was that all about?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face as I made myself comfortable.
"That was our fan base," Paul answered.
"They love us," John stated as he pulled out a ciggie and lit it. "Usually there's a lot more than two waitin' for us."
"We're lucky today," Ringo added.
"Fun," I noted. "They nearly ran me over trying to get to the door." I laughed.
"They are quite possessive when it comes to us," Paul laughed uneasily, taking a ciggie from John.
"So... where are we going now?" I asked casually, sitting back against the rugged seat.
"Over to the pub. We forgot to ask ya if you minded," John grinned deviously.
I rolled my eyes, fanning smoke away from my face. "You know I have a job to be at in the morning." I sighed when they all gave me pleading faces that I just couldn't say no to. "I guess I can stay for a little while..."
"That's the Abby we know!" Ringo announced, smiling proudly.
"Rings, it really surprises me how happy you are during the day but what a drag you are in the morning," George remarked - a classic George moment.
"What can I say?" Ringo agreed, leaning backward into the leather seat and puffing on his ciggie. "I'm one happy bloke when I don't 'ave three bloody wankas shoutin' at me to get up when it's only 7am."
All the way there we talked about their latest songs and albums and what they planned to record in the near future, a few crude remarks and little jabs every once in a while. I even got to hear the beginning of a song they called "It Won't Be Long" complete with guitar playing, singing and even a bit of drums from the backseat. Every once in a while a random topic would pop up that would remind me how much I had missed being with the Beatles. I found myself desperately hoping that I could somehow hang on to them this time.