*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 (which I sincerely hope are themselves). I do, however, own all fictional characters such as Quinn, Jasper, Melody, Randy and Rebecca. Plagiarism is against the law. Don’t do it. Thank you.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“I heard you the first time. How?”

“You should know that. You were here for that part of it.”

“Don’t get sarcastic.”

“Stop being mean.”

“I’m not being mean, Rebecca. Are you sure?”

“The home pregnancy test came out positive. I’m going to the doctor today to make sure.”

“We were always careful.”

“Obviously not careful enough.”

“Is it mine?”

“How can you ask something like that?”

“Very easily. Is it mine?”

“What’s the matter with you? You know there’s been no one else.”

“Maybe a long time ago I would have believed that.”

“What are you saying? You’re not going to take responsibility for this?”

“That’s not what I said. Don’t put words into my mouth.”

“Jace, it’s not like I wanted this to happen.”

“I know.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking what every man faced with something like this is thinking.”

“Which is?”

“Life is essentially over.”

“You can’t mean that.”

“No. Not really. You’re sure it’s mine.”

“I’m positive. There hasn’t been anyone else.”

“Call me when you find out what the doctor says.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say to me?”

“What else is there to say?”

“I don’t know. Maybe that you’re happy?”

“Rebecca, I’m twenty-four years old and living on the road because of my career, which, by the way, is something I love a great deal. This pregnancy isn’t going to make this any easier. Part of me is deliriously happy. The other part of me is in shock, so forgive me if I didn’t instantly become a doting father.”

“Why are you being so nasty to me?”

“I’m sorry, Becca.” JC sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, closing his eyes tightly.

“I’m not sure you are.”

“I’m not going to argue about this right now. Go see the doctor. Call me when you get back.”

“All right. I love you, Jace.”

“Yeah. Me too.” he mumbled and pressed the end button, silencing the call. He dropped the cell phone onto the mattress beside him, resting his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. He and Rebecca hadn’t been together in almost three months. He winced, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. There was always the possibility she was lying to him, but what would she have to gain through lying? Every time, no matter what, he had always made sure protection was used. She was on the pill. He used condoms.

“How did this happen?” he groaned softly, rubbing a hand across his face. He’d been sure to be careful, but he had been deceived before. He shook his head, sighing heavily. How was he going to explain this to his mother if it was true? No doubt she would be highly disappointed in him for being so careless. She would tell him to do the right thing. Which would inevitably end in marriage. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. He would have to do the right thing. His conscience wouldn’t let him do anything other. Marriage. He sighed, flopping back against the bed. Things like this weren’t supposed to happen to people who were careful.

“JC? You alright?” Chris’s voice filtered through the door.

“Peachy.” JC called back, rolling his eyes. The door opened a crack, Chris’s head peeking into the room.

“You don’t sound it, man. Anything you want to talk about?” Chris arched an eyebrow, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

“Other than the fact my life has taken on the feel of a poorly written soap opera? No, there’s nothing I want to talk about.” JC snorted, shaking his head.

“What’s going on? Usually you’re ranting and raving after hanging up the phone with Rebecca.” Chris commented, flopping down into a chair.

“Who says it was Rebecca on the phone?” JC countered, gazing up at the ceiling.

“You don’t leave the room unless she’s on the phone because you know we’ll say something.” Chris shrugged.

“I’m astounded by your simple powers of deduction, Christopher.” JC mumbled, closing his eyes.

“Ouch. Who put a burr under your saddle?” Chris folded his arms across his chest, giving his younger friend a stern look.

“I just don’t want to talk about it, Chris.” JC shook his head, sighing heavily.

“What happened?” Chris demanded, unwilling to take the brush-off.

“Didn’t I just say I don’t want to talk about it?” JC inquired, gesturing helplessly with a hand.

“Open up your mouth and speak. You’re not facing the fans in this mood.” Chris shook his head stubbornly.

“Jesus, Chris. What the hell do you want from me?” JC demanded hotly, jumping to his feet.

“I want to know what’s got your panties in such a bunch.” Chris leaned back against the closed door, effectively blocking the younger man’s escape.

“Damn it, Chris. Mind your own business!” JC hissed, voice lifting with tones of anger.

“Not on your life, kid. Start talking or I call mama Chasez.” Chris’s eyes glimmered with stubbornness.

“And tell her what? I’m not playing nicely with others?” JC snorted, rolling his eyes.

“That would be a good start.” Chris nodded.

“I don’t want to talk about this right now. Accept it. Deal with it. Move on.” JC stated shortly, his ire becoming more pronounced.

“If you think you’re going out into the public eye with an attitude like that, you have another thing coming, Jace.” Chris sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Chris, for once in your life, just back off for a while. When I’m ready to talk about it, I will.” JC muttered icily, giving his older friend a pointed glare. Chris sighed, holding his hands up as if to ward off a blow, stepping away from the door so JC could leave the room.

Chris sighed, strolling back into the common room of the hotel suite, hands thrust into the pockets of his pants, brow furrowed in thought. He didn’t know what was bothering JC, but in order for the usually laid back young man to act this way, it had to be earth shattering. He shook his head, worrying his lower lip between his teeth.

“What’s going on, Chris?” Lance inquired, startling the older man from his thoughts.

“Huh?” Chris mumbled, making a face.

“JC just walked out of here looking like a zombie. What’s going on?” Lance rolled his eyes.

“He wouldn’t talk about it, so, I don’t know.” Chris shrugged a shoulder, flopping down onto the couch with a sigh.

“It was Rebecca on the phone, right?” Justin glanced up, sighing when Chris nodded silently.

“Someone aught to take her into a dark alley and shoot her. Put her out of our misery.” Joe mumbled, shaking his head.

“We’re going to have to meet with the script person without him.” Lance rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, trying to alleviate some of the pressure building in his muscles.

“Yeah. Johnson will be here any minute now.” Joe nodded, glancing down at his watch. Not more than three seconds passed when a knock sounded at the door. Lance wandered over to the door, opening it. His mouth dropped open.

“You.” he stated, threads of shock toning his voice.

“Me.” Melody nodded, shifting the two bags that hung from her shoulder and shifting Randy, who was propped against her hip.

“What are you doing here?” Lance folded his arms across his chest.

“I was told to come to this room for a meeting about a script.” Melody shrugged nonchalantly.

“Wait, you wrote the script?” Lance demanded incredulously.

“So sorry to disappoint you, but yes. I did.” Melody muttered, breezing past him into the hotel suite.

“Joe!” Randy squealed, squirming suddenly in his mother’s arms.

“Hey Randy.” Joe smiled, climbing to his feet. Melody groaned, quickly setting her little boy to his feet and watching for a moment with an amused smile as Randy immediately began using Joe as a jungle gym.

“You didn’t disappoint me, I was just surprised.” Lance muttered, rolling his eyes heavenward as he strolled back to his seat, flopping down onto the cushions. Melody arched an eyebrow, shaking her head slowly.

“Alright then, let’s get down to business, shall we?” Melody inquired, taking her own seat facing the four young men. “Wait. Isn’t there five of you?”

“Our fifth is taking care of some personal matters.” Chris shrugged a shoulder, setting down the script he held in his hand.

“Oh. Okay. Anyway, are there any major rewrites you want me to take care of, or is the rough draft a basic plot of what you’re looking for?” Melody questioned, her tone becoming businesslike.

“The script was good. A bit chick flick, but good.” Justin nodded approvingly.

“Excuse me? Chick flick?” Melody snorted incredulously, folding her arms across her chest.

“Lot’s of love going on. Falling into and out of it. You know, chick flick material.” Justin elaborated, waving a hand in the air tiredly.

“Is that so? Let me ask you something.” Melody rested an elbow on her knee, propping her chin on her fist.

“Alright.” Justin arched a brow.

“Typically, what gender is your fan base?” Melody continued, eyes gleaming with evil intent.

“Girls.” Justin rolled his eyes.

“Good. If you were to make a movie, who would be paying the bucks to go see it more than once?” Melody tossed a glance toward the other men in the room, who gazed on with amusement.

“Our fans.” Justin made a face, shaking his head slowly from side to side.

“Right. Which we just cleared up were, in fact, girls. So, tell me, Mr. Timberlake, why wouldn’t you want it to appeal to young women?” Melody sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. Justin opened his mouth, then sighed, snapping his mouth shut with a click of his teeth.

“Precisely what I thought.” Melody nodded in satisfaction. “Now, rewrites? Should I make any?”

“I can’t think of any right now.” Chris shook his head, his mind clearly elsewhere.

“I still think there could be an explosion or two.” Justin grumbled, folding his arms across his chest, lower lip thrust outward in a pout.

“An explosion or two?” Melody remarked, turning her gaze back to the youngest member of the group.

“Yeah,” Justin nodded. “A building blowing up, a car chase, general mayhem.”

“You want me to rewrite the script so you can play at being a bad boy?” Melody demanded incredulously.

“It’s been a dream of his for years.” Lance rolled his eyes, shrugging a shoulder. “But, he may have a point. I mean, romance is all good, but, that’s not the only thing we want this movie to hold for the viewers. I mean, let’s face it, people love being thrilled. They love being scared. And they love seeing things they’ve never seen before.”

Melody sat back in her chair for a moment, arms folded across her chest as she worried her lower lip between her teeth, brow furrowed in concentration as she thought.

“Now you’ve done it.” Joe mumbled teasingly, glancing over at Lance, whom only shrugged an indolent shoulder.

“Alright, what sort of thrills and chills are you looking for?” Melody finally nodded, coming to a silent agreement with herself. She hated changing around the script she had worked on for so long, but, she could probably write a new one with what they were looking for in a short amount of time. She grimaced. If she hadn’t of fired her idiotic nanny, she would have been able to write something new in a short amount of time. Her eyes wandered over to Randy, bouncing on Joe’s lap, talking animatedly with the older man, who paid rapt attention to every word her son said.

“I don’t know. How about a mystery of some sort?” Lance suggested, resting his elbows on his knees.

“What type of mystery?” Melody questioned distractedly as she began to furiously write in a small notebook resting in her lap.

“Most mysteries revolve around a murder.” Justin supplied, nodding slowly, liking the direction Lance was going in. Melody nodded slowly, continuing to scribble out a tentative story line in her notebook, listening with half an ear as the group of young men talked about what they’d like to happen in their first feature film being directed by Playtone, the company owned by Tom Hanks.

“The murder of whom? A family member? One of your characters?” Melody prodded, glancing up for a moment before returning her gaze to the notebook in her lap.

“Hey, yeah.” Justin exclaimed, becoming excited. “One of us can die, and the others can avenge the death.”

“Doesn’t that remind you of another movie that was wildly popular among young teenage girls because of another teen idol?” Melody arched an eyebrow, not looking up.

“No. Which movie are you talking about?” Justin rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

“Skulls. It was a decent movie for PG13. Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker.” Melody answered with a distractive wave of her hand.

“What was it about?” Justin sighed.

“What? Oh. If it’s secret and elite, it can’t be good.” Melody shrugged a shoulder.

“That doesn’t help.” Justin snorted.

“Secret Societies on college campuses across the continent. It happens. There was a small measure of fact, like no one knows who they are, but everyone knows they’re bad news kind of thing.” Melody propped her notebook on the arm of the chair she occupied.

“And that’s like what we just suggested?” Justin muttered incredulously.

“There was a lot of avengement.” Melody sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. A headache was slowly beginning to form behind her eyes.

“There’s always someone who wants retribution.” Justin shrugged a shoulder.

“Maybe.” Melody closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She was counting on this movie being a hit, especially since it was the first script she sold. She needed the money so her son wouldn’t have to worry about anything again. So she wouldn’t have to worry about anything again. Anything except how happy her son happened to be at any given moment.

“The personalities of the main characters, do they suit you, or do I need to make changes in that as well?” Melody inquired tiredly. She glanced up when she heard Randy giggle loudly. He sat on Joe’s lap, hands lifted to the older man’s face while Joe made dozens of crazy faces at the youngster. A slow smile curved her lips as she shook her head.

“I’m happy with my character.” Joe chimed in, glancing up at Melody as he tipped her son over so he hung in the air from his feet. Randy squealed and laughed loudly, clapping his hands.

“Same here.” Chris nodded agreeably.

“We’re pretty much all happy with our characters, just not with the whole plot.” Lance shrugged a shoulder, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. Melody nodded, pursing her lips together to keep from showing her instant anger at his words. He’s a pop star. He knows nothing about what goes into writing a really good script.

“Alright then. I’ll get to work on the changes.” Melody climbed stiffly to her feet, shouldering the small bag she had brought with her then held her hand out to her son.

“Mommy, I don’t wanna go back to the room. I wanna go swimming.” Randy whined, face scrunching as the little boy delivered his best puppy dog eyes to his mother.

“We’ll see.” Melody sighed, rubbing her fingertips across her forehead.

“Please, mommmy?” Randy pleaded.

“Yeah, please mommy?” Joe knelt behind Randy, resting his chin on the little boy’s shoulder as he too, delivered his best puppy dog eyes.

“When did I inherit another child?” Melody grumbled, glancing away from the pair, her heart weakening slightly. She hated saying no to her son, but sometimes it couldn’t be avoided. This was one of those times. She didn’t have a nanny, therefore she couldn’t work on the script if she had to go down to the pool and watch her son. Working and keeping an eye on Randy rarely ever worked out the way she always planned. She learned that the hard way before she thought to get a nanny. Her lips twisted in a bitter smile.

“Please?” Randy and Joe chorused pitifully, giving her big toothy and toothless grins.

“Randy, you know I fired Theresa. Can you just wait a little while, and we’ll go swimming tonight?” Melody pleaded hopefully, hoping her son didn’t get it into his head to throw a temper tantrum.

“But moooooom.” Randy yelped, folding his arms across his chest.

“Honey, I just don’t have time to take you swimming. Not right now anyway. Can you please just wait a little while?” Melody pleaded softly, kneeling down in front of her son.

“You know, Lance and I were planning on hitting the pool anyway. We wouldn’t mind if Randy tagged along.” Joe suggested, straightening to his full height. Melody gazed at him warily, slowly shaking her head.

“I don’t know about that. Randy can be a handful sometimes.” she commented wryly.

“I happened to be a handful when I was his age, so, I know what to do to keep him occupied. Besides, I’m sure you’ll want some time alone to work on the script. This is better for the both of you in the long run.” Joe shrugged a shoulder.

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Melody worried her lower lip between her teeth, glancing from Joe to her son’s hopeful face.

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have suggested the idea.” Joe waved a hand in the air.

“Alright, then. Randy, you behave yourself, understood?” Melody delivered a stern gaze to her son.

“Understood.” Randy nodded, practically bouncing where he stood.

“Does he have a bathing suit?” Joe arched an eyebrow.

“He destroyed the last one. The shorts he’s wearing should be alright for him to use for now.” Melody shrugged a shoulder.

“Alright. Good enough. We’ll bring Randy up to your room in a couple of hours.” Joe nodded in satisfaction, smiling broadly.

JC thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans, baseball hat pulled low over his brow and sunglasses covering his eyes as he strolled down the slowly darkening street, lost in thought. Lonnie, one of the members of the group’s security team, followed a few steps behind him, keep a careful eye out for potentially dangerous situations. JC sighed, blinking hard. If Rebecca happened to be pregnant, things would change. He wouldn’t be able to tour as long or as often. He would have to do the right thing, which would somehow include marriage. His mind balked at the idea of marrying so young. He wasn’t ready for that serious of a commitment. He shook his head, a wry smile twisted his lips. You should have thought about that before you slept with the woman. No birth control is a hundred percent except abstinence. He rolled his eyes as his mind lectured him silently, taking on the tone his mother often used with him when she was disappointed with him for something.

“Alright, who gets confused boy?” Jasper inquired, gazing at a wildly displayed window, shaking her head slowly at the erotic products the store boasted of selling.

“You like a challenge. How about you?” Quinn folded her arms across her chest.

“Why me?” Jasper turned to gaze at her friend.

“Something tells me he’s headed for a bar.” Quinn rolled her eyes.

“Oh. I see. I play the bartender once, and now I’m stuck with it for the rest of my eternal life.” Jasper nodded knowingly, folding her arms across her chest, rolling her eyes heavenward.

“I’m not good in situations like that.” Quinn exclaimed, tossing a hand into the air.

“And I am?” Jasper demanded incredulously.

“You’ve lived longer than I have, learned more, experienced more.” Quinn shrugged a shoulder.

“Fine. I get confused boy.” Jasper sighed, turning to gaze at her assignment as he continued to stroll down the street in front of them.

“Good.” Quinn nodded in satisfaction, disappearing from her friend’s side. Jasper rolled her eyes, snapping her fingers. A small bar appeared at the end of the block, a brightly-lit neon sigh inviting people inside for a respite from the real world. She snapped her fingers once again, and she stood behind the bar wearing the traditional blue jeans and white tank top, glasses sitting on the counter in front of her with a cloth. Soft music played in the background, an old rock song talking about satisfaction and getting none. Kerosene lamps sat on every small round table, casting the room into dancing shadows. She glanced up when the door opened, a lone figure stepping inside, a body guard following a few feet behind.

JC glanced around the warm interior of the small bar, wondering what had made him want to go inside and sit down. He wasn’t usually a drinker, though tonight he needed a drink. It couldn’t be helped or avoided. When one’s life hung in the balance of something life altering, one tended to lift his hand for drink. He strolled up to the counter, taking a seat at the bar, silently thankful no one else was in the small bar.

“What can I get for you tonight?” the young woman behind the counter inquired as she set the glass she was cleaning down on the counter.

“Bourbon.” JC answered shortly, in no mood to talk, even to a friendly bartender. She gazed at him for a moment, sizing him up. He leveled a cool gaze at her, a slight inkling of recognition flickering across his mind. She looked vaguely familiar.

“You have an ID?” she lifted her eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest.

“You’re kidding, right?” JC nearly laughed, glancing around the room.

“Let me ask you something.” she murmured, resting her elbows on the counter. “Does it look like I’m kidding?”

JC gritted his teeth, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, sighing when he finally realized it wasn’t there. He closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath before turning his gaze back to her.

“I don’t seem to have my wallet on me.” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“That’s really too bad. But, I can’t sell you liquor. However, the house special, you can have.” she shrugged a shoulder, wandering away. She returned moments later with a tall glass of dark brown liquid before walking away.

“Excuse me, bartender--,” he started when she cut him off.

“The name’s Jasper.”

“Alright, Jasper, what is this?” he jerked a thumb to the glass in front of him.

“Chocolate milk.” Jasper tossed carelessly over her shoulder as she resumed cleaning the glasses sitting on the bar.

“Chocolate milk?” JC demanded incredulously, causing Lonnie to snicker softly as he took a seat at one of the small tables.

“Would you like a chocolate milk, too?” Jasper called out to the bodyguard.

“I’d love one, ma’am.” Lonnie nodded, giving her a small grin. She nodded, an impressed smile curving her lips as she wandered over to the table, setting a tall glass of chocolate milk in front of the bodyguard.

“Thank you.” Lonnie nodded.

“Welcome.” Jasper gave him a sunny grin, taking her place behind the counter again. JC shook his head, watching the exchange with bemusement. Usually Lonnie was rather quiet, only talking to strangers when he had to, but the bear of a man seemed genuinely comfortable around the young woman. He gazed down into his glass, rolling his eyes when he noticed the dark liquid once again. JC sighed softly, mind fluttering back to the problems facing his personal life.

“You look like you could use someone to talk to.” Jasper commented, wiping down the counter with a damp rag.

“No, I couldn’t use someone to talk to.” JC snapped irritably, his gaze remaining cast down into the glass in front of him. Jasper gritted her teeth, reminding herself that forgiveness was divine and took a deep breath to steady her nerves for the abrupt conversation that would inevitably come.

“Just making an observation.” she muttered, tossing the rag into the sink a few feet away as she busied herself with putting glasses away. JC sighed, rolling his eyes once again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.” he grumbled.

“Yes you did, but, that’s alright. It’s understandable. Everyone who comes into this place has some sort of problem they feel they can’t talk to anyone about. I’m used to jerks by now.” Jasper shrugged an indolent shoulder, wincing when she could practically see the disapproval on Michael’s face.

“You didn’t need to go as far as name calling.” JC pointed out logically.

“You didn’t need to go as far as to bring your foul mood into my bar. Now, would you care to talk about it?” Jasper folded her arms across her chest, arching an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t know where to start.” he shook his head, sighing.

“The beginning in generally a good starting place.” Jasper snorted dryly. JC glanced up at her briefly, gritting his teeth.

“One would think so, wouldn’t they?” he muttered the sarcastic question. “My girlfriend, she’s pregnant.”

“And you’re not happy about this?” Jasper rested her hands on the counter.

“I’m twenty-four years old and in a career that causes me to travel eleven months out of the year. I’m not ready to have a family yet.” JC shook his head, raking a hand through his hair and gulped down half of the chocolate milk sitting in front of him.

“What do you think you should do?” Jasper inquired, sympathy coursing through her.

“Well, if she is pregnant, the only thing I can do. Marry her.” JC shrugged a shoulder, sighing as he closed his eyes tightly.

“Are you sure that’s the right thing to do?” she continued, lifting an eyebrow.

“What else is there left for me to do? I have to take responsibility for my actions. I’m not going to bail on my child. And I refuse to be an absentee father.” he muttered softly, a sharp pain stabbing through his heart at the thought of life as he knew it, ending.

“Which means?” Jasper prodded gently.

“Leaving the group. Getting a steady job. Buy a house. Marry Rebecca.” he winced, knowing he sounded like a man facing the firing squad.

“You can take responsibility for your actions without having to give up what you love most.” she pointed out logically.

“How so?” JC snorted, finally meeting the young woman’s gaze.

“Not marrying is common these days. I mean, it’s not the fifties anymore. You can still be a part of your child’s life and not be your child’s wife. You can still support your child.” she suggested, gesturing helplessly.

“Yeah. The media would love that, wouldn’t they?” JC sighed, shaking his head slowly. “It’s just not possible. I mean, it’s bad enough I got the girl pregnant, to not marry her now would be begging for a law suit of some sort.”

“But, the point I’m trying to make here is, you don’t have to quit doing what you love. You don’t have to stop singing if you don’t want to.” Jasper pointed out, folding her hands in front of her.

“You don’t know what it’s like to have the entire world watching every little thing you do. If I don’t marry her, I’ll be setting a bad example to the fans. People will associate me with not taking responsibility for my actions, impassioned or not.” he shrugged a shoulder, raking a hand through his hair.

“You willingly put the weight of the world on your shoulders, but, Josh, the world doesn’t have to be this heavy.” she shook her head, her heart going out to him.

“How do you know my name?” he demanded, a small trickle of awareness sliding down his spine.

“Lucky guess.” she shrugged, sighing inwardly at her slip. “Talk to your friends about this. Maybe they’ll be able to help you decide what to do with your life.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” JC sighed, climbing to his feet. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill.

“Put your money away, it’s on the house.” Jasper held up a hand, shaking her head. He gazed at her for a moment, before sighing and nodding.

“Thanks for not selling me any liquor. You probably saved my life.” JC gave her a wary smile then headed to the front door.

“Anytime.” Jasper murmured, folding her arms across her chest as the two men disappeared from view.

Justin sighed, setting the script in his lap aside on the bedside table as he closed his eyes tightly, mind wandering to the past and what could have been his childhood. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger, taking a deep steadying breath. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy what his life held for him now. He just wondered what it would have been like to have a normal childhood, to graduate from high school with a normal ceremony. His eyes snapped open, gazing through the window at the twilight of the night. Sleep would be good right about now. He shook his head, pulling the covers on the bed beneath him back, then he switched off the light and made himself comfortable with his hands stacked behind his head, eyes gazing sightlessly up at the ceiling. Slowly, the blink of his eyes became more prolonged, lengthier until his eyelids remained shut.

Quinn shook her head, wondering what in the world she could do to help the young man who slept peacefully before her. She knew he was in a kind of torment not many people knew, but she also had no idea how to help him. And he was only one of five. She took a deep breath, snapping her fingers.

Justin blinked, glancing around the crowded hallway, confusion settling into his mind when he registered the weight of a book bag slung over his shoulder. He glanced down at the clothing he wore, his eyebrows shooting up. A blue and white letterman’s jacket encased his shoulders over a ‘What if the hokey pokey really is what it’s all about?’ t-shirt, baggy blue jeans and sneakers completed the outfit. His rings and necklace were gone.

“Yo, Timberlake! You ready to make twenty baskets at the game tonight?” an unfamiliar voice called from down the hall.

“You know it.” Justin called back, shaking his head as he raked a hand through his curly hair, glancing around him once again. This is what he imagined high school was like. A slow smile curved his lips as he sauntered down the hallway. He gave a pretty girl a wink as he passed her on his way to what he assumed was his next class. He tried not to think too much about anything. Instinctively, he would know what he needed to do. Just as suddenly, the hallway dissolved and he was left in darkness.

“What now?” he sighed, his clothing switching back to what he wore on a daily basis when he made his life in the eye of the public. The book bag was gone, as was the letterman’s jacket and the cute girl he had winked at.

“Just out of idle curiosity, why do you yearn so much for something that is unattainable to you?” an unfamiliar female voice inquired. He spun on his heel, eyes narrowing when he recognized the angel Quinn standing before him.

“What are you doing here? Threatening us with a stranding at a mall wasn’t enough?” Justin demanded, raising his brows.

“I wasn’t threatening you. Merely proving a point.” Quinn shrugged a shoulder, folding her arms across her chest.

“Fine. Your point’s been proven. Now what do you want?” Justin raked a hand through his hair.

“An answer to my question.” she sighed impatiently, tapping her foot.

“Why do I yearn for something unattainable? Its probably because it’s unattainable. The more you can’t have it, the more you want it, and the more you want it, the more you dream about it. Chain of reaction.” he mumbled, shaking his head.

“That’s what I don’t understand. You have a wonderful life. You have family and friends who care about you. You’re doing what you always wanted to do and making a decent living at it. What’s the problem?” Quinn arched an eyebrow.

“There’s not a problem. I just also wish I could have had a more normal childhood. I mean, I graduated from high school via a tutor and my graduation ceremony was held on stage during a concert we were performing.” he sighed, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“No one other than you can say that. The experience was unique, something that helps define who you are.” Quinn tried, at a loss for words. How could you convince someone he was having a good life when he didn’t want to be convinced?

“I’m not saying I didn’t appreciate it. All I’m saying is, I would have liked a normal ceremony and all the things that go with it. I’ve been to five proms, but none of them were my own. I’ve been to dozens of high school basketball games, but I didn’t belong to either school playing. I never had the chance to experience Homecoming, basketball tryouts, missing homework, detention.” he gestured helplessly.

“Justin, you may not have had all those things when you were younger. But, take a look at what you did have. You’ve traveled the world a couple of times over. And along the way, you’ve formed a bond with four other people. Not everyone in the world can say they’ve had that. At nineteen, you’re able to take care of your family and you do so willingly. How many other people can say the same? Justin, what you have is the world in the palm of your hand. Just because you didn’t get to experience some of the things you wish you had, doesn’t mean that the rest of this is worthless.” Quinn took a step forward.

“I realize that.” Justin snapped, rolling his eyes. “I just want to know what it’s all like. That’s all.”

“I can’t help you out in that department. I’m sorry.” she sighed.

Lance yawned, pleasantly exhausted from his day of swimming and helping Joe run after a rambunctious little boy who happened to be better known as Randy. He shook his head, raking a hand through his hair as he stumbled into his hotel room, ready for a peaceful night of phone conversations and sleep. Sleep was something he sorely missed when he was on the road. Most nights, the group weren’t able to hit their beds much before 2 in the morning due to various engagements, then they had to turn around and get up for 5:30 in the morning, which equaled out to about three and a half hours of sleep every night. It was no wonder why most of the members caught power naps whenever they could. Lance sighed, flopping down onto the bed and reached for the remote control to the television, turning it on to surf through the channels as he talked on the phone. He made a face, watching and a couple of the screen kissed passionately, immediately changing the channel. He didn’t need to be reminded of the fact that he was alone. He thought for a moment, then decided to procrastinate a little bit and put off making his phone calls until the next morning after breakfast, which would probably be around two in the afternoon. The group had the day off from everything. He glanced at the clock. They would have to leave soon for the venue for a last minute sound check before the concert. He glanced up when a knock sounded at his door. Lance lurched to his feet and wandered over to the door, pulling it open.

“Melody?” he lifted an eyebrow, obviously shocked beyond anything else to see her.

“Mr. Bass, I’d just like to thank you for helping with my son. I know he can be a handful.” Melody shifted from foot to foot nervously, almost as if she would rather be anywhere but standing in front of him.

“It’s no problem and no thanks are necessary.” Lance tried to ease her obvious nervousness with a smile.

“Yeah. Well. Anyway. Oh! The new and improved script.” she shoved a handful of printed paper into his hands. “I only made one copy because I wasn’t sure if those are the types of changes you wanted or not, that and I’m running low on paper.”

“Thanks. The guys and I will give it a run through after the concert tonight. Hey, why don’t you bring Randy?” Lance suggested, setting the new script onto the bedside table, glancing over his shoulder at her.

“I don’t know about that. It’s hard keeping track of him when there’s only ten other people in the room. A couple of thousand would be much more difficult.” Melody’s eye’s widened, shaking her head slowly.

“No, no. You misunderstood me, I was talking about watching the show from backstage. Less people back there, better view of what’s going on.” Lance waved a casual hand in the air, turning to face her once again.

“I don’t know, Mr. Bass.” Melody sighed, rubbing her fingers across her forehead.

“Mr. Bass. Please, it’s Lance. You call me that and I think you’re talking about my father. Besides, it’d be a great way to tire the tyke out.” Lance shrugged a shoulder, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. He felt badly for his first assumption of the woman and somehow wanted to make it up to her, especially since Randy was basically a really good, if energetic and rambunctious, kid.

“You have a point – Lance.” Melody smiled ruefully. “I guess I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“Good. We’re all leaving for sound check in about an hour. You can join us then, or wait until the concert in a few hours.” Lance shifted from foot to foot.

“I think it would probably be safer if I followed you in my rental car. Randy can tear apart a bus in three seconds flat.” Melody laughed softly, shaking her head.

“Alright. We’ll meet you at the elevators in an hour?” Lance arched an eyebrow and she nodded.

“Sounds good to me. See you later.” she tossed a careless wave to him before disappearing from his view. He shook his head, closing the door, wondering what in the world made him want to ask her to come to the concert. Since his last attempt at a relationship turned out so badly, he hadn’t wanted to start anything with anyone, even if it was only friendship.

“You’re going to be working with her over the next few months. You should play nicely with her, or she’ll kill your character off and make your life miserable.” he mused thoughtfully. But, now that he thought about it, she did happen to be very beautiful in an unconventional way. He shook his head, groaning a laugh as he slapped a hand to his forehead.

Joe pulled together his belongings, shoving them all into a duffle bag so he would be prepared when they head to head to the venue in less than an hour. When he finished with the task, he flopped down onto the bed, tossing an arm over his eyes to block out the light and sighed in contentment. He could catch a power nap for about a half an hour and still be on time. He yawned hugely, shifting until his head hit the pillow, one of his arms curling beneath it for support. He groaned loudly when a knock sounded at his door.

“Go away. Joe’s not home right now. He died. However, he will be resurrected in about thirty minutes.” he called out loudly doing his best to ignore the persistent knocking, then banging. He grumbled under his breath as he climbed unsteadily to his feet and pulled the door open. Chris gave him a sunny smile, his foot lifted halfway to the door.

“What do you want Chris?” Joe demanded tiredly, stifling another yawn.

“Just wanted to let you know, you can’t call in dead to work. Anyway, Melody was looking for you. She was saying something about coming to the concert tonight with Randy. Wanted to know if you invited them.” Chris shrugged a shoulder.

“No. I didn’t. Maybe Lance did.” Joe mumbled, trying to push the door closed. He banged his forehead against the wood when Chris’s foot prevented him from completely shutting the door.

“You know we have to leave in forty-five minutes, right?” Chris inquired.

“Yes, Chris, I know. Get out. Leave me alone. Power nap time.” Joe mumbled, almost incoherently, giving the door a firm shove. Chris yelped in pain, yanking his abused foot out of the way, and winced when the door slammed shut. Joe stumbled back over to the bed and fell face first into the mattress, determined not to let anything undermine his power-naptime. After a moment, his mind began to drift pleasantly, everything becoming fuzzy around the edges. Then he yelped when the phone on the bedside table rang loudly, nearly forcing him to sit bolt upright. He fumbled for a moment, reaching for the phone.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Fatone, this is the wakeup call you requested.”

“I didn’t request a wake up call.”

“I’m sorry sir, I have it written down here on the wakeup call sheet.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t really need to take a power nap.” Joe grumbled, hanging up the phone, then sighed, wondering who had called the front desk asking for a wakeup call for his room.

“CHRISTOPHER!” Joe yelped, eyes snapping open as he bounded to his feet. He yanked open the door only to see a laughing Chris bolt into his room, slamming the door behind him. Joe gritted his teeth to prevent a laugh from escaping, folding his arms across his chest.

“Just remember, Kirkpatrick, payback’s a bitch!” Joe caroled in a sing-song voice.

Chris grinned to himself, sighing out a breath as he rested his back against the headboard of the bed he was currently sitting on. It had been pure genius to call the front desk and ask for a wakeup call in five minutes for Joe’s room, and now that Joe was wide awake and rather disgruntled, he sat back to enjoy the next half hour alone with nothing but leisurely activities to occupy his mind. Without thinking, he reached for his cellular phone and quickly dialed a number. The phone rang five times before someone finally answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dani.”

“Hi, you. What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Now, isn’t that the voice of innocence and virtue.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“I’d never do that, Chris. What’d you do to Joe?”

“How’d you know it was Joe?”

“So you did do something, then. I guessed Joe cause you got JC a couple of weeks ago, Lance just after that, and Justin was last week. By all rights, it was Joe’s turn to suffer greatly at your hands.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence. I’ll have you know I did nothing to poor Joseph.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Honestly. I just did him a favor.”

“And what would this favor entail?”

“A wakeup call to make sure he wasn’t late for sound check.”

“How long after he feel asleep?”

“Five minutes.”

“You’re evil, Chris.”

“That’s not what my mom says.”

“Your mom just doesn’t want to break your heart.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey, I call them like I see them.”

“Are you going to come to a show?”

“Well, that was an abrupt change of subject.”

“I tend to do that every once in a while. Helps keep people on their toes.”

“But, I’m sitting down.”

“Yeah? What are you doing?”

“Studying for one of my classes.”

“And which class would this be?”

“English Literature from beginning to 1789.”

“Ooh, sounds like fun.”

“Oh, it is. We get to decipher Chaucer and various other lyrical writers who’ve long since decomposed.”

“That’s a pleasant thought.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the truth.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You asked a question?”

“I did.”

“Which was?”

“Are you going to come to a show? We only have a few left before we break for filming.”

“I’m not sure I can get away long enough to see one before then. Aren’t you going back out after the initial filming ends?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then why can’t I catch one of those shows?”

“Cause I miss you and want to see you.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Chris, no I didn’t.”

“Don’t make me repeat it.”

“What did you say?”

“I said, cause I miss you and want to see you. Happy now?”

“Yes, actually I am.”

“Does that mean you’ll catch an earlier show?”

“I’ll try. I’m not going to promise anything. Alright?”

“I guess that’s good enough for now.”

“So, what’s going on with the rest of the guys?”

“Justin’s been awfully quiet lately. I haven’t had the chance to talk to him about it yet. JC’s been a bear for the last few hours, so I’m figuring something happened between him and Rebecca. Lance is alright, and Joe’s received a new sidekick.”

“A new sidekick?”

“Yeah, Randy, a little kid about five. He’s the son of the scriptwriter. Kid’s a trip from what I’ve seen. Has as much energy as me.”

“Lord help you all.”

“I’m thinking that’s an insult.”

“No. I just know what you’re like when you get hyper.”

“Everyone knows what I’m like when I get hyper. But, you also know that’s mostly a show for everyone around me.”

“I know, and someday, you’re going to tell me why you put up the façade.”

“Someone has to be the funny guy. Justin’s the dreamboat, JC’s the serious one, Lance is the shy one and Joe is the flirt. That only left the funny man, and seriously, I’m the only one who can pull it off decently.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question.”

“It’s easier to pretend to be happy all the time rather than not be happy all the time and be constantly asked ‘what’s wrong’ and ‘are you okay’.”

“That still didn’t answer my question, but, okay.”

“What’s wrong, Dani?”

“Nothing, Chris. Sometimes I just miss the serious you. The one I met in college. The one I had philosophical debates with.”

“He’s still around, Dani. He’s just taking a break.”

“Chris, I have to go.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Chris. Don’t worry about it. I have to go.”

“Dani--,”

“Bye, Chris.”

Chris sighed, closing his eyes as he pressed the end button on his cell phone, tossing the object onto the bed beside him. She had sounded strange, even when she wasn’t talking about the old him, which was odd for her. She always seemed to have a few kind words for him when he really needed them. And now she was acting somewhat remotely, as if she wasn’t letting her entire self interact with him. He rolled his eyes, stacking his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the ceiling. Things were beginning to change between the two of them. She was becoming busier as she finished up her degree, and would become even busier once she started her career. She was also becoming more remote. He had to practically force her to talk some nights. He sighed, closing his eyes. More than anything, he wished she were with him so they could talk face to face. Phones and e-mail were wonderful things, but what he needed right now was an actual conversation where he could see every expression in her eyes. He glanced over at the clock, groaning when he realized he was one minute late for meeting the guys to go to the venue.

“So much for being on time.” he muttered savagely to himself as he lurched to his feet.

Chris sighed from his perch near the ceiling. It didn’t matter how many times he and the rest of the group did this sort of thing, it always seemed to make his heart try and claim mutiny by escaping through his throat. He closed his eyes, blinking hard as he committed himself to deep breathing. Lance was to his left, talking with Justin, whom was right next to him. JC was directly to Justin’s left, leaving the youngest man in the middle of the fray, talking to Joe who was on JC’s left. Chris gritted his teeth, closing his eyes once again as the din of the fans became nearly deafening. Thankfully, they all wore earplugs to keep most of the screams to a dull roar. Suddenly, Pinocchio’s ‘I Got No Strings’ started playing over the loud speakers, the roar of the fans rising with anticipation.

“Would you look at the fear on that kid’s face?” amusement laced Jasper’s voice as she gazed at Chris.

“Have we figured out what’s going on with him? Why we need to help him?” Quinn countered with a tired sigh, arms folding across her chest.

“He’s in love with his best friend and doesn’t know it yet.” Jasper mumbled, wondering what in the world was going on with her partner. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just wanting this assignment to end already.” Quinn nodded, glancing over at Justin, who had plastered a smile onto his face.

“Oh.” Jasper nodded, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she gazed at her friend, concern shining in her eyes.

Melody stood off to the side of the stage with Randy, watching the opening songs of the show with something akin to shock. They were better than she thought they’d be. Most of the time, these boy bands couldn’t sing worth a damn live, but these guys were most definitely holding their own, which surprised her greatly. She tightened her hand around Randy’s when he began to dance around so he couldn’t wander off and get into trouble. Her eyes traveled around the stage, which was elaborately set up with dozens of futuristic things, and shook her head with an amused smile. They definitely put on a show to please the masses.

Melody rolled her eyes, recognizing the song that had lived on the radio for more than six months causing a frenzy of female teenage hormones to go rampant with puppy lust. A small smile twitched the corners of her lips as she gazed down at Randy, who was twirling around in a small circle.

“How are you enjoying the show?” an unfamiliar voice inquired from beside her.

“It’s good, certainly wasn’t expecting all of this. I’m impressed.” Melody nodded with a smile, glancing over at the large man beside her. She could only guess he was a member of their security team.

Melody’s hand tightened around Randy’s as the five young men on stage started talking to the crowd, asking them if they were ready to have for a good time and telling them how happy they were about being in their city. The crowd’s response was deafening.

“Mommy? Why are all those people screamin’?” Randy tugged on her hand, capturing her attention.

“Well, honey, I suppose it’s because all those people like them.” Melody shrugged a shoulder.

“Why do they like them?” Randy continued his line of questioning, obviously interested in the antics going on.

“They’re singers, entertainers. When people are in the spotlight all the time like them, they develop fans.” Melody knelt in front of her son, trying to explain the phenomenon called ‘N Sync.

“So they’re screamin’ cause those people like their singin’?” Randy made a face.

“Yeah, Randy.” Melody laughed, nodding.

“Mommy, can I be an entertainer when I grow up?” Randy tugged on his mother’s hand again.

“You can if you want to.” Melody nodded, grinning. Her son was already quite the entertainer, something he had inherited from his father and mother both. A small pang speared her heart. She hadn’t thought about Marc in a very long time. Not since her son’s first birthday.

“Can I be one now?” Randy’s voice brought her out of the past.

“Well, honey, I don’t know. Can you sing?” Melody lifted an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Randy nodded so vigorously that his entire body weaved slightly.

Jasper paced around on the stage, rubbing her fingers across her forehead, thinking. She had to do something, had to figure out how to help these guys and it wasn’t easy to say the least. It what she had witnessed already, they were more stubborn than any other human she had ever met. She sighed, watching as the five men danced behind her. When the screams began getting on her nerves, she waved a hand and they became mute for her. She strolled over to JC, arms folded across her chest as she stood in front of him.

“You want to give this up? If you could see the look in your eyes right now, you’d know leaving this would be the wrong decision.” she shook her head, knowing he was unable to hear her. He kept singing, the dancing for the most part stalled for the moment as he reached out to the audience, arms akimbo, face turned up, eyes shut. Jasper sighed heavily, moving over to stand in front of Chris.

“And you, you think you’re too old for this. Do you think getting married and having kids is going to change how you feel your age? Think again. Children make you feel older. I can see it on your face. You don’t want to give this up.” Jasper mumbled tiredly.

“What are you doing?” Quinn inquired from behind her. Startled, Jasper spun around, hand held to her heart.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again!” Jasper scolded, taking a deep breath, closing her eyes tightly.

“You didn’t answer my question, Jasper. What are you doing?” Quinn folded her arms across her chest. Jasper just shook her head, turning away from her friend.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Jasper mumbled softly.

“Oh, no. You’re becoming attached, aren’t you?” Quinn demanded incredulously.

“How can I not? They’re helpless, they’re in pain and they all think they’d be better off if they weren’t in the group. How can I not become attached?” Jasper exclaimed, tossing her hands into the air.

“You know better.” Quinn sighed, lifting a hand to her forehead.

“You’re one to talk.” Jasper turned once again the face her friend, lips set in a firm line.

“What do you mean by that?” Quinn snorted, outraged.

“You’ve become attached too. It’s only been twenty hours, and you’re already becoming attached. So don’t climb up on your high and mighty horse just yet.” Jasper pointed out.

“I have not become attached. We’ve never been on any given assignment this long. Not really, anyway.” Quinn shook her head, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

“I was thinking we should go check out these girlfriends and girl friends of these guys.” Jasper mumbled, glancing over at the other angel.

“What do you mean?” Quinn lifted an eyebrow.

“Go see what Dani and Rebecca are up to. Maybe it’ll help us figure out how to help them better.” Jasper shrugged.

“We could do that.” Quinn nodded, brow furrowed slightly with worry.

“Then we should. Who would you like to take? Dani or Rebecca?” Jasper turned wary eyes to her friend.

“Rebecca.” Quinn answered, somehow knowing her friend didn’t want to see the woman just yet.

“Alright, then I’ll see to Dani.” Jasper nodded, turning away from her friend.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Quinn touched her friend’s shoulder.

“Fine, Quinny. Just have this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Jasper forced a smile, turning her gaze back to the young men standing in front of her.

Randy wiggled and moved to the beat of the song, doing his best to sing along with the group. Melody shook her head, grinning at her son’s antics. Randy was definitely the type to do very well in the entertainment business. He was easy-going and very lovable. But then, she was biased. Randy let go over her hand, spinning around in a circle before running out onto the stage. Melody’s heart stopped, her hand flying to her mouth when Randy wandered over to Joe, throwing his arms around the older man’s legs. Joe glanced down, completely startled, then laughed upon seeing Randy’s face beaming up at him.

“Hey Randy,” Joe stooped down and picked the youngster up into his arms as the last of the song faded.

“Uh, Joe? What’s going on?” Justin arched his eyebrows. Joe shrugged, glancing out at the audience bashfully. Randy caught his attention once again by yanking on the sleeve of his shirt.

“Sing ‘nother song.” He demanded playfully.

“Which one do you want to hear?” Joe bit his lip to keep from laughing, the whole conversation being broadcasted through his microphone.

“I’m A Little Teapot.” Randy answered firmly. Joe pressed his lips firmly together, eyes dancing with amusement.

“You’re sure that’s what you want to hear?” Joe questioned, glancing over at JC, who shook his head, laughing. Justin looked as if he were caught between amusement and horror; Lance just grinned and Chris was nodding his head vigorously.

“I don’t remember the choreography to that song. You want to teach us real quick?” Joe continued, setting the little boy down onto the stage, shaking his head at security when they made a move to take the child from the stage.

“You don’t know the dancing to I’m A Little Teapot?” Randy demanded, eyes wide with shock.

“Nope. It’s been a while since we’ve performed that song. We’re old. We tend to forget things.” Joe shrugged a shoulder as JC, Lance and Chris wandered over to where Joe stood with Randy.

“Okay,” Randy sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. “Put your hands on your hips like this.”

JC’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as the five guys from ‘N Sync propped their hands on their hips, watching Randy for the cues to change position.

“Now, put your right arm out like this.” Randy demonstrated by holding out his right arm in a downward curve. The five young men followed suit.

“Okay, this is next.” Randy dipped to his right, his hand nearly touching the floor.

“Anything else?” Joe smiled. Randy shook his head, brow furrowed in concentration.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Okay, how about you start us off.” Joe suggested, much to the little boy’s delight. Joe handed the little boy his microphone, tossing an amused glance over at his friends, who all looked as if they were about to burst into gales of laughter. Randy took a deep breath, pulling the microphone up to his mouth.

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout.” He shouted at the top of his lungs. The group joined in through their laughter, singing as best they could.

“Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, hear me shout. Just tip me over and pour me out.” Randy finished the song, ‘N Sync following directly behind him.

“How was that?” Joe turned to the little boy.

“It was okay,” Randy nodded gravely. “But you still need some work.”

“We’ll keep practicing until we get it right.” Joe promised with a nod.

“Okay. Sing another song, okay?” Randy grinned, twisting his body back and forth.

“Okay. We will.” Joe nodded, chuckling softly.

“Kay, good.” Randy thrust the microphone back into Joe’s hand.

“Thanks, buddy.” Joe slapped the little boy’s hand before Randy spun on his heel and ran off the stage. Joe watched him bolt, making sure he didn’t trip and fall over anything on the stage and met the horrified eyes of Melody.

“I’m sorry.” She mouthed, her face flaming a bright red. Joe shook his head silently, giving her a smile, letting her know it was quite all right.

Quinn sighed, gazing around the small apartment cluttered with numerous knickknacks and framed pictures of many people. This woman Rebecca’s apartment looked like something out of a bad nineteen-eighties movie with really bad deco art covering the walls and light pink carpeting covering the floors. She shook her head, roaming from room to room and finally came across Rebecca. The woman sat on her bed, holding a small couch pillow in her hands, her shoulders hunched.

“You can do this.” Rebecca muttered to herself, climbing to her feet. She wandered over to the full-length mirror hanging from one of the walls opposite her bed. She pulled her shirt out and stuffed the pillow beneath it as she gazed at her profile in the mirror.

“He’ll never know the difference.” She explained to the mirror.

Quinn raised her eyebrows, patiently watching the young woman, hoping to find out more about what was going on. It didn’t seem like the young woman happened to be happy over her pregnancy, which most women were. Then again, most of the women whom where happy about pregnancy were already married.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, tossing the pillow across the room as she flopped down on the bed and picked up the phone. She quickly dialed the number to her best friend and waited for him to pick up. After four rings, he finally did.

“Hello?”

“Hey Andy.”

“Rebecca? Do you know what time it is?”

“No, didn’t look at a clock before I called. Sorry if I woke you.”

“Whatever. What’s going on?”

“I’m scared, Andy.”

“Scared about what?”

“What if Jace doesn’t marry me? What am I going to tell my parents?”

“The truth. That you screwed up but you’re taking care of it?”

“God, what is it with people? I thought you’d be supportive.”

“I’m trying to be, Becca, it’s just rather difficult when this is all you talk about.”

“What else am I supposed to talk about? The weather?”

“Anything other than a could be pregnancy. You even said yourself that you weren’t sure if you were or not, and I know there’s more going on in your life than this.”

“Why are you being an asshole?”

“Becca, I’m not. I’m just being human.”

“Go to hell.”

“What? Damn it, what? You know how I feel about this? I hate lying to people, no matter who they are. What you’re planning on doing is wrong, so severely wrong there are no words to describe what I’m feeling.”

“I don’t have a choice, Andy. If my parents actually though I would… Jace is.. Andy, don’t make me do this.”

“I’m not making you do a damn thing.”

“You know it would never work.”

“What would never work. That baby is mine, and you know it.”

“No, it’s not. Andy, you wish it were yours. But it’s Jace’s. We slept with one another once, and that was three months ago. Don’t you think I would have noticed long before now if it were yours?”

“That’s crap and you know it.”

“Andy, please don’t do this.”

“Whatever. Have a nice life, Rebecca.”

She winced, hanging up the phone as she curled into herself on her bed. She hadn’t asked for this to happen. Hadn’t asked to get pregnant. Hadn’t asked for there to be two possible fathers. But, she loved JC and for all intents and purposes, he was the only one for her. She didn’t spend the last three years working on a relationship with him to let it slip through her fingers now.

Quinn’s eyes widened, mouth falling open as she shook her head, pacing around the room. The little tramp was a liar and she was going to drag two innocent men down with her. Fury hazed her vision and she felt like giving the girl a reality slap. Men didn’t like being lied to, especially about the possibility of pregnancy and who the baby belonged to.

“She’ll get what’s coming to her, Quinn.” A familiar male voice reminded her. The young angel glanced up, startled.

“Michael, people like her shouldn’t be mothers. They haven’t earned the right.” Quinn shook her head.

“In your opinion.” Michael sighed.

“My opinion? She’s not only destroying her life, she’s destroying the lives of two other innocent people.” Quinn exclaimed loudly, tossing her hands into the air.

“That’s not for us to decide. We can only guide people, not make decisions for them.” Michael tried to reason with his young charge.

“And we do. We show them the right path, tell them things need to change, and they don’t care.” Quinn shook her head sadly, thrusting her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

“They do care, but they’re also human. They’re bound to make thousands of mistakes before they learn. That’s part of what makes their lives so fulfilling.” Michael gestured helplessly with a hand. He had once felt the same way years and years ago when he was still a guardian angel. Quinn just sighed, shoulders sagging.

“You should get back to the concert.” Michael tried to change the subject, snapping his fingers. Quinn grumbled under her breath as she suddenly appeared on the stage where ‘N Sync was performing.

Jasper leaned back against the wall as she watched Dani write furiously in a small notebook, her shoulders hunched as she wrote. She had seen this before. Jasper had done the same thing when Gabriel had gone off to the war. She had written for hours, sometimes angrily, sometimes fearfully. Jasper shook her head, closing her eyes. She could recognize Dani as a woman in pain. The young angel couldn’t place the reason behind the pain the young woman felt, but she knew with almost certainty that it was either love or death. Love and death were the two most common things to put a person in such confusion, such pain. Jasper folded her arms across her chest, gazing on with mild curiosity, wishing she could read what the young woman happened to be writing, though she knew she was invading someone’s privacy, it couldn’t be helped if she were to know what was going on with the young woman.

Dani sighed, rubbing her cramping hand with tender fingers. She thought she had outgrown writing, but, for some reason, she had wanted to start up a journal again. Of all the things she would never say, never do, and never let herself feel. She was shocked to find there were a lot of things she wouldn’t let herself do, say or feel. Pages filled of things. She shook her head, tossing the pen onto the table as she settled back against the back of the chair. She glanced over at the phone, staunching the immediate desire to call Chris, unconsciously reaching for the phone, then stopping short. He would be in the middle of a concert at this point in the evening. Singing to thousands of screaming women. She sighed, closing her eyes as her mind drifted to the times he would sing for her and no one else. A bitter-sweet smile twisted the corners of her lips upward. Without thinking, she closed her notebook turned journal with finality, pushing herself to her feet. She had to forget about Chris, but if she was honest with herself, every relationship she had been in throughout the last few years had been all about forgetting about the man. It was hard to do when he would call her on a nightly basis, just to talk, to hear her voice. And she found herself looking forward to his nightly calls, almost found herself depending on them, which was something that frightened her more than anything else. Because she knew she couldn’t have him.

She wandered from the room toward the bedroom. If nothing else, sleep would be a welcome distraction from her thoughts, if her mind would hush long enough for sleep to claim her. She crawled into bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin, shivering slightly in the cool air. Things were changing in her life. Everything was changing in her life. She was changing emotionally. The year before, all she cared about was getting her career established. Now, all she cared about was settling down and having a family. And Chris would never come to the realization that she had loved him for years.

“Men can be so dense sometimes.” she mumbled, burrowing into her pillow as she sighed.

“You can say that again.” Jasper nodded ruefully. “As Quinn so often says: Men, they’re like puppies. Have to train them to do every little thing or they follow you around looking lost.”

“I’m going to say yes.” Dani breathed, closing her eyes.

Jasper’s eyes widened when she finally noticed the diamond on the young woman’s left ring finger.

Lance mopped his face with a soft, clean white towel as he sat in the limo trying to catch his breath. The concert had been a good one, going off without a hitch, which surprised him greatly. Usually there was one mishap per concert. He shook his head, settling back against the leather interior of the limo. He grimaced when his cell phone rang. It never ceased to amaze him how soon after a concert his phone began ringing. He leaned over, reaching into his book bag to grab the cellular phone.

“Hello?”

“James? Good, you’re not performing.”

“No, mom, I’m not. Concert just ended about ten minutes ago. We’re on our way back to the hotel right now.”

“Good. Good. Listen, James, you have a week break coming up, right?”

“Yeah, starts on Thursday. We have to fly back to Orlando by next Thursday to talk about the film and various other projects that are in the works right now.”

“Good. That will give you plenty of time.”

“Plenty of time for what, mom?”

“To go see that girl I told you about.”

“Mom, I’m not spending my vacation recruiting, or trying to recruit, someone who doesn’t want to be recruited.”

“James, you’re not the military. You don’t recruit people, you represent them.”

“But, in order to represent them, I have to recruit them.”

“Don’t argue with me. Remember, you’re never too old and never too cool to do what your mother says.”

“Thanks for the reminder, mom.”

“Alright, on Thursday night, you’ll be on a flight to Utah.”

“Utah? Mom, what in the world is in Utah?”

“The girl I told you about.”

“Forget it. I’m not going to Utah during my only time off. You go to Utah. You recruit her. I’m tired and I plan on sleeping from Thursday night until Sunday morning.”

“Don’t argue with your mother, James. You’re going to Utah.”

“Mom.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me.”

“Mom.”

“Just go to Utah. You only need to be there for a couple of days. Then you can go home and sleep from Sunday night until Wednesday morning.”

“Mom.”

“My son, the repetitive genius. James, just a couple of days.”

“But, mom.”

“No buts. Just do it.”

“What are you? A spokesperson for Nike?”

“Sarcasm isn’t becoming.”

“Mom, I’m not going to Utah.”

“James.”

“Alright. Alright. I’ll go.”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you, mom.” Lance mumbled into the phone then hung up, thrusting the phone back into his book bag.

Joe grumbled softly to himself, standing in front of his hotel room door, searching through his book bag in search of the key to his room. He could have sworn he’d stuffed it into the smaller side pocket, but it wasn’t there. He shook his head, closing his eyes before frustration could take hold of him. He took a deep breath, sighing it out, then began searching once again.

“Troubles?” a familiar voice inquired, amused.

“Yeah, I can’t seem to find my key.” Joe mumbled, glancing up with a frustrated smile. Melody laughed softly.

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” she arched an eyebrow, a sleeping Randy resting in her arms, cheek pressed against her shoulder.

“Why? Are you missing your key, too?” Joe snorted as he started digging through his book bag again.

“No, but, I did want to thank you for being so… so wonderful with Randy tonight. I know it must have been hard to have him appear on stage like he did.” Melody flushed, rolling her eyes. She hadn’t felt this flustered since she had first met Randy’s father, who also happened to be a giant flirt.

“It’s no problem. We all had a good time. It was an interesting side note for our show.” Joe shrugged, grunting in triumph when he came across his hotel room key.

“Still, thank you.” She mumbled again, glancing down the hallway. Joe turned to her and smiled.

“Would you like to come in for a while?” he blurted without thinking.

“Thank you, no. I have to get this little monster to bed.” Melody shook her head, reminding herself that she was a mother and she couldn’t do anything she wanted to whenever she wanted. She had to make sacrifices.

“All right. Sleep well, Melody.” Joe nodded, understanding though a stab of disappointment sliced through him. Melody sighed softly, turning to wander down the hallway to her own hotel room, then stopped short.

“I don’t know if you’re interested, but, I know Randy. Once I set him on the bed, he’s going to wake up. We have a couple of Disney movies if you’d like to watch them with us.” Melody offered, groaning inwardly at rushing into something when she wasn’t sure about anything. What’s the worst that can happen? You spill the popcorn on the floor? It’s just a movie.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Joe nodded, tossing his book bag into the hotel room then closed the door once again, pocketing the room key. He silently followed Melody down the hall to the hotel room she shared with her young son. Just as Melody had predicted, Randy’s eyes opened immediately upon being laid on the bed.

“Movie?” he questioned sleepily.

“Sure, sweetie.” Melody nodded with a smile, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. “What do you want to watch?”

“Tarzan.” Randy yawned loudly, sprawling out on the end of the bed, resting his head on his folded arms. Melody ruffled his hair affectionately, walking over to a small bag resting next to the television stand, pulling out the movie. Moments later, the video flickered to life on the screen.

“He’s an awe inspiring kid.” Joe commented softly, taking a seat at the table next to the window as a very young gorilla with Rosie O’Donnell’s voice informed Tarzan he needed an elephant hair to join the group.

“Thank you.” Melody smiled, dropping down into the chair across the table from him.

“What happened to his father?” he inquired curiously. Melody winced inwardly, knowing this question would come up sooner or later. She had just hoped for later.

“There’s not much to tell about Mark.” she mumbled, shrugging a shoulder.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I don’t know when to keep my mouth shut.” Joe sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

“No – it’s alright. Mark was one of those men people just couldn’t say no to. And I wasn’t the exception to the rule. He also writes scripts. I met him when I was working as an intern for the Fox Network Studios. He, at the time, was the personal assistant to someone on the X-Files staff. I was a glorified gofer. I’m honestly not really sure how it happened. I’m not the type of person who can be swept away so easily, but, somehow he and I ended up going out a few times. We ended up falling into bed with one another. After that, he marked me off his conquest list and moved on to the next woman. When I told him I was pregnant, he quit his job and disappeared. To this day I don’t know where he is. Every once in a while I’ll get a check for child support, but….” her voice trailed off, a bitter smile twisting her lips.

“But?” Joe prompted gently.

“But that doesn’t stop me from loving him. I never did stop. But, I will never be duped by him again and I will never forgive him for what he’s done to Randy all these years.” Melody sighed, turning her gaze to the window, gazing sightlessly at the starry night.

“He’s the one who’s missing out.” his heart went out to her. Being a single mother had to be hard, harder still when a person had to rely on the fickle world of the entertainment business for work.

“Yes, he is.” Melody agreed softly.

“I should go.” Joe mumbled, hurriedly climbing to his feet. She glanced up, startled, then nodded, climbing to her own feet. He gazed at her for a moment, then closed his eyes, turning toward the door. Melody followed him to the door, holding it open as he stepped out into the hallway.

“Good night, Melody.” he lifted his hand, his fingertip gliding across the line of her jaw.

“Night, Joe.” she murmured, blushing slightly as she groaned inwardly. Joe gave her a smile, then wandered down the hall, hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans.

Melody closed and locked the door, resting her forehead against the cool wood. She had promised herself a long time ago that she would stay away from men who couldn’t stop themselves from flirting. And Joe, for all intents and purposes, was Flirty Spice. She rubbed a hand over her face, leaning back against the door, arms folded across her chest. She couldn’t deal with another Mark. How do you know he’s another Mark? You’ve seen for yourself how good he is with Randy. You’ve seen how much Randy likes him, the reasonable half of her brain defended the young man. But can you honestly handle another flirt? Someone who might not be around forever. And Randy deserves nothing less than forever.

Melody sighed, resting her head in her hands. Randy became so attached to people so quickly, she knew her son would wind up getting hurt. And she hated seeing him in pain. She shook her head, glancing over at her son, an affectionate smile tugging the corners of her lips. She didn’t know if she could do this again. She didn’t know if she could let herself do this again. It was hard being alone, but sometimes being alone was easier than being with someone else or being in the wrong relationship.

“Get ahold of yourself, girl. He hasn’t even asked you out yet, and you’re already worrying about where this is all leading to.” she mumbled to herself, shaking her head firmly. But you have to wonder. You can’t afford not to wonder. Not when you have a son to take care of. Melody sighed, pulling the comforter over Randy’s shoulders, tucking him into bed, before she, too, crawled into bed for the night.

Joe raked a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. Life on the road had always been tiring, he just hadn’t realized how tiring until he had found something he’d like to devote part of his time to. He shook his head, pushing open the door to his room, sighing gratefully when he noticed his roommate for the night wasn’t around. He didn’t really want to explain his pensive mood to anyone. He took a seat on the end of his bed, resting his head in his hands. He wasn’t sure what he was thinking about Melody and Randy, he just knew that when he was with the pair, he felt younger, more carefree than he had ever felt in his life. And he had just met them.

“You’re losing it, Joe.” he muttered to himself, raking a hand through his hair once again. “You just met this girl and already you can’t keep her from your mind. Definitely not healthy. Definitely not sane.”

He groaned loudly, flopping back on the bed, resting an arm over his eyes. He had to do something to get his mind off of her. Vaguely his mind wandered toward going out to a club but immediately dismissed the idea. He wasn’t in the mood to flirt with strangers and he had a feeling it wouldn’t have helped anyway. A thought of watching a movie trailed right behind, causing him to snicker loudly. He doubted any movie could take his mind from Melody’s beautiful, expressive face.

“All right, Fatone. You need to stop thinking like this. Now.” he gritted his teeth, closing his eyes tightly. It didn’t work.

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