Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

"So what are we going to do?" JC asked the others as they sat in their hotel room. Joey, Justin and Chris looked at each other.

"Wait until morning and see if he comes back," Chris finally said. "We can't do much until we know for sure he's missing."

"But he could be dead by then!"

"Josh, relax."

"HOW CAN I RELAX?" JC almost screamed. Joey sighed.

"What do you propose to do, then? Go out and look for him ourselves?"

"Why not?"

"Josh, we'll be mobbed! Even at this hour, there are still enough fans down there to mob us if we make an appearance. You obviously didn't get a good look at them on the way in."

"I'm too worried about Lance."

Lance is a big boy-- he won't get hurt," Justin soothed his best friend. "He'll be fine."

JC just sniffled and stayed silent. "Josh, look. We'll talk to Johnny first thing in the morning if he's not back, OK?"

"Promise?" JC's voice was hopeful.

"I promise. Now come on, let's get some sleep." Justin kicked Chris and Joey out, then practically forced JC into bed before laying down himself.

"Justin, what are you doing?" JC demanded.

"Making sure you actually stay put tonight. Now GO TO SLEEP."

"Yes, Mommy." JC obediently closed his eyes and almost against his wishes, fell asleep.

*****

Lance couldn't sleep. How could he? He was lying in the house of a Voodoo Queen who was going to do only-God-knew-what to him come morning! So he lay on the bed in his room and stared at the ceiling. The house was silent, giving him lots of time to think. Thinking usually helped him relax, but thinking about this only freaked him out more. He felt so stupid for signing that contract only three days earlier. If he hadn't been hit with the sudden urge to tell JC exactly how he felt, he wouldn't be in this mess. Sighing, Lance rolled over and found himself staring into a pair of gold eyes.

"What?" he almost yelled before he felt the soft fur brush his face and realized that a cat had joined him at some point. "Well, hello," he greeted it. The cat sniffed him, seemingly wrinkling it's nose at the smell of his ferret, Dirk. Lance almost laughed.

"Meow?" the cat said, looking at him with questioning eyes.

"I don't know what's going on, cat," Lance responded. "I feel so stupid now. I really should have learned a long time ago to keep my big mouth shut."

"Mrow!"

"I know, I know-- people in love will do dumb things. No offense to your mistress, but this is definately a dumb thing I did." The expression on the cat's face made him think that it was agreeing with his assessment, making him laugh. Even though cats didn't speak in human words, they could still make their wishes and demands known. The cat purred and padded over to the window seat. Lance followed, settling himself down on the padded bench and pulling the cat into his lap. Stroking it almost absent-mindedly, Lance sat there, just staring into the darkness outside. The cat lay on his lap and purred, soothing the worried man. They sat like that until the sun started to come up, and Lance started when he heard a door close downstairs.

"I guess your mistress is up," Lance said, standing up carefully and picking up the cat so it rested in his arms.

"Mrow."

"I also guess you're hungry. Come on, let's see if we can go get some food." Purring even louder, the cat allowed Lance to take it downstairs. He hadn't even thought to check to see if the door was locked, as he didn't have a clue where he was, so running away wouldn't have solved anything. He found the Queen standing in the kitchen, making herself some coffee.

"I see you met Max," she said without turning around. Lance raised an eyebrow and allowed the cat to jump out of his arms and wind his body around the woman's feet.

"He kept me company last night."

"His food's in the cupboard next to the sink." Lance wordlessly got the can down and fed the cat, wandering over to the kitchen table once he was done.

"What now?" he asked the Queen. She finally turned around.

"Seeing as you and Max hit it off so well, I think I'll make you a cat."

"EXCUSE ME?"

"Max usually doesn't let strangers hold him. He likes you, so I'm going to give him company."

"No fucking way..."

"You signed that contract, Lance. If you try to break it now, you'll wish you *had* let me turn you into a cat. I'm not very pleasant when I've been crossed."

"But... a cat?"

"And I'll return you to your bandmates, of course."

"AS A CAT?"

"What would you rather I made you? A bird, so Max can eat you?"

"BUSTA will eat me!"

"He's a pug, and pugs don't eat cats."

"How do you know so much about the band?" Lance asked suspiciously. The Queen laughed.

"I may be a Queen of Voodoo, but I'm not deaf, dumb, or blind."

"Acid Queen?"

"Elton John."

"Cute."

"I thought so, too, but you're trying to change the subject on me. I've made up my mind, and there is no turning back."

"We're on a song kick this morning, aren't we?"

"Hunh?"

"That sounded like something out of 98 Degrees' The Hardest Thing."

"Whatever. Go down the hall, and wait for me in the first room on your left. I need to get some materials, but don't even *think* about leaving."

"The thought hadn't crossed my mind," Lance said truthfully. He obeyed the Queen's orders and found himself in a carpeted room that had only a table and mirror in it. Sitting on the floor against the wall opposite the door, Lance let out another sigh and waited for his fate.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to The Eyes of the Cat Chapter 6 "So what are we going to do?" JC asked the others as they sat in their hotel room. Joey, Justin and Chris looked at each other. "Wait until morning and see if he comes back," Chris finally said. "We can't do much until we know for sure he's missing." "But he could be dead by then!" "Josh, relax." "HOW CAN I RELAX?" JC almost screamed. Joey sighed. "What do you propose to do, then? Go out and look for him ourselves?" "Why not?" "Josh, we'll be mobbed! Even at this hour, there are still enough fans down there to mob us if we make an appearance. You obviously didn't get a good look at them on the way in." "I'm too worried about Lance." Lance is a big boy-- he won't get hurt," Justin soothed his best friend. "He'll be fine." JC just sniffled and stayed silent. "Josh, look. We'll talk to Johnny first thing in the morning if he's not back, OK?" "Promise?" JC's voice was hopeful. "I promise. Now come on, let's get some sleep." Justin kicked Chris and Joey out, then practically forced JC into bed before laying down himself. "Justin, what are you doing?" JC demanded. "Making sure you actually stay put tonight. Now GO TO SLEEP." "Yes, Mommy." JC obediently closed his eyes and almost against his wishes, fell asleep. ***** Lance couldn't sleep. How could he? He was lying in the house of a Voodoo Queen who was going to do only-God-knew-what to him come morning! So he lay on the bed in his room and stared at the ceiling. The house was silent, giving him lots of time to think. Thinking usually helped him relax, but thinking about this only freaked him out more. He felt so stupid for signing that contract only three days earlier. If he hadn't been hit with the sudden urge to tell JC exactly how he felt, he wouldn't be in this mess. Sighing, Lance rolled over and found himself staring into a pair of gold eyes. "What?" he almost yelled before he felt the soft fur brush his face and realized that a cat had joined him at some point. "Well, hello," he greeted it. The cat sniffed him, seemingly wrinkling it's nose at the smell of his ferret, Dirk. Lance almost laughed. "Meow?" the cat said, looking at him with questioning eyes. "I don't know what's going on, cat," Lance responded. "I feel so stupid now. I really should have learned a long time ago to keep my big mouth shut." "Mrow!" "I know, I know-- people in love will do dumb things. No offense to your mistress, but this is definately a dumb thing I did." The expression on the cat's face made him think that it was agreeing with his assessment, making him laugh. Even though cats didn't speak in human words, they could still make their wishes and demands known. The cat purred and padded over to the window seat. Lance followed, settling himself down on the padded bench and pulling the cat into his lap. Stroking it almost absent-mindedly, Lance sat there, just staring into the darkness outside. The cat lay on his lap and purred, soothing the worried man. They sat like that until the sun started to come up, and Lance started when he heard a door close downstairs. "I guess your mistress is up," Lance said, standing up carefully and picking up the cat so it rested in his arms. "Mrow." "I also guess you're hungry. Come on, let's see if we can go get some food." Purring even louder, the cat allowed Lance to take it downstairs. He hadn't even thought to check to see if the door was locked, as he didn't have a clue where he was, so running away wouldn't have solved anything. He found the Queen standing in the kitchen, making herself some coffee. "I see you met Max," she said without turning around. Lance raised an eyebrow and allowed the cat to jump out of his arms and wind his body around the woman's feet. "He kept me company last night." "His food's in the cupboard next to the sink." Lance wordlessly got the can down and fed the cat, wandering over to the kitchen table once he was done. "What now?" he asked the Queen. She finally turned around. "Seeing as you and Max hit it off so well, I think I'll make you a cat." "EXCUSE ME?" "Max usually doesn't let strangers hold him. He likes you, so I'm going to give him company." "No fucking way..." "You signed that contract, Lance. If you try to break it now, you'll wish you had let me turn you into a cat. I'm not very pleasant when I've been crossed." "But... a cat?" "And I'll return you to your bandmates, of course." "AS A CAT?" "What would you rather I made you? A bird, so Max can eat you?" "BUSTA will eat me!" "He's a pug, and pugs don't eat cats." "How do you know so much about the band?" Lance asked suspiciously. The Queen laughed. "I may be a Queen of Voodoo, but I'm not deaf, dumb, or blind." "Acid Queen?" "Elton John." "Cute." "I thought so, too, but you're trying to change the subject on me. I've made up my mind, and there is no turning back." "We're on a song kick this morning, aren't we?" "Hunh?" "That sounded like something out of 98 Degrees' The Hardest Thing." "Whatever. Go down the hall, and wait for me in the first room on your left. I need to get some materials, but don't even think about leaving." "The thought hadn't crossed my mind," Lance said truthfully. He obeyed the Queen's orders and found himself in a carpeted room that had only a table and mirror in it. Sitting on the floor against the wall opposite the door, Lance let out another sigh and waited for his fate.