Chapter 33

Inner Reflection | home

Lance was only vaguely aware of the knock on the door. "Who is it?" he asked numbly.

"Come on it," Lance said, his voice muffled by the pillow he had his face pressed into.

"Can't you breathe?"

"Not really." Lance looked up towards JC, and the sad look on his face prompted JC to run over and embrace him. He held Lance in his arms, glittering tears again running down the blonde's face.

"Shh," JC said. "It's okay."

"No it's not okay," Lance sobbed. "Joey broke my trust in him. Lou has me right where he wants me. And Chris is mad--"

"Hold up," JC said. "Chris is mad?"

"Yeah, because I wouldn't tell. Justin is...well...I don't know. Tell me how everything is okay, JC!"

"I'm sorry," JC whispered, rubbing small circles with his hand on Lance's back.

"Naw, don't be," Lance said. He sniffled and rubbed the tears away, pulling back. He looked at JC's face. "What happened?" he asked, indicating the bruise starting to form on JC's jaw and the split upper lip.

JC cringed. "Um...well..."

"You fought with Joey, didn't you?"

"Um...well...Sorry?"

Lance smiled a wry smile. "Who won?"

"I don't know." Lance looked up and JC again found himself staring into the depths of his green eyes.

Lance took JC's chin in his hand and looked at the bruise. "That's not gonna be too bad if you put ice on it," he said quietly.

"Yeah," JC said, not making any motions to move.

Lance lightly rubbed his thumb over it and heard JC's quick intake of breath. "I'm sorry," Lance said quickly, blushing and dropping his hand. "I didn't..."

"No," JC said, grabbing Lance's hand and pulling it back up towards his face. "Do that again."

"What, this?" Lance asked, confused, as he ran his thumb over it again.

"Yeah," JC sighed, eyes closing.

"It makes the pain go away...All I feel is you," he said without thinking. His eyes snapped open and he quickly looked down, but Lance was smiling.

"Yeah." Lance let go and JC noticed one more thing. For the first time in all the years he'd known him, Lance's hands weren't cold.

In fact, they were very warm.

Chris, what's happening to us?" Justin asked.

"I don't know, Justin," Chris said sadly, looking at the carpet. The two sat in silence for another minute before Chris left the room.

Justin sighed. He wished there was something he could do to help. But he was worried. He'd never seen JC like that, in all the years he'd known him. Hi'd never fought in anger. This had definitely been pure anger. This whole Lance and Joey thing was tearing up the group.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. He picked up the phone and dialed. When someone on the other end picked up, he smiled. "Hi, this is Justin Timberlake...may I please speak to Lou Pearlman?"

Joey sat, holding a a tissue to his still bleeding nose. What the hell had happened to him? One minute, he had been trying to figure out just why the hell he'd gone to talk to Lou, and the next, JC had come in and it was like his mouth had a mind of its own. He could hear his voice speaking, feel his mouth moving, but it was like listening to someone else talk. JC was pissed as hell to the point where they'd actually started fighting, and who knows how Lance felt? He didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't know how Chris and Justin felt, but he didn't think they'd be too happy with him.

Chris sat out on his balcony and sighed. His dream was being...well...ravished. Lou was blackmailing Lance, Lance was keeping something from them, Joey was turning on Lance for God only knows what reason, and JC was withdrawing into himself more and more each day. Justin was the only one that didn't have anything going on, and Chris could see him talking on the phone to someone now. Could they get through this?

"Justin! What can I get for you?"

"Usually, when you blackmail someone, it's supposed to stay a secret, don't you think?" Justin asked, his voice cold.

"What...what are you talking about?" Lou didn't like this. He was old enough to be Justin's father, he didn't need some seventeen year old kid talking to him like that.

"Well, we all know that you're blackmailing Lance," Justin said sweetly. "And usually, that's supposed to be kept a SECRET, right?" There was no answer from Lou. "Well," Justin continued, "We all know about it now, and let me tell you, JC is pretty damn pissed about it!" he said, keeping his voice light.

"Well, he came over here and gave Joey a nosebleed, I'd hate to see what he'd do when he saw you."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Lou asked, his voice practically a growl.

Justin laughed. "Oh, so impatient!" He stifled his laughter and continued. "See, I imagine he'd be so mad that he might even want to, oh, I don't know, step away from the label or something, isn't that silly?"

"Yeah...very...silly..." Lou was completely caught off guard.

Justin smiled. "Yeah, hilarious, really. I mean, who would think that? Especially the media."

"What?" Lou asked blankly. "You couldn't leave, we'd sue you."

"Oh, well, you see, I was just thinking about that. I mean, if you sued us, we'd have a problem. But I've got that resolved already!" Justin said, still keeping his tone light.

"Of course, Big Poppa," Justin said, stressing the "Big Poppa" part. "See, I was thinking. Going off the label might be a breach of contract, but blackmail is far worse."

"See, I figured this...blackmail is sort of...well, how do I put this? Oh, I know. Sort of ILLEGAL, Lou," Justin said, his voice instantly going from light to cold. "And it would SUCK if you were to be put in JAIL over this, now wouldn't it?"

"What are you saying, Justin?"

"I'm saying that if you don't tear up that contract, we go to the media with this thing."

"I can make you keep quiet."

"What, with duct tape?" Justin laughed. "Now, I'll make a deal. You tear up that contract that Joey signed, with me in front of you, and we'll keep quiet about this whole little thing, and stay on your label. Do we have a deal?"

Lou was silent for a few moments. "Deal," he growled finally. "Be at my office in ten minutes." He hung up.

Justin hung up, a grin forming on his face. He ran outside and drove as fast as he could to Lou's.

"Let's get some ice for your jaw," Lance said quietly, grasping JC's hand and leading him to the fridge.

"Your hands," JC said, bewildered.

"What about 'em?" Lance asked, his head buried in the freezer.

"They're not cold," JC replied.

He saw Lance hesitate for a split second before laughing. "You think my hands are always freezing?"

"Well, whenever I touch them..." JC said, a little hurt.

"Sorry for laughing," Lance apologized. "But my hands aren't always cold, they just seem like it."

Lance smiled and put an icepack on JC's jaw. "I'd give you frozen meat but I'm fresh out."

"Feel better?" Lance asked after a while.

"Let me see," Lance said, gently tugging down JC's hand. He looked at it and frowned, but it soon disappeared. "It won't be too bad," he said, touching it again.

"What?" Lance said, trying not to laugh at how cute JC was being. "I thought it made it better when I touched it."

"Poor thing...you want me to kiss it and make it feel better?" Lance asked. He bit his lip and flushed as soon as he realized what he'd said. But JC only smiled, and nodded. Lance blushed a deeper shade of red. He put a steadying hand on JC's shoulder, and softly kissed the bruise, mere centimeters away from his lips.

"Thank you," JC said softly.

Lance flushed again. "Feel better?"

"Uh huh. Wanna kiss it again?"

But Lance never got a chance to answer the question.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 33 Lance was only vaguely aware of the knock on the door. "Who is it?" he asked numbly. "JC." "Come on it," Lance said, his voice muffled by the pillow he had his face pressed into. "Can't you breathe?" "No." "Do you care?" "Not really." Lance looked up towards JC, and the sad look on his face prompted JC to run over and embrace him. He held Lance in his arms, glittering tears again running down the blonde's face. "Shh," JC said. "It's okay." "No it's not okay," Lance sobbed. "Joey broke my trust in him. Lou has me right where he wants me. And Chris is mad--" "Hold up," JC said. "Chris is mad?" "Yeah, because I wouldn't tell. Justin is...well...I don't know. Tell me how everything is okay, JC!" "I'm sorry," JC whispered, rubbing small circles with his hand on Lance's back. "Naw, don't be," Lance said. He sniffled and rubbed the tears away, pulling back. He looked at JC's face. "What happened?" he asked, indicating the bruise starting to form on JC's jaw and the split upper lip. JC cringed. "Um...well..." "You fought with Joey, didn't you?" "Um...well..." "JC!" "Um...well...Sorry?" Lance smiled a wry smile. "Who won?" "I don't know." Lance looked up and JC again found himself staring into the depths of his green eyes. Lance took JC's chin in his hand and looked at the bruise. "That's not gonna be too bad if you put ice on it," he said quietly. "Yeah," JC said, not making any motions to move. Lance lightly rubbed his thumb over it and heard JC's quick intake of breath. "I'm sorry," Lance said quickly, blushing and dropping his hand. "I didn't..." "No," JC said, grabbing Lance's hand and pulling it back up towards his face. "Do that again." "What, this?" Lance asked, confused, as he ran his thumb over it again. "Yeah," JC sighed, eyes closing. "Why?" "It makes the pain go away...All I feel is you," he said without thinking. His eyes snapped open and he quickly looked down, but Lance was smiling. "Really?" "Yeah." Lance let go and JC noticed one more thing. For the first time in all the years he'd known him, Lance's hands weren't cold. In fact, they were very warm. * Chris, what's happening to us?" Justin asked. "I don't know, Justin," Chris said sadly, looking at the carpet. The two sat in silence for another minute before Chris left the room. Justin sighed. He wished there was something he could do to help. But he was worried. He'd never seen JC like that, in all the years he'd known him. Hi'd never fought in anger. This had definitely been pure anger. This whole Lance and Joey thing was tearing up the group. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He picked up the phone and dialed. When someone on the other end picked up, he smiled. "Hi, this is Justin Timberlake...may I please speak to Lou Pearlman?" * Joey sat, holding a a tissue to his still bleeding nose. What the hell had happened to him? One minute, he had been trying to figure out just why the hell he'd gone to talk to Lou, and the next, JC had come in and it was like his mouth had a mind of its own. He could hear his voice speaking, feel his mouth moving, but it was like listening to someone else talk. JC was pissed as hell to the point where they'd actually started fighting, and who knows how Lance felt? He didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't know how Chris and Justin felt, but he didn't think they'd be too happy with him. * Chris sat out on his balcony and sighed. His dream was being...well...ravished. Lou was blackmailing Lance, Lance was keeping something from them, Joey was turning on Lance for God only knows what reason, and JC was withdrawing into himself more and more each day. Justin was the only one that didn't have anything going on, and Chris could see him talking on the phone to someone now. Could they get through this? * "Lou, it's Justin." "Justin! What can I get for you?" "Usually, when you blackmail someone, it's supposed to stay a secret, don't you think?" Justin asked, his voice cold. "What...what are you talking about?" Lou didn't like this. He was old enough to be Justin's father, he didn't need some seventeen year old kid talking to him like that. "Well, we all know that you're blackmailing Lance," Justin said sweetly. "And usually, that's supposed to be kept a SECRET, right?" There was no answer from Lou. "Well," Justin continued, "We all know about it now, and let me tell you, JC is pretty damn pissed about it!" he said, keeping his voice light. "What do you mean?" "Well, he came over here and gave Joey a nosebleed, I'd hate to see what he'd do when he saw you." "What the hell are you getting at?" Lou asked, his voice practically a growl. Justin laughed. "Oh, so impatient!" He stifled his laughter and continued. "See, I imagine he'd be so mad that he might even want to, oh, I don't know, step away from the label or something, isn't that silly?" "Yeah...very...silly..." Lou was completely caught off guard. Justin smiled. "Yeah, hilarious, really. I mean, who would think that? Especially the media." "What?" Lou asked blankly. "You couldn't leave, we'd sue you." "Oh, well, you see, I was just thinking about that. I mean, if you sued us, we'd have a problem. But I've got that resolved already!" Justin said, still keeping his tone light. "Care to share?" "Of course, Big Poppa," Justin said, stressing the "Big Poppa" part. "See, I was thinking. Going off the label might be a breach of contract, but blackmail is far worse." "What...?" "See, I figured this...blackmail is sort of...well, how do I put this? Oh, I know. Sort of ILLEGAL, Lou," Justin said, his voice instantly going from light to cold. "And it would SUCK if you were to be put in JAIL over this, now wouldn't it?" "What are you saying, Justin?" "I'm saying that if you don't tear up that contract, we go to the media with this thing." "I can make you keep quiet." "What, with duct tape?" Justin laughed. "Now, I'll make a deal. You tear up that contract that Joey signed, with me in front of you, and we'll keep quiet about this whole little thing, and stay on your label. Do we have a deal?" Lou was silent for a few moments. "Deal," he growled finally. "Be at my office in ten minutes." He hung up. Justin hung up, a grin forming on his face. He ran outside and drove as fast as he could to Lou's. * "Let's get some ice for your jaw," Lance said quietly, grasping JC's hand and leading him to the fridge. "Your hands," JC said, bewildered. "What about 'em?" Lance asked, his head buried in the freezer. "They're not cold," JC replied. He saw Lance hesitate for a split second before laughing. "You think my hands are always freezing?" "Well, whenever I touch them..." JC said, a little hurt. "Sorry for laughing," Lance apologized. "But my hands aren't always cold, they just seem like it." "Oh...well..." Lance smiled and put an icepack on JC's jaw. "I'd give you frozen meat but I'm fresh out." JC laughed. "Darn." "Feel better?" Lance asked after a while. "No," JC pouted. "Let me see," Lance said, gently tugging down JC's hand. He looked at it and frowned, but it soon disappeared. "It won't be too bad," he said, touching it again. "Ow," JC frowned. "What?" Lance said, trying not to laugh at how cute JC was being. "I thought it made it better when I touched it." "Now it hurts." "Poor thing...you want me to kiss it and make it feel better?" Lance asked. He bit his lip and flushed as soon as he realized what he'd said. But JC only smiled, and nodded. Lance blushed a deeper shade of red. He put a steadying hand on JC's shoulder, and softly kissed the bruise, mere centimeters away from his lips. "Thank you," JC said softly. Lance flushed again. "Feel better?" "Uh huh. Wanna kiss it again?" But Lance never got a chance to answer the question.