If I Fell... [TAG: Dear Ringo]

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

THE YEAR: 1973
NOTES: This is a horribly twisted future plot we came up with so read at your own risk. Pretty much the set up involves the fallout a few years after the breakup of the Beatles, Ringo's alcoholism, Emmy's isolation after ole Yoko OHNO! sought her out and informed her John Lennon never wanted to see her again (a flat out lie). So... Yes. Emmy is 'grown up' at 18 and Ringo is.. Well, you know... This thread will get messy. But if you're reading it you're a dirty bird anyhow.

Emma's hands moved across the keys of the piano as she provided the background music for the bar which was the environment for her current gig this particular evening. It was a decent enough job. You played for a few hours made decent enough money, occasionally some tips, and didn't even have to work that often. Better yet people rarely tried to talk to you (they more so stalked the other actors, or the singers) and there was occasionally free food though Emma seemed to have less of an appetite these days. The only downside was all of the smoke. Emmy had never laid a hand on a cigarette so being bombarded with the grey clouds always caused her to wince. She was glad that she didn't ever touch the stuff. No smoker's cough for her!

The past few years hadn't been easy for the young woman though she had finally come of age (physically anyhow). After the Beatles breakup she had gone into a downward spiral. Initially they had reassured her that it wouldn't be so bad. And at first it wasn't. They called. They wrote. Things weren't perfect but they certainly weren't sour. But then things started to change. People gained different side projects, people got girlfriends or lost them, people stopped calling. Then there was the nail in the coffin: Yoko Ono. One day after spending time with John Emmy was shocked when she heard a knock on her door. It was Yoko who informed her (a lie of course) that John had demanded/requested never to see Emmy again and the new wife was firm on the matter. Emma, being trusting of any and all people, believed her.. And it destroyed her.

So like a hermit she tended to lock herself away in her apartment in NYC only leaving when she had to. She stopped picking up the phone (not that there were many calls) only ever answering for Mister Johanson and Paul (when he had time). It was just safer that way. The world, she had long ago learned, was a dangerous place. It'd only break your heart in the end. And so she only ever ventured out for work... Like tonight.

Her hands moved across the keys with ease that she had not lost over the years. Though she was in a much different place than she had been with the artform years ago. Now she could play whenever she wanted and just about whatever she wanted. If she woke up one day and just didn't feel like it.. She didn't have to. And this made her happy (as much as she could be anyways). Even though she had no fame or fortune to speak of she had at least that much to call her own. And these days it would have to be enough.

Wrapping up her final measure for the night as the singer took a bow Emma managed to sneak away, as usual. Wearing a navy blue dress and black leggings (she hated her legs) she made her way toward the bar. Eighten was legal and Emma, well, though she never touched a drug or cigarette that hadn't meant she couldn't enjoy a light beverage now and again. Purchasing an Amaretto Sour she brought the beverage to her lips and took a sip quietly. That's when she felt a light tapping on her shoulders.

A little gasp of surprise escaped from her lips but she managed to turn around without being too clumsy. "Ringo?!" She blinked, her eyes widening at the face she hadn't expected to see. Well, he was one of four faces that she had never expected to see again. She thought that they had forgotten all about her! Despite all of this and all of the questions, she smiled. "What are you doing here?!" Without a second thought she threw herself right into him, nearly spilling her beverage, as she gave the drumer a hug.

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

Things had taken a quick downward spiral for Ringo Starr after the breakup of the Beatles. He had always had drinking and fidelity problems but the breakup of the band was just a catalyst to make those problems even worse. He knew it was only going to be a matter of time before Maureen asked for a divorce. Hell, she had already asked for one numerous times in the past but Ringo always seemed able to just convince her that they could somehow work through the mess that was their marriage. What a lie that had been...He knew that the next time she seriously asked for one he couldn't stop it from happening.

And, somehow, despite all of his problems, Ringo had already managed to get a couple of albums made (his rare vocals on the Beatles' albums had instilled a great amount of confidence in him; even if his voice wasn't that great he was an ex-Beatle and that was enough to get his albums to sell) with a third one in the works right now. He had also managed to score himself a couple of hit singles in the United States. No, sir. Things weren't all bad at all. The rainbow was still shining in his life, albeit a lot more weakly than it had been shining in the early '60's when the Beatles were the only thing everybody was talking about.

But those moments promising a promising future for the drummer (and now lead vocalist) were far from his mind tonight. Ringo had travelled to the States to take a break from everything for a little while. Maybe some distance would cool Maureen down for a bit. Maybe not. Did it really matter? The end of their marriage was coming and there was nothing space or anything else could do to fix it.

And that was how Ringo found himself in a New York City bar. The other patrons seemed content to mind their own business, instead of bothering the ex-Beatle, although Ringo could see the looks of recognition on their faces. He had been on only his second beer as the entertainment for the night started to kick off. Wow...Whoever was playing the piano was doing an amazing job! Ringo let his eyes wander over there and saw someone he thought he wasn't ever going to see again.

When had he last seen Emmy? Ringo didn't know. She had taken the breakup of the Beatles worse than probably anyone else in the world because she, unlike their other fans, had been really, really close with all four of them. Ringo had really wanted to stay in touch with her but he had just been too busy doing this and that. But now here she was, no longer the child that he had known but a young woman--a gorgeous young woman.

He continued to nurse his beer and ordered a third one once the second was gone. He finished that one a little bit slower and, by the time the bottle was empty, a new act was coming up on stage and Emmy was vacating the piano bench. He started to stand up from his stool. He had to go and say hi to her. Wait...but what if she didn't want to see him? He was in awkward half-standing and half-sitting pose. He hadn't called her, hadn't written in who knew how long. Would she be angry at him? Only one way to find out.

Ringo stood up and easily spotted Emmy in the crowd, her back to him. He shoved through the crowd. Ringo had had just enough beers to start feeling a tiny bit not in control of his faculties but not enough to be swerving and swaggering just yet. He reached his target and tapped on her shoulder, a small smile on his face that was ready to turn into a frown if she wasn't as pleased to see him as he was to see her.

But his fears were quickly dispelled as she all but jumped into his arms. Even with his beard, mustache, and longer hair, she recognized him right away. It must be his horribly big hooter. Ringo just as hurriedly wrapped his arms around her. What was he doing here? That was a simple enough answer. "Why does anyone ever come to a bar? To get drunk!" Yes, he wasn't in complete control of his faculties or else he would have never let her known that. Wanting to get drunk was a clear sign that life wasn't going his way. "I've missed you," he quickly added, as if that was going to diminish the significance of his first statement.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

Emma Silvias beamed at the former drummer of the Beatles. It was debatable if she could ever look at him, or any of the four members, in any other way: Complete adoration and love. Though with Ringo Starr it had always been different. He hadn't taken on the role of parental figure successfully as that fell under the description of Paul and John (whether they wanted it too or not). With George her relationship was complicated at best and sibling like. But with Ringo it had always been as a friend. Sure as a child in the beginning she had been gaga over the man. A crush for lack of a better word. But as time and events passed things eventually mellowed out and she came to know him as a good friend. Emma liked to think that was all she felt about him.. But that would be a lie. Luckily none of those thoughts were surfacing at present. For now she was just ecstatic and extremely happy to see him.

"Oh." Emma blinked in response. Her voice sounded a bit sad. Deep down she had been hoping, for one reason or another, that the run in had not been coincidental. That one of her old friends, her old family, had actually come looking for her. Had wanted to see her intentionally. No such luck. It was the first time, to her recollection, that good fortune and plain old luck had hurt. "How lucky then." Emma offered the weakest of smiles if only in an attempt to provide reassurance to the man in front of her. She did her best, which wasn't very good at all, to hide it though. But hopefully in Ringo's inebriated state (which was fairly obvious by this point), he'd miss the tell tale signs of disappointment and even sadness.

"Are you well on your way then?" She questioned with a kind, little smile. It wasn't an insult she merely wanted to know how he was doing on reaching his goal. She had always been a big encourager of any of the Beatles and their goals. Watching him sway slightly she already could have guessed the answer but her mind was now taken over by other more concerning thoughts. "Is Maureen here?" She piped up, her blue eyes daring to look around the bar as though she might find her. Emma had been the least close to Ringo's wife, in fact not at all, perhaps intentionally so she knew very little of their issues. And in her mind Ringo had always been perfect, no matter what, so he saw no wrong in him. Even if she saw it with her own eyes. Emma also had barely any money to spend so it wasn't like she had ever picked up a newspaper or a tabloid (nor would she wish to) to follow such things. No.. She had absolutely no idea.

"Here. Sit down." Offered the young woman, not taking no for an answer she willingly gave the man her stool helping him to sit even if he struggled. Either way she was keeping him from falling down. Finding another stool she scooted it beside him promptly sitting right next to Starr she brought her drink in front of her though she didn't take a sip. Blue eyes studied him carefully and the words found their way into the open: "I missed you too. All of you."

He looked so different. He had a beard, long hair (though it no where near rivaled some of the other former members' from what she could recall). But the differences didn't only lie in the physical. He looked tired, he looked worn, he looked sad. Yes you could guess as much just by eying him but Emmy could 'feel' it and that was only a trait that came to you through time. All of this prompted her next question that those with tact or common sense would have avoided like the plague.

"Ritchie?" Ah, a very rare use of his first name. Maybe he would listen no matter how welcoming the beer tasted. "Are you alright?"

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

That was a rhetorical question? Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Anyone with a pair of eyes--or even one ear--could see that the drummer was well on his way to forgetting the mess that was his personal life right now. Hell, his personal life had always been full of problems, from his first long stay in a hospital to this very day. And, yet, Ringo had never really complained to anyone about any of his problems. Sure, when word of his cheating had gotten out, he had apologized and had truly meant it but that was rectifying a problem and letting others complain about it for him. Maybe he believed that men should solve their own problems, instead of thrusting them on someone else's shoulders. Whatever it was, it was all going to change tonight.

Maureen. That was one of the last names that Ringo wanted to hear. "Why would she be here?" he tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible but it still came out sounding bitter all the same. Ringo had been astute enough to notice that Emmy hadn't spent a lot of time trying to get and know Maureen. When Emmy had been younger, it had been easy to explain: her crush. As shew grew older, Ringo had thought her crush had subsided so when the avoidance had continued to happen he didn't know what was going on. Back then, he had been perturbed by it all; now, he was grateful that the two of them had never grown close to each other.

Ringo didn't want to sit down because sitting down meant a long conversation, which meant that his problems were going to come flooding out of his mouth eventually as the beers kept flowing for him. But Emmy helped him to the stool, and Ringo wasn't about to push and struggle against a young woman in such a public setting. Bad publicity was the kind of stuff any star liked to avoid whenever possible. "All of us," he repeated when he had settled himself comfortably on the stool; he knew that with a few more beers sitting up straight was going to become impossible. "I can't even remember the last time I talked to John and George...Paul...Maybe a few weeks ago."

During the small lull in the conversation, Ringo managed to catch the bartender's attention and, without having to come over there to ask what it was the ex-Beatle wanted, the man soon had another bottle of beer placed in front of Ringo. But before he could even think about picking it up Emmy asked him that dreaded question. Well, it was either have a few more beers and hope nothing that bad came out of his mouth in his even drunker state or just spill it all now knowing that he could control at least some of the things that came out of his mouth.

"Oh, bloody hell," he muttered under his breath before turning to face his old friend. "She's goin' t' leave me, Emmy." He didn't need to say who she was. "I tried to be good to her...I really did...but there's nothin' I or anyone else can do about it now...It's just not workin' out." If he had had a few more beers in him, he might have mentioned the whole cheating on Maureen bit or the coming home wasted more oftentimes than not.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

Worried blue eyes studied the strangely surly Ringo as he sat slightly slumped in the barstool. This was not a sight she was used to seeing mainly because as a wee one the Beatles, unbeknownst to her, had made it a point to keep her from such things when they could help it. Emma was rarely ever around cigarette smoke by their hand. In fact, she was later informed by her guardian that whenever George and John wanted a puff they had barricaded themselves in a closet pumping their smoke through a ceiling fan with their hands while Paul kept Emmy entertained in the common area (he always seemed to have more will power than the others).

Sex? Cheating? Forget about it. Those were also hidden expertly from Emma. True she met their girlfriends, mainly the ones they showed to the world. She had even formed relationships with some of them: Particualrly Pattie Boyd who adored her (since she couldn't have kids of their own) and Jane Asher until Paul had screwed that one up (though Emma was kept in the dark as to how). Cynthia and Emma rarely crossed paths though they were cordial. And Maureen? Well.. That just never amounted to anything. Yoko?....... That had turned out.. Well.. It was still turning out.

She had never tried a cigarette, never a drug, alcohol was the only thing she ever touched and even then it was in moderation. The boys had done well shielding her from most of the cruelties in the world after they had practically saved her from her abusive father. They were heroes. Each and every one of them. Even Brian had been to an extent before his passing. Yes, whether through their careful planning or Emma's rose tinted eyes she could see no wrong in any of the four boys no matter what they did: Least of all Ringo.

So when he actually snapped at her about Maureen the surprise and hurt was so very evident on her features. "She's your wife. I just thought she might be." Emma frowned, her brow furrowed not only was she upset but now horribly confused about who was this person that had inhabited the once sweet Ringo. Perhaps he was still in there somewhere. And gosh darnit, Emmy would bring him out! "I'm sorry I asked." She apologized as usual taking blame for something that she didn't necessarily do. It was a nasty habit of hers, something the boys always used to get on her bum about. Sadly, it had not been corrected.

"Oh." It sadenned her to now have verbal confirmation that barely any of the boys still spoke to one another. While at the same time it provided some comfort that she wasn't the only one that had been exiled and secretly chastized herself for even thinking in such a way. This was soon replaced by just an ounce of relief that Ringo had seated himself in the stool. He'd be safe there. "I'm sorry to hear that." Yet another apology, but as everything with Emmy it was a hundred percent genuine.

"If it helps I haven't heard from any of them either..." She offered after a short pause, trying desperately hard to be helpful though of course the comment was anything but. "I thought John and I were alright until I got a visit from someone. She told me John didn't want to see me anymore." Sadly Emma looked down at her lap, her hand grasping the beverage in front of her but not drinking it. "I'm trying very hard to respect his wishes." And it wasn't easy. She missed him along with the others. "Georgi-George... I don't know where he is." And she felt her heart sink. This was surprising news to any outsider who knew the pair because George and Emma had always been very close. He never would have abandoned her! Yet... There it was. Now she felt a desperate pulling need to change the subject.

"Paul still phones once in a while to check in on me. You know mom, he worries." The young woman gave Ringo a playful little smile in the hopes of causing him to sport one. She did miss his goofy grin. Now more than ever and that's what brought her back down to more serious turf. "Is he alright... George I mean?" She just couldn't help it. That man was her brother. Not by blood but by something much stronger: Neccessity and love.

She watched in quiet as Ringo set himself up with another beer. She wasn't sure what number this would be but it'd have to be up there. Even more alarming was that he seemed to be a seasoned professional. Now unsure of exactly what had possessed her other than the desire not to fall behind and have Ringo feel self conscious she shyly waved to the bartender in hopes of getting another drink. Of course, being the quiet lamb that she was, he didn't even notice her. A bit let down she moved to attempt to speak up but now Ringo had opened up and she couldn't let that go ignored.

"Leave you? Why?!" There was those rose tinted glasses again. Ringo was perfect. Surely this woman was mad! "Of course you were Rings. I can't imagine you being anything but good to anybody." And this was the god honest truth according to Emmy. "You don't have a mean bone in your body." Wow, she really did believe this didn't she? Even with all that she had seen (or not seen) including one incident of her being knocked over when Ringo had been in a drunken stupor and fighting with another one of his bandmates.

Still, she just couldn't believe it. "Why would she do that?"

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

Way to go, Ringo, was all he could think of for causing Emmy to apologize for something that was most definitely not her fault. "It's not your fault," he managed to get out, closing his mouth shut after that before anything about his and Maureen's latest arguments came out. Paul was the cute one. George was the quiet one. John was the smart and funny one. Ringo was the happy and lovable one. What a joke that was. He was feeling everything but happy and lovable right now.

He managed to keep the scoff that wanted to escape his lips at Emmy's comment that she hadn't heard from the others inside. Emmy had been a very close friend to all of them but she hadn't been a part of the band; it was one thing for a close friend not to hear from the other three Beatles; it was another thing for someone who had worked with them very, very closely for years not to hear a word from them. Oh, lookie! Now there was someone besides Maureen that Ringo could direct some anger towards. It was obvious who that someone Emmy was talking about was.

"John would never want somethin' like that," Ringo said, genuinely surprised at her news. "I warrant, she's behind it all." Once again, it was a 'she' that he didn't have to name. She had never been able to get in the good graces of the other three Beatles. It was great and all that John had fallen in love with her but did she really need to be at ever recording session like she had been? Or, after her and John had been in a car accident, was it really necessary for Mr. Lennon to have a bed brought into the recording studio so she could rest comfortably? Granted, she hadn't been the reason the group broke up; more of a catalyst that seriously sped up the process.

Ringo was more than happy to leave that subject behind and move on to George Harrison. George had been the one Beatle to try and cheer up the new drummer's spirits back in early '63. The best Ringo could do was shrug his shoulders because, next to John, George was the former bandmate that he had had the least contact with. "I haven't really talked to 'im much but, last I heard, he was doin' fine." Little could Ringo know that George was going through some marital issues of his own too.

He wished he could have made up some stuff about George, kept the conversation on him, instead of having it brought back around to himself. Ringo didn't want to shatter her illusions about him but what choice did he have? It was either be honest with her or lie straight to her face. He didn't want to have to do either of them but this wasn't something that he could just shrug off. She wanted to know what was going on so he was going to tell her what was going on.

Ringo downed about one-third of his beer in one go because he needed that extra kick to get through his tale. The drummer desperately wanted to take out a cigarette as well but he remembered how much Emmy hated smoke. Hey, but after he was through with his story, surely she couldn't think any worse of him if he decided to have a smoke in front of her. That was some sort of consolation, right? His reputation in her eyes couldn't be any lower than what it was about to be once he was through telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Oh, but where to begin? "I cheated on 'er...I've cheated on 'er...I'd continue cheatin' on 'er even if we remained married. Even back when you thought I was some kind of a god, I was cheatin' on her. And the best part of it is that even when the tabloids got a hold of it and I apologized for it I still did it!" Ringo let out a small chuckle that was far from amused. Well, there ya go, Richard. She's goin' t' hate you forever now, was all his mind could tell him.

But there was more. Best to get it all out in one fell swoop so he quickly added, 'And I drink too much...I stumble me way home at least a few nights a week. I can't believe she's put up with me for this long. I don't deserve 'er. I don't deserve anyone." That was the plain truth of the matter. Ringo had cheated on her before their marriage and she still accepted his proposal. He had cheated on her during their marriage but, after eight years, they were still married. He didn't know why she had held on to him after all these years.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

"I know it's not." She spoke up softly. This being one of the few occasions where she didn't blame herself for something bad happening. It had always been one of the ongoing battles between the members of the Beatles and herself since she was a very little girl about blaming herself for everything. She always took the blame and looked down on herself constantly. Of course they had been patient, given the upbringing the first eight years of her life with her very sick father, but it didn't mean that they had liked it. And each and every time she said something to that degree they were quickm to correct her. But Ringo wouldn't need to do so this evening.

"Well he did." She responded to the John comment with a frown. A facial expression that she was displaying far too often these days. "If it wasn't true don't you think that he would have at least tried to call me? Write? See me? Anything?" Ringo's point of view had been one that Emma had clung to the first few months of her situation with Lennon but it only ever provided false hope when none of those things ever came. There was only silence. Yes, John Lennon, a man she had grown to treat as a parental figure (along with Paul), hated her and never wanted to hear from her again. And thus her own downfall began (though a bit behind the rest of the Beatles).

"I don't think that anyone could be that cruel." She offered softly hoping that it truly was the case. "At least, I hope not." It never crossed Emma's gullable and trusting mind that anyone could ever lie to her. She had never known Yoko well, which was honestly that woman's choice as she distanced herself from just about everyone, but Emma had at least given an effort. After all, she had been able to get along with Cynthia when she was a little girl. Then again perhaps the age had something to do with it. Young adults weren't nearly as adorable as young children.

At the news of no word from George it was clear to see how let down Emma was. Though if it was because of no George or Richard Starkey's coldness could be very debatable. "I'm glad that he's doing fine then." Came the bitter words that were very surprising given that the sort of tone she had used rarely made its way out of her mouth.m Everyone had changed so much. It seemed like only yesterday she had been sharing a bed with all four goofballs laughing and munching on popcorn. Now it all seemed like a fantasy world really. She should have known better. When you were younger you were cute, no matter the circumstance, when you grew up people got tired of you and ditched you. This was the case now... At that realization Emma found herself finishing off her drink with surprising vigor.

Lucky she had downed her beverage for then the revelation that Ringo was less than perfect made its way out onto the table. Or at least the words had. Personally Emma still couldn't think of Ringo as a bad guy no matter what he did. Call it an illness but it was like someone telling you that your parents slept together to make you. It was just one of those wonders that you chose to deny and pretend didn't exist.

"I'm sure you had your reasons..." Ugh, that response even sounded robotic to her. No. Say what you feel. If Ringo hated it he could leave and she'd be back right where she had been just minutes ago. "You made mistakes. That doesn't make you a bad person." Yes, that was much better and she actually genuinely believed it. It showed. "You were always good to me." Emma offered gently with the weakest of half smiles. If only she knew what kind of trouble saying such a thing to a distraught, intoxicated man would get her into. These were just the words he may have wanted to hear.

"You're still my favorite." She swallowed. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad. "You always will be." This wasn't necessarily true. Emmy adored all of the boys but taking away her relationships with each Ringo was her favorite performer. Plus it had become a household (well.. flat hold) joke until she moved that Ringo was Emmy's favorite no matter what anyone did (though it wasn't necessarily true as she had always been closer to the other three). Either way she was just trying to make him feel better.

"You'll be ok Ritchie..." Watching Richard out of the corner of her eye she watched him for a few long moments. He really was a mess. "Promise."

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

If John was married to any other woman in the world, Ringo was sure that Emmy would have had a good point there. But Yoko was...Well...Yoko was Yoko. Yoko had probably disconnected the phone, taken away his access to all papers and pens, and made sure that whenever he got into the driver's seat of his car she was sitting right next to him in the passenger's seat. But, if none of that was self-evident to Emmy, he wasn't going to waste his breath saying it right now. Besides, he was supposed to be here worrying about his own problems, not John Lennon's problems.

Emmy's next words reminded Ringo that she was only a handful of years removed from her childhood. "Just because you hope for somethin' it doesn't make it true," he replied. That was all he was going to say on that. As far as Ringo was concerned, Yoko was just a part of his past now. He would be perfectly content if he never saw that woman again for as long as he lived. And, if she was keeping John away from Emmy, he wondered if he himself would be able to ever to see John again because he wouldn't be content with John being out of his life for good now.

He wasn't expecting that bitterness from Emmy; Ringo actually cringed a bit at her words. "It's not my fault, y'know," he said defensively. "It's no one's fault we broke up. John wanted to take the band in a direction none of the other of us wanted to go. Paul had his own creative ideas floatin' around in his 'ead, and George was writin' his own songs that fans were swallowin' up." And now all four of them were busy doing their own things. Surely, Emmy could understand why it was hard to stay in contact with the others when he had so many other things going on in his life.

And more surprising words (this time a good surprising) came out of the young lady's mouth. "I was always good to you, wasn't I?" he agreed, the ghost of a smile creeping across his face as some good memories were finally brought back to the forefront. "Well, except that time I gave you hope that we'd get married." Ringo surprised even himself by letting out a small chuckle. Maybe he would have saved himself a world of trouble if he had called things off with Maureen back then in the belief that he really would get married to Emmy in the future.

Ringo had no idea if she was being so nice to him just to keep him happy or if she really meant all that she was saying. Did it matter? Besides, chances were he was going to forget everything she had by tomorrow morning and he'd have to get drunk again to forget about his troubles. When she used his nickname, he started to lean towards the her really meaning everything she was saying.

But why? Ringo didn't deserve any of this. She should be calling him a scumbag and telling him that he's the one former Beatle that she never wanted to see again. Ringo downed the rest of his beer and then looked back at Emmy. Was a simple 'thank you' for her kind words going to cut it? Probably not...Maybe not...He didn't know. "Thank you, Emmy...Thank you."

And it was in that moment that Mr. Starkey's eyes cleared up as much as they could clear up given his current state of inebriation. It was like he was seeing this particular Emmy for the first time, whereas before he had been seeing the eighty-year-old her when the whole gang had been together and happy. Now she was a gorgeous young woman...a gorgeous young woman who was probably the only person on Earth who didn't think he was a bad man. "Thank you," he repeated, this time actions accompanied his words. Ringo leaned forward and planted a tentative kiss on Emmy's lips.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

"No. But having hope helps." Emma Silvias offered softly to Ringo's own bitter words providing a contrast. Of course both individuals had a reason to scorn and be down in the dumps. They had lost the people they cared about, been abandoned by things that mattered the most to them, and had experienced a world of hurt that others couldn't even compare to. But while Ringo had turned to cheating and the bottle Emma had isolated herself for the most part and yet still claimed to have hope. This comparison however was somewhat unfair seeing as how Emmy was seasoned by negatives throughout her life. Hope, once it was taught to her by the boys whether they knew it or not, had been what had gotten her through.

"You were." Emma reassured gently though she didn't dare to touch him. The small smile that Ringo sported was not lost at all on Emma. To the contrary, once she had caught it she too sported a tiny smile to mirror his. There was a sign of the Ringo she had known as a youngster in there. A kindhearted man, a sweet man, who always meant well and entertained her notions no matter how bizarre. Not the bitter man that had sat down beside her at the bar. Though she knew that she had to take the bad with the good and with every single member of the Beatles there was no exception.

As for the married thing? "Yes, well, luckily for you I eventually got over that." What was this? Had Emma Silvias attempted to joke? This was certainly a first! It just had to be! Be that as it may Emma didn't point it out, instead she took another quiet sip of her drink before setting it back down on the counter. She could still feel the cool condensation and moisture against her fingertips.

He was thanking her? Emma blinked for a moment, filled with confusion. "Of course." She responded gently though deep down she wondered what he had expected her to say? She certainly had no idea. Many who knew her would claim that there wasn't a cruel bone in Emma's body even though there should have been. How else could she protect herself? Speaking of which... When had Ringo leaned in closer?

Emma herself was a tad tipsy (she had just begun drinking when she reached the legal age of eighteen) so her thoughts were fitting together a lot slower than usual. But that didn't mean that her original feelings weren't in tact. Looking back at Ringo with her big blue eyes she knew how she felt about the man then... No matter how washed up and bitter he might have been. He was still Ringo. And she still liked him. An awful lot. Maybe... And if not she certainly needed him. She definitely needed him an awful lot.

Ringo repeated his thanks again and Emma felt her heart race as she saw him lean in even further. She wasn't so experienced in this area however she could piece together what might be happening. "Ritchie.. What are you do-" She began softly but never got a chance to finish her question as the former Beatles drummer's lips met with hers in a very soft, barely there kiss. And of course it had to be: For the both of them! Emma had only ever kissed before and not very often whereas Ringo was no doubt dealing with all of his drama plus the knowlege of who Emmy was. No matter how drunk or tipsy either one of them was they couldn't ever forget that.

Emmy struggled with that worry for a second, frozen. Her eyes open she eventually gave into how she was feeling (or perhaps the alcohol gave her a push in that direction) and kissed him right back. Once again in a similar manner: Barely there. Tentative. She was holding back a great deal out of fear that this man would realize what he was doing and pull away. Or perhaps this was just a polite English gesture that Emmy had taken far too seriously when she began to kiss him back. Either way she was expecting an outcry when their lips parted and her faced moved back a centimeter or two.

"Did you do that by accident?" Came the innocent question in her shakey voice all the while her heart fluttering within the confines of her chest. She was nervous as to what his response might be. Silently as she stared at him with open, innocent blue eyes, she awaited the outcome.

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

Ringo shook his head as she still tried to stay on the side of hope being a good thing. "But then when what you keep hopin' for doesn't come true it makes it all the more harder to take." The drummer was just being stubborn now. He didn't have a whole lot of hope right now so he didn't want anyone else to have hope...Okay, he at least didn't want anyone to be talking to him about hope was a good thing to have.

The fact that she had just made a joke went straight over the ex-Beatle's head. Joking about those better days just didn't seem like the thing to do at the moment. It was only a decade ago when they were all young lads and she was the one fan who had the privilege of hanging out with them constantly. She was the one fan that Ringo was happy to talk with on the phone almost every night. She was the one fan that he loved taking walks with in the park. And, only a short ten years later, and everything was messed up.

When Ringo had leaned in, the consequences of his actions had never even crossed his mind. Whether she punched him in the face or decided that there was no harm in getting friendly with the man she had had a crush on all of those years ago didn't much matter to the drummer. And when she did kiss him back, as cautiously as he had kissed her, all thought of how wrong this might be that might have been lingering in the back of his mind vanished. He had only a few precious seconds to deepen the kiss a tiny bit before they both pulled away from each other.

That was a very smart question on the young lady's part, and Ringo actually had to think about it for a second. Was it an accident? As much of a mess as his marital life was right now, he still was a married man, not that that little fact had ever stopped him before. And then there was the whole fact that she was fifteen years younger than him. Oh, and how about the part that it was hard to look at her sometimes as anything other than the eight-year-old child he had known during those happier times?

But, despite all of that, Ringo still found himself shaking his head in the negative. "Did you do that by accident?" he asked right back at her. She had kissed him back, after all. Ringo had been too caught up in his own problems to even think about the fact that Emmy might be dealing with her own problems as well. It wasn't every day that a young kid became best friends with a group of four lads from Liverpool who then broke up their band somewhat violently and then decided that staying in contact with each other or their best friend wasn't all that important.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

Ringo turning the question around on her caused her to blush which was very easy to see even in the dim bar because of how pale her skin was. She had always been fair even with the trips to the beach the boys (mainly George) had managed to drag her along on or even the various walks in the park with Ringo. She just could never maintain a tan that easily though there had been one summer when she had received a pretty nasty burn which Paul went ballistic over because poor George had forgotten suntan lotion (but it was the sixties, barely anyone used it anyhow!). She hadn't been able to sit for a whole week after that one...

"No." She admitted rather shyly, her blue eyes momentarily gazing at her lap. And it was true. She had kissed back because she had wanted to. Because though she had thought she had gotten over the immense crush she had on her old friend, or perhaps she had hoped that it was the case, she still liked him. It was always difficult to see your idols as anything but. But did she like him because of the person he was or because of how she saw him as a child? This was something that she wasn't sure that she could answer right now among other questions.

"Rings I-" It took her a moment to find her voice as she attempted to apologize. Her eyes avoiding his to the best of their ability. "I'm sorry that I did that." That was Emma, always taking the blame for things even if she didn't necessarily do them. In that moment however she had another question: Was she *really* sorry? Or had she just lied to the man?

Looking back into the man's eyes which seemed lost and just in pain she felt her heart skip a beat. Not in a romantic way, though maybe it had been, but rather a pitiful way. He, like the others, was so very lost but he, unlike the others, could maybe be fixed by her. And if not fixed at least comforted. Emma never saw herself as decent in that department though she had always at least attempted it as a child (and it seemed to work). But right now, sitting in that bar, Ringo Starr wasn't the only lost soul. Emma too was in agony and in bad need of comfort. She was alone. They both were. And in knowing that she had leaned forward to press another featherlight kiss to his lips.

"Sorry." She apologized once more after the very short kiss though this time her eyes didn't look away. Instead they bravely looked right at the destroyed man. "Ringo... You have to have hope. Hope is all you have sometimes.." Why she had chosen now to say that was beyond her. Then again Emma had always had terribly timing not to mention she wasn't the best in social situations.

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

It hadn't been an accident on her part either...So what did that even mean? A kiss didn't mean anything, right? He had just been thanking her...Well, not just thanking her. Ringo wasn't sure why he had done that. It just felt right--felt like something that they both needed. And now that it was done with, they could both move on with the rest of their night. He would go back to his hotel room, take out on of those exorbitantly expensive small bottles of alcoholic beverages they stocked in the mini-fridges and continue getting drunk in a more private abode. And Emmy would go off and do whatever she did on her nights after work.

But, of course, things weren't going to work out that simply. The next words out of Emmy's lips were an apology--another apology that she didn't need to make. He wanted to say something along the lines of 'I told you to stop apologizin' for things that aren't your fault' but instead quite different words came out. "Don't be." Two innocuous words that Ringo meant with all of his heart. He was the one who had kissed her first, after all. And she had kissed him back. There was no reason either one of them had to be sorry with what they had done.

Ringo was all prepared for that to be the end of things tonight. He would take out his wallet, throw some money onto the counter, not caring how much landed on it, which no doubt ticked off many under-tipped bartenders that landed in his path but then Emmy was leaning forward again. It was Ringo's turn to be shocked as he felt her lips on his once again. She had just apologized for kissing him so why was she doing it again? Once he got over his initial surprise, Ringo found himself returning the favor, keeping the kiss as chaste as possible.

And then, lo and behold, she apologized again but before Ringo could say anything she was talking about that damn hope again. Hope this...Hope that...Blah...Blah...Blah. Ringo still couldn't understand what was so great and wonderful about hope...But maybe she was right; maybe hope was all he had right now. It's not like there was much he could physically do to try and change his life around for the better with his current state of affairs. He could only hope that the puzzle pieces would eventually fall back into place for him.

The first puzzle piece might be sitting right next to him. Before he could stop himself, Ringo had one hand on Emmy's cheek. He caressed it lightly. "Help me learn how to hope again, Emmy." He wasn't sure if he could take it if she said no to him.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

Why had she done that? Why? Surely the man seated across from her would hate her for it. Of course this thought was ludicrous. Ringo could never hate Emma. In fact, she had known him for nearly her entire life and they hadn't even tiffed. Sure she had been jealous as a little girl of Maureen a few times but that had been the extent of it. She had tiffed with George, she had tiffed with Paul, she had even had misunderstandings with John, but never with Ringo. There had always been an underlying sense of understanding there even if the two of them never really understood exactly what they were doing: Like now. In this moment.

Emma always had the habit of apologizing. Sometimes it came as naturally to her as breathing. Never once, no many how many reminders she received, did she ever second guess it. But with Ringo's two spoken words she actually found herself haulting. Reflecting. Could she really sorry for something she had done? Something that she had WANTED to do for so very long that actually had not turned out negatively? For something that she NEEDED to do so she didn't feel so alone in the world? So that dear Ringo knew that HE wasn't alone? The answer was no. A thousand times no.

His hand found its way to the side of her face causing her cheek to burn crimson though hopefully in the dimness of the bar he'd miss it though there would be no mistaking the warmth. His words were a plea and Emma could feel herself be sucked in by him. It wasn't just the alcohol anymore. There was something more to it. Something far more. She briefly held the notion of saying no. After all, how could one teach hope? For Emma, who viewed nearly everything logically, it seemed impossible. But this time something kept her from outright saying no. Something kept her from trying to explain. Sometimes things just *were* they needed no explanation. At least this didn't... Not at the moment.

"I can sure try." She offered softly, her eyes locking with his. She was resisting the urge to kiss him again. She desperately wanted to, an odd feeling for her as it wasn't exactly one she had felt before, but she refrained. This was a public place and chances were at least the bartender would catch notice eventually and that might create a few problems for Richard. Also, Emma somehow doubted that he wanted her to kiss him again. Of course she was in denial also maybe a bit afraid. She truthfully just couldn't comprehend all that was going on. Even so...

"Come with me." She leaned forward whispering the rushed words before she reached out and took his hand in her own. Helping him to get to his feet she quickly, yet carefully given that Ringo was inebriated (and she was heading in that direction), led him to the door. This wasn't a sinister plan nor was it necessarily one based off the kiss. She just figured that Ringo might like to talk some more and wouldn't want their topics being overheard by prying ears. Luckily she lived close enough for them to wak (and she couldn't afford a cab anyhow) and within twenty minutes (though it was honestly a five minute walk) they found themselves twelve stories up in Emma's VERY modest apartment. Ridiculously modest. Meaning that: It was dimly lit by numerous cheap candles, a rickety fan was moving back and forth in the corner powered by batteries bigger than her hand, and it was sparsely decorated.

"Do you want anything?" She sat across from Ringo on the floor. It was pretty much a studio apartment so everything from the kitchen nook to her bed on the side could be seen. "I have this powdered fruit juice drink thing... You just add water. It's pretty good..." Heck, even her voice sounded hopeful about something as stupid as Tang. That was the sad sort of life she lived. Stumbling to her feet she hurried to her horribly old fridge and opened it, frantically searching for something to appease the drummer.

"I can go outside and get you something from a bodega if you don't like it..." Really she hoped Ringo would say yes if only for him to stay longer and talk so that she wouldn't be alone.

[RINGO 'RITCHIE' STARR]

If the drummer had known that Emmy was worried about the problems that might occur if people spotted them being overly friendly with each other, Ringo would have laughed in her face. The general public already knew he was an unfaithful husband; and some of the general public already saw him in here getting wasted. It would only be a matter of time now before that story found its way into the tabloids. As far as Ringo was concerned, Emmy's worrying was unwarranted. But it was a good thing that Ringo didn't know what she was thinking because, if he had told her any of that, she probably wouldn't have agreed so readily to help him learn how to hope again.

Four words and then three words...Words that Ringo wanted to hear...needed to hear. He intertwined his fingers with hers and let her help him up. He had just enough time to fish out his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and throw some money down onto the bar counter. Luckily for this bartender, the ex-Beatle had over-tipped tonight without even realizing it. Hey, maybe the extra money would keep him from uttering a word of anything he had seen tonight, not that Ringo cared one way or the other what that man decided to do.

He didn't know how he managed to stay on his feet on the way to her apartment. It was half sheer will on his part and half still holding onto Emmy's hand for dear life. Thankfully, the streets were mostly deserted. All the residents and tourists of New York City were either safely tucked away for the night or still busy partying. And soon the two of them were in Emmy's home. Ringo was in no state of mind to judge how sparsely Emmy seemed to be living; nor was he sure that if he was even in a sober state of mind he'd say anything because who was he to judge how Emmy wanted to live?

Ringo plopped himself down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall and his legs stretched out before him. And then Emmy sat down across from him but only momentarily as she was soon up on her feet again and scrounging around in her fridge. But food and drinks and everything in between were the farthest things from Ringo's mind right now. His eyes kept on straying over to the one semi-decent looking piece of furniture in the place: Emmy's bed.

And now she was offering to go outside and buy something for him. He shook his head, even though Emmy was still busy looking in the fridge. Ringo then carefully stood up, standing still for a moment as he waited for the room to stop swirling around him. He was even more careful when he made his way over to the fridge. He lightly placed one hand on her shoulder, turning her around to face him as his other hand shut the fridge's door.

"I have an even better idea," he said, "You're a man and I'm a woman..." Ringo trailed off; his brow furrows as he thought closely over what he just said. "...or the other way around," he corrected himself. "And there's a bed over there." He gestured over his shoulder in what he believed to be the general direction of the bed, although he was quite a few feet off of the mark.

All he could think about were the kisses. They hadn't kissed each other back there only to come here and eat and drink and chat about who knew what. She was just being polite right now or wasn't sure how to go about starting things; but inebriated Ringo wasn't exactly in the mood for politeness or confusion about how to get things rolling in the direction that they both needed them to roll.

[EMMY ELIZABETH SILVIAS]

Despite Ringo being in a less than sober state, Emma had not heard him rise to his feet. Then again, what was she going to hear him bump against? Air? Not likely. And besides, her head was so burried in her sparse fridge that a bomb could have went off and she very well might have missed it. So, it came as a surprise when Ringo lightly placed his large hand on her slender (or was it scrawny?) shoulder and gently, yet firmly, turned her around to face him. A hand which had once held her much tinier one in quite a different context. A hand which she had come to know as belonging to a friend. Now everything would change. Even just standing there looking up at him (Emma was rather short), her back a mere inch away from the warm fridge door, she was sure of it.

Luckily for her poor, inebriated Ringo had managed to close the fridge door so she didn't fall right into it. Somehow he had managed to take control even despite how many drinks he had in him. Not that it was so very difficult with Emma. She was used to people taking control of her in her life. Her father had in quite a strong meaning of the phrase. Mister Johanson had, though only with the best interests at hand. Even the Beatles to a degree had a state of control over her though it wasn't anything based on power. She had just always held them in such high regard (particularly Paul who had the most rules, spoken or not). So it wasn't strange at all that when Ringo exerted some control and knowhow in that moment that Emma would rush to it like a moth to a light. It was all she had ever known and in these sad times... She was desperate to have some form of it again.

"Ritchie..." His actual name barely left her lips in the softest of voices. Worried blue eyes studied his expression in the dim light. He was intoxicated. She knew this. Yet she also knew what she personally wanted. What she needed. What they both seemed to need: Comfort. In some form. Each other to some degree. Emma never wanted to see Ringo in a foul light so she could only force herself to believe that alcohol led you to say things that you already felt but perhaps were too shy to admit. At least she *hoped* so.

"Are you sure that you want this?...." The honest question escaped her mouth so very meekly. She was almost afraid of the answer. Maybe he would change his mind. Emma did her best to hide the anticipation and worry from her features. "Me?" Yes, oblivious Emma even felt the need to point out that Ringo would be spending time with *her* this evening and not one of the thousands of other much more beautiful women that no doubt would have flocked for the opportunity. Did he know? More importantly: Was he sure?

She was nervous. Hell, she was downright frightened. She was a virgin. But she couldn't very well express that to Ringo. Maybe he'd get mad. Maybe he'd leave! Beneath it all she was still a very scared little girl fearing the wrath and nature of others even if they weren't cruel. She didn't know much other than that in her life but she DID know, in this moment, with THIS man she did not want to be alone. She wanted to belong. She wanted to be a part of something. Together. And most importantly: She wanted dear Ringo to feel whole again. She would try.

Reaching out so very gingerly, blame it on the nerves, she took Ringo's hand which was attempting to point to her bed but missed by a mile. Entwining her fingers with his she gently guided his hand to rest on her chest right below the collar bone. An attempt to get him to focus. To get him to realize. Perhaps a chance to change his mind or perhaps a chance for him to look at her, REALLY look at her for the first time.

"But I'm right here..." Piercing blue eyes sought out his and waivered slightly. "And I don't want to be alone tonight. Please don't go anywhere." She felt childish but the past few years she had lost her family. She had lost John (Yoko's doing but she didn't know that), she had lost George who had all but disappeared, and she had lost Paul who was far too busy for much of anyone. Now that she had Ringo around she was going to make him promise that for the next few hours, if this happened, he wouldn't do the same.