Lydia Bennet thought she was going to go crazy. Everyone had something fun to do for the summer, and she was stuck in Meryton with absolutely nothing. Jane had spent nearly the entire summer mooning over her rich boyfriend who was madly in love with her and Lydia had just found out that Jane wasn�t the only one. Lizzy had a rich boyfriend now, one whom she met while working at her cushy babysitting job with the Gardiners on Fishers Island. Not only that, the crowning blow was that he was taking her to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium with him! She doesn�t even have any of their records! It wasn�t fair. I want a rich boyfriend too! Well, maybe he doesn�t have to be rich, she thought, but good looking, at least � and fun! Only one possibility came to mind.

�Jane!� Lydia called upstairs, �I�m going to Korvettes, I want to get a new record.�

�How are you going to get there?� her sister called back. Their parents were away for the weekend; Jane was in charge until they returned Monday night.

�Don�t worry, I�ll ride my bike.�

�Hi George, remember me?� Lydia sidled up to George Wickham, the debonair salesman at Korvettes, giving him what she thought was her most alluring smile.

George had no time for teeny boppers; there was too much on his mind. His poker debts were out of control and he was wracking his brain trying to think of a way to get some quick cash. He did not want to face the loan sharks who were hounding him constantly. Every moment he was looking over his shoulder, fearful of one of the telltale goons, Larry the Loan Shark sent in his place.

George barely kept up the English accent as he spoke to her. �Yeah, I remember you, but I�m busy, kid. I can�t really chat, you see?�

Lydia scowled. She couldn�t believe it! She�d ridden her bike all the way out here to see George, and now he was blowing her off! She needed to let off some steam and here was her chosen means trying to ignore her.

�Oh, come on, George, please! I�ve been so bored lately. I�m so sad and lonely.� She gave him her best puppy dog eyes. �Everyone in my family is ignoring me. My sister Jane has a rich boyfriend who spoils her and now my sister Lizzy is dating another rich guy � Will Darcy � who�s taking her to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium tonight. Can you believe her luck?�

George wasn�t paying much attention until he heard the name, Will Darcy.

�Will Darcy, you say?� He looked at her, now all ears.

�Yeah, he�s some rich guy she met on Fishers Island. He must really be hung up on her to take her to see the Beatles.� Lydia said dolefully, wishing she was seeing the Beatles, instead of Lizzy.

In the blink of an eye, George had his idea; one that would solve all his problems. He looked at Lydia with new found appreciation.

�Do you really want to see the Beatles?� he asked, stepping closer to her.

�More than anything in the world!�

�What would you say if I told you I know them?� he said wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

�You know them?� she cried incredulously.

�Of course, love.� Laying the accent on thick now that it mattered to him, he added, �We go way back, old mates, you know.�

Lydia took the bait: hook, line and sinker. She was speechless. She was actually talking to someone who was friends with the Beatles! With Lydia�s mouth still gaping open, George continued, �I know where they�re staying in New York. How would you like me to take you there to meet them?�

At this offer, Lydia�s eyes were as wide as saucers. �Are you kidding? Of course I want to meet them! When? When can we go?� She was breathing heavily, dancing around in her place, antsy at the idea of meeting the Fab Four. �Can we see them tonight at Shea Stadium?�

�No, not the concert, security is too great there; we�d never be able to get in to see them. We can meet them at their hotel tomorrow, after the concert tonight.� His mind was working at high speed. �How about we meet first thing in the morning and drive to New York to their hotel? We�ll surprise them.�

�Okay!� said Lydia. George looked at her appraisingly. Hmm, at least she�s built. How can anyone be so gullible?

�Just to be on the safe side, better not tell anyone,� George warned her. �I don�t want word getting out I�m friends with them � we don�t want the whole town coming with us.�

Lydia didn�t think twice about it. �Sure thing, this will be our big secret!� At last, something exciting is happening to me!

Click here for song.

Little child, little child
little child won't you dance with me
I'm so sad and lonely
Baby take a chance with me

Little child, little child
little child won't you dance with me
I'm so sad and lonely
Baby take a chance with me

Lydia was ready and waiting when George arrived at the crack of dawn the next morning in his maroon Chevy Corvair. She hadn�t told anyone of their plan to drive up to New York, but she couldn�t resist leaving a note for her sister Kitty. She would be green with envy when she found out that Lydia was off to see the Beatles!

Dear Kitty,

Ha-ha! You�ll never guess where I am and what I�m doing! I�m off to New York with total hunk, George Wickham, whose friends with the Beatles! (Remember, the salesman I told you about at Korvettes?) We�re going to their hotel to meet them. Wish me luck � I�ll be sure to give Paul a kiss for you!

Lydia

�Lydia luv,� his Liverpool accent in full force, �Do you have any money with you?�

She looked at him sideways, a quick look of annoyance on her face that vanished as soon as she saw him flash his teeth with that handsome smile of his.

�I brought a little just in case I saw something I wanted to buy� Why?�

�Just asking, always good to think of these things in the big city and all that.� Hmm, I wonder how much she brought with her? He looked over at her thoughtfully as he drove, then patted the seat next to him invitingly. �Come over and sit next to me, luv. I won�t bite.� Lydia hesitated briefly before sliding across the seat until she was right up against him. He put his arm around her and pulled her close as she rested her head on his shoulder.

If you want someone to make you feel so fine
Then we'll have some fun when you're mine all mine
So come on, come on, come on

Little child, little child
little child won't you dance with me
I'm so sad and lonely
Baby take a chance with me

By the time they got to New York it was mid-morning. The city was busy, bustling with Monday activity. Lydia couldn�t sit still as she oohed and ahhed at the skyscrapers, pointing at everything.

�George, are we going straight to their hotel? I can�t wait to meet Paul.� She sighed aloud, thrilled at the thought of actually meeting her favorite Beatle. Won�t everyone be jealous when I come back and tell them all about it. Maybe he�ll fall in love with me and ask me to marry him! If George hadn�t been right beside her, she would have forgotten all about him. George Wickham paled in comparison to a real Beatle.

George was concentrating so hard on traffic he had little time to think of a good excuse to keep Lydia away from the Beatles�s hotel. He nearly cursed when she asked her next question. The girl just wouldn�t quit!

�I heard the Beatles are staying at the Warwick Hotel on 54th � are we near it yet?� She made it a point to know everything about her boys. She had read in the newspaper they were at the Warwick this time, because the Plaza Hotel, where they had stayed the previous year on their first visit to the United States, didn�t want them back. The fans had caused too much trouble and nearly wrecked the hotel�s lobby.

�Yes, luv, as soon as I can find a parking space.� This sounded perfectly reasonable to Lydia, so she didn�t notice the strained sound of George�s voice as he maneuvered in and out of the sea of yellow taxis and buses. Oblivious to George�s real intentions, she blithely continued to look out the window at the sights of New York City.

Once they found a parking space, Lydia leapt out of the car, eager to meet the Beatles. She looked at the street sign � 9th Avenue. �9th Avenue? How far are we from the hotel?�

George had no intention of going to the Warwick. He could well imagine what a mad house it was, but soon realized Lydia would not go anywhere else with him unless he at least appeared to be taking her to see the famous foursome.

�Not far,� he said as he steered her along toward 54th Street heading in the direction of 6th Avenue. Although Lydia was ecstatic; she was also nervous at the thought of meeting her idols. I know Paul will fall in love with me as soon as he meets me. As George draped his arm around her shoulders possessively, she thought of him as nothing more than a means to her goal. She wriggled out of his grasp, bent on only one target at this point � and it wasn�t George Wickham!

When you're by my side you're the only one
Don't you run and hide just come on, come on
So come on, come on, come on

Little child, little child
little child won't you dance with me
I'm so sad and lonely
Baby take a chance with me

It became apparent as they neared the intersection of 54th Street and 6th Avenue that something big was happening outside the hotel. The streets were lined with policemen trying to hold back the crowds of screaming teenaged girls, hoping for a glimpse of the famous boys from Liverpool. Right away, Lydia picked up her the scent and started to run toward the hotel with George hot on her heels.

�Lydia, wait!� he called after her desperately. She looked behind her and waited for him to catch up. After all, without him, she couldn�t get in to see the Beatles.

The Warwick Hotel was an old fashioned, stately building, unobtrusive in appearance, blending in with the surrounding buildings. Upon closer observation the detail and workmanship on the outside of the building revealed the quiet elegance that lay within. It was a haven for celebrities who could sometimes be seen peering over a balcony high above the cacophony of the streets of mid-town Manhattan.

As George caught up with Lydia she wasted no time. �George, come on! Let�s go, I want to see them!� She started to pull George toward the entrance of the hotel. George realized he was in a bind and was going to be hard-pressed to deter Lydia from her mission; he had to think of something fast.

�Lydia, we�ll have to call up first. They won�t just let us in with this gaggle of teenagers around.� Lydia saw the wisdom of George�s explanation.

�Then, call them!�

George sighed in frustration, realizing this was not going to be as easy as he thought. How was he going to get Lydia upstairs into a hotel somewhere else, when she was so bent on seeing the Beatles at the Warwick? He hadn�t thought this plan through very well, he�d been too determined to get out of Meryton and away from Larry and his crew. He saw that he�d have no choice. If he was going to get Lydia to go along with him, he�d have to get a room at the Warwick.

�I have an idea. We can get into the lobby and call up by checking in and getting a room.� George reasoned. Lydia looked at him like he was crazy.

�Check in! Why would we want to do that?� The radar in her head was starting to go off � she didn�t like the sound of this plan. Check in? A room? Together? Lydia may not have been the smartest girl in school, but she had �street smarts� and she was having misgivings about George and his intentions. She was torn, one side of her wanted to see the Beatles badly, but the other side didn�t feel right about checking into a hotel with a man she barely knew. She thought about it briefly and made her decision. The Beatles won out.

�Okay, let�s do it!� George grinned and held her hand as they made their way to the main entrance of the hotel. Squeezing through the mob of teenage girls, they eventually came to the entrance where a policeman held up his hand and stopped them.

�Excuse me, folks, you can�t come in. This is off limits,� the policeman said.

�We�re checking in to the hotel,� said George. The policeman looked at Lydia and George doubtfully.

�Do you have some I.D.?� asked the policeman.

�What do I need to show you my I.D. for, officer?� As he spoke, George could feel the sweat dripping down his back in the hot August sun.

�I need to see some proof that you�re here for some other reason than these groupies,� he answered, referring to the m�l�e of girls around them.

�Don�t be absurd, do I look like a Beatlemaniac?� George asked, referring to the adoring masses standing behind him who were holding various signs that read, �Please, Please Me, George!� and �I Want to Marry You, Paul!�

�What about her?� the policeman pointed at Lydia.

�We�re friends of the Beatles!� Lydia piped in, �We just want to get inside so we can call upstairs to them.� The policeman scoffed at the two.

�So you can just call upstairs to them, eh?� Laughing, he shooed them back into the crowd. �Off you go, you two. Friends of the Beatles � that�s a good one!� and he wouldn�t let them pass.

George turned on Lydia, furious she had blown their cover. �Why did you have to go and say that?� he yelled at her. �Now we�ll never get past that policeman.� Now what was he supposed to do with her?

Lydia was really getting fed up with George. �George, it can�t be that hard to find a telephone somewhere else.�

George took hold of Lydia�s arm roughly and began to drag her down the street away from the hotel.

�Hey! What do you think you�re doing?� she yelled, trying her best to wriggle out of his grasp.

�What I should have done long ago. Come on, you�re coming with me!�

�Oh no, I�m not!� Lydia answered, digging her heels in. �I want to see the Beatles!�

�You stupid girl,� he spat at her. �Do you really think we�re going to see the Beatles?� Lydia looked at him incredulously.

�Of course, that�s the whole reason why we came!� She was still trying to get loose from his grasp.

�You�re nothing more than a means to an end, as far as I�m concerned. Now come on!� George meant business and was willing to take her forcefully if need be.

Lydia was blazing mad! There was no way she was going to go along with him anywhere now. Not after the way he spoke to her and called her stupid!

�You�re a big fat liar!� she yelled at him. With one final wrench of her arm she managed to break free from his grasp and kicked him in the shins for good measure. George, caught by surprise at her tenacity, rubbed his sore legs as he watched her take off back in the direction of the Warwick. He chased her, but soon lost her in the multitude of girls that were still packed around the hotel�s entrance.

He searched to no avail. She seemed to have disappeared into thin air, and with her went all his hopes of a quick way to get some money out of Will Darcy. Dejected, he went into the hotel bar, alone and unencumbered, determined to get stinking drunk.

When you're by my side you're the only one
Don't you run and hide just come on, come on
So come on, come on, come on

Little child, little child
little child won't you dance with me
I'm so sad and lonely
Baby take a chance with me*

Monday on Fishers Island turned out to be a glorious day. The sun came pouring through the curtains of Lizzy�s bedroom window as she lay in bed thinking about the previous night. She was surprised she wasn�t more tired, considering how little sleep she�d gotten. Will had dropped her off at the Gardiners in the early hours of the morning, just before daybreak. They had spent nearly the whole night on the beach in each other�s arms. She hugged herself at the thought, going over each moment, bit by bit, giddy at the memory of what it felt like to kiss Will � not once, but over and over again. She sighed at the memory. It felt like heaven. He loves me.

She glanced at her alarm clock and scrambled out of bed frantically. It was past eight o�clock! She had to get up and give the kids their breakfast. Just as she finished pulling her hair up into a pony tail, she heard Aunt Maddie calling her from downstairs.

�Lizzy!� Aunt Maddie sounded urgent. �Your sister Jane is on the phone, something has happened!�

Lizzy was instantly worried. She rushed downstairs and took the phone from Mrs. Gardiner.

�Hello?� Lizzy spoke with a concerned voice. �Jane, what�s wrong?�

�Oh Lizzy! We don�t know what to do! It�s Lydia!�

�Lydia? What is it? Is she hurt?�

�No, she�s run off to New York City with some salesman she met at Korvettes, George Wickham!�

Lizzy�s mouth went completely dry. She sank into the nearby chair as Jane read the letter Lydia had left Kitty.

�What�s being done?� Lizzy asked. �Has Dad gone after them?�

�Dad�s not here. Remember? He and Mom went to the Philips�s, they don�t even know about it yet. They�re supposed to get back tonight. I�ve been in charge this whole weekend.� Lizzy could hear the catch in Jane�s voice as she continued, �Oh Lizzy, I feel like this is my entire fault! If only I�d kept a closer eye on her none of this would have happened!�

�Jane, it�s not your fault. How could you have known Lydia would pull a stunt like this?� Lizzy tried to reassure Jane that things would work out all right for Lydia, but she was worried. George Wickham! If only she had warned her sisters about him and what he was capable of! She could kick herself! There was only one person she could think of who knew enough about George Wickham to help them. Will. She felt it was best to keep George�s history of kidnapping to herself for now, no point in worrying Jane even further.

�Jane, I have an idea. Will can probably help us. He knows George Wickham and what he�s like, and maybe he can find them.�

�Do you really think so?�

�If anyone can help, it�s Will. I�ll call him right now. I�ll call you back when I have something to report.�

Lizzy got off the phone with Jane and told the Gardiners the whole story, including her fears for Lydia because of Wickham�s unsavory reputation. There was no doubt in her mind that George had lied to Lydia. Without giving too much detail, she explained that Will had a previous history with George and he might know where to find them. When Lizzy had finished, they encouraged her to call Will right away.

As she dialed the Darcy�s home number that Georgie had given her, Lizzy reflected that this wasn�t exactly how she envisaged speaking to Will so soon after their magical night together. But she had no choice, she needed his help, and time was of the essence. Who knew what George Wickham had in mind when he took Lydia to New York? He obviously didn�t really know the Beatles. Will might even have an idea where they could be. She worried and waited for someone to answer, nervous that it was still too early to be calling; Will was probably still asleep.

�Hello, Darcy residence,� a voice answered on the other end of the line.

Already nervous about calling, Lizzy was taken aback by the formality of whoever answered. �Hello�i-is Will there?� she asked hesitantly.

�Who may I say is calling?� asked the voice.

�This is Elizabeth Bennet, I�m a friend of his.�

�Miss Bennet, of course!� The voice suddenly sounded warm and friendly. �If you�ll hold on a moment, I�ll get him for you.� Lizzy waited what seemed like an eternity until she finally heard Will�s voice on the phone.

�Elizabeth?� He sounded happily surprised to be hearing from her so soon after dropping her off earlier that morning, although he also still seemed a bit groggy from being woken up. �What a surprise! I didn�t expect to hear from you so soon.� His voice deepened as he whispered. �Have you recovered from last night? I sure haven�t.�

Lizzy relished the sound of his voice and wished she didn�t have to bring up the dreadful subject of her sister and George Wickham, but she had to do it.

�Will, I need your help, something awful happened!�

Will instantly recognized the fear in Elizabeth�s voice and woke sufficiently to realize something must be terribly wrong for her to be calling him so early.

�What happened, Elizabeth, tell me.�

�It�s my sister Lydia�� Lizzy paused. She didn�t know what to say exactly. �She�s run off�she�s run off with�George Wickham.� There was silence on the other end. Lizzy waited for Will to say something.

�I�ll be right there. Don�t do anything until I get there.� She heard the click of the phone hanging up and, staring at the receiver in her hand Lizzy let out a sigh of relief. If anyone knew what to do, she was confident Will would be the one.

After Lizzy explained to Will everything she knew and about the letter Lydia had left behind, Will took over. Immediately, he asked, �Elizabeth, does Lydia know about you and me?�

�Probably. I�m sure my mother would have told her after I asked for permission to go to the concert.� Will�s suspicions were confirmed; Wickham was at it again.

He made a solemn promise to Elizabeth that he would find them if it was the last thing he did. Time was short. Will knew he had to find them before nightfall; who knew what would happen to Lydia if he didn�t. He wouldn�t put it past George Wickham to take advantage of a fifteen year old girl.

Lizzy walked Will out to his car, tears forming in her eyes at the thought of saying goodbye to him this way. He was going to New York to find her little sister, and she was totally helpless. There was nothing she could do but wait for him to call with news.

Will turned to her before he got into his car. �Goodbye. I�ll find them, it�ll be all right.� He took her into his arms and held her for a moment before kissing her gently. This is not how I imagined our next kiss to be. �I�ll call you as soon as I know something � I promise.� He saw her nod, as she valiantly tried not to cry.

I don�t want him to go! She was torn between her sister�s safety and wanting to be with Will. Things had been so perfect before Jane�s call! Lizzy watched him get in the car with one last lingering look. He said goodbye again and drove off. Lizzy stood in the driveway watching him drive away until she couldn�t see his car any longer. She stamped her foot in frustration and anger. Stupid Lydia! How could you do this?

Will was intent on getting to New York as fast as possible. Once he found Lydia he would need his car to return her to her parents in Meryton, so there was no option other than driving. He estimated the drive would take about three hours, getting him into the city just after two o�clock in the afternoon. That would give him half the day to search. His first stop would be the Warwick Hotel, not that he really believed Wickham knew the Beatles, but it was a start at least. Judging by what Elizabeth had told him about her sister Lydia, a true Beatlemaniac if there ever was one, Wickham would have needed to fool her into believing he was taking her there first � at least Will hoped that was the case.

Arriving in the city, Will parked in a nearby garage, making his way toward the hotel which was being mobbed by young, hysterical girls. Will couldn�t help but have flashbacks of the previous night at the concert at Shea. It was hard to believe that only the night before he had been with Elizabeth � his Elizabeth! He felt he could say that and really mean it, after last night. However, dwelling on that would only cloud his head. He had other matters to take care of now. He managed to get in with nary a problem, easily passing through the main doors, opened for him by the doorman, into a small lobby by luxury hotel standards. He walked to the front desk and inquired if they had recently checked in anyone that fit the description of Lydia and Wickham. No luck. He looked for something that might give him a clue as to whether they�d been there or not. Nothing.

Will was standing outside the entrance to the quiet and dimly lit hotel bar, just beginning to give up hope. As he briefly looked into the dark wood paneled and windowless room, he nearly missed a figure sitting at the bar, hunched over his drink. Surprised, Will recognized the familiar profile. Bingo. He wasted no time in striding over, his identity confirmed positively as he drew nearer. It was definitely Wickham � but where was Lydia?

George was oblivious to Will�s presence until too late. He was grabbed from behind and forced to turn around.

�Where is she, Wickham?�

George, dazed from one too many Jack Daniels�s, stared blankly up at Will, waiting for his eyes to focus.

�Darcy?� he let out a short laugh. George wasn�t surprised to see Will Darcy show up � so noble and prince charming-like. He slurred his words as he expressed his sentiments. �What took you so long?� He didn�t wait for Will�s answer, turning to take another sip from his drink.

Will wasn�t about to let Wickham turn his back on him. He grabbed him again by the shoulder and spun him around to face him. �I asked you a question. Where is she? Where is Lydia Bennet?�

Wickham knew he�d lost his chance with Lydia, but he could at least string Will along for the fun of it. �I don�t know.�

�What do you mean you don�t know?� Will was incensed. He�d traveled all the way to New York City only to find his nemesis drunk and incoherent. George didn�t feel like talking any longer, and tried to ignore Will. But Will wasn�t letting him, pressing him further. �Tell me where she is!�

�I told you, I don�t know. She ran off. I couldn�t catch her.�

�You mean she�s somewhere lost in the city, and you have no idea where she is?�

�Yeah, that�s about right, but I�d lay odds she�s somewhere around here.� He looked up and waved his arm drunkenly in the air.

�Here. Meaning the hotel?� asked Will, trying very hard to keep the composure that was being severely tested.

�Where else? She wants to meet The Beatles.� He said this mockingly, imitating Lydia. At least Will knew she was no longer in Wickham�s clutches and he had some idea where to start looking. Wickham eyed Will up and down, sick of listening to his noble hero routine. �She�s probably up in their suite by now, giving them each a blow ��

Will cut him off, thoroughly disgusted with Wickham�s drunken crassness. With a quick jab, Will flattened Wickham with one punch in the nose, knocking him off the barstool and onto the floor. Wickham was too drunk to even bother getting up, holding his now bleeding nose and moaning to no one who cared.

�I should have done that long ago.� Flexing his now aching fingers, Will turned dispassionately from Wickham to the bartender, who had been watching the entire altercation with wonder.

�It would be a good idea to call the police and have this man arrested. He�s wanted for kidnapping a minor, and crossing state lines.� The bartender looked surprised at Will�s revelation but quickly picked up the phone and dialed the police.

�Oh, and one more thing.� Will took his wallet out of his pocket and asked, �Do you know how I can sneak into the Beatles� suite? There�s 200 bucks in it for you if you can help me.� The bartender�s eyes widened as he looked at Wickham sprawled out on the floor � and then at Will who was now leaning over the bar eyeing him intently.

The bartender nodded his head furtively. Will smiled assuredly. �Good, then we have a deal?�

Lydia held her breath, waiting until she heard the waiter�s footsteps fade away and the door close behind him before leaving the safety of her hiding place. She climbed out from beneath the rolling cart on which was a tablecloth that had hidden her from view. It was a miracle that she had managed to stow away in the hotel this way, but she was on a mission. Nothing was going to prevent her from achieving her goal. When she overheard the waiter mention where his order was going, she nearly fainted and dove under the linens of the room service cart.

Now, here she was in a large suite, seemingly alone. She looked about, noticing some clothes lying about. She picked up a dark pair of trousers and held them up before her. They undoubtedly belonged to a man, but which man was the question. She continued her examination stopping when she came upon a man�s shirt carelessly draped over an ornate desk chair. She picked it up and held it to her nose, taking a deep breath, eyes closed, imagining her idol dressed in it. Next, her eyes espied a pair of black leather boots, haphazardly sprawled across the floor, looking as if they had been kicked off in a hurry. Her eyes moved past the boots and rested on a closed door. The movement she heard from the other side of the door was followed by sudden shock. She was not alone. The lurch in her stomach made her grab on to the nearest thing to her � a bass guitar. Grasping, she inadvertently knocked it from its upright resting place against the back of the settee. It fell over onto the carpeted floor with a muffled twang. She jumped, afraid of being discovered, never taking her eyes off the closed door before her.

If she was in shock before, it was nothing compared to the senseless euphoria that overcame her when she heard the unmistakable Liverpool accent of the voice on the other side of the door.

�Ye better not be messin� with me guitar, or I�ll have yer head, I will!�

Lydia stood frozen in place; feet nailed to the floor. Her eyes widened and she stopped breathing altogether as the door slowly opened. Never even in her dreams could she have imagined such a moment.

Through the door emerged the man himself � albeit a little less formally attired. Toweling his dark floppy hair, presumably wet from a shower, he didn�t appear to notice his uninvited visitor at first. Lydia�s eyes were glued on the precariously wrapped white towel that hung around his slim waist, edging tantalizingly downward as he continued to walk into the room barefoot. She gulped at the sight, and let out a small squeak as he approached her, still seemingly oblivious to her presence.

�Paul!� she barely whispered, mesmerized by the sight of him.

Stopping just before her, he finished toweling his damp hair. Hearing Lydia�s soft whisper he quickly looked up in surprise, getting a good look at who was before him. Without thinking, he let out a cry of horror. Lydia screamed as well, although she wasn�t screaming out of fright, but the hysteria that had begun to build in her as soon as she had laid eyes on his half naked form.

Paul McCartney, Beatle extraordinaire, may have been used to the screaming teenagers that tried to get near him every living minute of the day, but he was not used to having one of his young female fans in the same hotel room with him � alone. Especially when he was standing in his bare feet, dripping wet, in nothing but a towel.

Lydia couldn�t take her eyes off him. Speechless; she couldn�t get over how magnificent he looked in person. Stunning. She couldn�t stop herself from following him step by step as he slowly backed away from her, wary as if she might pounce on him like a tiger. Eventually, he found himself flush up against the wall. He stood, afraid to make a move for fear of what she might do next. One could never be too careful when it came to a half-crazed fan. Lydia couldn�t help reaching out and running her hand caressingly across his bare chest. She closed her eyes in ecstasy.

Paul sucked in his stomach upon contact, clutching at his towel so it wouldn�t fall. Just as he was about to make his escape, there was a knock on the door.

�Room Service!� called the voice from the hallway outside.

�In here! In here!� cried Paul frantically, clutching his towel as he dodged around Lydia and ran to the door, yanking it open with one hand while still holding the towel up with the other.

�Paul!� Lydia screamed, not about to let him go so easily.

�You�ve got to help me!� the Beatle cried out to the tall, handsome waiter with dark brown eyes who viewed the scene before him. �It�s not what it looks like, I swear! The bird was in here and surprised me when I got out of the shower!�

The waiter hesitated slightly before further entering. He looked over at Lydia, studying her, as if trying to determine something.

�Lydia?� the waiter asked.

�How do you know my name?� Her eyes darted back and forth between Paul and the waiter.

�I�m Will Darcy. I�m a friend of your sister�s. I�ve come to take you home.�

�Oh, no you�re not!� She began to back away. �I want to stay here with Paul!� Her voice began to get shrill and panicky.

�That�s not possible.� Will stayed calm, carefully closing in on her. �I�m afraid you�ll have to come with me. I�m sorry I may not be as exciting as one of the Beatles, but it�s either that or �� he looked over at Paul who was still standing behind him clutching his towel around his waist, �� or jail.� Paul nodded decisively, confirming Will�s estimation of the situation.

�But I want to stay with Paul!� Lydia�s whining was now in full throttle.

�You have no choice.� Will lunged forward and grabbed her before she could get away. Even fighting as much as she could, she was no match for Will�s strength. Seeing no alternative, he picked her up and threw her bodily over his shoulder. As he made his way back toward the door, he turned to Paul. �I�m really sorry for all of this.�

Lydia continued her hysterics as Will and Paul exchanged smirks. They spoke at the same time, �Girls.�

Will shook his head and headed out the door with Lydia pounding him on the back and kicking her legs in frustration, demanding to be put down. Will turned around at the last minute, remembering something and called out to Paul who was still standing in the doorway,

�By the way, great concert last night!�

�You were there?� Paul asked him in surprise.

�Yes, I was there with my �� Will had to think for a second, �� my girlfriend.� He grinned at the thought.

Paul�s face lit up in silent understanding as he gave Will the thumbs up sign. Will nodded in response and turned with Lydia carelessly balanced over his shoulder. Paul watched, shaking his head as Will headed down the hallway with the young girl, who had never once ceased her caterwauling during the entire momentous episode.

*The Beatles, �Little Child� - performed by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. � 1963 Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

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