Carry On (A Beatles Fanfiction)

Chapter Forty One

A/N: I hope you're enjoying the drama. If not, fear not for brighter days are ahead for the gang in Paris. This is a shorter chapter, mainly involving Ashley and John. There's quite a bit of French dialogue in this one but the English translation is in brackets. Again, apologies for my terrible French... Enjoy. (I'm gonna trigger warn this chapter too just in case it's uncomfortable for some readers).

Chapter Forty One:

When I woke up the next day, I felt well rested. Coming off of an adrenaline high certainly was the perfect sleep medication. Even if the cause was absolutely horrible. As the memories of the night before came flooding back to me, I both wanted to laugh and cry. Laugh because I had sung Moon River in front of a bunch of French socialites and killed it, and cry because of what nearly happened to me in the alleyway. Not to mention what had happened after. John rescued me. He was there for me. He took care of me and made sure I got back to the hotel in one piece. I was beside myself and too emotional to realize. That made me want to cry too, knowing how we stood. Part of me wanted to curl up and go back to bed and maybe cry a little, but the other part of me won over as I forced myself into the shower. My hair was as I assumed it would be, a frizzy mess. That and I was washing glitter off of my face for about five minutes. I tried to push out of my mind what that awful man wanted to do to me. Had he succeeded, I don't know how I would have lived with myself. It made me sick just thinking about it.

"Why do these things keep on happening to me?" I thought, dismally. I knew it was just one of those wrong place, wrong time situations, but still...

"Don't let it ruin how good of a night it was though. The important part is you're safe and sound now." I tried to look on the bright side, but I still knew that moment wouldn't be too easily forgotten. I dressed in a plain grey dress and braided my wet hair into two thick braids before leaving the bedroom. I didn't exactly know where I wanted to go, but I thought coffee would be a good start. Paul hadn't been bringing it around lately and I missed it. To my utter surprise, laying passed out on the couch, still in his dress shirt and pants was John. I was taken aback. I hadn't expected him to stay the night... I was timid of him, now in my semi right mind. Would things go back to how frosty and awkward they were before the incident the night before? I didn't want to wake him up, but decided to throw a blanket over top of him. As I did, wouldn't you know it, he woke up.

"What's going on..." He mumbled, half awake.

"Shh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." I said in a soft voice. He looked at me funny.

"Ashley...?" He asked, but then his brain woke up and he sat straight up.

"Ashley! You're awake." He announced.

"Uh, yeah. Last I checked." I wasn't sure if I was joking or not.

"How are you? Are you okay?" He demanded, going into 100% full protective mode. I remembered what he'd said to me when he thought I was asleep only hours ago.

"I will always protect you..."

"I-I'm fine." I couldn't stop my bottom lip from trembling, so turned away. He laid a hand on my shoulder and I just wanted to cry, scream, throw things and have a downright fit over everything. Before I could even speak though, a brisk knock came at my door. Without a word, I went to open it and Paul stood on the other side. Upon seeing me, his eyes widened and he hugged me tight.

"Ashley, thank God." He said, and my eyes welled with tears.

"I'm fine." I repeated my fib. Paul looked past me to John who still stood standing near the couch.

"Did he sleep over?" Paul asked me. I looked back at him.

"Uh, yeah. I guess he did." I replied, letting Paul come in.