What are you doing here?", Mike asked harshly, as he packed up the
books and momento's of his dead lover's life.

"Patrick asked that I stick around and keep you company after he left.", JC stammered.

JC walked over to Mike and drew him into a big hug. As he did so, Mike began to cry, softly at first, then louder til he began to pound his fists into JC's chest. JC grabbed Mike's hands and held them at his waist, keeping Mike in his embrace. Mike looked over to see JC's face, streaked with tears. Mike and JC sighed and rested their foreheads against each other. After a minute, JC used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears from Mike's cheeks as Mike did the same to JC. JC leaned in towards Mike and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Why did you do that?", Mike asked, his face immediately contorted into a mask of sadness.

"You looked like you needed a kiss. Patrick wanted me to make sure you weren't alone after he died.", said JC.

"He asked YOU to replace him in my life? I don't want a replacement you asshole!", Mike screamed at JC as his fists began to beat his chest again, "I want my lover back!"

JC started awake in a cold sweat, his sheets and pillows soaked through. He sat there shaking in fear, sobbing uncontrollably as he realized it was all a horrible nightmare. Daylight was beginning to fill the room and the clock on the nightstand. JC got out of bed and made his way into the bathroom and turned of the shower. The steam from
the shower quickly fogged up the mirror and JC sighed as he took a handtowel and wiped the moisture off the mirror. The towel dropped from his hand as he looked at his reflection and that of someone standing behind him. JC spun around and looked into the decaying face of an obviously dead and decaying Patrick.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY LOVER?", the deceased Patrick yelled, his voice a crackling wraith. Patrick grabbed JC by the neck with his cold, decaying hands and lifted him up and off the floor, banging his head back into the vanity mirror.

"WHY DID YOU TRY TO REPLACE ME?", he screamed at JC as he smashed JC's head back, shattering the mirror.

"I NEVER WANTED TO REPLACE YOU!!! PLEASE STOP!", JC screamed as his head smashed into the broken mirror.

"PLEASE STOP! I NEVER WANTED TO REPLACE YOU!!!", JC repeated as the banging continued...again and again and again.

"JC!! Please wake-up!", a new voice yelled, as he heard a large crash of splintering wood and then felt a rough slap across his face.

JC sat bolt upright in bed sobbing, holding his arms over his head and screaming, "PLEASE....STOP!"

JC opened his eyes cautiously and saw Justin and Lance sitting beside him and Chris and Joey standing behind them.

"JC", Justin cried out, "It was a dream!"

JC put his arms down and began to weep uncontrollably, "It seemed so real. Mike screamed at me for trying to take Patrick's place...then Patrick came back from the dead and tried to kill me for stealing his lover."

"JC", Justin repeated, "It was just a dream....none of it was real!! C'mon...we're late...we have a wedding to go to and it starts in an hour."

JC nodded and quickly got up and showered and shaved, then slipped into the matching suit that the guys had all picked out to wear to the wedding. Minutes later, he met the guys in the lobby of the hotel and they were off to the wedding.

The guys arrived with just a few minutes to spare, and quickly entered the church and took a seat beside Mike and Patrick. Patrick turned towards JC and Justin and smiled as they sat in the pew beside him.

"Just in time, guys.", Patrick whispered, "Oversleep?"

"JC had a nightmare...we had to break into his room and slap him to wake him up.", Justin said quietly, his eyes small with concern.

"A nightmare?", Patrick said, his eyebrow raised.

"It was only a dream", JC said, shaking his head, "Really...I'm cool."

All conversation stopped as the music of Pachelbel's Canon began. Wesley, Diana's fiancé, stepped out from the side of the church, taking his place on the right side of the altar. A moment later, the doors at the back of the church opened and Diana emerged, resplendent in her white wedding dress and veil. She slowly made her way up
to the altar to stand beside her intended. The priest began the ceremony with a prayer and a blessing and soon, both Diana and Wesley exchanged their self-written vows. The priest then declared them man and wife, and Wesley gave his new wife her first wedded kiss.

Patrick smiled, overjoyed at being alive to see that moment. Tears of grateful happiness fell down his cheeks. Mike saw his smile and gave him a hug and a kiss on the lips.

"I'm so glad I got to see this.", Patrick smiled, the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I am so proud of you...that you didn't give up...that you kept fighting...to live.", Mike said firmly, then softly added, "I dunno what I'd do without you."

"No one lives forever, Michael.", Patrick said sadly, "I only won a small battle by being here today, but you and I both know that I am not going to win the war."

"But you're gonna fight it to the end, right? Stay with me as long as you can, right?", Michael asked hopefully.

"Of course", Patrick grinned as he noticed Justin and JC taking in the conversation, "I'm not gonna go easy...the grim reaper and I are gonna have a tussle....I'm gonna make him work to get me."

JC, Justin and Michael all chuckled at Patrick's comment, filed out of the pew and church, and headed towards the reception. Patrick smiled as his sister insisted on having some pictures taken with both Michael and himself, as well as the guys from NSYNC. After the picture taking was done, the family and guests headed over to the reception area where the dinner and dancing for the evening was to be held. Patrick and the guys took their place at the table with the other guests and enjoyed the beautiful spread that the caterers had layed out. After dinner, the bride and groom were toasted by members of both families. As Diana's only brother, Patrick stood up and those gathered fell silent as he gave his toast,

"I would like to offer a toast to my sister and her new husband.", Patrick began, "I thought long and hard about this toast, wanting it to reflect on my "little" sister's strong beliefs and her calling as a minister in her church as well as something that would bring her happiness in her new marriage. So, after much deliberation and research, I found the perfect toast. It's an old Irish toast."

"May those who love you, love you always. And for those who don't love you, may God turn their hearts. And if He doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles, so that you'll know them by their limping.", Patrick said, grinning widely and blushing slightly as the guests roared with laughter; clapping in appreciation of the toast and
the humor.

Diana got up and walked over to her brother, hugging him strongly and laughing, then whispered in his ear, "Don't you ever leave me!"

Patrick grinned and responded quietly, "I'll only be as far away as inside your heart."

Diana pulled back and smiled, then went back and grabbed her husband as the music for the first dance began to play. Diana and Wesley danced their dance to Shania Twain's "From This Moment". Next, Diana and her father danced to Butterfly Kisses. Patrick went over to the DJ to make sure that he had gotten the NSYNC cd that
Patrick had sent over that morning. The DJ looked at him and shook his head.

"I didn't get an NSYNC CD." He said, "What song was I supposed to play for you?"

Patrick's heart fell as he realized that his dance with his sister would be ruined and slowly walked back over to the table as tears fell down his face.

Mike and JC had been chatting as Patrick chatted up the DJ, then stopped abruptly as Patrick sadly came over and slumped into his chair, crying into his hands.

"Patrick?", Lance asked quietly, "Are you ok?"

"No", Patrick sighed, "The DJ never got my CD, so I won't be able to dance with my sister."

"WHAT?", Lance said, trying to keep a straight face, "That sucks!"

Patrick looked up as the Butterfly Kisses song ended and his sister looked over at him, gesturing him to the floor.

"I guess we'll just have to sing it live for you.", the guys all said in unison from behind Patrick.

Patrick's eyes widened as he looked over and watched the guys walk over to the DJ, who handed them each a microphone.

"This next dance is for the Bride and her little brother.", Lance said softly into the microphone, "We asked to come to this wedding after talking with Patrick because he wanted to dance with his sister at her wedding, and he wanted to use one of our songs. It seems to be a favorite song of Patrick, Diana, and of us too, and it seemed only fitting that we sing it live for you. So, here is Patrick's song to Diana, God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You."

Can this be true? Tell me, can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was complete I thought I was whole
Why do I feel like I'm losing control?
Never knew that love could feel like this
and you changed my world with just one kiss.
How can it be that right here with me there's an angel? It's a miracle

Your love is like a river peaceful and deep
your soul is like a secret That I could never keep
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true
God must of spent a little more time On you

In all of creation all things great and small
You are the one that surpasses them all
More precious than any diamond or pearl
They broke the mold When you came into this world
And I'm trying hard to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your smile
The heart of a child
That's deep inside
Leaves me purified

Your love is like a river peaceful and deep
your soul is like a secret That I could never keep
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true
God must of spent A little more time On you

As Diana and Patrick began to dance, Diana began to cry more in earnest. Patrick sniffled and fought back the tears himself then said, "Please Dee, no more tears. It's your wedding. Please be happy and dance with me. I want to remember that you were smiling when I danced with you at your wedding."

Diana nodded and tried to smile, failing miserably at first, then drawing on her brother's strength and courage, began to smile again, gripping her brother tightly as they moved. As the song ended, Patrick looked down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"He better treat you good. I'll come back and haunt him if he doesn't.", Patrick grinned.

"You always did protect your little sisters!", Diana smiled as both laughed at the inside joke. Patrick had been the youngest of 4 kids in his family, and the only boy. He grew up a good three inches taller than his sisters, and thus always called them his little sisters.

Patrick and Diana looked over at the guys as they finished up the song and clapped. Diana walked over and hugged and kissed each one in turn. The guys all surrounded Patrick and gave him a group hug. Patrick smiled as he was buried in the hug. JC and Justin escorted Patrick back to his table, where Mike was waiting, his eyes red
and puffy from some obvious crying.

Patrick shook his head and laughed, "Not you too! Someone turn off the waterworks here! Save it for when I'm really dead! OK?!?"

Mike and the guys eyes widened in shock, then they all began to laugh with Patrick. It all seemed silly then, to be crying over him when he was alive still.

"Justin", Patrick said, turning to face him, "I am beat. Would you do me a huge favor and get me a big water?"

"Sure", Justin said then ran off towards the table with the refreshments.

"JC", Patrick said quietly, "Can you do me a favor? Would you dance with Mike? I am bushed and he's been sitting there like a tree stump , holding that table down all night."

Mike and JC looked at each other and laughed.

"Sure, if its OK with Mike.", JC smiled.

"I'd love to dance.", Mike said, grinning as he batted his eyes coquettishly.

JC pulled Mike up and lead him onto the dance floor as Justin returned.

"Where are JC and Mike goin'?", Justin asked, handing Patrick his water.

"To dance...and get to know each other, I hope.", Patrick said as he sunk down into his seat.

"Patrick", Justin said, sitting down next to him, "Don't worry about Mike. We all talked last night after we left your sister's house and we aren't gonna let him deal with losing you alone. We're all gonna be there for him."

Patrick looked over at Justin, and grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, "Thank you. You guys are doing so much for me. I don't deserve to meet awesome guys like you who go out of their way like you do."

"No....you deserve more.", Justin said to Patrick as murmurs of agreement startled Patrick to look behind him where Lance, Chris, and Joey were standing.

Lance leaned down and hugged Patrick saying, "You treat us like friends....like a part of your family. And, as your family, we're really gonna miss you when you go. We're not gonna let Mike deal with this alone, even if it means taking him on tour with us. We're gonna make him part of our family, like you made us part of yours."

Patrick smiled and nodded, "Thanks you guys. I know you hear it all the time from your crazy fans....but...I love you guys. Y'all are like the brothers I always wish I had growing up. Fun, kinda crazy and here when I really needed you."

The guys nodded and Patrick looked up to see JC and Mike moving back towards them.

"OK, fellas", Patrick grinned, "break it up! We look like we're hosting a wake over here."

The guys looked at Patrick and laughed then began chatting with JC and Mike.

Mike was hesitant at first then, steeled by a nod and a grin from Patrick, joined in the conversation in earnest.

Hours later, the party began to wind down and Diana and Wesley took off on their honeymoon. Earlier, Diana had called together everyone for the traditional tossing of the bouquet. Diana turned around and hoisted it into the crowd. It dropped in the middle of where Mike, Patrick and the NSYNC guys were standing and chatting and JC looked up and caught it, using both his face and his hands, falling flat on his back in surprise as he did so. Diana laughed and JC stood up looking slightly embarrassed. JC looked over at Mike, who was concerned to Patrick who was smiling smugly as he looked at JC and the bouquet. JC's face reddened as he realized what the meaning of the stare was and quickly tossed the bouquet to Lance.

As the guys got more water and hit the bathrooms, Patrick grabbed JC's arm and began to walk with him.

"I am sorry", Patrick began, "I don't want you to think, by my conversation from last night, that I am forcing you into anything with Mike after I die. If you like Mike, and he likes you, and y'all hit it off, then I am happy. If not, I am still happy that he has all of you as friends."

"Thank you.", JC laughed, "I know you only wanna see him happy and me too. But....if we do hit it off, he's gotta be able to see me for me and not a stand-in for you. He's gotta fall in love with me, and not because you died and said so, you know?"

"Yeah", Patrick grinned, "Though I saw some signs that mean its gonna all work out OK. Nice catch with that bouquet, by the way!"

"Thanks", JC laughed then stopped, "Signs, huh?"

"Yep", Patrick said quietly, patting JC on the hand and walking over to grab some water himself. JC smiled as he watched Patrick slowly walk over to the table and grab a water.

The guys piled into the van and made their way back to the hotel.

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