Growing Up Beside You [John Lennon/Beatles Fanfiction]

1. She's one of John's favourites

Anyway, yes, she'll leave the channel on. How else would she keep herself updated on their whereabouts if she didn't keep it on? Just for a little bit, she thinks. Not once does she draw her eyes away from the screen as she walks towards her ironing board. A thirty-something-year-old interviewer sits on a chair next to the boys who are sitting on a small plush-looking sofa. Well, everyone apart from John who's sat on the arm of it. Many empty champagne glasses perch on the mantelpiece behind them.

"So you must tell us, boys because your fans are dying to know. Are there any women out there that you are keeping hidden from us?"

"Oh, there's always women."

Everyone laughs.

"Yeah, Ringo's right. We love women," Paul grins.

"Yes, but any in particular? I mean, you're always singing romantic songs, there must be some source of inspiration. Someone you're in love with perhaps?"

The interviewer was really pushing his luck with that one. He holds out his microphone to Ringo- so close, in fact, it's almost up his nose. He takes a drag on his cigarette before answering.

"Erm...i'm in love with me'self."

"Me too," Paul affirms, patting Ringo's shoulder. "I'm in love with Ringo."

The interviewer frowns slightly but then tries to brush it off with a fake laugh. Well, what does he expect? Really? As if the question isn't personal enough, it would take a lot for one of them to break that juicy secret. Has John found someone new to love after all these years? Celia doesn't want to know. Her stomach knots at the unbearable thought of it.

"Yeah, he's who we write our songs about."

Ringo looks up at John and gives him a solid nod of gratitude.

"Yeah, look at him." George turns to Ringo and squeezes his cheeks, with the cheekiest grin on his face. God, Celia misses that boy so much. Ringo scoffs and brushes George away.

"What about you, Paul?"

"Erm...Grace Kelly. Yeah she's quite nice, isn't she? Her in that white gown n' all."

"Yeah, that one she wears in Rear Window. Good film that too," Ringo adds.

George lifts his legs onto the sofa, making himself a little too comfortable on a show broadcasted to the whole of the UK. He sits with his limbs wide apart, resting his arms loosely across his kneecaps. Ringo has to shuffle across to make room for him.

"Brigitte Bardot, too," mentions George, swaying into John slightly. "She's one of John's favourites, isn't she John?"

"Yeah."

And doesn't Celia know it. Celia's own Bardot blonde hair has worn out, and she's back to her mousy brown roots. She's given up dying it- she's seen no point, though she is still rather fond of the blonde colour.

"Hmm, so it's only Hollywood stars you're all in love with?"

"No, not John," giggles George. "He's in love with his Chetchi, he is."

Celia's head snapped up to the TV. Did he just...

Ringo's blue eyes widen, and John- whose face turns a whiter shade of pale-quickly slaps his hand over George's grinning mouth. Paul has his palm across his own mouth failing to hide his loud stifling giggles. And Celia? Well, Celia's heart is hammering tumultuously against her rib cage.