"K. Jayce. We're all here. What's up?" Lance asks.

"You guys need to sit down. I have something I need to tell you and it's not gonna be pretty." JC says with tears in his eyes.

Justin resumes his seat to JC's left and takes his hand in his. "What is it Jayce? You know you can tell us anything."

"I know Justin, I'm just not sure how you guys are gonna take this news."

Joey moves to JC's other side, "Jayce, just tell us. We love you and we're all here for you."

"Well, you might want to sit down Joe." He waits until they're all sitting around him on the bed. "I have some bad news, but I think it only fair that I tell you four first before I tell the rest of the world."

"What is it Jayce?" Lance asks quietly.

"I'm leaving the group. No, now let me finish. Even if I get the feeling back and can walk again, I'm still leaving. I can't deal with all the things that I've had to deal with while in that group." JC is fighting desperately to not cry.

"Jayce?" Justin whispers. "Can you at least tell us what it is that we did? Why you're leaving us?"

"Oh, Just. You didn't do anything." JC says, as he squeezes Justin's hand. "I just can't deal with all the pressure, and Johnny's …."

"What? Why'd you stop, Jayce? What does Johnny have to do with this?" Joey questions.

"Shit…I…I can't tell you. I'm sorry, but I can't. I thought I could but…"

"Jayce?" Chris begins. "Does this have to do with Johnny? Is he the reason you're leaving?"

"I… I can't…"

"Josh," Justin starts. "What has he done to you? Why was he glaring at you? You gotta talk to us. Don't shut us out, please."

"Jayce, we can't help you if you don't talk to us. We have to know what the problem is before we can help make it better."

"Tell us Josh," Justin whispers. "I know you need to or you wouldn't have asked me to get them all. Please, tell them." "Um…You can't say anything to him. If he finds out, he'll kill me."

"We promise, nothing will be said." Joey promises while the others nod their heads. No one sees that the door is slightly open and a slight figure standing in the doorway.

"Johnny has been…" JC takes a deep breath. "He's been abusing me."

"Abusing you? How?" Lance's quiet voice asks.

"He's been raping me since we signed on with WEG and then a couple years ago he started beating me." JC whispers.

"WHAT?" Joey yells.

"Joe, stop. He doesn't need us yelling at him." Lance states.

"Sorry, Jayce. I just can't believe that Johnny would do something like that."

"Yeah, well he has. Ask the doctor. He'll confirm almost all of it with X-rays or testing."

"Jayce? Why didn't you tell us before?" Chris asks all fun leaving him.

"I couldn't. As long as I was being a 'good boy' he swore he wouldn't touch Justin or Lance."

"Oh, Jayce," Justin cries.

"He'll never touch you again Jayce, I promise you." Lance says, green eyes ablaze.

"You can't say anything Lance, please, promise me you won't say anything."

"I won't say anything, but don't you dare think that I'm gonna let that man treat you like this and then get away with it. You and Justin have both gotta learn that we (he waves to the Joey, Chris and himself) are here for you and we plan on protecting you and doing what ever we can to see that you are safe, no matter what." Lance takes a deep breath, "Neither one of you thought that we would understand what was going on in your lives and look where it got you. You've both been badly injured and now you just want us to stand by and do nothing. Well I'm sorry to say, that isn't gonna happen."

Joey get up and puts a hand on Lance's arm, "Lance is right. We protect our own. You are a part of my family and no one messes with my family."

Chris just looks at JC, smiles down at him, then leans down and hugs him, "Please don't leave. I can't handle this without you. You are my best friend. I don't know if I could handle you not being around."

Justin lifts his head, "You can't leave Josh. What would I do without you? You are my heart and soul. If you leave me I'll die. I can't live without you in my life."

Tears are rolling down JC's face as he slowly brings Justin's hand to his lips, "I'm sorry Just, but I just can't take it anymore. He has killed my will to live. Then this happened, it had to happen for a reason, and I can't help but think I was supposed to die when she stabbed me."

"Josh, please!" Justin cries. "I can't do this without you."

"Yes, you can baby." JC snivels. He looks at the others, "Could you give us a few minutes? Don't leave, just go over in the corner or something for a minute."

"Sure Jayce." Lance replies.

"Justin. Look at me baby." Justin looks up and meets the pain-filled blue eyes. "I can't do this anymore."

Justin just nods his head, "I understand Josh, I just wish it wasn't so."

"I know Just, I know. K guys, you can come back over here."

"Jayce. You can't leave the group…"

"Relax Chris, I'm not going to leave the group. I will always be a part of Nsync." JC meets Justin's gaze, "Always."

"Come on guys, let's let him get a bit of sleep." Justin comments.

They all get up and Justin meets the eyes of the person in the doorway. Tears are streaming down the face of Karen Chasez as she smiles weakly at the boys. "I just wanna tell him goodnight Justin."

Justin nods, "He'll like that."

Karen walks in, gives JC a hug, "I love you son."

"I love you too mom." JC smiles weakly.

Karen walks out of the room. JC takes a small medicine container from under his pillow where he had been collecting his pills. "May God forgive me for what I am about to do." He slowly gets up out of the bed and hobbles himself to the bathroom. Once inside he strips down, taking his clothes and blocking the door so no one can see the light coming from under the door. He then takes the pills and swallows each one. He sits on the floor in the small bathroom and patiently awaits. After about 20 minutes he gets up grabs the razor from the bathroom sink, and slowly makes his way back to the bed. He crawls back into the bed, lays down and brings his wrist up. He makes a deep cut along the right wrist and then along the left wrist, both cuts trailing from his wrist to his elbow. He place his arms across his chest and quietly drifts off.