Welcome to the Universe
Author: Jade Dennis
Fandom: Across the Universe
Summary: "The love you take is equal to the love you make."—Growing up in a revolution is hard, and the gang is about to realize that everything comes with a price.
Disclaimer:I do not claim ownership of the characters used in this story, they are the property of Julie Taymor and Revolution Studios. Nor do I claim ownership of the songs mentioned herein, they are the properties of the Beatles, Paul McCartney, John Lennon…and, oddly enough, Michael Jackson. This work is not intended for sale or promotional use of any kind, I'm not making a dime off this…so don't sue.
Extended Summary: Now legally in America, Jude intends to make the most of his life with Lucy. The 60's are winding down, the age of revolution is coming to a close; but their story is far from over.
Like most Vietnam Vets, Max is a shell of his former self. Struggling to regain the part of himself that everybody loves, he finds the road to recover is a long one. With a little help from his friends, he tries desperately to pull himself up by the bootstraps and start a new life.
Sadie and JoJo are back together and taking the music industry by storm! Money is no longer an issue for the former struggling artists, but the pressures of the biz threatens to devour their tight-nit group. They quickly learn, like all those in the industry, that fame is not everything it's caught up to be.
A/N:
-Like the movie, there will be several song lyrics thrown into spoken word throughout this piece. It spices up the dialogue and makes a fun little game out of reading, in my opinion.
-I'm not entirely sure at this point whether there will be musical scenes or not. It would be breaking new ground for me as a writer and extremely challenging, but odds are there will be: it'll more true to the movie if there is. Unlike most fics out there, however, the songs will be used as more than just filler—they will serve to move the plot along as in the movie, so if songs are included it will probably be different than the format you guys are used to.
-The movie does not specify particular dates, so I'm taking the liberty of assuming that the end of the film takes place around the end of the war. I feel this is an accurate portrayal because there is symbolism throughout the movie, including the end—the end of heartache, the beginning of new life and happiness, etc. Also, the feel is just…post Nam. The way the police behaved, the fact that there were not as much people on the streets; it all just added up (in my head, at least) to being the end of the era. So, that's how I'm labeling this fic, deal with it.
-Both the rating and the summary are subject to change at any given moment. I'm still trying to work the plot bugs out.
-Also, this story is going to be a long one. I just thought I'd give you the heads up.
Prologue: I Saw Her Standing There
Jude knew the moment he saw here standing there that this was it. This was the end of their beginning.
Even from across the street her eyes seemed to shine as she brushed the wind-blown hair from her face, the corners of her mouth pulled up in the faintest of smiles. The band continued on behind him, a happy chorus of voices bellowing along on the streets below. The sounds bending and melding into one as they all raised their voices in triumph and from his angle he could see Lucy's lips moving in time with the words.
As the final bars came to a close he found himself running toward the edge of the roof, ready to shout her name to the heavens. Just as he opened his mouth to yell, a large hand clasped around his shoulder, pulling him back a step and grounding him in reality. Out of the corner of his eye he saw three cops standing in front of the impromptu band, nightsticks raised in warning.
"Alright kids, break it up," one of them ordered, his voice not quite yelling but still holding authority nonetheless. "You've had your fun for the day."
Sadie was about to speak up against the intrusion, but decided against it on account of the fact that the police had indeed allowed them to play one last song. With a charismatic smile, she waved for the band to pack up their equipment and head out.
Jude was too busy staring across the way at Lucy to notice the others heading for the stairs. She was just as beautiful as he had remembered, if not more so. When he felt a tug on his sleeve, he expected to turn and find a cop scowling in his face—but only met eyes with a smiling Max.
"Come on man, we'll meet her downstairs," he grinned, ragged blonde hair falling in his eyes as he lead Jude away from the ledge. With one last look over his shoulder, the Brit laughed lightly and followed his friend back to the streets below.
The crowd had already dissipated by the time they reached the door; there was nothing left for them here. Jude wasted no time in making his way down the block, running as fast as his legs could carry him to the building next-door. Their eyes met at the same time as they both pushed faster, hearts pounding as the gap between them quickly disappeared.
He had waited for this moment with bated breath, picturing in his mind time and time again the way he would sweep her off her feet and carry her home. It felt as though an eternity had passed since he last held her in his arms. Every word he had rehearsed on the trip here, every line and note that played in his imagination left him as they finally met. All he could do was keep running, desperate to be before her once again.
No words were spoken as he wrapped his arms around Lucy and lifted her into the air, spinning her around twice before planting her feet back on the ground. Hot lips met with a fiery passion as they nearly devoured each other, the need so strong between them that it almost toppled them to the ground. Neither of them pulled away until they were both gasping for air.
"Jude, God—" she panted, hands shaking as her chest heaved with heavy breaths. "When—How?"
Jude just smiled and kissed her again, his fingers playing with the long strands of blonde hair that fell in straight lines down her back. The world seemed to melt away for a moment and all that existed was them.
Tears of joy filled Lucy's bright blue eyes as she pulled away, licking her lips to keep the taste of him on her tongue.
"God Lucy, I've missed you so much," Jude panted, grinning to hide his own tears. He pressed his forehead against her own, eyes never leaving hers even as the footsteps of their friends approached.
Jude jumped slightly as a friendly arm was draped across his shoulder, Max's other wrapped securely around Lucy's waist. It was an awkward hug, but it cemented the trio's bond with love. A lot had transpired between them through the years and they knew that nothing could ever tear them apart.
Max looked up then, smiling at Jude, "I told you she'd be here."
Jude pulled away from Lucy and clasped both of his hand on either side of Max's head, their noses almost touching as he smiled, "Thank you, God, thank you so much Max."
"I still…how are you here?" Lucy interrupted. "I thought you were deported?"
"I was," Jude grinned. "And for the longest time I thought I was stuck back there, and then one day I realized…I just couldn't stay there. Not without you by my side. It was actually Max that told me what I needed to get my ass here legally."
She turned to her brother, shocked. "You've been in contact with him all this time? And you didn't tell me?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," he shrugged, smiling when she hit him lightly on the arm. She wanted to hit him harder, upset that he had kept this secret from her all these months, but she couldn't deny how happy his little stunt had made her.
"Well it definitely worked," Lucy sighed. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to catch up with all that had happened in the last hour. When she got the letter from Max telling her to meet him downtown, she thought it was for nothing more than Sadie's rooftop show. She had no idea that Jude would be there, hell, she had no idea that she would ever see him again. She was undeniably happy, but the shock of it all had yet to wear off.
"I'm so happy to be back," Jude smiled again, once more lifting her into his arms.
"The lovebirds seem to be getting along nicely." Prudence was bouncing towards them with the eagerness of a child, hair flying everywhere as she twirled around.
Behind her, Jude caught the sight of Sadie planting an affectionate kiss on JoJo's cheek, his hand on her hip as they strolled toward them as well. "And I see we're not the only lovebirds in town! I'm really glad to see you guys back together."
"You know how we roll, baby," Sadie laughed. "Birds of a feather, and all that."
For the first time in months, Jude felt like he was home. Not just stuck in a house with his loving mum, but back with his family. He loved his mother, no doubt, but every bird has to stretch its wings eventually.
He had finally made it, and he had no intention of ever leaving.
A/N: Okay, I know it starts off a little…sketchy. I'm really horrible with starting stories. But I have the rest of it mapped out in my head, and I have big plans for this fic. It's going to be epic, I promise. And sorry for the shortness of this; but it is the prologue. The way I have it planned, each actual chapter should be around ten pages in Microsoft Word—just so you have something to look forward to.
Please review and let me know how I'm doing. Flames are welcome; criticism is what I feed off of.