"No," he whined back. "Weren't you just dancing with her?"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Please. That was half an hour ago."

"I don't know," JC said. "She walked out after the dance. She's probably in the bathroom primping or whatever like a normal girl."

"Macky isn't a normal girl," Justin argued. He frowned. "Or even normal on that note. And besides, for half an hour?" he asked, looking at JC questioningly.

JC shrugged. "She's a female. And besides, she likes you."

Justin laughed. "No, she doesn't."

"Oh, gimme a break. She keeps looking at you like she wants to eat you up with a spoon," JC said, allowing Justin to blush in his own curly glory. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed," he chided.

Justin turned a deeper shade of red. "We're friends. That's all," he stated.

JC rolled his eyes. "Uh huh. Yeah, sure. Well, why don't you go look for her so that when she jumps your bones I can say I told you so?"

Justin coughed. "Yeah...well, see ya later, C."

"Yeah, go. I'd hate to keep you from this lover's tryst!" he yelled to Justin's back as he walked away.

"Give it a rest!" Justin shouted over his shoulder as he opened the door and went through it. It closed behind him with a soft click and the music was muffled slightly. He looked up and down the hallway, first one direction, then the other, and found Mackenzie seated against the wall, all the way at the other end by the drinking fountain. Well, that was easy enough, he said to himself. "Hey, Macky!" he yelled, running towards her. "What are you doing out...here?" he asked when he noticed the tears on her cheeks that she had not bothered to wipe away. He sat down next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She sniffed. "Justin....I...."

He put his arm around her shoulder, and offered her a tissue that he found in his windbreaker pocket. She took it and wiped her cheeks and blew her nose. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You can tell me."

She sniffed again. "I...I'm...I'm adopted, Justin," she said, and blew her nose again.

"That's all?" he said gently. "That's nothing to cry about," he said.

"Yes it is, because I didn't know!" she wailed. She started sobbing, letting it all go.

"What?" Justin asked, and rubbed her back softly in an attempt to comfort her. Mackenzie had to admit, it had an effect on her, and the gesture was greatly appreciated. "I came out here to get a drink of water, and I heard my parents talking. I really, really, really wish that I hadn't heard it now, but I did and I'm adopted and they didn't tell me," she sniffled. "I feel so betrayed," she said quietly and she laid her head on Justin's shoulder

"I don't know what to say, Macky," he said. "I'm sorry that you feel like you were deceived. Do you know why your parents might keep this from you?" he asked, trying to find rhyme or reason behind their actions.

"I don't know," she said, wadding up the used tissue. "The only reason I can come up with is that they thought that maybe I would run away and try to find my real parents," she said, wiping her eyes. "Which is simply ridiculous, because I'm not that hotheaded and I think a little more clearly than that and I...I...I just don't know. I didn't even have a clue. They didn't act suspicious, and the only clues I had were that I'm so short even though my parents are kind of tall and I don't look much like either of them. I don't know...I just want to rest."

Justin nodded. "I'll take you to your room," he said as they were getting up. They rode in the elevator to the top floor, and Justin walked with her to the room. "Do you want me to go in with you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No thanks. This is something I have to do alone." He squeezed her small hand that he didn't even realize that he had been holding. He dropped it and walked away slowly.

Mackenzie smiled at his retreating form, and pulled out her cardlike key. She opened the door and found her parents sitting on one of the beds talking. They stopped talking when they saw Mackenzie in the doorway. "Hi honey," her mother said happily, even though it was quite obvious that she had been crying only minutes earlier from the smeared mascara on her cheeks.

"Hi mom. Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Mackenzie asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Er...I don't think so, honey," her mother said while her father shook his head. He knew what was coming.

"Like I'm not really your kid?" she said.

Her mother was floored. "I...we..."

Mackenzie held up her hand. "Save it. I come here only to say that yes, I'm angry, but I don't want either of us to say something that we'll regret later. So I'm going to crash in Gina's room tonight." Gina was the hairdresser for the tour. She grabbed a pillow from one of the beds, her teddy bear from when she was really little, and went down the hall to the room were she knew Gina would be nursing a headache. She knocked and a few seconds later the door flew open and Gina said drowsily, "Hi there. What brings you and your pillow to my hotel room?"

"My parents and I....had an arguement. Can I stay here tonight?" she asked.

"Of course you can stay, hon," Gina reassured. "I was a teenager once. I understand. I'm afraid you'll have to take the floor, though, because Linzy occupies the other bed," she said apologetically. Linzy was a makeup artist.

"It's okay," Mackenzie said. "I'm really tired."

"You wanna talk about it?" Gina asked, ready to listen.

Mackenzie shook her head. "No thanks."

"Alright. Good night."

"Good night."

The next morning, Mackenzie thanked Gina and Linzy, and carefully avoided her parents by waiting until they went downstairs to go and shower. Just as she was getting out of the elevator on the ground floor, she found Chris getting out of the other elevator.

"Hey Macky!" he said, bouncing up and down. "Why'd you leave your party? Didn't you like dancing with Justin."

Mackenzie smiled a little. "No, Justin didn't have anything to do with it. I just wasn't feeling very well."

"Mm hmm. Sure. What'd he say to you girl?" he asked.

"Nothing!" she yelled.

"Aww, come on, Macky. You know you want me," he said, making his brown eyes shine.

"Oh yeah, Chris. That's so legal," she smiled.

He shrugged. "We could make it work." She laughed. "There we go," he said. "Where was that Macky last night?"

"Dangit Chris, do you have something to say? Because Macky's evil twin sister is about to take over if this body doesn't get nourishment," she almost yelled.

"And what a body it is too," Chris said flirtaciously as Mackenzie was walking away.

Mackenzie looked over her shoulder at him. "Two words for ya Chris...sexual harrassment."

He staggered back. "Ooooo...that one hurt..."

Mackenzie rolled her eyes as she opened the doors to the VIP room, where everyone was eating breakfast. She grabbed a bowl of Frosted Flakes and strawberries and found Justin sitting at a table, a bucket hat pulled low over his forehead, quietly munching Apple Jacks. She sat next to him. "What brings you down here so early in the morning?" she asked.

He swallowed the Apple Jacks he had been chewing. "JC. Wake up. Supersoaker. Really cold."

She winced. "He wasn't kidding when he said he'd get back at us, was he?"

"He would have got you but you were nowhere to be found," he said before taking another bite of cereal.

Mackenzie nibbled on a strawberry. "I crashed in Gina and Linzy's room. I couldn't stand to look my parents in the face," she sighed. "Did you...you know...tell anyone?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. I figured this wasn't something that you wanted broadcasted, and even if you did you could do it yourself."

He's such a great friend. "Thanks," she said.

"How you feelin' today?" he asked.

"Mixed. I'm still angry, and confused. And my back hurts from sleeping on the floor," she said, taking in a spoonful of Frosted Flakes.

"Sorry," Justin said. "You could have come to me and JC's room. Either of us would have given you the bed," he said.

Mackenzie snorted. "Yeah, I'll say I stayed the night in Justin Timberlake's bed, conviniently skipping the fact that you were on the floor. My parents will sure be happy with that. How much do you suppose tabloids pay for that kind of thing? I can see the headline now: I Spent a Night in a Popstar's Bed."

Justin laughed. "Woah, Spitfire. Hold up."

"Yeah, I know. I should calm down, and try to talk rationally to them."

"Well, maybe-"

"Find out why they didn't tell me, and see why they thought that I wouldn't be able to handle the truth."

"I suppose-"

"You're right. I should definitely talk to them. Thanks Justin. You're a pal," she said as she got up to find her parents.

Justin rolled his eyes. He hadn't gotten a word in edgewise. "Anytime Spitfire."

Mackenzie found her parents sitting at a table across the room in dissarray. Her mother's eyes were red and her father's hand shook as he lifted the styrofoam cup of coffee to his lips. "Mom? Dad?" she said, sitting at one of the empty spots. "We need to talk."

"Yes honey?" her mother asked, wiping at her red eyes. It was obvious that they first wanted to see what she thought.

"I'm not really mad anymore," she started, fiddling with a salt shaker that was on the table. "I just want to know why you felt that you had to keep this from me. What were you afraid of?"

Her mother sniffed and looked at her father, who nodded. "I guess we were afraid...afraid that you'd think we didn't love you," she explained.

Mackenzie sighed. "I could never think that. I know you love me, because you could just ship me back to Florida to live with my grandmother, who I hardly know, and make me go to a normal high school, but instead, you're letting me do this. Be out and about, and," she said, turning around to find Justin nonchalantly reading a newspaper. A little too nonchalantly. She smiled. "Meet all these wonderful people."

Her mother sighed in relief. "Thank God. We thought for sure you'd freak and do, I don't know..."

"Something drastic?" Mackenzie suggested.

"Yes, you could say that. But," her mother smiled. "Thank you for not."

"Anytime," Mackenzie smiled. "Now can you tell me somethings?"

"Anything."

(Two weeks later)

"And they just told you?" he asked.

Mackenzie looked up from her sketch pad. "Yeah. I thought they'd be all, like, secretive and stuff, but they weren't. Hold still," she said.

Justin fidgeted one more time. "Sorry. Sitting here for the past twenty-five minutes with the lamp shining in my face doesn't help anything," he said, squinting against the sixty watt bulb. "Are you almost finished?"

"Almost," she answered. "Just hold still."

Resigned, Justin sighed. The next ten minutes were spent by him trying not to squint against the bright light, and studying Mackenzie's features. Her bright blue eyes were going between him and the oversized sketch pad, studying his features, but for a different reason. He had talked her into showing the guys some of her stuff, and she was talked into doing a portrait of sorts.

"Okay....done!" she said, blowing on the paper to get rid of the stray graphite from the drawing pencil. She looked up at him shyly. "Would you like to see?"

He jumped up and threw himself on the bed beside her. "You kidding me? Of course!" he said enthusiastically.

She smiled. "Okay...what do you think?"

He opened the book, finding the sketch on the first page. The ever famous *N Sync flame logo in the center, and around it, were the five guys that made the group. He first saw Chris, a friendly smile that was constantly on his face, present on the paper also. Then he saw Lance, the constant, serious, yet fun look on his face was captured in it's entirety. Joey's cheesy grin was found on the paper, as life like if not more than actual life. JC seemed to be staring into something further off, catching his strong profile, and his eyes, had he not known better, Justin would have thought he was staring into the real thing. As for himself, Justin could hardly believe that was him. The handsome young man with the serious expression on his face was him. "Macky, this is...wow. Yeah, wow. I think that's the word I was looking for."

She beamed. "It's really that good?"

He looked up. "Monet pales in comparison."

She laughed. "Yeah. Well, next you'll be telling me that I'm the sun and to arise and kill the envious moon who is sick and pale with grief because I'm more beautiful. And Monet did landscapes."

Justin shrugged. "If you'll believe it."

She laid back on the bed. "Yeah, right. Flirt." She sighed as Justin laid back next to her. Should she tell him? Someone should know, she thought. She turned on her side so she faced Justin. "Justin...we're friends right?"

Justin turned. "Yeah. Of course. You're like, the best girlfriend I've ever had. At least in this sense of the word." They both smiled.

"Thanks, Justin. Well, if I tell you a secret, can you keep it like that?" she asked.

"Whatever, boss," he joked. She didn't laugh. "Yeah, well, I guess it wasn't that funny," he said.

"Justin, I'm dead serious. If I don't do this right, and nothing goes according to plan, I could end up dead in a ditch somewhere in the U.S."

He stopped smiling. "Well, when you put it that way...How can I refuse? Did you say U.S.?" he asked, suddenly very lost.

She sighed and sat up. "Yeah. Here's my plan. Don't say anything until I'm done, okay?" Justin nodded. "I stole Chris' computer for awhile, and I used the WhoWhere search on the Internet, and I found my birth mother. Her name is Lydia something, and-"

"Wait a minute. Lydia something?" Justin asked.

Mackenzie gave him a glare. "The search didn't give out her last name, I'm lucky that the search thing worked. And I told you not to interrupt. Anyways, I used my savings and I bought a round trip ticket to Colorado Springs. That's where she lives. I'm going to go talk to her. Maybe find some answers," she sniffed. Justin handed her a tissue from the table between the two beds. "But my parents can't know. If they know, they won't let me go. And since it's a non-refundable ticket, and all that good stuff, I have to go. But I figure, alone...people will try to take advantage of a sixteen-year old girl. I figured just in case I don't come back, someone needs to know."

Justin digested the information. I shouldn't let her go. I should do something. But what? I'm not going to tell anyone. "Okay," he said quietly. "I trust you."

"You know my motives?" she asked.

"I understand. This is something you need to do. Just do me two favors."

"What?" she asked. He was looking very torn.

"Take care of yourself, and if you get caught, don't pull me into this in any way, shape, or form. JC will call my mom or he may just decide to take things into his own hands. I can't decide which is worse," he sighed.

"Deal," she said. "Thanks," she said, wadding up the tissue in her hand. "Give me a hug."

They leaned into each other, finding solace and understanding in each other. They had an unspoken bond of friendship that wouldn't break. "When is this fiasco going to take place?" Justin asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Excuse me?"

Mackenzie pulled away from the hug. "I know it's sudden. My plane takes off at five tomorrow morning. I checked the schedule, and tomorrow you leave in the morning and it's a travel day off. Which means no show, and you arrive in the town and stay there. I have a public bus ticket also to the next town. I get there at eleven o'clock at night, if all goes correctly." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I know this sounds crazy, but I have it worked out to the tiniest detail, and if this doesn't work out, then who knows what could happen. What I wanted to know is if you'll go with me to the airport tomorrow morning, just you know," she looked at him. "For support."

He weighed his decision carefully. This was a big taking on for a sixteen year old. Either of them. "Yeah, I'll go," he said. "How far is it?"

"Thanks," she said and she laid back down. " It's only about three blocks away. I can't believe I'm doing this," she said incredulously.

"Neither can I," Justin muttered.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Justin opened one eye and looked at the clock. 4:30. "The things I do for friends," he said. This isn't just any friend, this is Macky, he reminded himself. Luckily JC could sleep through World War Three, a hurricane, a tornado, and a monster thunderstorm, all going on in his backyard, all at the same time. If he woke up, Justin would be drilled about where he was going and why so early. He crept out of bed, cringing as the springs in the bed squeaked. He quietly got dressed, and reset the alarm for five. Making sure he remembered his key, he walked out the door, and met Mackenzie at the agreed place. The next part wasn't going to be so easy. Getting past security.

"How're we gonna do it?" Mackenzie asked.

Justin took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"We gonna just walk past them?" she asked.

Justin thought about it. "You know, that just might work."

"Huh?"

"Come on, just follow me," Justin said. Mackenzie shrugged and shouldered her backpack. She had no idea how this was going to work without looking suspicious. But Justin could make it work. "Hey, Lonnie," Justin said, relieved that this was the 'relaxed' security guard. Or as relaxed as a security guard could get.

"Hey, Justin. Whatcha doin?" Lonnie asked. Justin was a great kid, but always seemed to be up to something. And more often than not his suspicions would be confirmed.

"Nothing much. Just going with Macky to her parent's room," Justin answered carelessly. "The shower in her and Gina's room broke, so she's going to go use her parent's."

"Why you goin'?" he asked. He didn't mean to be nosy or bossy, it was just his job to keep Justin and the others out of trouble, and normally him and the other guards did a pretty good job, but they guys were sneaky.

"I have a question about the assignment that she gave us yesterday," Justin answered. His stomach turned, he hated to lie.

"Okay, see you later Justin," he said.

They walked to the elevator, and when they swooshed closed, they both let loose a sigh of relief. "Justin, I have no idea how you learned to lie like that, but I'm glad you did."

"Yeah," Justin said quietly.

Mackenzie looked up at him. "I'm sorry you had to lie," she said.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You just worry about getting on that plane and getting answers," he said as the door dinged open. They walked out of the hotel without a problem. They were silent the entire way, and Mackenzie could feel herself shaking from nervousness. Or it might have been the chill from the early morning, she couldn't tell. When they entered the large, international airport, a feeling of wanting to chicken out went over Mackenzie. No, you are going to do this, she said to herself. She looked at her ticket, and found the gate number. 146. They were in front of gate 142. "Keep walking," she told Justin quietly. They kept walking until they found gate number 146. "This is it," he said.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "This is crazy," she sighed. "I have to get on that plane, arrive in Colorado Springs at six in the morning, and then I have three hours to try and find Lydia, and then I have to get back on a plane, and then ride on a bus for another hour to get to the next town for two hours, and then I get in trouble." She laughed. "A lot of trouble to go to just to get in trouble."

Justin smiled. "Maybe so, but who knows? Maybe you'll get the answers you need. I hope so," he said. "We're in this together."

She smiled when a tinny voice came over the speaker and said something about flight one-forty-six to Colorado Springs.

Mackenzie sighed. "I could be wrong, but I think that's me."

"I suppose so," Justin said. He wasn't very surprised when Mackenzie pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back, and they stayed there for awhile. There were people chatting in other languages that had spotted the two. Some where saying "Teenagers" in their own language while rolling their eyes, and others just stared and smiled while they replayed memories of when they had shared a friendship so strong.

Mackenzie pulled away first, and handed Justin a piece of paper that said DO NOT READ UNTIL I'M GONE. She gave him one last smile, and turned, handed her ticket to the flight attendant and walked down the skyway, not looking back once.

Justin walked back to the hotel room in silence, partly praying for Mackenzie's safety and partly praying that they wouldn't get caught. Using the key he opened the door, and found a still groggy JC sitting up in bed, who said, "Where have you been?"

Justin sighed. "Nowhere. Just walking C."

JC rolled his eyes and got up. "Whatever. I'm going to take a shower." He got up, grabbed some clothes out of his suitcase, and went into the bathroom.

Justin sat there in silence, and remembered the note Mackenzie had given him. He retrieved it from his pocket, and opened it and read:

Justin-

I thank my God everytime I remember you--Philippians 1:3.

Macky

(Eight hours later, Colorado Springs, CO)

Mackenzie yawned as she looked around. She had caught a ride into the town of Colorado Springs on a semi. It was dangerous, she knew, but no more so than wandering around in a strange town with psychos everywhere. She had jumped off at a red light, almost succeeding in getting herself killed, but was safe none the less. She had been around town, trying to find someone who knew where Humberview Road was. She hadn't found anyone yet. Resigned, she stopped at a McDonalds for breakfast. She bought an Egg McMuffin, and asked the man behind the counter. "Do you know where Humberview Road is? I'm...visiting a friend and I don't know where it is."

The man looked at her carefully. "If they were any kind of friend they would have told you themselves."

She thought. "Well, yes, I guess, but....I really need to know," she said.

The man gave her a smile. He was missing a front tooth. "I can see you do," he said.

She looked herself up and down. She looked like a runaway, probably. Her faded jeans, old sweatshirt, and baseball cap with a couple holes in it and the backpack on her shoulders didn't help the picture any probably, she thought. "Can you just tell me, please?" she asked.

He leaned over the counter. "Well, you see, there's a small dirt road that goes off the main highway..."

(Meanwhile, in Germany)

Justin stretched his body out. Being on the bus was fun for awhile, but it was hard on the muscles. They cramped up right fast. He bent down to touch his toes and found another set of feet in front of his own. He looked up. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Nelson," he said, becoming quit queasy all of the sudden.

"Hello, Justin. Is Macky in your bus?" she asked.

Justin suddenly felt like he was going to vomit. "Er, no...we though she'd be with you and Daniel."

Mackenzie's mother looked at Justin while he put on his best face of innocence. "No...we assumed that she was with you."

"Um...no...did you check the other bus?" Justin asked, trying to buy himself and Mackenzie time. He checked his watch, which was on his wrist for a rare day rather than at the bottom of his suitcase or in his pocket. If the plane had arrived on time, she landed about forty-five minutes ago. She would be at the bus terminal about five blocks away, he discovered, at eleven o'clock tonight.

Carol was now wringing her hands, nervous as a canary in a room full of cats. "She wouldn't be on that bus, she...it's all male techs. She would have no reason to be there."

Justin put his hand on her shoulder. "How about you go check? I'll ask around and if I find her, I'll tell her that you're looking for her."

Carol nodded. "Alright...good-bye Justin."

"Bye," he said as he sighed. He felt sooooo guilty it wasn't even funny. He had done so much lying the past eight hours he was surprised that God didn't strike him down on the spot. Knock on wood. "Please God, please don't let this screw up," he whispered.

"Justin!"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" he jumped about a foot in the air. He turned around to see who had had the nerve to sneak up on him like that. "JC, don't you ever do that to me again," he said, trying to make his heart slow down a little.

"Sorry," JC said. "Why's Macky's mom so nervous?" he asked.

"Um..." Justin wondered how he could put this without seeming suspicious. "They can't find Macky," he said.

"Why not? Where else would she be?" JC asked, turning big brother on a dime.

"I uh...I don't know," Justin answered lamely.

JC raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about Miss Nelson's mysterious disappearance, would you J?"

Justin could feel himself not only getting sick from the thought of getting caught, but the thought of lying to JC. JC was the one in the group hardest to lie to. Which was a strange combination because he was very trusting. It most definitely had something to do with the eyes. "I um...no?" he answered meekly.

JC looked at him steadily. "I don't know what's going on here Justin, but if something's wrong, you better tell," he said. And then he walked away to follow the rest of the crew into the hotel.

Justin let out the breath that he had been holding in the entire time he was talking to JC. Phew. That was close, he thought

(Colorado Springs, CO)

Mackenzie looked up from the paper in her hand, and to the mailbox at the end of a gravel road, then back at the paper. 1937. Yep, this is it, she said to herself. She started walking up the road, and checked her watch. 7:13. My life is about to change whether I want it to or not. She reached the front door to the one story house, white with dark blue shutters. She hesitated a moment before putting her finger up to the doorbell and pushing. She took in a shuddery deep breath when the door opened to reveal a petite woman with brown hair and blue eyes. She was dressed, so she hadn't just woken up, which relieved Mackenzie, because that would have just been rude. She eyed Mackenzie up and down, blinked and said, "Can I help you?"

Mackenzie took a deep breath. "Are...are you Lydia?" she asked.

"Who wants to know?" she asked.

"I...I do. You don't know me, but...I'm your daughter."

Lydia was undaunted. "Well, I figured you'd show up one day. Your birthday was two weeks ago, right?" Mackenzie nodded. "So that would make you, what? Seventeen? Come on in by the way," she said motioning to come in.

"Sixteen," Mackenzie said, stepping in the house.

"Oh yeah. You want something to eat?" Lydia asked, motioning to the small but clean kitchen behind her. Mackenzie shook her head. "Do you talk?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah," Mackenzie said. "I'm just kind of shy around people I don't know."

Lydia smiled. "I was the same way," she said. "Let's sit at the kitchen table," she suggested. Mackenzie followed and took her backpack off, setting it on the ground and sat across from Lydia. "So," Lydia started. "How did all this come about?"

Mackenzie retold her entire story, including the being with *N Sync, Justin, the party, everything. Lydia listened patiently and intently. When she was done, Lydia sighed and sat back in her chair. "Sounds like one hell of a life you got going. Why the sudden urge to find me?" she asked.

Mackenzie shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that I just wanted to find some answers."

"Like what?" Lydia asked that question that Mackenzie was fighting.

"Like who was my father?" Mackenzie asked.

Lydia blew her breath out slowly through her mouth. "That is the question isn't it? The truth is, you are the result of a date rape and morals. I couldn't bring myself to get an abortion, those were just being introduced, and they were risky. And my parents insisted that I give you up. Small towns are the birth of gossip, and it's a hell when you're the center of negative attention," she stopped. "So that's two answers," she smiled weakly.

"Yeah, I guess," Mackenzie answered. Just then the sound of little feet padded into the room, accompanied by a voice saying, "Mommy?" Mackenzie turned around and found a little girl standing there with bright blue eyes. Lydia looked around Mackenzie and said, "What honey?"

The little girl went around Mackenzie, and climbed up into Lydia's lap and lay her head on Lydia's chest. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

"Give me a few minutes, Nelly. Mommy has a guest," she said, and for the first time Nelly noticed Mackenzie.

"Mommy, who is that?" Nelly asked.

"It's a friend. How about you go into the living room? I think that Sesame Street is on," she said. Nelly hopped down and ran into the living room, and soon the Sesame Street theme song could be heard faintly from the living room. They were silent until Mackenzie said, "Is she..."

Lydia nodded. "She's your half-sister. She's four years old."

"Does that mean you're married?" she asked.

"Five years," Lydia answered. "So, I've told you about my life, how about yours. What about this Justin kid?"

Mackenzie could feel her face grow hot, and she said, "Justin is a friend. Nothing more."

Lydia smiled. "Yeah, right. I know that look in your eyes well enough."

"What does it say?" Mackenzie challenged.

"It says that he is someone you care deeply about, and he does the same way for you. It might turn out to be something more, or it might just be a strong friendship. But whatever you do, don't let it go," Lydia said. Mackenzie had to admit, she was a little surprised. This was great advice, but Justin and her were friends. That was it.

The talked for awhile longer, about this and that. About fifteen minutes later, Lydia looked at the wall clock and said, "I'm sorry, but Nelly's sitter is going to be here in awhile. Do you need a ride anywhere?" she asked.

Mackenzie looked at her. She still held a small animosity against her. Why hadn't she contacted her? She had the ability. She had the motivation. It was stupid, she knew, but it was important to her. "One more question," she said. "Why didn't you call? Or write?"

Lydia froze. What would she say? What would she say? "I...I didn't want to interrupt your life."

Mackenzie looked her in the eye. "Not good enough. I'm sorry, but I could have been reached, and you didn't. I bought a plane ticket and had to come over here, from Germany, alone, in secret. I had to take that first step. I don't think that's fair," she said. She knew that she was being unfair some, and this was one hell of a plot twist on her part, but it was her concious and her temper speaking.

Lydia suddenly turned cold. "I guess we don't need to be complicating each other's lives," she said gingerly.

Mackenzie stood up and shouldered her backpack. "I guess not. Good-bye," she said. She turned around, walked out the front door, and walked down the gravel road, heading towards the airport.

(10:30 P.M., Germany, back with Justin...)

"I can't believe this. I mean, she was always such a sweet little girl. At least until she was eight. Then she turned into such a little devil I don't even know where to begin," Carol sniffed. Justin and JC had been listening to her sympathetically all afternoon, once they found out that Mackenzie was "gone". Justin was busy being consumed by guilt, although he did enjoy the embarrassing stories available for future reference.

"When she was eight, her curiousity always got the better of her," Carol started.

"Like trying to find her mother, that's curiousity," Justin thought. Oops. Did he just say that outloud?

JC looked at him. "Justin, can I talk to you in the hallway for a minute?" JC asked, giving him 'the glare'.

"I have a feeling that's not a multiple choice question," Justin muttered.

"You felt right," JC said, grabbing his upper arm, pulling him around the bed, and out the door. He closed the door and then started in on his lecture. "What the hell was that all about?" he demanded.

"Um, damn I really screwed up this time," he sighed, running his hand through his curls.

"Damn straight. Now what was that all about?" he asked again, raising his voice a little.

"JC, please don't yell," Justin said meekly. JC was his best friend, but when he was in one of his moods, you didn't want to be in the same country as him.

JC took in a deep breath. "Okay, I'm cool now. I won't yell. Justin, what did you say?"

"Um...like trying to find her mother, that's curiousity," he said again.

"What the hell are you talking about? Have you finally, totally lost it?" he asked. "Her mother's right there in that room, missing her like crazy, and I think her father's in their room, sleeping off stress."

Justin shook his head. "No, C, her real mom. Her birth mom."

JC took in a sharp breath. "She's adopted?" he asked.

"That seems to be the impression I get when I find her crying in a hallway and she comes right out and tells me," Justin said sarcastically.

JC sighed. "Okay, okay. So where exactly is it she went?" JC asked.

"Um, Colorado Springs," Justin answered.

"COLORADO SPRINGS!!"

"JC, you said you weren't gonna yell," Justin reminded him.

JC ignored Justin and went straight into daddy mode, drawing the attention of the occupants of the other rooms who stood in their doorways watching. Everyone on the tour was a little protective of Mackenzie, but this was just this side of ridiculousness. "Colorado Springs? She flew five thousand and some odd miles alone?"

"JC, I know we're all a little protective of her, but Macky can take care of herself."

Meanwhile in the doorway, Chris whispered, "Ten bucks says JC loses it totally and Justin gets in some major trouble."

Joey whispered back, "You're on."

JC eyed Justin carefully. "Did you know anything about this?" he asked calmly.

Justin suddenly felt very warm and uncomfortable. "Um, well, yeah, kind of."

"Kind of?"

Justin sighed. "She told me last night and I walked her to the airport."

"You were in on this?" JC asked, with a note of disgust, or was it disappointment, in his voice.

Justin's temper finally won out and took over him. "Yes, JC, I was in on this. I was helping one of my best friends settle something in her, something that wouldn't go away. You think that she made this decision easily? I'm pretty sure that she didn't. I'm worried. I'm worried sick about her. I'm worried that she won't make it back. I'm scared that maybe someone thought it would be a good idea to hurt her, or worse." He was almost in tears at this point. "I'm worried," he stopped.

The hallway was now silent and you could have heard a pin drop. And since this was a carpeted floor, that would have been quite a task. The only sound was the rain dropping on the roof. JC finally spoke up. "Justin, I..."

"It's not his fault JC," said a voice from behind Justin. He turned immediately and found a drenched Mackenzie standing there, backpack in hand. Such a flood of emotions ran through Justin. First, he couldn't believe that she was actually standing there. And then it was relief, washing over him in a wave. When he regained his senses, he spoke. "Macky!" he yelled, and ran for her. She let her bag fall to the fround and was waiting with open arms. He had slowed enough to catch her on the way past, and they slowed to a stop. They forgot that they had about half the tour watching them from their hotel room doors. Justin straightened up, succeeding in lifting Mackenzie off the ground. "I'll talk to you later," she whispered, and he nodded. He felt so relieved, and was just flad that she was back. He put her bags on the ground, and she picked up the backpack and headed towards her shocked mother. "Can I talk to you and daddy for a minute?" she asked.

Snapped out of her initial shock, Carol agreed and ushered into their hotel room where her father was sleeping. "Dan, wake up," Carol said.

He rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head. "Five more minutes," he mumbled into the spotless white pillowcase.

"Daniel," Carol said in her teacher voice, "Mackenzie's back."

Daniel sat up ramrod straight, letting the pillow hit the floor. "Mackenzie, where the hell have you been?"

"Colorado Springs," she squeaked.

"COLORADO SPRINGS?!" he yelled.

"Oh, be quiet Daniel. I can hear your blood pressure rising. Mackenzie, what on God's chemically polluted earth possesed you to go halfway across the world for a day?" Carol asked, becoming enraged.

"Um, that's where Lydia lives," Mackenzie clarified.

"Lydia?" her mother asked, her face growing a becoming shade of red.

"My biological mother," Mackenzie shot back at her. She looked as her parents grew from red to pale in about three seconds flat.

"Why would you want to go there?" her mother asked, bewildered.f

"I needed some answers to questions," Mackenzie explained. "Look, no matter how much I love you two, you would have never been able to answer my questions that I had. You would have never been able to answer who my father was, because you didn't even know who my mother was. And you never would have been able to answer why she gave me up, because it's a personal decision. So you see, I had to get the answers to those questions." She sighed and took a few seconds to blow her hair out of her eyes. "I love you two, and you guys are my parents. I was never considering staying there. I had every intention of coming back, and I love you. Just so you know that. I don't care if you punish me or not, but I have to talk to Justin now. So you two talk it over and I'll be back." She walked out and found JC and Justin still talking in the hallway with Joey and Chris. "Hi guys."

They all turned and gave her appropriate greetings. Then Justin hugged her again. She laughed. "Relax Justin, I was gone for fifteen hours."

He grinned as he let go. "Yeah, but with all those stories I heard about you, you need all the love you can get from me, cuz you ain't going to be getting any for awhile. Too many good ones."

Mackenzie knew that by "good ones" he meant "embarassing ones". "Did they tell you about the time I told my best friend that my Raggedy Andy doll could talk for real?" she asked fearfully.

"And the time that you thought the lawn gnomes were going to come alive and eat you," JC said gleefully.

Her face fell. "What about...the Mr. Bubbles thing?" she asked.

Justin put his arm around her shoulder. "Girl, that could have happened to anyone." She groaned as she lay her head in her hands. Justin took that opportunity to say, "Guys, can I talk to Macky alone?"

JC caught on. "Right," he said, almost pushing Joey and Chris into their room.

"Mr. Bubbles?" Chris asked.

"It's an nasty skin rash, that's all you need to know," JC said.

"Hey Chris," Joey said as the door was being closed. "I believe that you owe me ten bucks."

Mackenzie looked after them. "I'm not even going to ask," she shook her head. "Why don't we sit down?" she said, and she sat with her back against a wall. Justin sat beside her. "Justin, I just want to say thanks. I couldn't have done this without you, and even though it sounds cheesy, I want you to know that you're my best friend and I hope things never change."

He sat in silence a minute. "Did you really mean what you said?" he asked.

"What?"

"That you thank God everytime you remember me?"

She licked her lips. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. It's hard to find any friends when my parents are on a touring streak. I've been touring for the past three years and it's so hard to find friends," she said. "You know, cuz you're never in one spot."

"I know what you mean," he said. "It's hard for me to keep a girlfriend like that," he said, kind of spacing out. Mackenzie rolled her eyes. Guys. They're all the same, she thought. She heard the door of her parent's room come open, and they hovered over her. She felt like she was about three inches tall and shrinking fast. "Um, hi," she said, not near as brave as she had been about five minutes ago.

"We decided we're not going to punish you two," her father started. And she let the breath she had been holding go. A little too early, she found out.

"At least, not directly," her mother said. "Expect and increase in homework the next couple weeks," she smiled evilly. They turned around and went back to their room, leaving a shocked Mackenzie and a shocked Justin. They looked at each other.

"Um, sorry," she said.

"It's okay," he said. "Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

She swallowed. "Not the ones I hoped for, but yeah, basically.

"You wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not tonight, Justin. I don't think I have enough emotional strength left," she said standing up. They hugged again.

"Torment will begin at noon tomorrow," he warned. She smiled.

"Uh huh sure. Just make sure that you keep and eye on my Supersoaker."

"Why?"

"To make sure it doesn't end up in your face."

"Ooooh!! Score one for Macky."

They both grinned at each other. There was one thing for sure. They could count on each other.

For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain
For a truth that will never change
For someone to lean on
For a heart I can rely on through anything
For the one who I can run to
Oh, I turn to you

--I Turn to You by Christina Aguilera