The boys were soon finished smoking, and Judith gratefully tossed the ashes and stubs into the waste basket; never to be seen again. She could not help the feeling of guilt that dragged and clawed at her mind at letting them smoke, but in her heart she knew that she could not stop them. Then all four would begin suspecting that something was up, and then she would have to explain what would happen later. Probably not the best idea.
     Judith returned to the sitting room, where the lingering feeling of gloom that hung in the air mingled with the haze of leftover smoke. Judith glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. Its face read about noon. The sun poured through the slats in the windows, creating a bright pattern across the carpeted floor and reminding Judith that London and the world still existed, even after what had occurred that morning.
     "So...what can we find to do to keep ourselves occupied while we wait for Xergicon?" Paul's voice brought Judith back down to Earth.
     "More like find something to do to keep ourselves from going mad," George remarked.
     "Why not both?" Judith replied.
     "Paul, you're making it sound like we'll only be here a few hours," John said, his eyes and voice not at all sociable.
     "We might only be here a few hours. You don't know how long this'll take," Paul shot back.
     "Exactly. You don't know how long this will take," John replied. Paul glared at him.
     Lovely. Bloody fantastic. Just what I need: a Beatle brawl in my apartment, Judith thought as she watched Paul and John bickering. Things didn't go any further than that, but both glowered at each other from across the room. There was a few moment's silence, until George spoke.
     "So, if this does take more than a few hours, are we living with you?"
     "Yes, I suppose. I've got room, and it might not be good if you four try to find somewhere else to stay. You could be recognized, and our whole plan would be ruined," Judith replied. "So, it's definitely best if you lot stay here."
     "So, when does your boyfriend get back from..." Paul began, changing the subject.
     "Germany. And he's coming home from visiting family on the twenty third," Judith answered with a small smile. It was obvious that Paul was trying to keep her comfortable by stimulating conversation, and she was grateful to him for it.
     "Well, let's hope we've gone back by then," he said, his warm eyes on Judith's. Her stomach fluttered slightly when he smiled, causing a slight warmth in her cheeks. Judith hoped it didn't show. She wanted to keep the conversation going, and mentioned something she hoped would get the others talking.
     "What songs are you all working on right now?"
     "Well, there's one of John's that we haven't got a title for," Paul answered, his thoughts traveling back to the previous night. He remembered the others' faces as he stormed out. Judith noticed the change in mood and changed tack fast as lightning.
     "What about you, George? Have you got any songs?" she asked quickly. It was evident that George had been listening vaguely, but his mind hadn't been at full attention. He looked up to find Judith's inquiring dark eyes on him.
     "Erm, I started a couple in India that I'm still working on, and I've got a few finished ones," he answered. It seemed to him that Judith was genuinely interested, but it was also obvious to George that she and Paul were trying to make things more bearable. It is like Paul to try to be cheery even in this situation, he thought. It was both good of him and slightly annoying at the same time.
     "Yeah, I've heard that quite a few songs were written in Rishikesh," Judith said. "Quite a few of my favorites ones, too."
     "Oh? Which ones are those, then?" John seemed to perk up at  a chance to test Judith's knowledge of Beatle facts.
     "'Dear Prudence', for one," Judith said. John looked slightly impressed. "I know how that song came about, too."
     "How?" he asked, now looking very interested.
     "Well, Prudence Farrow hid away in her room at the Maharishi's ashram, and you played to her to get her to come out," Judith with a wave of her hand, as if this was a piece of information that everyone on earth should know.
     "What else do you know about us?" Paul asked playfully. Judith shrugged.
     "Everything there is to know, I guess."
     The four looked at her rather quizzically, and began grilling her on various occurrences in the Beatles' history; from the Hamburg days to the height of Beatlemania. Judith proceeded to answer nearly each question correctly.
     "You're mad," Ringo concluded with a grin after the trivia session. Judith noted with some satisfaction that it had been the first time Ringo had smiled since the Beatles' arrival.
     "Maybe," Judith replied with a shrug.
     "Hey Judith, where's the loo?" John asked.
     "Right there down the hall on your left," Judith replied. "Is everyone sure that they don't want anything to eat or drink?"
     George nodded, while Ringo and Paul agreed that it had been awhile since they had eaten. Judith looked through the kitchen, and realized a bit late that there wasn't much in the house to eat. The fridge was nearly empty.
     "What about beans on toast?" Judith asked them.
     "Fine," everyone but George replied.
     "And to drink?"
     "What have you got?"
     "Tea, milk, and water."
     "Milk for me," Ringo said, and the others agreed. Judith fixed the food in a matter of minutes, poured their milk, and placed the plates in front of them. They began tucking in eagerly.
     I'm going to need to go out for some food if I'm going to have four men living in my apartment, Judith thought. But would everything be OK if I left them here alone? Judith supposed so, they couldn't get into that much trouble without her, could they?
     George sat with the other three, but judging from his distant demeanor and drained, pale face, he was very far away in his mind. He looked like he needed to eat, but Judith thought it likely that he was so worked up that he couldn't stomach anything. She felt a deep sympathy for him, and touched him on the shoulder.
     "Can I talk to you?" she asked him, looking him in the eyes. He nodded, and they went to the hallway where they were out of sight from the other three.
     "Are you going to be alright?" Judith asked as soon as they were out of sight. "I know that  I just met you a few hours ago, but I somehow feel responsible for what's happened, and I want to make sure you're OK."
    "No, it wasn't you. I have no idea what caused this to happen, but it wasn't you," George said, his eyes sincere. "I'll be fine. I guess I'm just...in shock, you know?"
     "How could you not be?" Judith replied. "I have no idea how...how horrible this is for you. For all of you. But know that all of you have my sympathy."
     "And you have our sympathy. You're going to have to deal with us for awhile, it looks like," George quipped, and Judith saw a brief glimpse of the handsome, lopsided grin that she so loved. A sense of relief washed over her as she realized that he had felt at least comfortable enough to joke around.
     Judith smiled. "Well, if you ever need anything, tell me. As one of your humble fans, I offer my full service. Your wish is my command," she said, with a mock bow.
     "How about a cup of tea to start?" he said with another smile. It was the type that began at the corner of his mouth and lit up his eyes, but only for a brief moment, until Judith wasn't entirely sure that she had seen it at all.
     "Of course," Judith replied, and led the way back to the kitchen, unable to hide the new redness in her cheeks.