Hey there!
I realize it's literally been ages since I've looked at this story, much less updated. Endless apologies for leaving it woefully unfinished. In the years since, I haven't stopped writing and my abilities have improved a lot—although I've begun focusing more on original fiction now, I'd love to revisit this story sometime for an overhaul of the parts that could be a little bit better. I wrote this in high school, mind you, so certain character development things weren't as polished. And I think the fic got lost in the shuffle of me starting college and everything in between. Still, I love the premise of this fic a whole lot and I'm proud of the work that went into it at the time; all of the fun Beatles references I managed to weave into the narrative as someone who's been raised on the band's music. I have no idea if anyone's still reading this story or discovering it for the first time (and again, I apologize profusely for leaving it) but I wanted to give an update that might be of some interest to those who once followed this musical saga.
I distinctly remember doing research for Lizzy's trip overseas to visit her father's homeland of Liverpool. Although visiting England myself has always been a dream, I never imagined it would actually happen and I had to cobble together what I could from the research alone. But, I'm happy to report that years and years after I wrote those chapters of Lizzy's adventures in Liverpool, I've now had the chance to set foot there myself! I spent almost a week in Liverpool for International Beatleweek, where my dad's band had the honor of performing at the famous Cavern Club and various other venues around the city. I took a tour with my family to see the houses where John, Paul, George, and Ringo grew up and walked through the streets that inspired their songs. Songs that wound up inspiring Across the Universe, and in turn, this story. It was so incredibly surreal to drive down Penny Lane while listening to the actual song and stand outside the gate at Strawberry Field and take a stroll by the Mersey River. Walking through the city now, I definitely have a better understanding of the culture and music scene of Liverpool. And during all of that, I couldn't help but think of Jude and Lucy and this story. So, I thought it would be cool to give this little update, because I couldn't stop thinking about Lizzy, either.
Anyway, a massive, endless thank you to everyone who has read this story and enjoyed it at some point. Again, I'm really, really sorry I didn't stick with it and it got lost in the chaos. But I appreciate the overwhelmingly positive response it got back in the day and that it helped me flex my creative muscles and hone my writing abilities while being a shameless Beatles nerd.
Thank you!
Peace & Love,
Jessie