YES IT IS Stories: Lennon/McCartney
Authors: pennylane_fic, jenny_wren28 & lovelyrita_mm
Starring: The Beatles and Maggie Sue
Rating: M for language, implied sex (though none of it is explicit) & implied drug use. Characters used in this story are either our creation, or are historically-based (ie, The Beatles).
Disclaimer: We don't own any of the Beatles, this obviously never happened, and is a complete work of fiction.
August 1966
The streets were noisy and the people obnoxious. It appeared that no matter what decade it was, New York was still loud and full of a certain caliber of life that you were hard-pressed to find anywhere else. With a ticket clutched between her fingers, Maggie stood at the edge of a sidewalk, smiling broadly, and trying to remain calm. The few bounces that escaped her here and there couldn't be helped though. She couldn't stay still. The excitement was coursing through her once more, just as it had done every day for the past few months.
Sticking out her hand, Maggie rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet as she hailed a cab. "Taxi!" It was one of the main things she missed about New York. While she always had access to a car service if she needed one now that she was with John, there was just something about being in a New York cab that brought back memories.
Slipping inside, she smiled at the driver. "Shea Stadium please."
A snort could be heard coming from the driver's general direction as he shook his head. "Let me guess. You're going to see the Beatles."
Maggie smiled. "Of course." The ticket proudly proclaiming her entrance to the concert sat in her hand, the corner of it resting against the ruby ring she wore. While she loved diamonds, John had told her they were too American and for that, Maggie had laughed and agreed to the red stone instead. It was gorgeous and while she would always love her diamonds, she couldn't see herself wearing anything different. The ruby was unique for John and her.
Both she and John considered it her engagement ring, even though she wore it on her right hand instead of her left. She didn't dare wear it on her left just yet. The engagement wasn't official, and while the people closest to them knew, or at least had guessed by now, it wasn't something that Maggie or John were ready to announce to the world. Maggie simply dating John was problem enough. She wasn't exactly looking forward to what the fans would do once they got word of the American Girlfriend becoming the American Fiance.
Looking out the window, she watched as familiar buildings rushed by. They were a little newer, a little cleaner and painted with less graffiti then she remembered, but they were still buildings from her youth. The youth that, in all reality, was only ten years or so away. She was passing places where she used to play, areas that she had shared summer ice cream cones with family and friends, and Maggie even shuddered as she passed a particular area where she had ended up tripping and skinning her knee when she was seven. It had left a scar that she still had.
Shaking her head, Maggie leaned back into her seat. The fact that she was from the future and that while she was getting older, her original self would be born in about a decade, never ceased to confuse her. It sometimes even threw her when an event happened that she remembered reading about, but had never actually experienced. As someone who had given up a job at NASA to stay in the past, she had to admit she was very excited to have a chance to watch the first moon landing, which would happen three years from now. To be thrust into a past that she had studied meticulously was more than a little mind-altering at moments. When things became too frazzled though, she would look at John and remember why she was here. She could deal with the confusion as long as he was willing to deal with her occasional headaches over it. Although at the moment, she wasn't the one that was having the headaches.
The tour had been miserable this year and while there was always some level of negativity involved in every tour they took, this one had been exceptionally worse. The "Beatles being bigger than Jesus" remark had hit the newspapers before the tour had started and while Maggie had known it was coming, she hadn't been able to do anything to stop it in the first place. John's remark had been made during an interview that had taken place between her visits to the past, so she'd been unable to warn him to watch his words.
Frankly, she wasn't sure he would have listened to her anyway. John hated having to be careful about what he said. He'd never liked being coached by Brian – and in fact had purposely scared him a few times. The most memorable being during that concert where the Queen was in attendance. Maggie wished she'd been there for that one. She'd heard Brian had almost had a heart attack when John had started into his infamous line about the rich people rattling their jewelry along to "Twist and Shout". It had gotten a good laugh, so it was all right that time. John and the others were naturally clever and funny, and were used to being able to get away saying what they wanted. Because of this, he'd never expected that offhand "bigger than Jesus" remark to blow up in his face months after the interview like a time bomb. It had blindsided him, and he'd been deeply upset by it. That was the thing about John, he had a hard exterior, but his insides were soft and sensitive, and it sometimes surprised Maggie how easily he was wounded. Maggie wished she could have better prepared John for the onslaught of negativity – or prevented it altogether.
And then John had left to go on tour. He called her frequently, which had at first delighted her. She trusted him to be faithful, but she also knew how tours were, and how much temptation there would be. She was aware of how much she had given up to stay here with John, and she loved that she was on his mind while he was away. But the calls started to worry her by their amount and frequency. She could tell how upset he was by how often he called. If John wasn't calling her as frequently, it meant things were going well. When his phone calls came almost every hour though, she knew that it was a particularly bad day, not just for him, but for everyone involved with the tour. One particular phone call had nearly sent her to tears a few weeks ago.
It had been late at night when John called her and she was just settling into bed. The phone rang and she knew who it was instinctively. As she answered the phone, she tried to keep her voice light, knowing that it would have a calming affect on John. Nothing was going to soothe him tonight though and Maggie just sat and listened as he vented the frustrations he had to her. It was at the end of that phone call, when he had paused for more than a minute, letting a comfortable silence flow between them, that he finally said something that Maggie knew he had been working up to asking her for the past week.
"Come out here."
"What?"
"Come join us on the tour, luv."
Maggie had the undeniable urge to get out of bed, pack a bag and immediately go to his side. She'd been so torn about the tour from the very beginning.
Wives and girlfriends did not go on tour.
Being a 21st century kind of girl, she'd really wanted to go, if only to snap her fingers at the sexist 1960's conventions, but she'd also been afraid that she would be in the way. She was always conscious of how closely she might be compared with Yoko. If none of the other Beatles had girlfriends or wives along, she didn't want to be the only one, intruding where she was unwanted. Still, she felt she was missing out on seeing the Beatles perform.
"I can't, John. You know I can't."
She trusted John. But at the same time, she couldn't help but think about how smart Linda had been, or was going to be, with Paul. By not letting him out of her sight, going on tour with him, AND being in his band, she had ensured that he would never slip up, or ever be lonely. While it may have seemed slightly possessive, it had only strengthened their relationship. The truth was Paul and Linda has simply adored being together all the time. Or rather, they would.
Why couldn't she have the same thing with John?
Maggie couldn't help but think that by letting him go off on his own on these tours, she was being foolish. She knew his history and knew that he was doomed to repeat it over and over in his life. She wanted to show him that she trusted him though and part of her also wanted, and hoped, that she was enough for him. She didn't know if she was right for not jumping at the opportunity to go out there, but she had to stick to her resolve.
Another small part of her wasn't sure she would like life on tour, and wasn't sure how well she would deal with it. Her excuses mostly seemed selfless, but she wondered if she weren't also being a bit selfish.
She had ended the phone conversation that night with her resolve firmly intact, at least in John's eyes. It wasn't until last night that the offer came once more.
Brian had called yesterday evening and avoided the small talk that she thought would come, instead jumping straight to the point. He told her flat out that the tour was going badly, a point that she was well aware of, and that John was simply not himself. He was not participating in the after-show parties and while she knew this worried Brian, it was mostly a relief to her. Whatever relief she had been feeling was short lived though, as Brian continued to explain himself.
John was depressed and instead of socializing like he had usually done, he was locking himself in his room, binging on both uppers and alcohol every night. There were efforts on all of their parts to go and talk him down, but they had all failed. John had simply turned them all away with a few choice words and then the silent treatment. Not even Paul could get him to come out of his room unless it was time to perform. Normally, Brian wouldn't worry except that John's depression had made him spiteful, hateful, and mean towards everyone else, which in turn made an already stressful tour even worse. Brian was afraid the Boys wouldn't ever want to tour again if this kept up.
Without further discussion, Brian had booked Maggie a flight direct to New York for the next morning, and with the time change, etc, she would arrive just in time to catch the Shea Stadium concert and would remain on the tour through the last show at Candlestick Park. The best part was that John didn't know about it so she would get to surprise him.
Maggie was, of course, delighted by this turn of events. She could go join him after all, since she had been asked by Brian, and it was for the sake of the tour. She wouldn't be intruding, since they all apparently wanted her there, and she would get the chance to see her fiancé actually being a Beatle.
The realist in Maggie was both worried about John and feeling guilty. The worries came for the obvious reasons of his alcohol abuse, and his anti-social, depressed behavior. The guilt on the other hand was a little more complex. It came about for two reasons.
The first was because she knew he was acting this way because he was actually trying to keep his promise to her to not do the harder drugs, and to not fool around. The only way he knew how to do that was to get drunk out of his mind and pass out in his bed, alone. The second reason was because she was secretly pleased that he was trying so hard to keep his promises to her. She was touched, and had decided that if he could do that for her, the least she could do was deal with the hell, trials, and drama that entailed going on tour with The Beatles. Even if it got her branded as a Yoko.
Lost in her thoughts, Maggie didn't even notice when the cab finally pulled up to the Stadium until the cabbie turned around and announced their arrival. Stepping out of the cab, Maggie was greeted with the deafening chorus of, "We want The Beatles! We want The Beatles." She couldn't help but feel bad for the support acts.
Making her way through the crowd, Maggie went in search for her seat. She had been adamant with Brian that she wanted to watch the show from the crowd with the rest of the fans. Brian, of course hadn't thought it was a good idea, but Maggie had held firm. She only thanked God that the 1960s lacked the aggressive paparazzi and internet of her own time. No one expected her to be here and therefore, no pictures would be snapped and beamed all over the world with a click of a button. It was because of this that she also knew she wouldn't be recognized. People in England might know her somewhat, but in America, she was just another face in the crowd. Still, just in case, she wore sunglasses, and fixed her hair in a ponytail so she'd look young and different from the pictures of her that had shown up in the fan magazines so far.
Finding her aisle, Maggie began to weave her way through jittery girls as she slid down the row, trying not to bump anyone as she struggled to get past them to her seat. Aside from a few nasty looks, she made it there unscathed, sat down, and looked around, taking in her surroundings.
Girls, and some boys, surrounded her, all on their feet and calling for The Beatles. Looking around, Maggie noticed that minus one exception, no one else was sitting down. This exception came in the form of her neighbor, a young woman that had her head tilted away from Maggie's. Long, elegant fingers were wrapped around a camera and a curtain of blond hair obscured the side of her face as she snapped some photos of the crowd. Seeming satisfied with her shots, she lowered the camera and bent over to adjust the lens. Maggie eyed the expensive camera appreciatively; she had an interest in photography, but since the advent of digital, had guiltily abandoned her film camera.
Noticing Maggie's interest, the woman brushed her hair behind her ears and yelled over the crowd, "I usually photograph horses, but I've been taking more pictures of musicians lately, and now their crowds." Finally looking at Maggie, the woman smiled wryly.
Feeling her eyes widen, Maggie sat thunderstruck. She barely even noticed the din around them anymore, as her eyes traveled over the features of the woman before her. She was completely focused on the fact that Linda McCartney was in front of her. Or rather, Linda Eastman. Maggie recalled reading that Linda had once gone to Shea Stadium to see The Beatles, and had originally had the hots for John before she met Paul. What were the odds that she'd be at THIS Shea stadium concert, and that Maggie would get a seat next to her? But then what were the odds that Maggie could travel back in time just by staring at a photo of John Lennon?
Instead of questioning it, Maggie accepted it with a smile and held out her hand. "Hello," she said, projecting her voice over the sound of screaming thirteen year olds. "I'm Maggie, nice to meet you."
Placing her hand in Maggie's, Linda turned more towards her. "Linda See… I mean Eastman," she corrected. "My divorce was final a year ago and I still say See!" Linda immediately clamped her mouth shut and turned red from embarrassment, as if she'd said too much. Maggie had forgotten that divorce was still very taboo in the 60's.
Wanting to put her at ease, Maggie made sure she looked unfazed. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure that he's lost a wonderful woman."
Linda relaxed visibly, smiling at Maggie slightly. "He was an interesting man," she laughed, feeling oddly comfortable telling Maggie her secrets. "In short, we got married, had our daughter Heather in '62 and then he just went off to Africa without even discussing it with me, expecting Heather and I to follow. There had been a million of other little things before this, but that was the last straw. So I asked for a divorce," she said with a shrug. "And he gave me one." Maggie held her tongue, just letting Linda talk, all the while trying not to pinch herself over the fact that she was sitting there and talking to Paul's future wife. "It ended quite amicably, all things considered. I have full custody of Heather and my ex and I are still on good terms. It's kind of hard not to be, in all honesty. He's a really nice man, a geologist, an Ernest Hemingway type."
Maggie laughed. "That always helps."
Settling back in her chair and scooting closer to Maggie so they didn't have to strain to hear each other, both Linda and Maggie settled into an easy conversation.
"So, where are you from?"
"DC, but I'm originally from New York."
"Me too!" Linda said, obviously excited at seeing another true New Yorker.
Maggie had to bite her lip in order to keep from saying that she already knew. It was a strange feeling being around a woman who Maggie knew was destined to enter the Beatles Wives Club and one that was going to change Paul's life forever. Maggie had always admired and respected Linda and to be sitting next to her at a Beatles concert no less, was surreal.
"I love New York," Linda said. "I've lived a few places in my life but nothing beats the New York."
"I know what you mean. It's just one of those places. You can't really describe it to anyone that hasn't lived here before." From behind them, two girls started shrieking as they saw what they thought was the Beatles. It turned out to be just another sound technician, but the two girls were nearly fainting at the prospect of seeing the four men that sang in their dreams nightly.
Turning to look at them a little, Linda shook her head. "Alright, so I have to ask. Why are you here?"
Maggie gave a nervous laugh as her mind began to race. There was only so much she could reveal right now and while she knew that Linda would be in their future, she still couldn't take the chance that saying something wrong now might prevent her from being with Paul. Her hesitancy didn't go unnoticed by Linda who added, cheerfully, "I'm under here under the guise of photography," Linda said, raising the camera just slightly to make her point. "But truth be told," she grinned wickedly at Maggie. "I think John is hot."
Maggie burst into laughter. She of course knew that Linda was originally attracted to John but she couldn't help but tease her a little. "A John fan, huh? I would have taken you for a Paul girl."
Linda shrugged. "He's all right. I mean, he's cute and all, and I'm sure he's a really nice guy, but John? John's the kind of guy that you could have those deep, intellectual conversations with." A small smirk spread across Linda's lips as she said this. "That among other things."
Maggie blushed and Linda teased, "I hear that the 'other things' are quite good with him."
Maggie blushed again and Linda laughed and said, "It's a shame that I'll never know if the rumors are true," Linda sighed semi-dramatically. "It's just as well I suppose. I mean, after all, I've learned from experience that men are always much better in theory than they actually are."
Maggie smiled as she anticipated the day when Linda learned the truth of who Maggie actually was and how this story was most likely going to be one she used to tease Paul with in the future. Maggie had a feeling that it would be the source of many jokes from both Linda and her. Sitting here right now, Maggie could already tell that the two of them were going to be good friends. They were both American (New Yorkers at that), both interested in photography and both had, at least for now, a fancy for John.
Maggie was also impressed by Linda's forward thinking. For a woman in today's society… or the society of 1960's… time was still a little jumbled in Maggie's head. But, for whatever society they were in at the current moment, the things Linda said and did were not only frowned upon, but often times, unheard of. The fact that she asked for a divorce instead of staying in loveless relationship was proof of that. Most of all though, Linda was going to marry the other half of her Lennon and therefore, she would be the only one that knew what it was like to be in Maggie's shoes. That alone formed an instant bond that Linda was not aware of yet, but was still there.
"How about you," Linda asked. "I've told you the sordid details of my love life and my lusty thoughts about a certain Beatle. Do you have anyone in your life?"
Maggie felt her throat tighten. Of course this was the question that had to come up. She swore that someone out there was taking great amusement in watching her fidget today. "Well," she started. She didn't want to lie to this woman but she didn't know what she could tell her. It wasn't that she thought Linda would react badly to the truth… well, maybe that was a little bit of it. She was afraid that Linda wouldn't believe her but she was also afraid of the commotion it could cause if someone overheard her. Maggie opted for telling as much as the truth as she possibly could.
"I do actually." She smiled, holding up her ring. "I just got engaged."
Linda's mouth turned up into a genuine smile. "Congratulations. He's a lucky guy."
"Thank you."
"What's his name?"
Maggie swallowed. "Winston." She marveled at how clear and unwavering her voice was when she said it. Then, she silently thanked whoever was listening for the fact that Linda obviously didn't pay attention to the teeny bopper fan magazines our there.
"And what does your Winston do for a living?"
"Oh, he's an writer." It was true. John had written a book or two and writing lyrics to music could also be considered a sort of thing an author would do.
"An writer, huh? Another one of those Ernest Hemingway types?" Linda grinned. "What does he look like? That way, if I see him or take his picture one of these days, I can tell him that I got seated next to the only other normal girl here."
Maggie laughed once more, finding Linda's good nature to be infectious. "Well," she started, really not knowing what else to say, but figuring she might as well go for it. "He looks like a Beatle, really. Then again, what mod guy doesn't these days?"
Linda nodded in agreement. During this time period, it was true.
"Where's he from then? Is he a New Yorker as well?"
Maggie opened her mouth to respond but the sound of screaming cut her off again. This time though, it wasn't a false alarm and instead of technicians running out to check the stage equipment, four mop tops came out, waving and flashy their smiles at an audience filled with frantic girls. Girls that Maggie normally would have mocked, except this time, things seemed different.
Before it even registered to her what she was doing, Maggie was on her feet, screaming her head off in full fangirl fashion. When she looked to her right though, she noticed Linda was acting the same way, and while she still felt like an idiot, she at least knew that she was in good company.
Maggie honestly couldn't say when exactly the concert began. She assumed it was when the boys started strumming their guitars and bopping their heads, but she couldn't actually hear the first chords. Sometimes, if she listened close enough, she could hear the faint beat of Ringo's drum, and she knew that if it weren't for him, none of them would be holding it together up there.
Despite the fact that she was at a musical concert, and that Maggie wasn't actually hearing any of the music, it was still the best concert she had ever been to. Watching Paul giggle and twirl with his bass and watching John and George horse around, laughing through most of their backing vocals, was surreal and it made an odd sense of excitement ignite in her stomach once more.
As John started playing the keyboard with his elbows, throwing his head back and laughing with a sort of manic delight, Maggie leaned over towards Linda. "Remember that move," she shouted over the screams and the cries of the girls surrounding them. "You may need it one day!" Linda frowned slightly, raising a confused brow towards Maggie. Maggie just shook her head and laughed, "Trust me!"
Turning back to the concert, Maggie could barely believe what she was witnessing. Every day (that wasn't during a tour) she woke up next to John and she had started to get used to it. She still had her moments where she was afraid that she was merely dreaming, but things were starting to become a little more normal to her. Seeing them up on stage though, at Shea Stadium, the future Mrs. McCartney sitting next to her, was unreal and Maggie almost didn't believe that it was happening. She watched as George and John laughed together, so unbelievably happy (even though it was temporary and that after the show John would be thinking about anesthetizing himself again) and she knew that it couldn't be anything but real. This was a golden moment. They were hovering near the point where they would decide they were tired of being Beatles – but there was still enjoyment in it for them. Their love of music and performing hadn't quite left yet.
Thirty minutes later the show came to an end and while it was nothing compared to the length of the concerts that she attended in her own time, it was by far the best concert she had seen and the one that was the most unforgettable.
The Beatles were whisked away before Maggie could even blink and it almost gave her a start. She needed to catch John before he began his nightly diet of pills and booze. Hopefully, if she found him quick enough, the smile she had seen on his face moments before would stay there.
Digging in her purse, Maggie found a pen and a small piece of paper. As legibly as possible, she scribbled her mailing address and phone number on it before turning to Linda, knowing that the UK contact info would give her away. She had to smile as she saw Linda scrawling down her contact info, obviously having the same thought she did.
Smiling, the message clear to both women, they exchanged papers and Maggie knew she had a new penpal. She did have to fight the sigh that threatened to escape from her lips at the thought of having to do this all long hand. She really did long for her lap top. Or a cell phone.
Leaning forward at the same time, both girls hugged each other goodbye. Their short minutes spent talking about practically nothing before the concert had bonded them for life and Maggie couldn't wait until Linda became a permanent fixture in their lifestyle.
"I want to hear all about how Heather is growing up and how your photos are coming along," Maggie said as they pulled away.
Linda nodded. "And I want to hear all about how the wedding plans are coming and how the fans react to your engagement to Winston. He is my favorite, you know!"
Maggie's eyes widened in shock as her shoulders stiffened.
"I wouldn't be a very good fan if I didn't recognize the American girlfriend, now would I?" Linda smirked and said conspiratorially. Leaning forward, she looked at Maggie seriously. "You'd better go; now that The Boys are gone, and the fans recover themselves, you're sure to be recognized and mobbed. "
Maggie hadn't even thought of that but as soon as Linda said it, she recognized the wisdom of her words – she'd been lucky. She was only anonymous by 21st century standards. And Beatle fans could be vicious to Beatle girlfriends. Pattie had told her stories of being accosted in ladies rooms.
Nodding quickly, she gave Linda another quick hug. "Thank you," she whispered. "I promise I'll write." Pulling away, she grinned a little bit, a thought coming to her head. "You know, John might be taken, but maybe if things don't work out for Paul and Jane…" It was Linda's turn to look shocked. Oh, if only the woman knew what her future had in store for her.
Smiling at her, Maggie gave her a small wave and began to push her way through the crowd. She had already paid the taxi handsomely to wait for her outside and to take her to the hotel. Before she even knew it, she was off. Off to see John.
Her John.
Maggie smiled.
HER John.
* * *
A/N:
WOW!!! How unbelievable was that?! The future Mrs. Lennon meeting the future Mrs. McCartney at a Beatles concert (ie, Lennon/McCartney, the story title... I know, bad). :) Probably about as believable as time travel, which makes it perfect for this story. :) YAY!
SO, now that Maggie Sue has made friends with Linda, we leave it to you to ponder on how this may affect things in the future. !
Also, we'd love to know what you think so far, so please drop us a line. :)