Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

"JC!" Justin called out, seeing his friend.

JC turned towards the voice. "JUSTIN!" he said happily. The two hugged, not really caring that they were in the middle of a crowded airport. They parted, and Justin dragged his older friend over to Chris.

"JC, this is Chris Kirkpatrick. Chris, this is JC Chasez."

"Nice to meet you," JC said.

"Likewise," Chris responded. "What are the initials for?" he asked curiously.

"Josh Chasez," he replied with a sheepish grin. "My middle name is Scott, and JS sounds stupid, and since MMC already had a Josh, so I became JC. Kinda stuck," he shrugged.

"Cool. So you're staying with Justin, right?"

"Duh," Justin said.

JC ruffled his hair. "Be nice."

"You're not my boss," Justin said.

"But I could be," Chris grinned.

"Oh, I think we'll get along just fine," JC said.

Above them, an angel smiled.

******

"So what did you think of Lou?" Chris asked JC after they'd met him.

"He seems good enough. I got burned pretty bad in LA a couple years bak, but he doesn't seem like them."

"Good," Chris said.

"I don't like him," Lance voiced his opinion. Nobody heard him, of course.

"I think he's all right," Justin said.

"I don't think you should trust him."

"Yeah," Chris agreed. "He's a nice guy."

"I don't like him. He's greasy."

"There was something a little weird about him," JC began.

"YES! You have sense!"

"But it's probably just me," he finished.

"UGH!"

"Who knows?"

"All right, go ahead, just ignore me," came a cross voice that none of them heard. Lance sat perched on top of the couch, swinging his legs back and forth. "I don't care. Really." He heard Nikolas' laughing voice.

"I don't think they can hear you, son," he said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"I do like your strategy, though, use as much sarcasm as possible while you still can. Cute."

"Thanks." Then Nikolas disappeared.

JC looked around the room. Lance watched him closely. JC could feel something off. He could almost feel a resistance. He brushed it off, owing it to the trip. Or something. "I think I'm going crazy," he said. The other two looked at him quizzically. "Nothing," he sighed. "Nevermind."

Lance's deep laughter rang out as he faded away.

He reappeared in Joey's kitchen. "Joey, my man! What's up?" He held out a hand, like he'd seen others do in his years of observing. Joey, oblivious to his presence, walked through him.

"Sheesh! I'm sorry!" Lance shuddered at having his space invaded. Joey shuddered as well, feeling a sudden burst of cool air. Then he shook his head and walked out the door. Lance flew up and watched him. Joey was clubbing, of course, and he was at Pleasure Island this night. Lance yawned. He really didn't see what the big deal about clubbing was. Although, he'd never had clubs when he was alive, so he figured that maybe had something to do with it. Then he straightened up when he saw someone in the corner. It was Lydia.

"Oh great," he said. He watched Joey carefully. Watched as he saw the two making out in the corner. Watched as recognition dawned on his face. Then he sighed and flew down.

Joey laughed to himself. "It figures, really," he said to himself. "Two weeks later and she's already got a new guy." He sighed. He walked outside and looked at the ground. There were puddles from the rain that had been falling earlier. He stood, staring at his reflection. Then he felt the familiar touch on his shoulder, the warm touch. He looked at his shoulder, but didn't see a thing. He didn't expect to. But he smiled anyway, now knowing what it was. He looked down to his reflection and saw his green eyed angel wink before disappearing again. Joey smiled and took the feather out of his pocket, staring at it. Carefully smoothing it out, he put it back in.

Then he walked home, the smile still on his face. He was going to be all right.

Lance swooped down and followed Chris, JC, and Justin into Chris' apartment. Joey had been cheered up, and he could tell that something wasn't right here. He followed them in.

JC gasped.

Justin stopped dead in his tracks.

Chris yelled. "OH SHIT!"

Lance covered his face with his hands. "Oh no," he moaned. Chris' entire apartment was completely trashed. His table had been broken in half. The TV's front was shattered. The fabric of his couch was shredded. Things were thrown all over the place and shards of glass were everywhere.

"What happened here?" JC asked, carefully trying to step over the glass, but you could still hear the crunching of it under his feet. Lance looked around in amazement.

"Did they take anything?" Justin asked.

"I don't think so," Chris said miserably. "But I can't tell. Everything here is broken."

"Who could've done this?" Lance wondered.

"Who could've done this?" JC asked.

"I asked that, thanks," Lance told JC.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Chris asked himself, glass crunching under his feet as he went into his bedroom. Nothing there had been spared either.

"You can stay at my house," Justin offered.

"I don't know," Chris sighed, looking at clothes that had been thrown all over the room.

"My mom won't mind, she likes you," Justin said.

"Come on, Chris, we can plan things there, too," JC said.

Chris looked at them, and they could see unshed tears glittering in his eyes. "Really?"

"Course. We're family now, Chris, whether you like it or not, and nothing's gonna change that," Justin said firmly.

"Thank you so much," he said.

"No problem," Justin said, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder. I'll help you get your stuff."

Lance grinned, but it disappeared within a few seconds. He quickly let out his wings and flew upwards.

"What happened there?" he demanded the second he saw Nikolas.

"We don't know. No one was watching."

"Out of all the angels, there was no one watching Chris' apartment? No one even LOOKING? I find that rather hard to believe."

"We've asked around, James," Nikolas said. "No one knows. But we don't think it was human."

"What?!"

"It was a spirit of some sort, James. We don't know what kind."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 5 "JC!" Justin called out, seeing his friend. JC turned towards the voice. "JUSTIN!" he said happily. The two hugged, not really caring that they were in the middle of a crowded airport. They parted, and Justin dragged his older friend over to Chris. "JC, this is Chris Kirkpatrick. Chris, this is JC Chasez." "Nice to meet you," JC said. "Likewise," Chris responded. "What are the initials for?" he asked curiously. "Josh Chasez," he replied with a sheepish grin. "My middle name is Scott, and JS sounds stupid, and since MMC already had a Josh, so I became JC. Kinda stuck," he shrugged. "Cool. So you're staying with Justin, right?" "Duh," Justin said. JC ruffled his hair. "Be nice." "You're not my boss," Justin said. "But I could be," Chris grinned. "Oh, I think we'll get along just fine," JC said. Above them, an angel smiled. ****** "So what did you think of Lou?" Chris asked JC after they'd met him. "He seems good enough. I got burned pretty bad in LA a couple years bak, but he doesn't seem like them." "Good," Chris said. "I don't like him," Lance voiced his opinion. Nobody heard him, of course. "I think he's all right," Justin said. "I don't think you should trust him." "Yeah," Chris agreed. "He's a nice guy." "I don't like him. He's greasy." "There was something a little weird about him," JC began. "YES! You have sense!" "But it's probably just me," he finished. "UGH!" "Who knows?" "All right, go ahead, just ignore me," came a cross voice that none of them heard. Lance sat perched on top of the couch, swinging his legs back and forth. "I don't care. Really." He heard Nikolas' laughing voice. "I don't think they can hear you, son," he said. "Really? I hadn't noticed." "I do like your strategy, though, use as much sarcasm as possible while you still can. Cute." "Thanks." Then Nikolas disappeared. JC looked around the room. Lance watched him closely. JC could feel something off. He could almost feel a resistance. He brushed it off, owing it to the trip. Or something. "I think I'm going crazy," he said. The other two looked at him quizzically. "Nothing," he sighed. "Nevermind." Lance's deep laughter rang out as he faded away. He reappeared in Joey's kitchen. "Joey, my man! What's up?" He held out a hand, like he'd seen others do in his years of observing. Joey, oblivious to his presence, walked through him. "Sheesh! I'm sorry!" Lance shuddered at having his space invaded. Joey shuddered as well, feeling a sudden burst of cool air. Then he shook his head and walked out the door. Lance flew up and watched him. Joey was clubbing, of course, and he was at Pleasure Island this night. Lance yawned. He really didn't see what the big deal about clubbing was. Although, he'd never had clubs when he was alive, so he figured that maybe had something to do with it. Then he straightened up when he saw someone in the corner. It was Lydia. "Oh great," he said. He watched Joey carefully. Watched as he saw the two making out in the corner. Watched as recognition dawned on his face. Then he sighed and flew down. Joey laughed to himself. "It figures, really," he said to himself. "Two weeks later and she's already got a new guy." He sighed. He walked outside and looked at the ground. There were puddles from the rain that had been falling earlier. He stood, staring at his reflection. Then he felt the familiar touch on his shoulder, the warm touch. He looked at his shoulder, but didn't see a thing. He didn't expect to. But he smiled anyway, now knowing what it was. He looked down to his reflection and saw his green eyed angel wink before disappearing again. Joey smiled and took the feather out of his pocket, staring at it. Carefully smoothing it out, he put it back in. Then he walked home, the smile still on his face. He was going to be all right. Lance swooped down and followed Chris, JC, and Justin into Chris' apartment. Joey had been cheered up, and he could tell that something wasn't right here. He followed them in. JC gasped. Justin stopped dead in his tracks. Chris yelled. "OH SHIT!" Lance covered his face with his hands. "Oh no," he moaned. Chris' entire apartment was completely trashed. His table had been broken in half. The TV's front was shattered. The fabric of his couch was shredded. Things were thrown all over the place and shards of glass were everywhere. "What happened here?" JC asked, carefully trying to step over the glass, but you could still hear the crunching of it under his feet. Lance looked around in amazement. "Did they take anything?" Justin asked. "I don't think so," Chris said miserably. "But I can't tell. Everything here is broken." "Who could've done this?" Lance wondered. "Who could've done this?" JC asked. "I asked that, thanks," Lance told JC. "What am I supposed to do now?" Chris asked himself, glass crunching under his feet as he went into his bedroom. Nothing there had been spared either. "You can stay at my house," Justin offered. "I don't know," Chris sighed, looking at clothes that had been thrown all over the room. "My mom won't mind, she likes you," Justin said. "Come on, Chris, we can plan things there, too," JC said. Chris looked at them, and they could see unshed tears glittering in his eyes. "Really?" "Course. We're family now, Chris, whether you like it or not, and nothing's gonna change that," Justin said firmly. "Thank you so much," he said. "No problem," Justin said, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder. I'll help you get your stuff." Lance grinned, but it disappeared within a few seconds. He quickly let out his wings and flew upwards. "What happened there?" he demanded the second he saw Nikolas. "We don't know. No one was watching." "Out of all the angels, there was no one watching Chris' apartment? No one even LOOKING? I find that rather hard to believe." "We've asked around, James," Nikolas said. "No one knows. But we don't think it was human." "What?!" "It was a spirit of some sort, James. We don't know what kind."