Disclaimer: I do NOT know nor have I ever met any member of *NSYNC. They are their own person and, well, I don't particularly want to know them. Shoots down all those preconceived notions, you know. Anyway, I mean no offense to any person mentioned in my stories. I hold the deepest respect for who they are and what they do. So in other words: read, have fun, make merry, and remember that these stories are FICTION and, therefore, NOT real.

The Garden

JC tiredly let himself into the hotel suite. Rehearsal had been particularly trying. Every time he thought he had the steps down he made another mistake. Concentration had become a foreign concept to JC so when the other guys had gone back to the hotel for dinner and the night off, he had had to stay and work on his routines.

Sighing he shut the door, dropped his room key on the hall table and trudged to his room. Announcing his return to the guys could wait. A bite to eat, a hot shower and a soft bed, not necessarily in that order, was all he wanted at that instant.

JC dropped down on the bed and picked up the room service menu. Nothing seemed particularly appetizing so he picked the simplest meal he could find. After placing his order he drug himself off the bed and went into the bathroom.

He laid a towel within easy reach of the shower and then reached in to turn it on. He yelped when he stuck his hand in the stream to test the water temperature. Ice-cold water met his questing fingers. Reflexively he jerked his hand back and curled his fingers into a fist trying to warm his freezing digits. The ringing of the phone in the other room brought his head up. Distracted, JC left the water to heat up and went to answer the phone.

Just as he reached the phone, it stopped ringing. JC shrugged his shoulders. One of the guys must have picked it up. Really he was too tired to care. He kicked his shoes off and bent to remove his socks. A sharp twinge reminded him he’d had a bad day. Standing he stretched trying to relieve the aching in his back.

As he made his way back to the bathroom, he stripped his shirt off over his head and let it drop to the floor. His leanly muscled chest and arms gleamed dully in the low light. He ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair. Then he reached for the snap on his pants. The muscles in his stomach rippled as his hand brushed against them. He unconsciously let out a sigh as he lowered the zipper. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and with one fluid motion pushed his pants and boxers down over his lean buttocks and thighs. They hit the floor just outside the bathroom door.

Nude, JC continued his stride into the bathroom, his bare feet quietly slapping against the tiled floor. He closed the door and stood for a moment. The air was thick with steam. It lazily swirled around the room replacing hard edges with soft fuzzy ones. Taking a deep breath, he let the steam invade his senses. It filled his mind like a forbidden friend. The warmth wrapped around him and made him feel safe. He could lose himself in the sensations until all his cares and worries faded away. It was his fifteen seconds of escape.

The opaque gleaming of the mirror caught his attention. It was fogged up but in the swirls of steam he swore he saw dancing images. He raised his hand and started to touch the mirror but then stopped. He really needed sleep if he was to the point of seeing things other than himself in the mirror.

Shaking his head at his own fanciful thinking, JC stepped into the shower. He groaned in appreciation. The hot, soothing water hit his body and cascaded downward. The feeling was heavenly. He stepped fully under the spray and let the water caress his body. With eyes closed and head tilted back he stood there for what could have been eternity letting the water wash over him. The soothing spray hit his face, washed down his neck to his chest and streamed downward over its angled planes, across the ripples of his stomach and into the hairs at the juncture of his legs before coursing down his strong thighs and washing his worries down the drain.

Feeling a languid lassitude creep over his body JC reluctantly grabbed the soap. He built up a rich lather and then stroked downward from his pecs to his abdomen and back again. As he continued to wash his mind began to drift. The slippery glide of his hands over his hot flesh brought to life desires he thought were long dead. He couldn’t remember the last time a simple touch had stirred him emotionally. So much was at stake that he could never really let go with anyone. He couldn’t just be.

The women in his life were little more than outlets for his physical needs. They satisfied his body but not his soul. They provided companionship but there was never a real connection. They never got past the surface to the real Josh Chasez. And that was what he wanted. Someone who would be there with him and understand what he was going through and tell him, even on the darkest days, that everything was going to be all right. That’s what he wanted …no, that’s what he needed.

JC shook his head at his thoughts and washed the shampoo out of his hair. He climbed out of the shower and picked up the towel he’d laid out earlier. The cool terrycloth felt good against his heated skin. He marveled that it was the little things like soft towels that helped get him through the day.

He wiped the water from his face and then proceeded to rub the towel over the rest of his body. Vigorously he rubbed the towel over his wet locks as he stepped into his bedroom. A faint knocking could be heard on the suite door.

“Justin! Lance! Somebody get the door. I don’t have any clothes on,” he yelled. There was no acknowledgement of his shout. When the knocking continued unabated JC cursed softly and secured the towel around his waist. He grabbed his wallet off the dresser and went to answer the door. He prayed it was just room service.

JC tipped the waiter and strolled into the living room. He expected to find at least one of his friends. He stopped in the doorway and scanned the deserted room. A half eaten sandwich, drink bottle and several magazines littered the coffee table but no one was in sight. That in itself was strange. At least one of them was always glued to the TV when they were in a hotel.

JC made his way over to the coffee table and brushed the magazines out of the way. Carefully he held on to his towel as he set the tray down. His curiosity aroused he went to find his friends. They had to be here somewhere otherwise the bodyguards wouldn’t be keeping watch in the hall. He tried Lance’s room first. The bed was mussed and papers were strewn over the surface, but no Lance. JC smiled thinking that he must have finally taken a break.

Moving down the hall JC found Justin and Chris’s rooms in much the same state. Everything was as is should be only the human occupants were missing. Joey’s room was the only one left. JC flung the door open and rushed inside. “Ha! Found y-“ The words died on his lips. Joey’s room was just as empty as all the others. Worry started to replace the tiredness in his body. He double-checked all the rooms on his way back to the living room. Still there was no sign of the guys. Stopping in Lance’s room he decided to rummage through the papers on the bed to search for a clue as to their whereabouts. Four grown men couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air.

Idly toying with the knotted towel at his waist. JC bent over the papers on Lance’s bed and began to look through them. He mumbled to himself as he shifted papers. “Where the hell are you guys?”

“They’re not here.”

“What? Who said that?” JC rose abruptly and scanned the room. He turned in a full circle but saw no one. A cold sweat broke out over him as his eyes nervously darted around the room again. He shook his head. “I must be losing my mind.”

“You’re not losing your mind, Joshua.” A man appeared in the armchair in front of him.

“What the…who are you?” Disbelief laced his voice. JC eyed the stranger. Surely he was imagining things. People didn’t just appear. The man’s translucent silver eyes seemed to immobilize JC. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He could only feel, and his senses were telling him an unbound energy had permeated the room. Wave upon wave of the energy crashed against his psyche until he was afraid he would be swept away. The tide was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

“So you are the one.” The man said more to himself than to JC. He reached up to flip a hank of hair over his shoulder and then released JC from his enchantment.

JC inhaled deeply. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded. This was turning into a frightening experience. JC took a closer look at the stranger. The man had shoulder length black hair that brushed the collar of his white peasant shirt. One leather-clad leg was propped up on the arm of the chair as he rested in a nonchalant pose. Peering closely at his face JC tried to determine the man’s age. The patrician cheekbones and hawk nose seemed to belie age. He could have been thirty or three hundred.

JC repeated his question. “Who are you?” He fidgeted with the knot on his towel and when the man just smiled he demanded, “Where are my friends?”

The man slowly rose to his feet. He leisurely sauntered over to where JC stood. Stopping a mere two feet away, JC was forced to crane his neck to meet the man’s eyes. Once again they held his full attention. “Your friends are there,” the man gestured to JC’s left, “in the garden.”

Turning his head in the direction the man pointed JC gasped at what he saw. The mirror over the dresser no longer reflected his image. Instead it was as if he were looking through a doorway at a wonderful party. People filled a clearing bounded by towering shrubs, trees and all manner of flowering plants. A bonfire lit the clearing and even through the mirror JC could feel its warmth. It looked like a decadent masquerade ball.

Cautiously JC turned until he was fully facing the mirror. People frolicked and danced. Every so often a couple would dance close enough that JC could see their eyes beyond the masks they wore. He stepped closer until he could almost hear what was going on. The sound proved elusive though. Staring transfixed at the images before him he asked, “What is that place?”

The man stood just behind him. “The garden,” he whispered directly into JC’s ear. Shivers ran down JC's spine. “Your friends are there. He is waiting for you. Go,” The last was barely a brush of air and then he was gone.

The backs of his knees hit the bed as he back up and blinked. He sat down heavily never taking his eyes off the images dancing in the mirror. This was impossible. He had to be dreaming. That was it. There was no other explanation.

“Okay, I’m just gonna lay back and close my eyes. When I open them again I’ll realize this was all just a dream. No strange man will have appeared and the guys will all be tucked in bed sound asleep.” JC lay back and snorted. “Now you’re talking to yourself, JC. What next?” He closed his eyes and tried to sink into oblivion. Immediately they popped back open. Sound was now coming from the mirror.

A low, throbbing beat filled the room. It surrounded JC and settled like a molten heat low in his groin. It was calling to him on the most primitive levels. He could feel it rushing through his veins with every beat of his heart. Intoxicating was the only way to describe it. He wanted nothing more than to become one with the music. It was passion, and it was calling for him.

Without conscious thought JC stood up. His towel fell to the floor. Answers to questions he had never asked came to his mind. Every possible thing he could want lay on the other side of that mirror. Every thing he never knew he needed was within his reach. He had only to enter the garden and all would be fulfilled.

Time seemed to slow down as he walked to the mirror. He raised his arm and touched the warm surface. Immediately he felt a rush as his world went black. A thousand pins pricked his skin, and he felt like he was flying. The sensation took his breath away. Then reality returned. Or was it reality? Looking around JC could see he was no longer in the hotel room. He was now dressed in tight, black pants and a white button down shirt and standing in the middle of the dancing masses.

Rich sights and scents assaulted JC. He had never experienced anything like it. It was pure energy, and it was pulsing through his body. Everywhere he looked there was vibrant color. Crimsons, purples, sapphires and emeralds glinted at him with a life all their own.

The glow of the fire was no longer the flat orange he had viewed through the mirror. It was a living, breathing entity, flashing sparks and shooting flames into the night sky. The snap and crackle of each ember sung a song of renewal.

The night was dark, illuminated only by the bonfire and strategically placed lanterns. The air was thick with anticipation. It was heady. It was intoxicating. It was sexual. Everywhere JC looked there was decadence. He spun around looking for an exit. No one paid him any mind as he tried to find his way out of the mass of writhing, dancing bodies. Everything was moving fast, too fast. He felt light headed. Laughing faces seemed to mock him as he pushed away from each group. He was searching for…something. His rational thought was slipping away.

Near the edge of the dancers JC was pushed into a couple. The man turned his head and smiled from beneath his mask. There was something familiar about him. For a moment he was sure it was Chris but his head was spinning and nothing seemed to make sense. Fascinated he watched the man turn back to what he was doing. He had a woman bent over a table with her skirts bunched up over her back and was fucking her. Pushing away from the spectacle JC came face to face with two young men wrapped in each other’s arms kissing.

The sights and sounds and scents were becoming too much. He was on sensory overload. Finally reaching the edge of the crowd he paused for a moment looking for familiar faces.

A flash of blue caught his eye. JC pushed people aside as he made his way toward the couple. He stopped when he had an unobstructed view. Justin and Joey lay tangled together on a pile of crimson, purple and emerald oversized pillows. Justin was propped up on one elbow over Joey. They were kissing hungrily, oblivious to everyone around them. Hands touched forbidden places and elicited moans of pleasure. The two moved together in sweet harmony, each nipping, touching, caressing in sync with the other.

The throbbing returned more forcefully to JC’s groin and seemed to grow with each beat of the music that washed over the clearing. Desperately he tried to remember why seeing Justin and Joey together was odd. Nothing came to mind. The madness made perfect sense now and all his secret inhibitions had been washed away. He was free. Only pleasure mattered now.

JC’s body began to unconsciously sway to the beat of the music as he stared transfixed at the scene before him. His hips swayed from side to side. The top buttons of his shirt came undone showing even more of his sensuous chest as he caressingly ran his hands up and down his body. He closed his eyes and let the music take over. There was nothing but the beat of the music flowing through his mind. The rhythm was intoxicating, and he danced by himself.

From behind him a familiar, deep, sultry voice broke into his euphoria. “Josh.” It was almost a sigh whispered into his ear.

“Lance?” JC lazily opened his eyes and looked around. He saw Lance pause at a break in the foliage wall. A flowing, black, lace-up peasant shirt and tight, black leather pants graced his lithe body. Sensual green eyes gleamed at him with a mixture of laughter and passion. Lance threw him a rakish smile and turned to the maze entrance.

With that smile Lance redefined everything that had meaning in JC’s life. The moment crystallized in his mind. Lance was everything he’d never realized he needed. He was the answer he had been looking for.

Lance plunged through the opening and was lost from sight. JC smiled. Forever was about to change and begin anew. Quickly he followed where Lance had gone.

JC passed through the entrance and immediately stopped. Dense foliage standing eight feet tall surrounded him. It branched into two corridors. One to the left and one to the right. Looking down each he saw no sign of Lance. No twig or overturned leaf gave a clue about which direction Lance had taken.

A tiny voice whispered on the wind. “Listen to your heart.”

JC closed his eyes and let the soft breeze blow over him. He tentatively reached out with his senses. There was an immediate response. A Cheshire smile spread across his face. He turned to the left and sprinted down the corridor.

After more winding turns he paused. He was deep inside the heart of the maze. Corridors branched in eight directions. They all looked the same. Somehow he knew the wrong choice would take him back to the beginning. His mind reached out for Lance once more but there was no response. JC threw his arms out to his sides, tilted his head back and screamed, “Lance!”

“Josh.”

Quickly turning in a circle he looked for Lance. He spotted him at the far end of a narrow corridor he hadn’t noticed before. Lance was smiling brazenly and beckoning for JC to follow. With a wink and roguish smile he ducked out of sight.

A huge smile spread across JC’s face. His heart began to pound and his breathing became shallow. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a kernel of surprise that Lance, a man, was the one to light the spark. The thought didn’t register, though. It was pushed aside by his baser instincts. They were all screaming that he had found his mate.

Passion. Completion. Ecstasy. The words whispered through JC’s mind and caused his feet to take flight. Lance would soon be his.

The thrill of the chase only served to exhilarate JC. Blood pounded through his veins and pooled in his loins. The teasing glimpses Lance allowed him only drove his lust to greater heights. Soon…soon he would catch him, and he didn’t plan on stopping until they both died of pleasure.

Turning one last corner JC stumbled to a halt. He was in the center of the maze. The beauty took his breath away. It truly was enchanted and perfect.

Slowly he walked into the grotto and looked for Lance. His gaze swept the dancing shadows caused by the moonbeams, the waterfall, and the trees that lightly dotted the landscape. Lance was nowhere in sight.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

The voice was low, husky with passion. JC turned partially, raising his head and looking over his shoulder as Lance walked out of the shadows. The breath caught in his throat. Love and lust fought for dominance. Lance was sensual perfection.

Lance stopped when he was a few feet away. Moonlight slashed across his face leaving it partially in shadow. He inclined his head slightly and looked a at JC with heavy-lidded eyes. His lips upturned slightly in an inviting smile.

Turning to fully face Lance, he felt no fear about what was going to happen. There was only the promise of sensual gratification. His eyes drooped and he licked his lips as he leisurely perused Lance’s body. The lacings of Lance’s shirt had come undone and tantalizing glimpses of his chest could be seen every time he moved. Supple black leather hugged his narrow hips like a second skin and molded his strong thighs and calves to perfection. A pair of black boots finished the roguish ensemble.

JC let his gaze return to Lance’s face. A slow, predatory smile spread across it. JC watched as he took one step then another, slowly stalking toward him. Suddenly feeling playful JC took one step back for every step Lance took forward. He smiled when Lance raised a questioning eyebrow.

A tree halted his retreat. He pressed his palms against the cool bark. The rough texture abraded his skin through the material of his shirt. It added a tangible element to the melee of sensations rampaging through his body.

Leaning his head back JC watched Lance slowly move closer. When he was within touching distance JC pushed away from the tree and darted toward the waterfall. Arms wrapped around him from behind and then he was falling. The ground rushed up to meet him and then all he could see was the underside of the trees. Lance had turned so that he bore the brunt of the impact. Immediately they started to roll. Somehow JC landed on his back with Lance on top of him looking down.

Rapid breaths pulsed between them until they mingled as one. The intense golden green gaze seemed to bore directly into JC’s soul. It called forth his own raging passions and lit a palpable inferno deep within. Need blazed through his body. Every nerve ending was aware of one thing. Lance. The name was a mantra chanted in every fiber of JC’s being.

The feel of Lance’s welcome weight pressing into his chest, groin and thighs sent blood rushing to engorge his already stiffening manhood. Lance eased some of his weight by rising up on one elbow. JC could see the question burning in his eyes. The involuntary moan that escaped his lips as Lance rotated his hips was answer enough. His eyes closed and his head dropped back as he arched his hips trying to get closer.

Immediately Lance’s warm lips were caressing his jaw. Kisses were trailed down the side of his neck and back up again. JC arched his neck further as Lance softly bit at his skin. He gasped when Lance bit down hard. Immediately Lance’s tongue was soothing the hurt and setting JC’s nerves on fire. The cool breeze and the rough texture of Lance’s tongue sent tingles to the core of his being. Shivers ran through his body when Lance suckled on his neck and then blew on the sensitive flesh. His nipples tightened to taunt buds at the exquisite torture.

JC ran his hands down Lance’s sides. He stopped when he got to his pants. Lance’s questing mouth had found it’s way to his ear and was tracing the outer rim with his tongue. JC shivered when it dipped briefly inside. Lance nibbled on the lobe and then sucked it into his mouth.

“I love you.” The words were barely a whisper but JC heard them nonetheless. He groaned low in his throat.

JC ran his hands through Lance’s soft hair and pulled him up for a kiss. “I love you, too.”

Suddenly a sparkling mist appeared around their entwined bodies. JC was vaguely aware that the clothes he and Lance were wearing dissolved into nothingness, leaving Lance’s warm, naked body as his only covering. An unearthly energy permeated the mist and JC could feel little pinpricks of electricity along his skin as it fully surrounded them and imbued them with a feeling of weightlessness. Unbelievable erotic pleasure coursed through his body as Lance began to move again. The mist mirrored their sexual energy and fed it back to them through the electric currents. Their senses became entwined and each could feel what the other felt. Their arousal was magnified to infinitely high levels and then transferred back to them. The sensation was too much for JC and his world slowly faded to black.

Pounding on JC’s bedroom door awakened him from the best sleep he’d ever experienced. Softly he cursed as he tried to fully rouse himself from the warm, comforting arms of sleep. When he tried to roll to the side of the bed he realized the arms of sleep weren’t the only ones holding him.

A warm body was pressed against his back and even breaths signifying sleep lightly stirred the hair on the nape of his neck. As all of his senses became fully functional, JC realized he was in his hotel suite, and he and his companion were nude under the blankets. A strong arm was securely anchored around his waist and a hairy thigh was wedged between his own. A soft gasp escaped his lips when he involuntarily tensed at the unfamiliar feel of the body behind him. Delicious sensations ran through his body as his most tender areas made themselves known. His body was telling him he had experienced a night of unsurpassed loving.

The pounding at the door continued unabated. “JC! JC, man, can I come in? I really need to talk to you.” Chris’s voice floated through the door.

JC groaned again. Chris picked the most inopportune times. Extricating himself from the clinging limbs of his bedmate JC wobbly stood and grabbed his robe to cover his nudity. After tying the sash he turned around to see who his lover had been. What he saw caused his legs to buckle. He sat down hard on the edge of the chair and stared at the man in his bed. The most beautifully peaceful expression graced Lance’s face. JC blinked to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Lance was still there. Suddenly strange images started to flood his mind. He remembered a party, dancing people, vibrant colors, carefree abandon, and no rational thoughts. Images of an erotic mist-like veil soon dominated his memories. Fuzzily he could remember Lance and himself entangled, whispering words of love as they worshiped each other’s bodies.

“JC! Are you in there?”

“Come on, man. Open up!” Justin’s voice joined Chris’s.

Shakily JC stood and walked to the door. He opened it a crack to see Justin, Joey, and Chris standing there with confused expressions on their faces. That same feeling of confusion was mirrored in his own eyes he was sure.

“Can we come in?” Joey said as he sidled closer to Justin.

A blazing memory of the two of them entangled together flashed through JC’s mind. He staggered at the intensity. Briefly he closed his eyes to regain his composure and then he glanced over his shoulder to where Lance was still sleeping peacefully undisturbed. JC rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Ah…uh…right now isn’t a good time, guys. Why don’t you come back later?”

A glint of suspicion entered Chris’s eyes. He pushed on the door and JC staggered backwards. Fear started to thread its way through JC’s body. He didn’t know what type of reaction to expect from the guys when they found Lance naked in his bed. Hell, he didn’t know what kind of reaction to expect from Lance, and he was the one he’d slept with.

“Last night was real wasn’t it, JC? We didn’t just dream that place.” Chris stated as he stared at the bed and then turned to look at JC. It was more statement of fact than question.

“It was real.” The voice from the bed startled JC. His eyes flew to the bed and found that Lance had rolled over on his back and was regarding him with enigmatic eyes. “We were in the garden.”

“What’s the garden, Lance?” Justin’s voice sounded small and almost childlike to JC.

On a long sigh Lance expelled his breath. “Go order breakfast and let me and Josh get dressed and then I’ll explain it to all of you.”

JC lowered his eyes to the carpet and waited for everyone to leave. Idly he contemplated the swirls in the carpet until a pair of bare feet appeared in his line of sight. Fear kept his eyes lowered. Only now was the full impact of what had happened registering. Without a doubt he knew he loved Lance and if their night together had only been a night of casual sex for him, JC didn’t think he could handle it. Somewhere in the night his heart told his mind what it already knew… Lance was the one person who would be there for him, understand him, and tell him everything was going to be okay.

“JC…Josh,” Lance gently hooked a finger under JC’s chin and raised it. Hesitantly JC met Lance’s scorching green gaze. In their depths he saw all those answers he never knew he was searching for. He saw a love that matched his own. Nothing else mattered. “Josh, I –“

He didn’t get a chance to finish. Quickly JC claimed his lips in a kiss that was much better than any they had shared before. It held longing, desire, and love. It far surpassed the kisses they had shared in the garden. JC could fully appreciate the feelings rushing through his body. He wasn’t dictated by his baser urges. His mind was clear and focused on the man in his arms. Reluctantly he pulled away. “I know, Lance. I love you, too.” Softly he caressed the side of his face. “Now let’s put some clothes on so you can explain exactly what it was we experienced last night.”

JC turned to gather up his clothes but Lance pulled him back for a quick but heated kiss. Lance’s voice was a mere whisper against his lips. “Thank you.”

JC was sure he was as confused as the others looked. Lance had finished explaining what the garden was but it wasn’t quite registering.

“So this garden is like an alternate reality?” Chris was the first to try to make sense of Lance’s explanation.

“Yes, it’s a place that’s always existed but on a different….plane of existence than the one we live on. It can only be accessed by certain individuals and while you’re there time slows down here. You could spend hours…days there but when you came back here only a few minutes would have passed.”

“What about what happened. Why did Justin and I come back as lovers? Why did you and JC get together?” It was Joey’s turn to question Lance.

JC’s eyes followed Lance as he got up and came to sit next to him. Lance picked up his hand and kissed his knuckles. Tingles raced up his arm from where Lance’s lips had pressed. Contentment shined from Lance’s golden green orbs when JC met his eyes. Lance returned his smile and then faced Joey. “In the garden all your inhibitions are stripped away. You’re free to feel all your secret desires. Tell me something. Did the two of you experience the mist?”

Justin and Joey shared a glance. “Yes,” Justin finally answered.

An angelic smile lit Lance’s face, and JC’s breath caught at the beauty of it. “Very few people ever experience that.”

“I…we experienced that, Lance. What was it?”

“The mist is a…gift…if you will, from the garden itself. When two people declare their love for one another and if they’re destined to be together the mist surrounds them and creates an unbreakable bond between them. It’s kind of hard to explain but it’s some sort of link. Showing you how it works is much easier.” Lance turned to face Josh and took his hands in his own. “Close your eyes.”

JC did as instructed and waited. Nothing happened. “Lance, is something supposed to happen?”

“Reach out with you mind, Josh. Open your mind and focus on me. You did it once before. Remember?”

“Okay.” With eyes closed and mind emptied, JC reached out to Lance with his psyche. For a moment nothing happened but then a soothing calm rushed over him and suddenly Lance was there. In his mind. He could here his thoughts.

How does it feel to be able to hear what someone else is thinking?

“Is this really happening?”

Yes, love.

“Oh. My. God.”

“What, JC? What’s going on?” Dimly JC heard Justin’s voice in the background.

Open your eyes, Josh.

JC opened his eyes to see Lance smiling at him. The love that shown there was almost overwhelming but it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

No, seeing love for me in your eyes is the most beautiful sight.

“Huh?”

Josh, try communicating with me without speaking out loud. And, your thought, the love in your eyes is more beautiful than the love you see in mine.

Okay…is it working? And there is no way. You are the most beautiful creature God has ever created.

JC could hear Lance’s deep laughter. Yeah, I heard you and flattery will get you everywhere.

Even into your pants? Wait. Forget I said that…Wow! This is so cool! Can I communicate with anyone else?

Later. This time Lance’s laugh was audible to everyone. “No, I’m the only one you can do that with.”

“What? What were you two doing? What can he only do with you?”

“Oh God, Justin! He and I can communicate telepathically.” Excitement rushed through JC. This was one of the most exciting things to ever happen to him. He felt like shouting at the top of his lungs. Literally he was bouncing in his seat. He wanted to hug Lance. There were so many possibilities they could explore. They could probably even use the ability to enhance their shows and public appearances…Elation rushed through JC. They could tell each other they loved each other in front of everyone without another soul being able to hear them. And talk about inside jokes. Oh the possibilities were endless. They could even-

“….and Joey can communicate with each other since you experienced the…Josh, will you please calm down!”

Quizzically JC looked at Lance. “What?”

“You’re broadcasting in stereo, babe. You’re about to make me bounce off the walls. I know you’re excited but I really need to explain this to Joe and Jus.” And if you’re good I’ll help you burn off some of that excitement later.

Really? What do you have in mind, Mr. Bass? JC arched an eyebrow. Images started to flood him mind. His eyes widened slightly, and his body hardened instantly. How do you expect me to be good when I know you’re having thoughts like that? I think I may have to ravish you right here, right now.

“Okay, obviously you two are having a good time talking to each other while we can’t hear you but Jus and I would like to try it so…attention here. Finish telling us how to do it.”

After a few minutes of teaching Joey and Justin the high points of telepathic communication and assuring Chris that one day he would be able to do it too, JC asked the question that had been on everyone’s mind.

“Lance, how do you know all this stuff?”

“It’s my…birth right. See one of my great, great, great…I forget how many greats it goes back, but grandmother was a gypsy and she passed the knowledge of how to access the garden to her descendants.”

“So all your family knows about this place?”

“Er…no. I don’t even want to think about my parents there. That’s too scary. It skips generations. Tykir explained to me that my grandmother requested that only her descendants of free heart and open mind and clear vision or something along those lines be shown the secret. And I fit the description so when I turned twenty Tykir deemed me ready to handle the explanation.”

“Who is Tykir?”

“The man with the silver eyes. Do you remember him? He’s like pure energy. He’s in everyone and everything and at times he manifests himself so that he can talk to people.” Lance took a deep breath. “Uh, you might recognize him better by other names he’s been given. Odin. Jupiter. Zeus. Or more currently, Fate. Ancient cultures revered him as a god but really he’s not. These days he doesn’t intervene in his physical form very often. People tend to think they’re going crazy if he appears to them.”

“Shit! You mean we actually met someone that had contact with the Greeks, the Romans, the Vikings?” Chris said excitedly.

Lance laughed. “Yeah, that’s him.”

JC remembered the mysterious man and the sense of power that had surrounded him. One thing in particular stood out in his mind. “Lance, when…Tykir was sending me to the garden he got this thoughtful expression on his face and sounded more like he was talking to himself than to me. He said ‘So you are the one.’ What did he mean?”

Lance looked sheepish. “I was depressed when I got back from rehearsal. So after dinner I decided that spending a few days without a care in the world would do me some good. I did a little paperwork and when I was sure everyone was otherwise occupied I accessed the garden. Always when I needed a little time to recoup I could go there, and I would feel better when I came back but this time was different. You may have noticed how you kinda lose all rational thought there…well, a piece of me wouldn’t let go and after a couple of days Tykir cornered me and proceeded to tell me what was wrong with me.” He laughed a little. “He gave me the ‘son, you need to settle down’ lecture with a twist. He said that at a point in all peoples’ lives there comes a time when their soul cries out for their mate. That was what was wrong with me. I’m kinda afraid to admit it but I broke down and told him all about how much I love you and how you didn’t feel the same way.”

“Wait a minute. ‘After you’d been there for a couple of days’? Lance it hasn’t been twenty-four hours since you left the rehearsal hall.”

“Remember what I said about time, Josh. It’s all relative. I was there for three days before Joe, Jus, and Chris showed up. A week had passed before you arrived.”

Numbly JC sat back. Telepathic abilities he could understand. Even accessing other planes of existence made since but wrapping his mind around the relativity of time was kind of throwing him.

Don’t worry, love. You’ll have plenty of time to understand what it all means. You don’t have to understand everything right off the bat. I’d worry if you did.

JC leaned his head on Lance’s shoulder and whispered into his ear. “Thanks.”

“Anyway, back to the story. Tykir decided he was going to take matters into his own hands. For some strange reason known only to him I’ve always been one of his favorites so he came here looking for Josh.” Lance turned to look at JC. “You weren’t back yet but he observed the three stooges over there for a little while and decided they could benefit from a trip to the garden.” He laughed and turned to look at the three mentioned. “I think he must have seen in you two what he saw in me and then he brought Chris along just so he wouldn’t be left out.”

“See, you have to be invited to the garden. Some regular Joe off the street couldn’t just look into a mirror and open the doorway. Someone who’s been there has to take you.” Lance shrugged. “After that the power to go back belongs to you. But, anyway, back to the story. What he meant by ‘you’re the one’ is that you are the one that was causing me such heartache and joy, and you are the one my soul cries out for.”

Love swelled JC’s heart. Never in his life would he have dreamed he would find it this way but he wouldn’t change a moment. Even though he had only just realized how he felt for Lance he knew it would be enduring. Some things were just destined to be.

In a husky voice he whispered into Lance’s ear. “I love you.” Come to bed with me.

But, Josh-

No, buts. I need you now.

Lance turned his head and kissed JC full on the lips. “I love you, too.” Together they stood and started for their room.

“Hey! Where are you going? We have more questions.”

“Later, Curly. Right now I need to show Lance how my soul cries for him too.” JC escorted Lance into the bedroom and for the next few hours they proceeded to make time stand still and the world revolve around them.

~~~~The End~~~~

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