Shelter In Your Love (Beatles Fan Fiction)

75. All Things Must Pass

Author's note: This chapter contains strong language and sad events. Lots of sorrow and the death of Brian Jones.

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All things must pass
None of life's strings can last
So, I must be on my way
And face another day

'Can you put me through to George please?'

'Which department?'

'George! George Harrison!' I cry. What other "George" would I want to speak to? 'He'll be in Studio two, probably.'

'Who's calling?'

'It's Hannah.'

'Hannah who?'

'I'm his--' I nearly said wife then. The jolt from that realisation lasts half a second. 'Hannah James. I live with him. I'm the mother of his child. Please, just put me through, it's extremely important.' 

'I'll see if he's available to speak to you.'

'It's an emergency. I need to speak to him,' I say, exasperated. I've rung George at Abbey Road lots of times. They've never been funny about putting me through to him before. 'Who are you? What's your name?' I ask, angrily, tears welling in my eyes. 

There's a pause and then another voice comes on the line. 'Sorry, Hannah. She's new, she's been told to vet all the phone calls. We've had some fans trying to call up recently.'

'Please, can you get George?' I repeat, uninterested in explanations or excuses.

'Of course. Just a moment.'

That moment stretches on and on. It's probably only a minute or two before George comes on the phone but it feels like forever. He just says, 'Love? Are you alright?' and I can't hold back the tears that have been filling my eyes and throat, choking me, blurring my vision. I try to splutter a reply but I can't get the words out. George has to soothe me, lowering his voice, trying to coax the words out of me. 'Love, it's alright. Whatever's happened, it will be okay. Just take a deep breath and tell me.'

I suck air in through my nose and try gather myself. 'Minnie's not answering,' I say, eventually. 'I don't know where she is. I can't find her. I tried to call her agent but I couldn't get him, just his secretary who said they've been unable to get in touch with her either. She was supposed to go to a photoshoot today and... and...' I have to pause to take a ragged breath.

'Okay, don't panic, Han. It doesn't mean anything's happened to her. She might be with a friend. Have you tried her friends?'

I don't know who her friends are. Does she have any? I remember some girls, some other models, at her birthday party in January but I don't know who they are or where they live. I don't think Minnie would go there anyway. When she was upset because she'd split up with Brian, she came to me. Why hasn't she now?

'I don't know, George,' I wail. 'I need to find her. I have to go to her flat.'

'Alright. It's okay,' he repeats. 'You can go there. Where's Dennis?'

'You're not going to come with me?' I cry. 'You can't take one fucking afternoon off from recording to--'

George laughs once, probably because I swore at him, but he sobers himself quickly. 'I didn't say I wouldn't come with you,' he replies, patiently. 'I thought it would be quicker if Dennis drove you here and then we would go round to Minnie's together.'

I blink hard. 'I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm scared, George. Nothing feels right about this. Where is she? How... How can Brian be dead? What happened to him?'