Chapter 1

Inner Reflection | home

"James!" a voice called out.

James rose up off his cloud and flew towards the voice. "And the name is Lance," he added quickly. "You know I never liked the name James. Wait," he said, suddenly realizing something. "This isn't about the Joey thing is it? Because nothing else was working, I had to do it..."

"I'm really sorry, but it was an emergency, and we're only supposed to do that during an emergency..." he rambled.

"It's not about that," Nikolas assured him. Lance's face broke out into his usual smile. "We understand. You did what you had to do, and it worked. Good job." Lance blushed. "And don't worry about the feather either. Joseph will take care of it. No, we called you up here because you have and assignment, James," Nikolas said. "Yes finally," he said, smiling as Lance's eyes lit up.

"Well, what is it?" he asked eagerly. "I mean, I love being a guardian and all, but..."

"You will still be a guardian, of sorts," Nikolas said. Lance smiled. He really did like being one. "But it's an added...uh...well, it's included in the assignment." Lance frowned, a little confused. "Let me explain the rest. You'll still be guarding Joseph..."

"You mean Joey?" Lance asked.

"Yes, Joseph." Lance rolled his eyes but continued to listen closely.

"You've noticed how much he likes to sing, yes?"

"Well...in a few days, one of his acquaintances, Christopher..."

"Chris?" Lance interuppted. "I know who he is."

"Yes, Christopher," Nikolas said, getting another roll of the eyes from Lance. "He is going to start a group. A music group. You see, there is this guy, named Louis J. Pearlman, who is a very greedy man...he'll get what's coming to him eventually...but anyway, he's going to back this little group. So it's going to begin with Christopher. Before you go down to earth, you need to help him get the other three members of the group, and there will be five in all."

"Wait...who's the fifth?"

"You like to sing, don't you James?"

Lance's eyes widened. "Yes, of course I do..."

"And we know that you are a good singer...your voice is well...heavenly," Nikolas said with a small grin.

Lance rolled his eyes at the bad joke. "No it isn't, but continue."

"Well it's good. Anyway, the members are going to be Joseph, Christopher, a young boy named Justin Timberlake, and another about Joseph's age, named Joshua Chasez."

"Is that JC? I know who he is. He was on the Mickey Mouse thing, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was there with Justin. I don't think you've seen him before. He's a friend of Joshua's."

"Okay. So I figure out a way to get them all together. Why am I the fifth member?"

"Well, they're going to need a bass. And eventually, they're going to be big enough to need protection."

"Well, there's one more thing." Lance looked at him quizzically. "One of the members...he is going to discover that he is homosexual."

Lance understood immediately. "And he's not going to like it."

"Yes. We figured that since you've been there..."

"Yes," Lance said bitterly. "Although society is a bit more accepting now than it was in 1882."

"Yes it is," Nikolas agreed. "Now..."

Lance interuppted him. "I'm not going to die this time, am I? It was rather unpleasant the first time around," he said sarcastically.

"No, you can't die. Now, you're going to recieve a folder with all the basic information, in case you forget what I'm telling you now..."

"Yes, even before you got up here, you had an excellent memory. Okay. You're from Mississippi, and your name is James Lance Bass; you're going to go by Lance."

"Your parent's names are Diane Bass and James Bass, also known as Jim Bass. However, you don't talk to them, they disowned you when you told them you were gay."

"Sounds familiar again. So I'm going to be gay when I'm down there? Sounds good."

"Yes. There may be some trouble with that, but I do not know for sure. Tell them as soon as possible. You are the bass of the group. Your vocal coach was the same as Justin's, that's how you will tie in."

"You are going to be sixteen years old--"

"Sixteen?!? But I was twenty-one when I died!"

"Yes you were. But you need to be sixteen here. Do your best."

"I will," Lance sighed.

"Yes...they may think you're older, but make sure you always tell them you're sixteen. Your birthday will be the same as it was before, May 4th. Oh, and your first job was dressing up like a dalmation named Poofu for your uncle. That'll be important, trust me."

"Poofu?" Lance made a face.

"Yes, Poofu," Nikolas said. "You're going to be religious, obviously," Nikolas grinned.

"Would I be anything else?"

Nikolas ignored him. "Okay, that's the basic information...you're going to look like you do now...though we'll alter it a bit, eventually, you'll look almost like you do now."

"So these are the rules: Number one, you cannot tell them who or what you really are."

"I figured. So no telling them I'm an angel. Got it."

"No falling in love."

"I'll do my best," he said.

"No. You can't or we'll take this away. Or if you do, you can't admit it."

"Fine, I can do that," he replied.

"Good. Oh and make sure you continue to watch over Joseph as well as the rest of them? The other three won't have angels because you're going to be there...Christopher and Joseph will likely find the most trouble, but the other two will need your help as well."

"When does this start?"

"You will have to begin to help Christopher in two days time. Now go, and good luck," he said, handing Lance a folder.

"Thanks." And with that, Lance flew back to his cloud and continued to watch over Joey.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 1 "James!" a voice called out. James rose up off his cloud and flew towards the voice. "And the name is Lance," he added quickly. "You know I never liked the name James. Wait," he said, suddenly realizing something. "This isn't about the Joey thing is it? Because nothing else was working, I had to do it..." "I understand..." "I'm really sorry, but it was an emergency, and we're only supposed to do that during an emergency..." he rambled. "It's not about that," Nikolas assured him. Lance's face broke out into his usual smile. "We understand. You did what you had to do, and it worked. Good job." Lance blushed. "And don't worry about the feather either. Joseph will take care of it. No, we called you up here because you have and assignment, James," Nikolas said. "Yes finally," he said, smiling as Lance's eyes lit up. "Well, what is it?" he asked eagerly. "I mean, I love being a guardian and all, but..." "You will still be a guardian, of sorts," Nikolas said. Lance smiled. He really did like being one. "But it's an added...uh...well, it's included in the assignment." Lance frowned, a little confused. "Let me explain the rest. You'll still be guarding Joseph..." "You mean Joey?" Lance asked. "Yes, Joseph." Lance rolled his eyes but continued to listen closely. "You've noticed how much he likes to sing, yes?" "Of course." "Well...in a few days, one of his acquaintances, Christopher..." "Chris?" Lance interuppted. "I know who he is." "Yes, Christopher," Nikolas said, getting another roll of the eyes from Lance. "He is going to start a group. A music group. You see, there is this guy, named Louis J. Pearlman, who is a very greedy man...he'll get what's coming to him eventually...but anyway, he's going to back this little group. So it's going to begin with Christopher. Before you go down to earth, you need to help him get the other three members of the group, and there will be five in all." "Wait...who's the fifth?" "You like to sing, don't you James?" Lance's eyes widened. "Yes, of course I do..." "And we know that you are a good singer...your voice is well...heavenly," Nikolas said with a small grin. Lance rolled his eyes at the bad joke. "No it isn't, but continue." "Well it's good. Anyway, the members are going to be Joseph, Christopher, a young boy named Justin Timberlake, and another about Joseph's age, named Joshua Chasez." "Is that JC? I know who he is. He was on the Mickey Mouse thing, wasn't he?" "Yes, he was there with Justin. I don't think you've seen him before. He's a friend of Joshua's." "Okay. So I figure out a way to get them all together. Why am I the fifth member?" "Well, they're going to need a bass. And eventually, they're going to be big enough to need protection." "Oh." "Well, there's one more thing." Lance looked at him quizzically. "One of the members...he is going to discover that he is homosexual." Lance understood immediately. "And he's not going to like it." "Yes. We figured that since you've been there..." "Yes," Lance said bitterly. "Although society is a bit more accepting now than it was in 1882." "Yes it is," Nikolas agreed. "Now..." Lance interuppted him. "I'm not going to die this time, am I? It was rather unpleasant the first time around," he said sarcastically. "No, you can't die. Now, you're going to recieve a folder with all the basic information, in case you forget what I'm telling you now..." "I won't forget." "Yes, even before you got up here, you had an excellent memory. Okay. You're from Mississippi, and your name is James Lance Bass; you're going to go by Lance." "Sounds familiar." "Your parent's names are Diane Bass and James Bass, also known as Jim Bass. However, you don't talk to them, they disowned you when you told them you were gay." "Sounds familiar again. So I'm going to be gay when I'm down there? Sounds good." "Yes. There may be some trouble with that, but I do not know for sure. Tell them as soon as possible. You are the bass of the group. Your vocal coach was the same as Justin's, that's how you will tie in." "Got it." "You are going to be sixteen years old--" "Sixteen?!? But I was twenty-one when I died!" "Yes you were. But you need to be sixteen here. Do your best." "I will," Lance sighed. "Yes...they may think you're older, but make sure you always tell them you're sixteen. Your birthday will be the same as it was before, May 4th. Oh, and your first job was dressing up like a dalmation named Poofu for your uncle. That'll be important, trust me." "Poofu?" Lance made a face. "Yes, Poofu," Nikolas said. "You're going to be religious, obviously," Nikolas grinned. "Would I be anything else?" Nikolas ignored him. "Okay, that's the basic information...you're going to look like you do now...though we'll alter it a bit, eventually, you'll look almost like you do now." "All right..." "So these are the rules: Number one, you cannot tell them who or what you really are." "I figured. So no telling them I'm an angel. Got it." "No falling in love." "I'll do my best," he said. "No. You can't or we'll take this away. Or if you do, you can't admit it." "Fine, I can do that," he replied. "Good. Oh and make sure you continue to watch over Joseph as well as the rest of them? The other three won't have angels because you're going to be there...Christopher and Joseph will likely find the most trouble, but the other two will need your help as well." "When does this start?" "You will have to begin to help Christopher in two days time. Now go, and good luck," he said, handing Lance a folder. "Thanks." And with that, Lance flew back to his cloud and continued to watch over Joey.