*Disclaimer - I do not own any of the members of ‘N Sync (nor would I ever really want to) they belong to their respective owners. I do, however, own all fictional characters such as Mike, Devon, Ashley, Rachel and Katie. Plagiarism is against the law. Please don’t do it. Thank you.

Three days. For three long, agonizing days they had heard nothing. The police hadn’t been able to locate Mike, much to everyone’s mounting fear. The last few concerts in the area they had performed with determination though their minds were elsewhere. They had just finished their third and final concert that night; all of them were now relaxing in JC and Chris’s hotel room. Chris had his cellular phone pressed against his ear, talking to Mike’s father, quietly explaining to him what was going on and what was going to be done to find his daughter. Lance paced slowly around the room, hands clasped behind his back. Justin glanced from one person to the other, then at the muted television, trying to distract himself from the horrid thoughts that were entering his mind. Joe sat on the edge of one of the beds, resting his head in his hands, wondering what more could happen. JC sat alone in a chair outside on the balcony overlooking the now sleeping city, a disk-man muting everything out but the music. Richie Sambora played softly in his ears. He had never really listened to Sambora until he met Mike. It was one of her favorite albums and she had lent it to him so he could finally figure out why she liked the album so much.

The air was filled with tension and a little desperation, something that none of them were used to. Justin shook his head, climbing to his feet, worry etched on his face as he glanced out the sliding glass door at his older friend. JC was taken Mike’s disappearance hard. It was plain as day that the man was in love with her, though he adamantly denied the feelings to his friends. Inanely, Justin remembered that they had to go into the recording studio to record a song with Gloria Estefan. Justin shook his head and turned back to the others, leaving JC in his own little world.

JC rested his head back, eyes closing against the moonlight that lit the balcony with a soft glow. Never in his life had he felt as helpless as he did at that moment. No one had any clue as to where Mike was and it was becoming unlikely that they would find her. Cops had been in and out of her hotel room for the past three days looking for anything that might help them, but nothing had turned up. No clues were left to direct them anywhere. Chris had become distant with worry, not knowing how to help. He sighed letting the music fill his mind. Slow, mournful music came through the speakers and it somehow soothed his anxious soul.

JC shook his head, shivering slightly in the cool night air. He climbed to his feet to look out at the silent city. It was almost as if the world ceased it’s movements because of her absence. He gazed up at the stars, his heart dividing into two equal halves. Part of his heart was yelling at him for not taking the chance that had been given to him that night in her hotel room. The other half of his heart was thanking his rational side for not starting anything. His entire heart ached. He shook his head once again. There was no going back on what he’d already discovered, which was that he wanted Mike to be a part of his life. But, what part are you talking about? The part a friend plays, or the part a girlfriend plays? JC raked a hand through his hair, trying to stop the course of his thoughts. It wouldn’t do to think about this now. In fact, it could make things much worse if she was never found. Don’t say that. Don’t even think it, his heart berated him harshly. He slipped the headphones off his ears and listened to the city night sounds for a moment before returning to the hotel room.

“How you doing, man?” Justin inquired when JC walked inside. JC just shook his head with a shrug.

“Has anyone found anything out yet?” JC inquired as he tiredly sank down onto his empty bed.

“Not yet.” Chris shook his head, becoming frustrated with the whole situation. “The cops won’t tell me anything. Cops won’t tell her family anything. Cops are being major dinks.”

“They’ll find her, guys.” Lance quietly spoke up, startling everyone because he hadn’t said much of anything the whole night.

“How can you be so sure?” JC raised an eyebrow.

“It’s better than thinking of the alternative, isn’t it?” Lance countered with a shrug. JC nodded with a sigh.

“Maybe we should turn in for the night. Staying up all night isn’t going to help anyone.” Joe suggesting climbing to his feet. Chris shook his head, knowing that sleep wouldn’t come easily.

“Night.” Joe called over his shoulder as he, Lance and Justin headed to the room that they all shared, leaving JC and Chris alone.

“They will find her, right?” JC glanced over at his older friend.

“I sure hope so.” Chris sighed.

Mike gazed out the passenger side window, watching thousands of trees pass by on the way to wherever. Fear plagued her body, causing exhaustion and tight nerves. She had no idea how she had gotten in this car with her worst enemy, but she knew now that she needed to figure out a way to get away from David. She knew they were heading north, but to where she didn’t know. She tossed a worried glance over her shoulder at David, who was glowering at the driver in front of them for not going fast enough. David glanced over at her, his eyes filled with fire.

“This never would have happened if you had just talked to me.” he told her, his voice filled with anger.

“There was nothing to say.” she mumbled with a shake of her head.

“There was everything to say!” he shouted, causing Mike to wince at the volume of his voice. She had never seen him this angry before. “You left me without a word! Without giving me the chance to redeem myself!”

She stared at him silently, not knowing what would spur his anger to greater heights. Mike huddled into her seat, hugging herself for comfort.

“You told them all lies about me. Yes, I hit you, but only because you deserved it! Only when you would step out of line and make me angry!” he kept shouting though she was sitting right next to him. She had learned a long time ago to keep her mouth shut when he was this angry, so she did so, shrinking back against the door beside her. They had been on the road driving for three days non-stop and it was starting to take it’s toll on the pair. Mike was becoming more and more frightened, while David kept getting angrier and angrier.

“Why did you tell them lies about us?” David demanded, gazing over at her and not the road. She gazed back at him, wordlessly. He suddenly pulled the car over into a rest stop and got out of the car. He walked over to the passenger side and yanked open the door, pulling her out.

“People are probably looking for you, the no good bitch that you are. Call them.” he growled at her, shoving her towards the pay phone a few feet away. “And don’t say anything funny cause I’ll be listening.”

Mike walked to the pay phone with David, shivering violently because it was cold and she had no jacket. She reached into her pocket and pulled her phone card out and the number for the hotel the group was staying at. She dialed all the numbers she needed to and soon, the phone started ringing. It was answered almost immediately.

“Hello?”

“Chris?”

“No, this is JC. Chris is sleeping at the moment, but I can take a message if you’d like me to.”

“Do me a favor and tell Chris that I’m all right, JC?”

“Mike, where are you?”

“I’m sorry Josh, I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not? Do you know how crazy everyone is? The cops are looking for you; Chris is a wreak. And I..., well, I was worried.”

“I know.” Mike whispered, closing her eyes. “I’m all right. And I’ve started flinching again.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. I have to go. I’ll call again when I get the chance.” Mike shook her head and quickly hung up the phone before turning back to David. He took her arm in an iron grip and pulled her back to the car. Anger practically radiated off him, frightening her more. She glanced back at the phone, wishing that she had been able to say more, but she clutched at the memory of his voice, first filled with relief that she was all right, then with mounting fear when he began to suspect. She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly. She would get through this, she would survive. She was a fighter and too many people depended on her. She couldn’t give up. Not now. Not ever.

Chris sighed, gazing out the hotel room window, pondering the events that had happened in the last few days. Mike had disappeared without a trace and only one phone call, JC seemed distant, almost as if he didn’t want to partake in anything, and the rest of the group were walking around eggshells when he was in the room. His temper had been something he didn’t have a firm hand on anymore. His Chichi had been taken and there was nothing he could do about it. He didn’t know where she was, though he had a good idea on who she was with. He glanced up when Justin stepped into the room.

“They found her. She’s in a hospital near the Minnesota-Canada border.” he told the older man softly. Chris’s eyes widened slightly as white hot anger flooded is mind, hazing his vision. Justin gave his friend a sympathetic look, leaving the room as quietly as he came. Chris stumbled to his feet, grabbing his jacket from the bed before wandering from the room, a muscle in his jaw ticking feverishly with anger. If he had hurt her, he would kill David himself, to hell with the consequences. He shook his head, turning his eyes to his friends.

“We’ve already talked to the police. They have a statement already from Mike. She gave them a description of David and they’ve given every department between here and the next planet a copy.” Justin continued, as he reached for his cellular phone. Chris nodded wordlessly, waiting for the younger man to finish.

“As far as we know, David just let Mike walk out of the hotel room he was holding her in. Which means, he’s still out there somewhere.” Justin sighed, gesturing helplessly with a hand. Chris closed his eyes with a sigh. He had hoped the cops had killed him, or detained him. Anything was better than having him roaming the streets, ready to abduct Mike again.

“We booked you on the next flight to Minneapolis. It leaves in four and a half hours.” Lance mumbled tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck with a soft groan. No one had been sleeping well. Chris snorted softly to himself. They never really slept well unless they were home, but they had been sleeping worse than normal. The stress of worrying had taken it’s toll on everyone.

“We figured you’d want to get her and bring her back to Orlando alone.” Joe shrugged when Chris raised a silent eyebrow at the rest of the group. He nodded silently, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Just... just tell her we’re thinking about her, and she’s in our prayers.” JC sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose to ease some of the ache residing in his head. He had never been so relieved or enraged at the same time than when he found out that Mike was still alive and, for the most part, well.

“I’ll let her know.” Chris nodded, his voice soft with understanding. He had been worried about JC. His young friend had become rather attached to Mike rather quickly, and though the younger man refused to admit it, Chris knew JC was beginning to have feelings more than friendship toward her. Chris sighed softly, returning to his room to pack what he would need for this little trip. He glanced up when JC stepped into the room, his face pensive, his eyes signaling he had a lot on his mind.

“Care to talk about it?” Chris inquired as he stuffed a shirt into his duffel. JC opened his mouth, then sighed, shaking his head.

“Talk about what?” JC shrugged as he flopped down on the bed.

“How about the fact you’ve developed feelings for her.” Chris suggested, glancing over at JC, who had folded his arms behind his head, eyes glued to the ceiling.

“I don’t have feelings for her.” JC shook his head firmly. Chris nodded slowly, a knowing smile playing on the corners of his lips as he stuffed another shirt into the duffel resting on the foot of the bed. JC sighed, closing his eyes.

“I was just worried about her, that’s all.”

Chris nodded again, remaining silent. If there was one thing he learned about JC when he was in this sort of mood, it was to just stay silent. He would eventually get to what he needed to talk about in his own time, without being pressured about it. JC sat up suddenly and leaned back against the headboard, turning a halfhearted glare at him.

“You could have warned me, y’know.” JC grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

“Warned you about what?” Chris nearly laughed, confusion edging through his mind.

“That she was so.. so..,” JC groaned, trailing off as he buried his face in a pillow.

“You mean so exasperating? So stubborn? So lovable? So childlike?” Chris fought to keep the grin from his face as he listed off the many assets he’d noticed in Mike so many years earlier.

“Yes, yes, yes and yes!” JC tossed his hands into the air.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Jace. The harder you fight against it, the more likely it’ll happen.” Chris stated cryptically as he zipped the duffel and tossed it onto the floor.

“Okay, Obi Wan, what does that mean? In english this time.” JC rolled his eyes.

“It means, you are severely transparent when it comes to her. We all know how you feel about her. Or, how you’d feel about her if you’d let yourself. You’ve been fighting it tooth and nail for whatever reasons. They’re your reasons, but, I’ve found in my many years of trying to figure out relationships and the opposite sex, the more you fight it, the more you want it to actually happen. And when you want something to happen so bad that you fight against it as hard as you have, it will happen.” Chris shrugged, leaning back against the dresser behind him.

“That’s.. wait. I’m that transparent?” JC lifted an eyebrow.

“Reynolds Wrap, my man. Crystal clear.” Chris nooded, smirking slightly at the younger man. JC sighed, shaking his head, eyes closed.

“Chris, the van is downstairs waiting for you.” the door opened, Justin sticking his head into the room.

“Thanks.” Chris gave the younger man a smile before turning to JC again. “I’ll call you and let you know how she’s doing.”

JC nodded, watching Chris as he left the room, duffel slung over his shoulder. JC grumbled softly to himself, wondering when this had all happened. Wondering just when he started becoming so transparent his friends could see right through him.

Chris sighed, rubbing a hand tiredly over his face, trying to wake himself up. It had been a long flight and he hadn’t been able to sleep because he had been too worried about Michaela. Now he was in the hospital, standing outside the door to her room, debating on whether he should wait until the fog from his mind lifted. He shook his head, sighing heavily as he pushed the door open. Mike glanced up from the book she was reading, her eyes widening when she saw him.

“You can never stay out of trouble, can you?” Chris demanded softly as he stepped further into the room.

Mike shook her head sadly, turning her face away from him. Chris sighed softly, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, his hand covering her own, more for his comfort than her own. She flinched slightly, nearly yanking her hand away from him before she reminded herself it was Chris who was touching her. It was Chris who had come after her to make sure she was all right. It had always been Chris who tried to protect her, even when she was a child. Even from her older brother when his teasing became to rough or mean. Chris seemed to always play the role of Knight in Shining Amour for her, and she had never thought to thank him. She turned her eyes back to her friend, tears making them shimmer luminously in the light.

“Thank you.” she whispered hoarsely, turning her hand to thread their fingers together. Chris smiled, giving her hand a small squeeze.

“For what?” he lifted an eyebrow.

“Everything. Anything. Nothing.” she shrugged a shoulder and winced with the pain the small movement caused.

“Don’t worry about it, Chichi. It’s what I’m here for.” he tenderly brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and groaned silently when she all but jerked away from h is touch. Mike caught the look and sighed softly.

“One step ahead, two step behind.” she mumbled ruefully, eyes darting to the window. Rain batted against the glass, giving the room it’s own soft melody, it’s own strained tranquillity. Chris sighed, lurching to his feet.

“Chichi, did -- did he --,” Chris stumbled through a complete loss of words. He didn’t know how to breach the subject without causing undue pain for his young friend, but he couldn’t sit idly by and not know how to act around her. Not know how to protect her in the future. Mike closed her eyes against the sudden burning of tears, her lower lip trembling slightly.

“Yeah.” she nodded. Chris hissed a curse under his breath, raking a hand through his dreadlocks.

“I’m sorry, Kayla.” he whispered, turning pained eyes to her. She shook her head with a gentle smile.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. You couldn’t have known this would happen. And there was nothing you could have done to stop it from happening. You did the best you could, that’s all anyone could ask for.” she met his gaze, eyes unflinching. Chris sighed, head drooping forward, shoulders sagging. He nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

“You should get some rest, Chichi. I’ll be back tomorrow.” he leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before he disappeared from the hospital room. Mike sighed, holding her head in her hands, silent tears of agony slipping down her cheeks unchecked.

Chris sat on the bed in his hotel room, back pressed against the headboard as he debated on whether or not he should call Mike’s family. He knew they had a right to know, but he wasn’t sure they wanted to know, though a strained relationship had started once again between Mike and her father. He shook his head, utterly confused on what to do next for the first time in his life. He reached for his cellular phone and dialed a familiar number.

“Hello?”

“Hey Jace, it’s Chris.”

“How’s everything?”

“I don’t know. Physically, she’s pretty banged up. I don’t even want to think about the emotional and psychological damage that’s been done.”

“God.”

“I know. I don’t know what to do, Jace. For the first time, I’m at a loss. I don’t know whether or not she wants me here. Her eyes are dead, man, and I don’t know how to handle that.”

“All you can do is help in whatever way you can.”

“I can’t do this alone. As much as I care for her, I can’t do this alone. I think you should be here.”

“I don’t know about that, Chris. If she’s as bad off as you say, she’ll only see me as a threat and I don’t want her to look at me in that light. I couldn’t bear to see it in her eyes.”

“It’s time for you to make a decision, Jace. A couple of them.”

“I know.”

“You should be here.”

“I don’t know, Chris.”

“You care for her, do you not?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should be here. She needs both of us to help her through this, whether she knows it or not.”

“I won’t force my help onto her like that, Chris. I can’t.”

“We’re not forcing. We’ll be forever stoic. I promise.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“All right.” Chris sighed, pressing a button to end the call. He tossed the phone onto the bedside table and rubbed his face with his hands tiredly. Nothing had ever been easy for Mike, and this so-called relationship with David was the hardest thing yet. He wondered if she would make it through this time with her fragile soul intact. He wriggled down under the covers and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would quickly claim him.

Mike closed the book she had been reading for the past three hours and gazed out at the darkened sky. The rain had abated for the moment, leaving the window with tiny, glittering droplets of water. The moon and stars seemed to reflect through each one, casting dancing shadows onto the walls around her. She shook her head with a sigh, heart thudding painfully in her chest. As far as she knew, David was still out there somewhere. The police hadn’t apprehended him yet, which terrified her more than anything else possibly could. It wouldn’t be very hard for him to find her here. And she would be defenseless here, hooked up to an IV and body so sore she only tolerated moving. She rested her head back against the pillows fluffed up behind her back and neck and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift to wherever it would. Her heart contracted slightly with a small stab of pain when familiar gray-blue eyes danced through her mind. His profile came readily, a small smile turning the corners of his lips upward, his eyes filled with mirth. He had been so nice to her, had tried everything in his power to help her, and all of it had been taken away because David couldn’t stay well enough away from her. She shook her head, a single tear escaping her closed lids. She sighed, swiping at the tear with frustration, her eyes turning toward a movement in the doorway. Her eyes widened with shock as she registered the presence of someone her mind had conjured up only second ago.

“Josh? What are you doing here?” her voice sounded shaky, even to her own ears.

“I wanted to see you. Make sure you were all right.” he shrugged casually. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“No.” she shook her head, motioning for him to step further into the room. He gave her a genuinely affectionate smile as he strolled over to the chair sitting beside the bed and dropped down into it. She combed a hand nervously through her hair, wondering just how badly she looked for the first time.

“I must look awful.” she muttered, not daring to meet his eyes.

“You look like an angel.” he countered softly with a shake of his head. The words startled her enough to bring her gaze to his.

“Flattery? In a hospital?” she squeaked a laugh, folding her hands together in her lap.

“I’ve found, in my great and vast travels,” he started with an imperial voice, which caused her to smile. “That people like to be flattered every once in a while no matter where they happen to be at the time. Besides, I wasn’t flattering you. I was merely speaking the truth.” he gave a casual shrug of his shoulders as he lounged back in the chair.

“I see.” Mike nodded, eyes dancing with laughter. “Thank you for coming.”

“Not a problem. Now, how are you?” he rested his elbows on his knees, eyes carefully searching her face.

“As well as can be expected, I guess.” her answer was evasive and vague enough for the comfort levels to stay where they were.

“You gave us all quite a scare, little girl.” JC finally laughed, shaking his head slowly. She finally noticed the fine lines of fatigue etched around his eyes and mouth, the dark circles resting beneath his eyes, the tired cast of his face.

“What about you? It doesn’t look as if you’ve slept much in the past few days.” she commented softly.

“I haven’t. Tours are a pretty interesting thing. They tire you out, yet leave no real time to sleep. That’s what vacations are for.” he waved a dismissive hand in the air. “But you, my dear, look exhausted. You should get some sleep and I should find a hotel room.” he mumbled through a yawn as he climbed to his feet. Mike nodded, feeling rather reluctant to let him leave so easily.

“Thanks for seeing me.” she murmured, giving him a slow smile.

“It was my pleasure.” he returned the smile before strolling from the room.

Over the next week and a half while Mike was recuperating, Chris and JC made plans for her to return to the tour with them, assigning Gus as her full time bodyguard so nothing of the sort would happen again. She would share a suite with two or more members of the group so she would never be left alone, and they had painstakingly told everyone the story of what happened during the time she was missing, asking them not to make a big deal out of it once they made it back to the rest of the group. Chris made the decision to get the young woman her own cellular phone in case she needed anything for any reason, and she would always have a way to call for help should she need it. He also dropped quite a bit of money into a laptop computer so she could start taking correspondence classes through the Internet. Chris and JC wandered into her hospital room with their packages and met her surprised look with smiles of their own.

“We thought you might like some things. We can go shopping for clothes and the like when you leave here tomorrow. But, and now here me out on this Chichi, I want you to stay with me and the guys. Indefinitely.” Chris stated cheerfully as he dropped the box for the laptop onto the foot of her bed. Mike sighed, a shocked smile on her face even as she slowly began shaking her head.

“Chris, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” she murmured.

“Oh, come on. You’re the closest we get to the company of a woman on a daily basis.” JC laughed softly as he pulled a second chair over to the bed and sat down. Mike lifted her eyebrow dubiously.

“All right, the only woman we see on a daily basis that doesn’t have anything to do with our career.” JC amended with a smile.

“Guys, you’re being wonderful, but I have to get back to classes and the rest of my life. You can’t always protect me anyway.” Mike shook her head, folding her hands in her lap.

“The laptop is for classes, and as for you getting back to your life, this is your life. And all of us would feel better if you were with us. I don’t ask for much, and I’ve never made myself such a pain in the overprotective older brother role. Just let me do this. If not for my own sanity, than for yours.” Chris pleaded softly, taking the younger woman’s hand in her own. Mike sighed, closing her eyes.

“All right.” she finally nodded, rolling her eyes heavenward. Chris and JC beamed smiles at her and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why I can never win an argument with you is beyond me.” she tossed a hand into the air.

Mike sat in her hotel room, or her bedroom in the suite she was sharing with Chris and JC, her laptop opened up in front of her as she read the required text for one of her online classes. The group was off making an appearance on a local talk show so they could plug their self entitled album and talk about the new one that was in the process. She had been touring with them for the last month since she had been released from the hospital. The only things that kept her busy were her online classes and writing music and various other things. She rarely saw the guys for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time and had begun to realize how much she missed their company. She shook her head, closing her laptop with a sigh. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she missed JC’s company most of all. He and Chris had been wonderful to her, always making sure she was comfortable and all right. All of them had been really sweet. Mike resolutely cleared her mind of everything except the required text scrawled out on the laptop screen in front of her. Laughing gray-blue eyes stubbornly remained in her mind’s eye, making it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her reading. She muttered a curse under her breath, then yelped in surprise when her cellular phone rang with the tune of ‘Tearin Up My Heart’. That had been Chris’s little joke and stipulation that went with the phone. She rolled her eyes heavenward as the chime continued. She reached for the phone and held it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Chichi! We’re having a party! Where are you?”

“I’m at the hotel, Moo.”

“Doing what? You need to be here.”

“I’m studying.”

“You need a study break.”

“A party is not a study break. Its a distraction.”

“Come on, Chichi, everyone wants you here. Right, guys?”

Mike bit her lip on a laugh when she heard a chorus of ‘please’ and ‘come on, Mike’, then sighed with exasperation. “Moo, I really have to study.”

“Hold on,”

“Mike grumbled softly under her breath as the phone was passed to someone else. There was a moment of muffled silence before JC’s voice filled her ear. “Why aren’t you coming?”

“Because, I have to study. I have an exam coming up next week.”

“Take a study break.”

“I can’t do that. Ever time I take a study break with you guys, I don’t end up getting back to studying. It’s too dangerous for me to take a study break. I know the lot of you. Once I’m there, you won’t let me leave again.”

“We only want you to have fun.”

“I am having fun. Studying.”

“You’re a horrible liar. You know you want to be here.”

“Okay, fine, a party does sound like fun.”

“Then shut off the comp, and get your butt over here.”

“I can’t.”

“Don’t make me come up there and get you.”

“Should I be scared now?”

“No, just mildly frightened.”

“You don’t scare me, Josh.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Josh, don’t. I need to study.” she sighed, but it was of little use because he had already hung up the phone. She groaned loudly, tossing her hands into the air. She could never win with those guys. They always managed to finagle whatever they wanted from her, mostly by giving her guilt trips. She shook her head, turning her eyes back to the computer screen. She delved back into the reading, only to find herself reading the same paragraph over and over again. Mike let out a small scream of frustration before shutting the laptop down and climbed out of bed. She glanced at the door when a knock sounded.

“Go away, I’m studying.” she called loudly. A chuckle answered her as the door opened and JC peeked in.

“I told you I was coming to get you. Didn’t believe me?” he lifted an eyebrow as he stepped into the room.

“It’s not that I didn’t believe you. I was just hoping you’d get lost on your way here and forget about me.” Mike shrugged a shoulder as she set her laptop on the small table opposite the bed.

“Come on, Mike. You need to go out and have some fun. Let your hair down for a while.” he countered, folding his arms across his chest.

“If I go, will you let me leave whenever I want to? No questions asked? No pleading for me to stay?” she lifted an eyebrow at him. He held up his hand, a sincere smile plastered on his face.

“Scouts honor.” he nodded.

“Fine. Get out so I can change.” she pointed toward the now open doorway. He snapped her a mock salute before wandering from the room, shutting the door behind him. She pulled out a clean pair of khakis and a sweater from her duffel bag, changing into the items before spritzing on some perfume and running a brush through her hair. She reached for a pair of black boots and put them on. Once she was done, she wandered into the room JC had disappeared into minutes before.

“Ready?” he inquired, glancing up from the magazine he was idly flipping through. She nodded with a sigh, glancing down at her watch. Almost nine in the evening. She gave herself two hours before she would leave to come back to the hotel. She really needed to study for this exam. If she failed it, her grade would drop and she couldn’t afford that. JC, Mike and Gus made their way down to the lobby, the doorman hailing cab for them. Minutes later, they were at the party, mingling with the other guests and talking about everything under the sun. Mike wandered over to the corner where Lance and Chris were talking, while JC snagged a dancing partner and hit the dance floor.

“Chichi, you made it!” Chris yelped, handing her a drink from a nearby table. She smiled her thanks and nodded, becoming slightly uncomfortable in the small, noisy room. She rested back against the wall, watching as people talked, laughed and danced.

“Hey Chichi, let’s dance.” Chris stated suddenly from beside her.

“I’m not really up for it, Moo. Can I take a rain check?” she inquired, glancing down at her watch. She still had more than an hour and a half left before her time limit for the party ran out. Somehow, she didn’t think she’d even last that long. Dimly she wondered why JC had wanted her there badly enough to come to the hotel and get her, then shrugged it off with a sigh. Obviously he just wanted her to have a good time and it had nothing to do with actually spending time with her. She shook her head in mild amusement, watching as Joe gave a young woman a dramatic dip on the dance floor, hamming it up for all he was worth.

“You all right?” Chris’s concerned voice broke into her thoughts.

“Yeah, just not wild about crowds.” she nodded, giving him a smile. Chris nodded, his eyes still holding a troubled gleam. Her eyes wandered across the room, meeting a pair of gray-blue ones. JC lifted an eyebrow at her and she shook her head as the song came to a close. He said something to his dance partner and she nodded, disappearing before he turned back to her, holding out his hand to her, eyebrow raised in silent question. She shook her head, unable to meet his eyes again, and tapped her watch. He shook his head, hand still held out to her. A slight flush climbed her cheeks as she shook her head again, handing her glass to Chris.

“I’m gonna go.” she told him, placing a kiss to his cheek before weaving her way through the crowd to the front door. She made it all the way outside before she was stopped by a familiar voice.

“You’re leaving awfully early.” JC stated conversationally, glancing down at his watch.

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m just not in the party mood.” Mike shrugged as she lifted her arm, trying to hail a cab. It drove by without stopping, causing her to heave a sigh.

“Why don’t you come back inside and dance with me?” he suggested softly, taking a step closer to her.

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t plead with me to stay.” she lifted an eyebrow at him. “You said, ‘scouts honor’.”

“I was never a scout.” he shrugged indifferently, his hand lifting. She nearly flinched, but held her ground when his fingertips traced her jawbone softly. She opened her mouth to say something, but became lost in the smiling gray-blue eyes searching her own.

“Is there anything else I should know?” she whispered, a fine trembling settling in her limbs. A slow smile turned the corners of his lips upward.

“I was thinking about kissing you.” he shrugged, the pad of his thumb sweeping gently over her lower lip. Her eyes widened slightly with the admission, warmth filling her veins.

“Just... just thinking about it?” she managed through the roaring blood in her ears.

“Well, you know, I wouldn’t want to scare you off or anything.” he murmured softly, head dipping slowly.

“You wouldn’t scare me off.” she countered, her voice a breath of sound. He chuckled softly, his warm breath coasting across her lips as her eyelid fluttered shut. His lips brushed softly against hers once, twice. She lost her breath, limbs beginning to feel unusually heavy. Her hand fisted slowly around a handful of his shirt, bringing him slightly closer as his lips romanced hers. His other hand came up to cup her neck, tilting her head slightly to the side as their lips met again. She made a soft sound, feeling herself becoming lost in the sensations he was creating within her. His lips drifted from her own, across her cheek, up to her forehead. She took a deep breath, trying to still the unsteady beat of her heart.

“What are we doing, Josh?” she inquired softly, her voice slightly hoarse.

“I’m not sure.” he answered, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.

“You’re supposed to concentrate on your career.” she mumbled, eyes closed tightly.

“I know.” he nodded, eyes searching her face minutely.

“Why aren’t you?” she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze.

“I’ve found something else to concentrate on.” he countered softly.

“And your career?” she lifted an eyebrow.

“I’ll manage both.” he shrugged.

“It’s not that simple.” she shook her head.

“Sure it is.” he countered.

“No, Josh, its not.” she shook her head once again as she took a faltering step backward. She lifted her arm as another cab passed by. It stopped a few feet away and she turned and climbed inside, leaving JC standing on the sidewalk, watching her leave.

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