YES IT IS Stories: Eppy

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.

January 1967

Unease filled Maggie Sue as she sat outside the sparsely decorated office at Apple, fidgeting in her chair. The fact that the office was nearly empty bothered her, because the last time she'd been there it had been a warm, inviting, and tastefully decorated office. Now it was cold and lifeless, and unrecognizable to the people that had known it before.

Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, had asked Maggie to meet him here at 3 o'clock sharp, and of course, she was 15 minutes early. She'd wanted to be sure she was on time. She guessed Brian was big on punctuality, though she also guessed he didn't often get it from the band. Brian wasn't here yet though, and she didn't know where he was. She suspected he was probably down at EMI glancing in on the boys while they recorded what would become Sgt Pepper. This made her smile fondly to herself, but then her unease returned.

She had no idea what Brian wanted to meet with her about, but it couldn't be good. Brian didn't normally bother with Beatle wives or girlfriends, or in her case, fiancés. Of course, she was no ordinary Beatle girl.

When she'd chosen to stay in the past, they'd needed to construct her an entirely new identity – they'd been forced to confide in Brian for this, because John hadn't the faintest clue how to go about getting forged documents. Besides, whenever the Beatles had a problem Brian or Mal or Terry solved it.

She and the boys had all piled into Brian's office and had had a closed-door conference which had taken several hours. Brian, obviously, had been disbelieving at first, knowing what kind of pranks the boys liked to pull on him, and also knowing that the boys had been known to take mind-altering substances from time to time.

In the end, it had been John to convince him that they were all telling the truth. John was the one who'd most liked to tease Brian, knowing Brian's feelings and knowing Brian's soft spots. But John had been so heartfelt and so unlike himself, that Brian had no other option but to believe him. After he'd combed carefully through Maggie's wallet, listened to her iPod, and heard everything the boys had to say he could no longer doubt her story.

Brian had no real reason to help her, of course, and Maggie still didn't quite understand why he did. But the Beatles were his Boys – and whatever they wanted (and in particular, John), he'd help them get. Added to that, she knew Brian was insecure about losing his hold on the band. Perhaps being asked to share in this secret made him feel included on a very exclusive level. Being the one to come up with the needed solution for this problem also helped increase his standing with the band, and served to keep them dependent on him.

Once Brian had made up his mind, he'd made some phone calls and within a few weeks, he'd called Maggie back over to his office. Behind closed doors, he'd presented her with a new identity, including a fake US birth certificate, US social security card, passport, and whatever other documents he'd thought she would need. Maggie didn't know how he gotten them and she knew it was best if she just didn't ask.

Brian seemed confident that the press wouldn't dig too deeply, but Maggie knew that would be unlikely…she'd read too many biographies on each of the Beatle wives and girlfriends to hope for that. Her being an American would slow any British reporters up, since they'd have to go through US records to learn about her, but The Beatles were already a world sensation. Once news that she and John were engaged went public, they'd look at everything.

Brian, knowing this would happen, that reporters would want to know what schools she'd been too, had had to make up an elaborate story about Maggie having been home schooled by her parents – who had conveniently died. And Brian had had to set up death certificates for them as well. Maggie figured by the time the internet rolled around, making records easier to access, it would be years too late for her real identity to matter. It was horridly complex and Maggie just hoped that her new identity would hold up to the scrutiny. Perhaps if she tried to stay under the radar, or behind the scenes?

Of course now, sitting and waiting for Brian to call her in, she had to wonder if perhaps she'd been too hopeful. Had the falseness of her identity been discovered already?

Or, she cringed, perhaps it was worse. Feeling bored with John and tour and wanting to make herself useful, she'd made up a list of everything she felt could go wrong for the Beatles. She'd been a bit careful as she knew Brian had made some huge mistakes in managing the band. There'd been the bad merchandising deal, the Philippines fiasco which the band blamed him for, and perhaps the most serious, the music publishing deal. She didn't want to make Brian angry – she'd read about his temper. Nor did she want to rub his nose in it. If she wanted to be a part of running the Beatles (and she did), she needed to make sure Brian accepted her. He needed to accept her as someone who could be a useful tool to him, rather than a usurper and a threat. Brian had to be handled carefully. She was a scientist, though – and her thoughts were nearly always logical. So she'd made up a very logical list of problems and possible solutions, with no blame attached to any of it.

On a day when she was feeling bold, she'd marched into his office and given it to him along with a speech she'd rehearsed. When she was done, she hadn't waited for a response, but fled, just hoping she'd done the right thing. Maggie had done what she had to do, though, to try to protect John and the others. Plus, she wanted to be involved. She wanted a place here in the 60s. Something of her own.

There'd been a note on the list she'd given Brian to contact her to discuss it, if he wanted. She'd been sure to add that she only had their best interests at heart, and that she wanted her knowledge of the future to be of use to Brian, as he saw fit. (That last was to appeal to his sense of vanity. Which was the logical thing to do.)

Maggie sighed. There was the issue of Brian's own fate. She had kept silent about what she knew of Brian's future. She was determined to save him too, but felt she needed to play this one very carefully. She wasn't sure if his death had been accidental or purposeful or some combination of the two, so she felt like she needed to get a better and more personal measure of the man before she could determine a course of action. All she'd had to go on was a third hand perspective from books. Unfortunately, getting to know Brian had proven difficult. Maggie couldn't seem to get a read on him easily. He seemed happy enough, but was prone to mood swings, from what she could tell. Of course, she wasn't often around him, as a Beatle girlfriend. Fiance, she reminded herself.

Scrubbing her hands across her face Maggie glanced down at her watch and saw that Brian was very nearly late. As far as she could tell he was never late for anything. A sinking feeling started to form in the pit of her stomach… it was too early for that… he wasn't supposed to die until the Maharishi came to visit. Still, she couldn't shake her sense of foreboding, and was determined to track down a phone and give John a ring (oh, how she missed cell phones!) when a quiet voice nearly made her jump out of her skin.

"Margaret Susan, I hope you haven't been waiting for me for too long?" Brian's gentle voice asked as he looked down at her.

Startled, Maggie jumped up and smoothed down her skirt, and hair. Something about Brian's careful manner and perfectly groomed appearance always made her feel like a slob. "No, Mr. Epstein. Just a few minutes. I got here early," she said to him hurriedly, feeling like an idiot. Why did this man make her so nervous?

Brian frowned at that, the corners of his mouth turning down slightly, "Margaret, I've already asked you to please call me Brian. There is no need to be so formal." He said, formally, of course.

Maggie didn't even know how to respond. She'd known him as Brian from the Beatle books, but in person, he was so much more formal that what she was used to that she felt compelled to call him Mr. Epstein. Instead of responding, she smiled up at him wanly and waited to see what he wanted.

Realizing he wasn't going to get a response from her, he gestured into the very bare office, and said "After you," before following her into the room. He settled himself, surprisingly, on a sofa and not behind the desk, and told her to sit wherever she'd like.

After some hesitation Maggie perched herself on the edge of a chair, and waited for the bad news. She tried not to fidget as Brian stared at her, as if he were evaluating her worthiness to be there. It wasn't done in a cruel way, but just in a business like manner. She was business to him after all.

After several moments of awkward silence, Brian finally spoke. "I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to come here today?" At Maggie's quick glance up at him and silent nod of assent he continued, "Let me put your mind at ease about one thing, Margaret, your identity is just fine. No one knows, and I don't think anyone ever will. Trust me on that."

Maggie could feel the tension leave the room as she breathed a sigh of relief… one of her worst fears was for naught. Her secret was safe. She could stay with John in 1967. But the tension in the room was, if possible, worse then it was before, and yet Brian still said nothing.

Finally Maggie couldn't take it any longer. "Thank you Mr. Epstein… Brian… you have no idea how much both John and I appreciate that."

He just gave her the hint of a smile at that, but then continued to stare, evaluating again.

Confused and uncertain whether she should even bring up the list she'd given him herself, Maggie started to get to her feet and said, "If that's all-" but was cut off by Brian who stood up and turned to a small mini bar, "I'm so sorry, where are my manners? Would you like something to drink Margaret?"

"Um, sure. A coke please." Maggie replied, even more confused now, by all this. What did he want with her?

Brian returned with her coke poured into a whisky tumbler, handed it to her and sat back down with a drink himself. "Now where was I? Ah yes, I was getting to the purpose of our meeting." He settled himself back onto the sofa and took a sip of his drink, so Maggie followed suit. Just as she'd begun to swallow, Brian continued the conversation, "I asked you here today because I'm putting you in charge of Apple Corps, effective immediately. That is, if you want the job."

Maggie spat out her coke onto the rug and started coughing as she choked out a hoarse "WHAT?!" She'd expected a lecture on her temerity, or even for Brian to rage at her for implying that he was fit to make decisions for the Beatles without her interference. Or even stone cold silence from his quarter. At best she'd hoped to be able to sit down and have a real discussion about how she could help him. But this – this was completely unexpected.

And there was something else. Apple Corps wasn't supposed to be created until 1968. She thought quickly to herself – they'd come up with the idea nearly a year early. Was it her interference? She'd tried to word things carefully in her letter to avoid giving away too much, but surely the idea of a tax shelter had been a good one. In the old timeline, the Beatles had done it without Brian, and it had scared him. Maybe her list had given him reason to grab the bull by the horns and run with the idea before the band could do it without him? John hadn't mentioned any of this to her. It must be one of his little surprises. He was constantly springing things on her these days, testing her – trying to figure out what he could find that would be new to her. It was often unnerving.

Maggie sat there, looking at Brian in disbelief. "Oh dear, that was a Persian rug, Margaret. This is no way to treat your new office." Brian lectured her with a hint of a smile on his face as he got a tea towel and laid it down on top of the dark liquid, trying to absorb what he could.

Maggie was instantly down on the floor, grabbing the towel from his hands. "Let me do that." She ordered, momentarily wondering where her assertiveness came from. Actually, she was usually always assertive, but around Brian, that was a different matter. He intimidated her and she had no idea why, but for right now, she was too shocked, and a bit angry to be timid towards him. "And have you lost your mind?" She demanded angrily, "How is making me in charge of Apple helping me stay under the radar? It's like BEGGING the media to dig up dirt on me! I gave you that list of ideas to help you – I didn't expect you to create Apple Corp a year early and then hand it over to me!"

Brian examined his perfectly manicured fingernails as he lounged on the sofa. He responded, "Be realistic, Margaret. You yourself said that even the best forgeries these days won't stand up to scrutiny in the future, so I've decided to hide you in the open. Have the media do all their digging on you now, when your documents will withstand their snooping, and in the future, no one will check because your credentials have already been established. This is laying low, in my opinion. But you're the scientist, you tell me." He finished with a smile at her. "And that list showed me that you are the perfect one to run this business. You will know what to look out for. You know the dangers out there." He added, "I also wanted to reward you for bring the list to me and no one else. I appreciate loyalty."

Maggie stopped dabbing at the floor at that and sat back on her heels and pondered what he'd said. After a few moments, she turned to him and regarded him curiously before beginning slowly, "Yes… logically what you're saying does make sense… but…"

"But?" he questioned, and eyebrow raised at her.

Maggie took a deep breath and drew herself up, squared her shoulders, and faced him fully before continuing. Her nerve was starting to fail her again, and she would not let it! "But, this is the 1967, Mr. Epstein. I mean…. Brian. Not 2006. Women just DON'T run record labels, or corporations or whatever Apple is these days. It's just, not done. Not yet. I won't be accepted." Her cheeks flushed and she couldn't believe she'd said all that. She was the one complaining about giving up her career to stay in the past. And here was Brian giving her a chance to start a new one.

Brian started chuckling quietly at her.

"Margaret, I never thought you'd be one to back down from a challenge. Besides, women do run clothing boutiques, and Apple will be that as well, I suspect" Brian told her, and before she could say anything else, he continued, "Whether it's done or not, you seem quite capable of managing the company. Just look at how well you manage John. That's a full time job in and of itself, you know. Besides, are you telling me that a rocket scientist can't handle one tiny little company?"

Maggie didn't know what to say. She knew what Apple could become, WOULD become, and how awfully managed it had been, and all the money it had lost the Beatles in the end…. And then her eyes lit up as she realized that SHE'D be in charge! She'd be able to keep the likes of Magic Alex out of Apple, and have the authority, the backing to stop the thieving and blatant stealing from the boys. She could turn it into a REAL record label. A real company.

And it would be hers.

She'd have an identity… she wouldn't just BE a Beatle wife… she'd be someone all on her own.

She loved John, clearly, but leaving her career, leaving NASA behind to come to this foreign world and be with him had been the hardest thing she'd ever done. She'd given up everything. Everything but John.

Though it was still tied up in the Beatles, she would be earning her place, and not living off of John. She'd have her own identity, her own path. Separate but still intertwined with his.

She looked Brian in the eye, all timidity gone. "Effectively immediately you say?"

"Yes."

Maggie strode over to the door, opened it up, and turning to what she now knew was her secretary, said "There's been a spill in here. Please call a janitor to come get it cleaned up. Thank you."

As the secretary said, "Yes ma'am, right away," Maggie heard Brian murmur, "That's my girl."

And she smiled. This was going to be FUN!

* * *

A/N:

WE KNEW IT!!!!1111!!!!!! MAGGIE SUE TOOK OVER APPLE!!!!!!!! THIS WUZ UR HOLE REASON FOR TRAVELING BACK IN TIME WASN'T IT MAGGIE SUE??????!!!!!!!111111!!

WELL WE'RE ON TO YOU MISSY!!!!!!!1!

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