"You wanted to see me?" Chris stepped out of the sterile hallway and directly into Don's office.

Don, his tweed jacket still on even though it was warm in the office, leaned forward and rested his forearms on the desk. "They aren't going for it, Chris," he said.

"The producers?" Chris clarified.

Don nodded. "They want their Springer."

"Did you tell them that I wouldn't renew my contact otherwise?" Chris used his teeth to pull the rounded flesh of his bottom lip into his mouth.

Don nodded again. "They said fine. They said fine, Chris. They've already got some other prospects willing to take your place. Prospects who have no respectable programming clause they want added to their contract."

"They said fine?" Chris asked. He raised an eyebrow. "Just like that." His thumb and middle finger moved across each other in a snap.

"Just like that," Don said. He snapped also. "They aren't going to fight for you. You're popular, but you're also expendable."

Chris blinked.

"So now you have a choice, Chris. You can either remain the king of afternoon television or you can quit and try to find a network willing to take you on as a respectable talk show host."

"You mean 'we.' We can find a network willing to take me on." Chris crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes.

"We," Don said. He sighed. "As your agent I would strongly suggest that you renew your contract. They're willing to offer you three years. Three years of job security in this slow, type-cast market."

"I told you," Chris said. "I told you that if they didn't give me some say, didn't give me the go ahead to make this a respectable program, I was done."

"So, that's that," Don said. "The Chris Kirkpatrick Show is done."

"My own wife won't let my daughter watch the program, Don," Chris said. "How would that make you feel if your wife wouldn't let your kid watch your TV show."

"I'd tell her that it was how I made my living and was able to support them in the manner to which they'd become accustomed, and that she was going to have to live with it."

"Well, that's where we're different," Chris said. He sighed. "And, quite frankly, I'm glad we are."

JC slammed his fingers down onto the keys of the keyboard and cringed at the clashing chord that filled the room.

"Get out of my head," he muttered. He rubbed his temples with his index fingers. "Get. Out."

He stared at the lined music paper in front of him. There were five inked-in chords each composed of five notes marring the otherwise clean sheet.

"Two voices," JC said. His voice sounded clipped. "I must think in two voices." He paused. "Or one voice. One would be good."

His fingers went back to the keys, resting lightly on the smooth surfaces, and pressed five notes.

"Goddamn it," JC said. He slowly lowered his head to the keyboard and didn't even shudder at the objectionable mix of notes that sounded.

He was in the dry goods aisle of the local organic food market, looking at a box of organic Kraft macaroni and cheese, when he heard the usual sound of recognition: a caught breath.

"Oh my god," the girl behind him said softly. "Are you Justin Timberlake?"

Justin closed his eyes for a brief instant before he turned around, the blue cardboard box clutched tightly in his fingers. "Yeah. That would be me."

"I used to be your biggest fan, like, ten years ago."

Justin blinked. The girl was a woman close to his own age.

"Well, uh, thanks," he said.

"I'm sure you get that all the time," the woman said. "But seriously." She blushed. "I was."

"You'd have to be pretty obsessed to beat some of the fans I met." Justin smiled fakely. "But I'll take your word for it," he continued as he saw the woman began to nod.

"Can I shake your hand?" the woman asked. She blushed again. "I can't believe I just asked that. I sound like such a teeny. Next I’ll be asking for a hug." She shook her head.

Justin stuck his hand out and took the woman's in his own. "What's your name?"

"Stephanie," the woman said.

"Well, Stephanie," Justin said. "It's nice to meet you."

Stephanie grinned. "I must say, Justin, that the pleasure is all mine. I'll let you get back to your shopping." She looked at the box in his hand. "Your mac and cheese. That stuff, even the organic version, is so bad it's good."

He moved the box slightly and heard the dry noodles shift around inside. "Sometimes I need the comforts of home and this is definitely a home comfort."

"You probably need that now, don't you?" Stephanie frowned. "I was really sorry to hear about you and Britney."

Justin nodded. "Obviously we weren't meant to be."

"You guys were good together," Stephanie said. "I remember when all my friends were so mad that you two were dating. I'd just say to them, 'but who else is going to know what the other one is going through in this world.'"

"No one," Justin said, "but that wasn't enough." His lips had formed a scowl on their own.

"I shouldn't have brought it up," Stephanie said. "I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know that I was sorry you had to go through everything the tabloids are putting you through."

"It's okay." Justin shrugged in a child like manner. "I just want my dog."

Stephanie blinked. "This is about a dog." She sounded disbelieving.

Justin nodded. He looked over his shoulder and around the grocery store. "I so shouldn't be telling you this. I'm probably violating some gag order my lawyer hasn't told me about."

"Oh, no." Stephanie shook her head. "Don’t worry about it. I’m a lawyer now and I’ll verbally bind myself under contract not to say anything." She blinked. "Again, I say, this is about a dog?"

"Xander," Justin said. "He's my yorkie and Brit's saying I'd be an unfit owner since I'm on the road all the time."

"So's she!" Stephanie said. "Right? She still tours, doesn’t she?"

"Thank you." Justin moved his arm and the dry noodles shook noisily. "I thought I was the only person who could see that that was a problem."

"Is it a cute yorkie?"

"I’m not usually much of a small dog fan, but Xander." Justin leaned forward on the hand bar of his shopping cart. "This dog looks like a yipper and an ankle-biter, but he's the most intelligent dog I've ever met who doesn’t yip or bite your ankles."

"A yorkie?" Stephanie asked.

"I know," Justin said. He shook his head in mock disgust. "I didn't want to believe it either, but then he looked up at me with those big brown eyes and--"

"Aren't their eyes the best?" Stephanie smiled. "I have a golden retriever."

Justin smiled back. Behind Stephanie he could see Lonnie step back around the corner of the aisle, a bag of organically grown mandarin oranges in his hand.

"You haven't been very happy recently, have you?" Meredith was curled into the chair on the other side of Lance's desk.

Lance widened his green eyes innocently. "Me? I've been happy. You’re putting the company back on track with your successes. That makes me very happy."

"Not happy happy." Meredith pushed her hair over her shoulder. "You know the sort of happy exuberance you had while you were in 'N SYNC."

"I'm happy, Mer," Lance said.

"I don't believe you," Meredith said. "Meg told me that you hadn't talked to any of the guys in a few years."

Lance nodded.

"Why?" Meredith asked.

"We just lost contact. That's all." Lance stared purposefully down at the contract in front of him, although he didn't read any of the numbers. "It happens."

"She also said that if they were to put the group back together for some reason, you'd go."

Lance looked up from the contract all pretense of trying to work lost. "I did not say that. I said no. Twice, in fact."

"She said you said 'no' too quickly." Meredith uncurled from the chair. "You haven't been happy, Lance. It's really sad when people's glory days are so early on in their life."

"'N SYNC was not my glory days," Lance said.

"Now that was an outright lie," Meredith said. "'N SYNC was your glory days, Lance. Everything else has just been a sort of, ‘well, now what do I do?’"

"In case you didn't notice, since I signed you and everything, I did start this company before 'N SYNC ended."

Meredith sighed. "That's not the point, Lance."

"Then what was the point?" Lance’s voice was tired.

"That you haven't been happy, that you aren't happy, and that you would go back to 'N SYNC if one of the guys called up and suggested reforming."

"Which they aren't going to do." Lance braced his fists on the desktop and stood up slowly as he said it. "So it's a null issue."

"Make it an issue, then." Meredith stood up, too. "You know as well as I do that pop music should be making its resurgence soon. Maybe 'N SYNC should lead the pack for the second decade in a row."

"You know what we did, though?" Lance asked. "We danced. We hopped around the stage. I'm almost 30, Mer. I couldn't do that anymore."

Meredith coughed into her fist. "Chris did."

"No." Lance said. "We aren't reforming. No. Not going to. No."

"And you wouldn't go back if one of the other guys called now?"

Lance looked at the telephone without meaning to. "No," he said again too quickly and too forcefully.

"I will not be associated with the 'Easy Spackle-Splice and Dice-o-matic' for the rest of my life," Joey said. He turned on his heel and faced his agent. "I want a real part, Larry."

"There aren't any parts out there for you, Joe." Larry closed the file on his desk. "You've tried out for them all and didn't get any of them."

"I didn't give up on 'N SYNC so easily so that I could become an infomercial person." He flopped down in the hard plastic chair across the desk from Larry. "I didn't."

"It's a fickle market," Larry said. "Maybe in a few months there will be a plethora of parts for slightly overweight Italian actors."

"Plethora?" Joey asked.

"It's on my word a day calendar." Larry held up the small block of paper attached to a red plastic backing.

Joey rolled his eyes. "I want good parts, Larry, not this crap you keep sending my way."

"That crap pays the bills." Larry drummed his fingertips on the desktop.

"Then maybe I should find another way," Joey said. He stood up.

Justin wasn’t quite sure why he’d asked Stephanie to go get coffee with him. Lonnie’s question, who in this world could he really consider a friend, echoed in his head. So now in lieu of friends he resorted to spilling his problems to complete strangers.

Justin smirked.

"Oleander's my dog," Stephanie said. She took a sip of her double vanilla latte in the cardboard Starbucks cup. "He's a golden retriever."

Justin nodded. "See, now that's a real dog."

"You don't like little dogs very much, do you?"

Justin shook his head. He looked down at his almost cold Hazelnut mocha. "Just Xander."

Stephanie sighed. "Britney's crazy to try to take this dog away from you. I don’t think it’s possible for her to love this dog as much as you."

"That's what I told her over the phone. That's what got me into trouble. I'm not supposed to call her, apparently, and she's not supposed to call me."

Stephanie blinked. "Oh. Wow."

"This isn't the prettiest of divorces. For once the tabloids got it right."

"It sounds like it." Stephanie took another drink of her coffee. "You could take Xander on the road, couldn't you?"

Justin nodded. "I don't see why not. Chris took Busta and Korea on the road for how many years?"

"So, basically, she's just being a bitch."

Justin shook his head. "No, I'm sure she has her reasons." Justin stopped talking.

Stephanie sighed and was silent for a few moments, trying to find a different subject. "When do you head back out on tour again?"

Justin shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think there's any point in going back out, really."

"Because?"

"Because it's not fun anymore." Justin drained the coffee cup in front of him.

"Oh." Stephanie stared at the table in front of her.

"I love singing," Justin said. "I love getting up on the stage and performing, but…"

"It was probably more fun with the other guys, wasn't it?"

"Hell yeah." Justin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Chris closed the back door of his house carefully, quietly. His stealth was in vain, however, as Dani was in the kitchen already.

"Hey," she said, turning around.

"Hey." Chris stayed where he was by the door.

Dani blinked. Chris blinked.

"It didn't go well?"

Chris shook his head. "He's going to start shopping me around to other networks."

"Oh, baby." Dani moved across the kitchen. "I'm sorry."

"He said I was expendable." Chris let his head rest of Dani's shoulder.

"Look at me." Dani shrugged her shoulder, making him lift his head. "You aren't expendable. Those network bastards don't know what they're talking about."

"I go with the sleaze, D," Chris said. "He's not going to be able to find me anything else."

"Maybe you shouldn't be doing talk shows anymore, then." Dani stepped away from Chris a few inches.

"And do what?" Chris asked. "I mean, come on, what other skills do I have?"

"You can sing," Dani said.

"I couldn't go solo, though," Chris said. "My voice is too high."

"I’ve been thinking," Dani said. "Maybe you could do a reunion tour."

"Reunion?" Chris asked. "You mean an 'N SYNC reunion?"

Dani nodded. "It's been five years. You could pull it off."

"That would mean going back out on the road, though." Chris took a step away from Dani.

"For what, a year?"

"You hated when I was out on the road."

"I hate more that you're unhappy now," Dani said. "I’ve been thinking a lot about this, Chris. I know you miss it more than you care to admit. And you admit you miss it a lot."

"An 'N SYNC reunion?" Chris asked. "Don't you think it would look like we were all washed up and trying to get back what we once had?"

"It might," Dani said. "But wouldn't it be worth a shot?" She smiled suddenly. "I’d pay to go see you."

Lance pulled his car into the driveway of his house. He was home before dark, for once.

He sat there for a moment, watching Megan pulling weeds in the front flowerbeds.

She looked up as Lance stepped out of the car slammed his door and then she stood up quickly, worried.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

Lance walked towards her with purposeful strides, gripped her shoulders with firm hands and then kissed her forcefully.

A few minutes later she stepped away. "What was that for?"

Lance leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "I want to be happy, Meggy."

Megan wrapped her arms awkwardly around him. "You're just tired, honey, right?"

Lance shook his head. "Meredith's right. My golden years were before I hit 25. What do I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?"

"You're successful, Lance," Megan said. "That should make you happy."

"Successful. I have a failing music management company."

Megan started to shake her head.

"You didn't know me while I was still in 'N SYNC," Lance said. "I was different then."

Megan nodded.

"I was happy."

Megan nodded again, hugging him just a little bit tighter.

"I want to be happy now."

"What can you do to make yourself happy?" Megan asked.

Lance lifted his head slowly. "Be 22 again."

"I'm going insane, Joe," JC said. "I sit down at the piano, I hear five parts in my head. I put my fingers on the keys and they immediately spread out into five note chords. The harmonies all consist of five parts."

Joey swirled the dark amber beer around in his mug. "At least you aren't a glut on the market."

"I will be soon enough." JC rested his head on the table and looked up at Joey. "Name a single five person group that would sing my sort of music."

Joey thought for a few moments. "Well, at least you aren't a slightly overweight Italian."

JC glared at Joey. "It’s my turn to vent, now. You had yours already and I told you that you were merely soft around the edges."

Joey sighed. "You've got talent, Jace." He pushed the still full beer mug away from him. "One day you'll wake up and the next number one hit single will be sitting at your fingertips. Or coming out of your fingertips, or whatever it is."

"But it will have five parts," JC said.

"Then we'll all just have to get back together and sing it for you."

"If only we could," JC said.

"Were you serious," Chris asked Dani as he stepped into her office and shut the door.

"About?" Dani looked up from the ream of contracts on her desk.

"Me doing a reunion tour with the guys." Chris sat down on the corner of the desk.

Dani nodded. "I think it would be good for you." She smiled. "The idea caught your brain, didn't it?"

"And you and Carly?"

"Maybe we'd go on the road, too." Dani said. "I don't know, Chris. All I know is that I miss the you that I first knew."

"The road tore us apart, Dani. Remember how hard it was?"

"I remember," Dani said. "But we’re good and solid now and I want to see you excited about what you're doing again."

"So if I were to take this phone and call Justin and say, 'so, man, I was thinking of getting a group together,' you wouldn't freak out on me?" Chris pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

"Do you want me to dial the number?" Dani asked. "I haven't talked to Justin in awhile." She reached for the phone.

"I'll do it." Chris flipped the phone open. "This is your last chance, Dan, to say that you don't want me to do this."

"I want you to do this, Chris."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get me out of the house." He pushed the first button of Justin's phone number.

Justin looked at the scrap of Starbuck's napkin with Stephanie's phone number scrawled on it. He smiled and stuck it in his pocket. Lonnie stepped up to the small table and sat down across from Justin.

"It looks like you had a good time," the large man said.

Justin smiled again. "She was nice."

"I saw her recognize you in the store," Lonnie said. "She got that look of shock on her face and for a moment there I thought I might have to step in."

"She said she was my biggest fan ten years ago." Justin laughed. "It's been awhile since I heard that line." He raised his voice to a falsetto. "'Oh my god, Justin! I'm your biggest fan!'"

Lonnie laughed. "You know you miss it."

Justin sobered. "I do." He looked ready to say something else when his cell phone rang.

He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Hello." Chris's voice was clear though the phone. "I was wondering if there was a Justin Timberlake there?"

"This is Justin, you dork," Justin said. He smiled at Lonnie. "Chris," he mouthed.

"Oh." Chris's voice faltered. "Well, my name is Christopher Kirkpatrick, and I hear that you sing."

"Chris." Justin rolled his eyes.

"I was thinking of getting a group together and, well, I was wondering if you might be interested."

"Chris?" Justin asked, his face suddenly serious.

"For now, I mean, it would just be for fun, but--"

"Chris. Stop." Justin leaned forward over the small Starbucks' table. "What are you talking about?"

"I want to do a reunion tour," Chris said. His voice was serious, also.

"An 'N SYNC reunion tour?" Justin asked. "What are you talking about, man?"

"I don’t know," Chris said. "Dani and I were talking today and she said that she thought we should do a reunion tour, because at least I’m miserable and she thought it would make me happier."

"You’re miserable?" Justin barked a laugh. "Come on, Chris. Have you looked at the tabloids recently." Chris didn’t answer and Justin continued. "We've only been broken up for five years."

"Five years too long," Chris said.

"We all have other lives," Justin said. "Like, real lives. You have your show."

"Not anymore," Chris said. "They fired me."

"And Lance has his business still, I suppose." Justin continued as if he hadn’t heard Chris then stopped. "Oh, man. They did? Shit."

"Which he did from the road before," Chris said.

"Joey's acting." Justin said.

"In what?" Chris asked. "You're the only one that I thought might have a real problem, Timberlake. That's why I called you first, this time at least."

"I'm done with my tour for the moment." Justin looked at Lonnie, and his guard was looking at him with an odd expression on his face.

"But you're solo now," Chris said. "I didn't know if you could go back to a group format."

"Exactly how successful has my solo career been?" Justin asked. "So you’re really serious about this reunion tour, huh?"

"Yeah."

"For how long?" Justin asked.

"A few months?" Chris asked. "I don't know. I hadn't really gotten that far yet."

Justin sighed. He looked at Lonnie. His guard was smiling.

"If you can get the other guys, I'm in." Justin smiled as a sudden flood of relief filled his system.

"You want to call JC?" Chris asked. "Continue the memories?"

"Sure," Justin said. "You get Lance, though."

The beers on the table were empty now.

"Should probably get going," Joey said. He leaned back in his chair and made no move to get up.

"Yeah," JC said. He stayed where he was, also.

A few minutes later Joey put his hand down on top of the table. "Okay, leaving now." He started to push himself up.

JC's cell phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Jace," Justin said.

"Justin?" JC looked at Joey and motioned for the other man to sit down.

Joey sat.

"Of course," Justin said. "Glad that you still remember my voice."

"How could I forget it?" JC asked. "How are you?"

"I've been better," Justin said. "I'm actually not calling to chat."

"Oh," JC said. "Okay?"

"I've got a business proposition," Justin said.

"Uh huh?" JC screwed up an eyebrow and looked at Joey.

"This guy called me this afternoon, saying that he wanted to get together this singing group. He asked me if I knew anyone who I thought might like to do it."

"What sort of crack are you smoking?" JC asked. "A singing group?"

"What?" Joey asked.

JC shrugged.

"Chris wants to do a reunion tour," Justin said.

"A reunion tour?" JC asked. He widened his eyes.

"A reunion tour?" Joey's eyes widened also and he lifted his empty beer mug to his lips, intent on taking a drink.

"A reunion tour." Justin's voice held a note of finality. "Are you interested."

"Yes!" JC said. "I mean, yeah. You?" He looked at Joey.

Joey nodded his head vigorously.

"Of course I'm interested," Justin said. "That's why I'm calling you, numb-nut."

"I was talking to Joey," JC said. "He's interested, too."

"Joey's there with you?" Justin asked.

"Yeah," JC said. "We get a beer together a few times a week."

"I want to say hi," Justin said.

JC handed over the phone.

"Lance, honey?" Megan called. "There's a phone call for you."

Lance rolled over on the couch and motioned for Megan to bring the phone to him. She did, and he gave her a peck on the cheek as she leaned down to hand it to him.

"Hello?" Lance asked.

"Lance, it's Chris." Chris's voice had lost all of the playful tone he'd had when talking to Justin.

"Chris?" Lance sat up. "Oh my god, man. How are you?"

"I'm doing, well. Things are pretty good. Dani's good. Carly's good."

"That's great," Lance said.

"Was that Megan?" Chris asked.

Lance nodded. "Yeah, it was."

"She's living with you, Bass?" Chris laughed suddenly. "You dog, you. What did Mama Bass say?"

"She sighed." Lance smiled. "A lot."

"I can picture it now." Chris's chuckles died. "I have a question for you, Lance."

"Uh huh?" Lance said. "Do you have an artist you want me to listen to?"

"No," Chris said. He paused. "Well, sort of. It's a group."

"Group's are good now," Lance said. "They're coming back in. How many? Four?"

"Five. Five guys."

"Five," Lance said slowly. "Well, huh. That's the magic number, you know."

"I know," Chris said.

"How old are they?" Lance asked.

"Well, the youngest is 27," Chris said. "The oldest doesn't like to tell people how old he is."

Lance blinked.

"I want to do a reunion tour, Lance. I want to get the group together again."

"You what?" Lance asked.

"I miss you guys," Chris said.

"I miss you all, too," Lance said, "but it would be stupid to get the group together again."

"Why?" Chris asked.

"It's a science. You know that. We went out on top and we have no where to go but down."

"Most of us are already down," Chris said. "It would just be a few months. Not enough to redefine pop music, or anything. Just to do it again for a little while."

Lance huffed. "I have a whole life here, Chris. I can't just pack it up and take it on the road."

"You did for four years before," Chris said. "You could again. It would just be a few months, Lance. Recapture the good times."

"I miss the good times," Lance said.

"And we'd bring them back." Chris sighed. "Let's face it, Lance. Together we were something extraordinary. Look at us all now. Now we’re just failed ordinaries."

"Let me think a little bit," Lance said. He looked across the room at Megan. "There're a few people I need to talk to first."

"Tell Megan that being a rock star girlfriend is fun." Chris laughed. "Dani'll show her how it's done. Ouch." He laughed again. "Dani just slapped me."

"I'll call you back later," Lance said. "Let me just get your number."

"Okay," Chris said. "Justin's calling JC right now. I'm assuming that Jace'll talk to Joey."

"I'll call you back later," Lance said again. He wrote down Chris's number and hung up the phone.

Megan was staring intently at him. "You’re going to go, aren’t you?" She blinked.

"I won’t," Lance started slowly. "If you don’t--"

"Don’t give me that, Bass." Megan stood up. "When have I ever taken first place in your life? Why should you start giving me that position now?"

Lance sighed. "Then I’m going to go. Chris said to tell you that being a rock star girlfriend was fun."

"When will you be leaving?" Megan asked.

"We didn’t get that far," Lance said.

Megan turned and walked out of the room. She stopped at the door of the room and turned around. "Then it looks like you’d better get on that phone and call Chris back and ‘get that far.’" Then she was out of the room and down the hallway.

Lance looked at the phone still in his hand. He dialed the number and set the phone against his ear.

"I’m in," he said when Chris answered. "I’m in."