Like always, JC was alone. It had been that way since he had broken up with his 'girlfriend' Bobbie.
In reality however, Bobbie was just a cover up to hid the fact that he was was gay. And a few months ago she decided that she was tried of the arrangement and wanted to openly date different people.
"You okay man?" asked Joey as he wandered over with Kelly by his side. It was Joey's party and he wanted to be a good host but he was also worried about his friend's well being.
"Yeah," sighed JC, his eyes never leaving Lance.
He couldn't remember a time when he didn't love Lance. He had known Lance was bi for a year now, but he never had the guts to admit his feelings for the younger man.
He did little things however hoping Lance would get the hint. Like he made a surprise visit to the "On the Line" set in Toronto a number of times during filming, and he attended the premier of the movie a month ago when neither Chris or Justin bothered to attend. JC had been planning on informing Lance of his feelings that night, however, those plans were halted when Lance arrived with Laura, his current girlfriend.
"Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" asked Joey pulling away from Kelly and dragging JC a few feet away before JC could protest.
"I'm fine," lied JC angry wishing Joey would leave him alone.
"I know you aren't fine," replied Joey sadly pitying his friend. He knew JC loved Lance from afar and had been trying for years to get him to admit his feelings to Lance even before the blond man admitted he was bi.
"I just want him to be happy," answered JC honestly. "That's all I care about."
"Okay," sighed Joey in defeat.
"I'm not in a mood much for a party anymore," admitted JC changing the subject. "I think I'll go home. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Night C," mumbled Joey praying that things would turn out alright for his friend.
*~*~*
"You're a loser," mumbled JC to himself as he unlocked the door to his Orlando home.
Ignoring the need to turn on lights, JC made his way up to his bedroom where he quickly pealed off his clothes and pulled on sweat pants and a wifebeater before crawling under the covers.
It was then that he finally broke down and began crying as he clutched his pillow tightly in his arms.
He was so lonely.
All he wanted was for someone to love him.
Eventually, JC cried himself to sleep wishing someone, anyone loved him as much as he loved Lance.
*~*~*
"Look at him," whispered a familiar voice and JC groaned, knowing at least Justin was in his room.
"I think he's waking up," whispered a voice that JC recognized as Chris.
"He looks like a grown-up JC," added Joey and JC's eyes flashed opened at that comment. Instead of his bedroom JC found himself lying on the couch in the living room of the old house they all shared when they were staring out.
Standing in front of him were five young men that he easily recognized.
"Hugh?" asked JC confused as he looked around the room. "This can't be possible! I must be dreaming!"
"No dream," replied Chris still staring at him. "Who are you anyways?"
"It's me JC," he answered. "Well me from the year 2001."
"2001!" exclaimed everyone else in the room.
"But it's only 1995," added the younger JC confused.
"Somehow, I was sent back here," replied JC his eyes taking in the group, before they rested on Lance who was standing behind everyone else. He was so young, yet still so beautiful. "It would be interesting to find out how I get home though."
"Click your heels three times and repeat 'There's no place like home, there's no place like home'," suggested Chris.
"Somehow, I don't think that would work," chuckled JC.
"I'm starving," announced Joey randomly. "Let's go get some breakfast and figure something out later."
"No matter what age, Joey is still Joey and he loves to eat," chuckled JC standing up. "But food does sound good. I don't suppose I could borrow clothes from someone?"
"I have some baggy clothes," offered the younger JC shyly. "You can wear those if you want."
"Okay," nodded JC. The baggy clothes back then were probably the right size now.
Thirty minutes later all six of them were seated inside Dennys waiting for their food to arrive.
"So tell us about the future," demanded Chris playfully. It was the question on all their minds, but none of them had enough guts to ask. "What type of new technology is there?"
"What are we like?"
"Are chicks still hot?"
"Did we succeed with *NSYNC?"
"Do people live on the moon?" asked a quiet voice breaking through the loudness of the others and speaking for the first time that morning.
"The moon? No," answered JC sadly feeling bad for Lance while ignoring the other's questions. "I guess no one has felt like trying."
"Okay," nodded Lance blushing, embrassess that JC answered his question before the others. Being in the group for only a month he wasn't use to someone paying attention to him over the others.
"What about our questions?" protested Justin.
"There's a lot of new, cool gadgets, Chris. We're the same as what we were back in 1995, Justin. Chicks are still hot, Joey. And JC, I don't really want to talk a lot about *NSYNC but we are still together."
"Come on," begged Justin. "Let us know if we're wasting our time."
"Do you think it's a waste of time?" asked JC raising his eyebrow at the younger man who quickly avoided his friend's glaze.
"Can't you tell us anything else?" asked the younger JC.
"It's worth it," he replied. "There isn't a bigger joy than hanging out with your best friends everyday doing what you love."
*~*~*
Later when they were back at the house, JC sat alone in the kitchen while the others were in the living room playing video games.
From where he sat JC could see into the living room and he couldn't help but stare at Lance as he sat and watched the others playing the game.
"You've changed a lot," announced Joey walking into the kitchen, startling JC and breaking his thought on Lance as he sat down at the table directly opposite JC. "But there's one thing that hasn't changed. . ."
"And what's that?" asked JC, amused.
"You still always stare at Lance," answered Joey softly, causing JC to look at him in shock before looking back into the living room. Sure enough his younger self had his eyes glued to the young man from Mississippi.
"I can explain everything," stammered JC. This wasn't right. No one know at that point he was gay. It wasn't until two years later that JC actually came out to his other band mates and it was a lot longer before he admitted to Joey that he was in love with Lance.
"It's okay," reassured Joey quickly. "Did we take it bad when you came out? Because you're really freaking out right now."
Taking a couple of deep breaths, JC forced himself to calm down.
"The coming out part went fine," he managed to reply after a few minutes. You guys were supportive and didn't care that I was gay. It's the other part that was never really good."
"What other part?" questioned Joey. "The fans or the Lance thing?"
"The Lance thing," whispered JC trying to fight back his tears. "The fans still don't know."
"Talk to me," begged Joey. "I know I'm not the Joey you know, but I'm still Joey. We use to tell each other everything remember?"
JC however, stared blankly at Joey for what seemed liked forever when Joey suddenly sighed, stood up from the table and started heading back into the living room.
"I've loved Lance since the moment I met him," he blurted out causing Joey to halt his actions and turn back to JC waiting for him to continue. "I kept it hidden though because I though it was wrong, that Lance could never love me in return.
"A few years, I tell you guys that I'm gay. You'll confront me a few years after I come out about Lance, where I finally admit to someone that I love him. After that you'll spend years trying to convince me to inform Lance of my feeling but I was always too scared.
"Finally a month ago in my time, the same day I finally get the courage to tell Lance, he introduces me to his new girlfriend."
"Wow," replied Joey sitting back down, suddenly feeling very sorry for the younger JC out in the living room. He had no idea how hard his life was going to be. "Do Chris and Justin know about your feelings for Lance?"
"They've guessed before, but I've never confirmed or deny it," answered JC sadly. "Lance has no clue though. He never noticed."
"You need to talk to Lance!" exclaimed Joey. "I know I haven't known him very long at this point but you need to find out how he feels, I don't think he'll hurt you on purpose. You never know, he could be feeling the same things."
"It's too late," sighed JC. "He loves Laura."
"Then change it!"
"Huh?" asked JC confused.
"You're here for a reason," explained Joey. "You've been given a second chance with Lance. Talk to yourself, change the future."
"But what if Lance doesn't feel the same way?"
"JC, you're already hurting so much," sighed Joey. It was true JC was in a lot of pain. "At least then, you'll hurt for awhile but then you'll be able to move on with your life."
JC allowed Joey's words to sink in. He was right. JC had been given a second chance and he was stupid if he was going to blow it.
"Thanks," whispered JC forcing a smile. "You're right, I was given another chance, and I'm not going to let it slip by."
"I'll go get JC," smiled Joey standing up again and walking into the living room. There, JC could see Joey whisper something in his younger self's ear, before he younger JC stood up and began walking towards the kitchen.
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" asked the younger man sitting down at the table.
"Yeah," sighed JC wondering just how he was going to explain it to his younger self.
"What?" asked the younger JC confused and a little bit nervous.
"A couple of years from now Joey's going to give you some really good advice," began JC figuring it was best if his younger self didn't know to much about what will happen. "I didn't take that advice and I've always regretted it."
"Won't this change the future though," replied the young JC, confused.
"It needs to be changed," whispered JC. "It doesn't matter because it can't get any worst."
"How will I know the advice when Joey gives it?"
"You'll know," replied JC his eyes turning back to Lance in the living room. His younger self watching JC's actions quickly understood that it had something to do with Lance.
"Promise me, you'll take Joey's advice," begged JC, his eyes still on Lance.
"I promise," whispered the younger JC.
*~*~*
Later that night after Joey had gone home and Chris, Justin, Lance and the young JC had gone upstairs to bed, JC fell into a restless sleep on the couch, with thoughts of Lance running through his mind.
Imagines appeared to JC in his dreams. Imagines of himself and Lance together, kissing, making love. As the imagines played out JC realized that they were the imagines that JC had wished happened between himself and Lance, but what never did.
*~*~*
Morning came all too soon for the young pop star. However instead of waking on the couch, JC found himself back in his own bed.
Looking at the clock next to the bed, JC discovered it was the day after Joey's party. At first he thought he dreamt the entire thing but he quickly realized that things weren't the same as when he went to sleep.
The first giveaway that something was wrong was the fact he was naked under the sheets, his body feeling the unmistakeable tingle informing him of a night of pure passion.
The second giveaway was the sound of the shower running in the bathroom.
Closing his eyes, JC tired to sort out what happened. Behind his closed eyes, JC heard the shower shut off and the sound of someone exiting the bathroom and entering the bedroom.
"Josh?" asked a deep voice, causing JC's eyes to fly open, as he stared at the man standing in the doorway of the room wearing only a fluffy towel.
"Lance?" whispered JC remembering the dreams he experienced of himself and Lance together, loving each other.
"Josh what's wrong?" asked Lance walking quickly over to the bed, slipping under the covers so that he could hold JC close.
"Nightmare," murmured JC, his face buried in Lance's neck. It was a lie but JC knew that Lance would never believe the truth.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Lance gently, hugging JC tighter.
"No," whimpered JC forcing himself to hold back his tears of happiness. "I love you."
"You've told me that every day for the past three years," chuckled Lance playfully.
"That's not enough," replied JC softly. "I'm lost without you."
"I'm not going anywhere," whispered Lance, kissing the top of JC's head. "Was your nightmare that bad?"
"Yes," murmured JC still not moving his face from Lance's neck. "I dreamt I was too scared to ever tell you my feelings and when I finally found the courage you already had a girlfriend. I was so sad without you."
"Oh Josh," sighed Lance gently. "That didn't happen."
'If you only knew,' thought JC but he merely looked up at Lance with pitiful eyes.
"I. Love. You," added Lance, kissing JC's lips. "And I'm never going to let you go."
"Good," sighed JC happily, resting peacefully in Lance's embrace. Suddenly very tired, he was almost asleep when Lance's deep chuckled interuptted him.
"As much as it would be nice for us to spend the entire day in bed . . . We need to be over at Johnny's in an hour and a half or the CosmoGirl interview. You need to get up and shower Josh."
"Shower with me?" asked JC hopefully.
"I've already showered," chuckled Lance.
"Please," begged JC leaning up to kiss Lance's neck.
"Well . . ." replied Lance becoming turned on by JC's actions. "I suppose another shower won't kill me."
"I knew you'd see it my way," smiled JC happily sliding out of the bed and walking over to the bathroom, giving Lance a nice view of his naked ass.
"Always," mumbled Lance staring at JC's ass before following his lover into the bathroom.