*Disclaimer - I do not own any of the members of 'N Sync (though we do like screwing with them through the fictional escape we call our stories.. Kidding.. Just kidding folks) they belong to their respective owners. I do, however, own all fictional characters such as Ashley, Mike and Rachel. As always, plagiarism is AGAINST THE LAW, so please don't. Thank you kindly.

**Spoiler - this is a warning to all you BAH HUMBUG people.. (I'm one of them too sometimes) this story is Christmas related.. in fact.. it takes place during Christmas..thank you...have a nice day.

Ashley sighed with aggravation as she flipped through a collector's magazine. What do you get for the guy who has everything money could buy? Joe was hard enough to shop for without throwing this complication in with it. At the moment 'N Sync was touring on their own headlining tour. The last she heard, they were getting ready to leave Atlanta to head for some city in California. She could never keep track of just where they were going, and could never remember until they had actually left the city.

Ashley rolled over and looked at her alarm clock. 2:42 am. She groaned closing her eyes. With finals coming up next week, her nerves were shot and she hadn't been sleeping well lately. Another contributor to those problems was the new apartment she and Mike had moved into. The place was a huge loft located on the outskirts of Orlando. Needless to say, it was a far cry from a cramped dorm room and she hadn't gotten used to the wide open spaces.

Ashley climbed to her feet and padded quietly to the kitchen to get something to munch on. She grabbed a bag of pre-popped popcorn and a glass of iced tea then walked into the living room. Mike, who rarely ever slept, sat on the couch in the dark with a home video playing on the VCR. Images of Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Joe Fatone flashed across the screen. Mike's younger brother, Jasper, had filmed this tape during the last 'vacation' they had all taken together about nine or ten months ago.

The guys of 'N Sync had miraculously gotten a week off from recording, touring and television appearances and they had all headed to a secluded house on the beach. An image of JC and Mike slow dancing on the sand floated onto the screen. Mike sighed heavily, bringing Ashley out of her silent reprieve.

"You look like you're missing JC about as much as I'm missing Joe." Ashley commented, taking a seat next to her friend.

"You know, I'm so proud of them. All their hard work is finally paying off, but...," Mike started and Ashley finished.

"But sometimes you miss his so much you wish that they hadn't made it so big, so fast. Believe me, I know. I feel the same way sometimes." she smiled. Mike nodded silently, her eyes remaining on the television screen.

"Why don't you call him?" Ashley suggested softly.

"As much as I would love to hear his voice right now, I can't. My phone bill was sky high last month. Besides, he's probably sleeping by now." Mike shook her head with an impish smile as the phone rang shrilly in the silence of the loft. Ashley reached behind her and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"I wish you were here."

"Hey, me too."

"So, I was saying to myself, I said 'self, you can't sleep because you're thinking about her. So why don't you pick up the phone and call?' I'm sorry I'm not going to be there for Christmas."

"I'm glad you called and it's all right. I knew how things were going to be when I first started dating you. I accept it, even if I don't like it."

"As do I. You sound exhausted."

"I am. Finals are coming up next week, so I've been studying pretty much non-stop. Plus we're still moving into this old, drafty, much to large loft and unpacking everything. Not to mention I've been trying to figure out what to get you for Christmas."

"You don't have to get me anything."

"I know I don't have to, silly boy. I want to."

"I wish you were here."

"Didn't we already cover this material?"

"Don't be a smart ass."

"You'd think something was wrong if I wasn't."

"This is true."

"You sound like you've had a rough day."

"Yeah, you could say that. Our day started at five am and we've been running all day, still running strong. Even now, we're working."

"What?! Joe, it's nearly 3:30 in the morning!"

"We're in California dear, so it's only about 12:20 here. Anyway, we were asked to do individual interviews for a magazine. Chris and JC are in there right now."

"That's crazy. You guys do need to sleep and relax every once in a while."

"I am relaxing. I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

"Joe...,"

"Why don't I like that tone you have in your voice?"

"Listen to me, Joe. Go get some sleep."

"Do I have to?"

"YES!"

"All right. Fine. I'll go get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"G'night."

"'Night." Ashley whispered into the phone then hung up with a sigh, a small smile on her face.

Joe flopped down on the hotel bed, wishing her were back in Orlando with his family and with Ashley. The traveling was finally starting to take it's toll on him. He sighed laying back on the bed.

"What I wouldn't give to have my own bed right about now." Joe sighed tiredly.

"I heard that." Justin agreed wholeheartedly as he climbed into his own hotel bed.

"Hey J, hit the lights will ya?" Joe called out as his eyes drifted closed. The room was suddenly pitched into darkness. Joe smiled as he thought of his girlfriend. She was amazing to him. Ashley always seemed to know just what to say, how to say it and when he really needed or wanted to hear it the most. She was also smart, beautiful, funny and just plain perfect for him. Ashley spent a lot of her time on her classes at the local college in Orlando because she was trying to get into a good pre-med program and in a few years, Medical School.

Joe laughed softly with amusement. He never thought he would end up being a famous singer, let alone being a famous singer while dating an aspiring doctor. Life sure had ways of dealing you wild cards. Ashley was a wild card he hadn't planned on, but he couldn't picture his life without her. She was a trip, could always make him laugh when he really needed to. She brought the romantic out of him. He loved doing things like that for her. Earlier that month he had sent 12 red roses and 2 yellow roses just for fun and to hear her reaction. She had been struck speechless and that had made the gift that much more fun.

She constantly worked too hard, and only relaxed when he forced her to. That's why he did those kinds of things. So she could get some relaxation time before she would go totally looney tunes. Joe's eyes drifted shut and his breathing became deep as sleep finally claimed him. It seemed like he had been asleep for only a few minutes before he was being shaken awake by someone.

"Rise and shine, sweetums!" Chris called out cheerfully. Joe grabbed his pillow and threw it in the direction the voice had come from. The pillow cam back at him full force, nearly knocking him off the bed. Joe groaned covering his face with his arms as Chris proceeded to jump on his bed, making the whole mattress bounce and making it hard to stay asleep.

"All right! I'm up! Good God!" Joe yelped pushing Chris off his bed. Chris landed on the floor with a loud thump and Justin burst out laughing.

"I guess that'll teach me not to jump on the bed anymore." Chris grinned as he climbed to his feet. Joe sat up and looked around the room tiredly. It was only about six am, but they had a ton of things to do today so they had to get an early start.

"Where's the first stop today?" Joe mumbled as he climbed to his feet and grabbed a change of clothing.

"Morning talk show." Chris answered turning on the tv to watch cartoons. Joe sighed and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. A half an hour later, he walked out fully dressed and his hair still damp. JC, Lance, Chris and Justin were all laughing over a cartoon they were watching, waiting for Joe to finish so they could get going.

"You guys ready?" Joe questioned slipping on his leather jacket. The guys chorused a yes as they all grabbed their jackets. The five men left the hotel, all looking tired and all missing their loved ones.

Ashley slowly walked across campus praising the Gods that she had just finished her last final of the semester. It had been a four hour exam for her medical terminology class and she had been a nervous wreck throughout the whole thing that she was surprise she could even answer half the questions. She sighed as she turned in the direction of her car. What she needed right now was about a week of nothing but sleep, but she couldn't do that because she had plans to make. She climbed into her car and started the engine. The radio DJ talked about how the weather was going to get warmer as the days passed slowly by. From what they were saying, Christmas was going to be about 75 degrees and sunny. This was about the time she missed New York and the wonderful, beautiful slush it had this time of year.

Ashley stepped into the old service elevator and hit the up button. As soon as she was inside the loft, she toppled over onto the couch and flicked on the television. An old black and white flick illuminated the screen and she sat there watching it with mindless glee as she let the movie relax her overworked and frazzled brain.

The phone rang, causing her to groan loudly as she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hi Ash, its me."

"Hi Mike, what's going on? Did you get the information?"

"Of course. Didn't I promise you I would?"

"Yeah, sorry. Well?"

"They're going to remain where they are right now until after the Holidays. Same hotel and everything, so all you have to do is hop on a plane and get a ride to the hotel."

"That doesn't sound too bad. Who did you have to let in on the plan to get the info?"

"JC, but you don't have to worry about him. He thinks it's a great idea and swears that Joe will be happy as hell to see you Christmas morning."

"Are you sure? I mean, I want to see him, but I'm starting to have second thought about this."

"Ash, it was a good idea when you first had it, and its still a good idea now. You're just nervous about seeing him after so long. Generally he's the one to seek you out, now you're the one whose doing that. You have nothing to worry about. He'll love it."

"I hope you're right. Anyway, is that all you have for me?"

"Pretty much. I gotta jet. I have a final in ten."

"All right, good luck Mike."

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it. Talk to you later." Mike laughed then hung up the pay phone. Ashley smiled shaking her head as she hung up the phone. She had been unable to figure out what to get Joe for Christmas, so she decided to show up on his current doorstep on Christmas morning with a few little things she had found over the past few weeks. Mike had loved the idea and helped her form the perfect plan in a matter of one afternoon brainstorming on where part of the money would come from. Mike had made a gift of the second part of the whole cost with this trip and Ashley had almost cried at her friend's generosity. The phone rang again, startling Ash out of her thoughts.

"Hello?"

"God, is it good to hear your voice."

"Hi sweetie, rough day?"

"You could say that. Reporters have been hounding us about our girlfriends again and it's really starting to aggravate me. Plus Justin is a walking, talking idiot today."

"I'm sorry. Anything I can do to help?"

"You mean besides you dropping everything and flying out here? Just talk to me, help me forget everything for a while. How did your final go today?"

"I actually don't know. I pulled a complete blank on a few of the questions, and I was so tired from studying all night that I could barely tell up from down."

"I'm sure you did well, you always do."

"I sure hope so because I am not taking that class over again. I refuse! How was the concert last night?"

"Good. We all had a blast. I felt bad for Lance though. This girl latched onto him the second she saw him backstage before the concert. She wouldn't let him out of her sight."

"Oh no, what did he do?"

"Grinned and bared it like he always does." Joe laughed.

"I couldn't imagine being in that position. And I don't even know how you guys deal with all that adoration from girls who are, nine times out of ten, jailbait."

"Oh stop! I hear that enough from the guys! I know the common range for my fans are between the ages of 2 and 9 but you don't need to rub it in!"

"I'm your fan and I'm neither 2 or 9, or anything in between for that matter."

"Thank God for small mercies. If you were, I'd have to jump off the world trait center or something."

"Joe, as much as you'd like to believe, you are not Superman."

"Oh shut up!" Joe exclaimed with laughter.

"Nah, I don't think so."

"Sure. Fine. Whatever. I miss you."

"I miss you too, hon."

"You just have to come out here, that's all there is to it."

"You know if I could, I would, but I'm on call at the hospital to help out during the holiday."

"Oh damn, baby, I gotta go. The guys just reminded me that we have rehearsal in ten minutes."

"All right. I'll talk to you soon."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Ash sighed and hung up the phone for a second time. This was going to be a hectic few days, and she didn't know how she could keep quiet about the whole Christmas surprise thing. JC had already agreed to pick her up at the airport, and they had reserved a room for her at the hotel, but she didn't know if she could sit through another 'I want you here' conversation with Joe without cracking. She giggled softly to herself. Joe had always been her one weakness, and he knew that well. So many times when he wanted to do something that she didn't, all he had to do was turn on the charm and give her those puppy dog eyes and she was lost. Sometimes she really resented the fact that he had the ability to do that to her, but she could never stay mad at him for long.

Ashley climbed to her feet and wandered to her bedroom to grab one of her numerous leisure reading books. She needed to break from reality for a little while, and what better way to do it than with a romance novel. She figured since Joe was gone most of the time, these books were the only steady romance she had in her life, and she relished the stolen moments she had to read them.

Joe sat in the dark, brooding about not being able to be with his family on Christmas Eve and generally being a bear to everyone who tried to talk to him. He hated not being able to see his folks whenever he wanted, and sometimes, just sometimes, he wished 'N Sync wasn't as famous so he could do the things he was accustomed to doing. The television in the corner flickered with images of a happy family in a Christmas movie of the week. He groaned, shaking his head.

"This bites." he grumbled to no one in particular.

"Cheer up Joe, things could be worse." Chris called from the adjoining room where the rest of the group were playing a game of Rummy. Joe hadn't been in the mood to play the card game when it had started, now because he was so bored he wished he had joined while he could.

"Chris, you're cheerfulness is getting on my nerves." Joe called back as he climbed to his feet. He sighed and walked into the other room. His best friends were laughing and talking about different things as they discarded and picked up new cards.

"Hey Joe, want to join us?" JC inquired glancing up at the unhappy man.

"Might as well. There's nothing else to do." Joe sighed as he dropped into the only empty chair left in the room. Justin dealt him in and he picked up his cards. He decided which cards to keep and placed them in order. "I don't see how you guys can be so cheerful when you're not with the people you most want to be with."

"At least we're lucky enough to be doing what we're doing. We wanted this, that's why we started the group." JC shrugged as he discarded the King of Diamonds.

"Don't you miss Mike at all?" Joe questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I do. Geez, I love the girl." JC sighed shaking his head as Lance picked up a card and looked carefully at his hand and the discard pile.

"All right, then what do you do to keep from missing her so much that you can laugh and have fun?" Joe sighed eyeing the discard pile with interest.

"I don't know. Lots of late night conversations. I send her little things I come across while on the road. Do things to keep my mind off of not being around her." JC shrugged.

"How do you guys do it?" Joe questioned giving the others a glance.

"I don't have to worry about it. I'm single and ready to mingle." Justin laughed as he picked up the Jack of Spades that Lance had just discarded to set down a run of Jacks.

"That phrase gets cheesier every time I hear it." Lance snorted with a smirk. "I do pretty much the same thing JC does. Just don't let yourself think about it all the time. Or think about things you two have done. Use your memories to see her."

Justin finally chose a card to put into the discard pile and Chris snatched it up immediately.

"The trick is, know that when you see her again, it'll be that much more wonderful. I mean, sure you miss her now, but what's gonna happen when you get home? The two of you will be inseparable. Am I right?" Chris questioned laying down an Ace, King, Queen run in Hearts, then discarded the ten of clubs. Joe picked up a card, a glimmer of a smile on his face.

"Okay, you're right about that much, I'll give you that." he nodded as he thought for a moment then discarded the two of Hearts.

"See, I told ya I could get him to smile! Pay up guys." Chris demanded holding out his hand. JC, Lance and Justin all reached into their wallets and pulled out five dollars a piece then handed it over to Chris.

"You damn mooch. Trying to make money off my misery. Don't I feel loved now." Joe snorted shaking his head with amusement.

"You know it. Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!" Chris laughed glancing down at his watch. "Uh, JC, I do believe you're late for you appointment."

"What?" JC demanded looking down at his watch. "Oh hell. I gotta go, see you guys later." he sighed as he jumped to his feet. He grabbed his jacket then rushed out the door.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Joe inquired with confusion.

"Um, he had a date with a reporter or something." Chris shrugged.

"Really?" Joe laughed. "And how does Mike feel about this?"

"She's the one who set it up." Justin countered as he picked up JC hand and shuffled it back into the deck.

"I see said the blind man." Joe nodded with a sigh.

JC rushed into the airport luggage claim area and looked around for Ashley. Her flight had landed twenty minutes ago, and being that he was late, he hoped she hadn't left in a cab or anything. Ashley stood at the luggage carousel waiting for her only suitcase to come out.

"Ash!" he called waking over to her. Ashley turned and smiled at him.

"Hey JC. What's going on?" she questioned as the carousel started moving in a circle.

"Not a damn thing. Joe's been acting like a dweeb all night, but that's nothing new. When I left, he and the guys were playing a game of Rummy." JC shrugged with a smile. Ashley shook her head with a laugh.

"Dweeb, huh? Sounds like Joe."

She saw her suitcase and lunged for it. JC took the heavy thing and walked out to the car with her. Ashley sat back in her seat and closed her eyes while JC drove back to the hotel with the radio playing softly. 'Tearing Up My Heart' came on the radio and Ashley groaned laughing.

"Me and Mike can't seem to ever get away from this song. They play it constantly in Orlando." she sighed with amusement.

"Just imagine singing it every night." JC laughed as he stopped for a red light.

"I think I'd kill myself." Ashley countered opening an eye to glance over at him. JC shook his head with a smile.

"We set you up with a room that adjoins with Chris and my room. That way Joe has no possible reason to try and find out what's going on. Our room is the last in the line, so he'll think someone we don't know is staying there." JC explained as they neared the hotel. Ashley nodded sifting in her seat so she could look at him.

"I have a message for you." she grinned impishly.

"Yeah? What's that?" he inquired with an equally impish grin.

"I don't know if I should tell you. I mean, it might be coming from a person you really don't want to hear from." Ashley laughed.

"Yeah right. Tell me what Mike said. Please?" JC pouted giving her the saddest puppy dog eyes.

"What is it with you guys and the puppy eyes? I swear to God, you people drive me nuts with them!" Ashley exclaimed loudly. "She says she loves you and give her a call sometime tonight. She's going to need the friendly voice, especially at her 'rent's house. It's a mad house right about now. Oh, and she says, she hopes you enjoy your present."

"What's my present?" JC inquired with a devilish look.

"I have it in my suitcase, and no, you can't have it until tomorrow!" she scolded with a smile.

"Fine. Be that way, then." JC pouted as he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. He helped her get the key to her room and proceeded to sneak her upstairs without being noticed by Joe.

"Okay, g'night Ash. See you tomorrow morning." JC whispered just before he left her to go back to his room, where all the guys were still playing cards.

Ashley smiled to herself when she heard Joe's laughter coming from the next room. She couldn't wait until the morning.

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