Chapter 13

"Hey Joey!" someone called his name from behind him. "Wait up man!" Joey stopped and turned to wait for Justin. "Joey man," Justin said, nearly out of breath. "Where have you been? I've been looking everyone for you." Handing him the tissue, the blond added, "Lance thought you should have this back. Why did you ever give it back to him in the first place."

"I was gonna get an x-ray done, but the idiot here won't do it cause I don't have a refferal," Joey explained, then took the tissue in his hand. "Lance wants me to have what back?" He didn't realize his eyes misting over at the sound of his beloved's name.

Taking the tissue and opening it, Joey all but fell to his knees in the middle of the hall, crying hysterically. "God make him better! I love him!"

Justin dropped to his knees, embracing Joey tightly. "He'll be fine. The doctors said there wasn't that much damage inside. At least they hope not. He'll be fine Joey. Lance will be just fine."

"I don't know, he just asked JC to give it to me to make sure you got it back. Why you gave it back to Lance in the first place, is beyond me. Why did you give it back to him?"

"That you had to give back an engagement ring to the person who gave it to you? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

"So what happened?" Justin questioned. "Chris said that Lance did a Jim Carrey from 'Liar Liar'?"

"He purposely hurt himself. You know, like in the movie when Jim Carrey flings himself into the wall of the mens room, trying to make it look like someone had hurt him, when in fact, he did it to himself. You know the scene I'm talking about right?"

"Yeah, the bathroom scene. Lance might be blond, but he's not that stupid." Then, thinking twice, "Sorry Justin."

Smiling and helping him up to his feet, Justin ran a hand through his naturally copper locks. "None taken." Looking up at Joeys' brown hair, he teased, "You know, you'd look good as a blond...no wait, on second thought...you'd better leave the bleaching to the professional. Wait again, I did not just say that did I?" A small laugh eminated from his throat.

"I know, wasn't it?" Again the female voice came over the loud speaker asking all visitors to leave that part of the hospital. "Yeah yeah yeah, we hear ya. We're going." Turning to Joey, he informed, "Lance can have one person stay at his bedside overnight. Do you want to stay with him?"

"Go in and ask him them," Justin chuckled, pushing Joey into the semi open door to Lances' room.

Hoping Lance wasn't awake, Joey turned around and made his way quietly towards the door. "But what if he says no?"

"Did...did Justin give you the ring back?" Lance asked softly, turning his head slightly, wincing in pain. "He did give you back your engagement ring?

Staying where he was, but turning his body all the way around, he held up his hand, showing Lance his right hand. "Yeah, I got it back."

"Come sit by me?" The blonds' voice was calm, almost frightened of Joey as he motioned towards the chair to his left.

Creeping across the room, scared he was going to hurt Lance, Joey slowly made his way over to Lance. "Ar...are you sure?"

Finally making it to the edge of Lances' chest, Joey crossed his arms over his chest. "Talk about what?"

"About...about what's happening. To us." Looking away from him, out the window again, the younger one added, "Why Joey? Why did you break your promise to me? Have you no idea how much you've hurt me?"

"But nonetheless, you did hurt me and broke your promise to me. You can't change the past Joey, believe me, you can't. Sometimes...I wish we..." He let his voice trail off, not wanting to admit what he was about to tell Joey, but he had to tell the truth. "Sometimes I wish we never got together. Sometimes, I wish we never fell for each other. But, like you said, destiny brought us together, love kept us together."

For the countless time that night, the older one dropped to his knees, tears beginning to stream down his face. "Please Lance, I beg for your forgiveness."

Sighing, Lance mumbled, "Get up Joey, I forgive you. I'll give you one last chance. Do you understand me? One more chance."

Moving to his feet, he walked towards Lance and gingerly sat down on the chair next to him. "Are you okay? Are you hurting? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm alright, but there is one thing you could get me," Lance replied, reaching for the phone that sat on the other side of his bed, on the right.

"You...you want your phone?" Joey asked curiously. "Who are you going to call? Jez won't have to go back, will she?"

"No Joey, she won't have to go back. Just hand me the phone book that's beside you please."

"Who you gonna call?" he asked again, picking up the phonebook and handing it to the one in bed.

"Who am I gonna call?" Lance echoed, flipping the pages looking for the letter he needed. "The Ghostbusters."

"What for? There's ghost in here?" Joey teased. "Are they going to come with those cool zappers?"

"No, there aren't ghost in here," the blond laughed, finding what he needed and dialing a number. Looking over at Joey, a sly smile on his face, he took hold of his loves' left hand and stroked his wedding finger, without the ring. "Hi, I was wondering if the Justice of the Peace was going to be in tomorrow?"

The secretary that answered the phone replied, "Yes he will be, would you like to set up an appointment?"

Holding the phone away for a moment, Lance made sure Joey wanted to do this. "Even though I don't entirly trust you right now, I still love you with all my heart. Do you want to do this?"

Being the complete dumb one for once, Joey asked, "Do what?" Lances' only reply was to continue stroking his finger and humming the wedding march. Joey still didn't get it. "What?" he asked again, proving the dye had gone to his head.

"Do you want to marry me tomorrow or not?" Lance teased, looking up at Joeys' eyes, not thinking twice about what he was doing. What was that saying about being a womans' perogitive to change her mind? Well, it was a mans' perogitive this time.

Nodding, Joey replied, "Yeah, if you want to, it would make me the happiest man on the face of this world." His eyes once again brimming over, just on the verge of cascading.

"I love you baby," he whispered, turning his attention back to the phone. "Yes please, if he'll be in."

Not sure what to think, the secretary asked polietly, "Okay. May I have the name of the blushing bride?"

"Um...well, you see," the blond started. "Um...well...there...there is no bride...if you get my drift?"

After thinking a moment, she did catch his drift. "Okay, in that case, may I have the lifetime partners' name?"

"I guess any time after 10 o'clock, I guess?" looking over at Joey to make sure the time frame was good for him.

Slightly nodding, Joey leaned over and gave Lance a quick kiss as the secretary informed, "We have an opening at 3:30. Will the do?"

"What about at 3:30?" Lance relayed, closing his eyes, savoring the feel of Joeys' lips on his face.

"Yeah, that'll work," he replied all too ready. "We'll have time to get the wedding bands."

Smiling, Lance again relayed the message back to the secretary. "That's fine. Um, can we write our own vows? Or is there a set ready for um...our type of union?"

Checking her computer, she answered, "Well, there's nothing in the guidelines about it. So you can write your own, or go with the standard ones. It's up to you."

"Okay," turning his attention back to Joey, Lance asked, "Do you want to write our own vows or just go with the standard one?"

"We'll write our own. My lifetime partner deserves more then just the traditional stuff. Not that I'm knocking the traditonal stuff that is."

The secretary smiled and nodded. "Okay, I have you down for 3:30pm in front of the judge. See you then Mr. Bass."

"Thank you so much," he replied, hanging up the phone and resting his head on the pillow, looking over at Joey. "As much as you've hurt me Joseph Anthony, I can never stop loving you."

Laying his head down next to Lances' side, he asked, "Let me see if I get this straight. You get out tomorrow, we go to the JP, then off to jail?"

"No," Lance answered. "I get out tomorrow, go get the wedding bands, then to the JP, then off to jail." Laughing quietly, Lance ran a hand through Joeys' hair. "Don't worry baby, I won't call the police, not this time. But, next time, married or not, I won't hesitate to call. Do you understand me?"

Lifting his eyes sheepishly, Joey replied, "I understand. And I don't want to hurt you again, ever. You have to believe."

"Prove to me that you won't hurt me again Joey. You'll have to build up that trust issue from the bottom up. I want to believe you, really I do. And I don't even know why I'm going through with this marrage. I only know that I love you and want to be with you, but..." Sighing he let his words trail off as the next wave of medication started to take over his body.

"So, are we going to invite the others to the wedding?" asked the older one, hoping to get an answer before Lance fell asleep.

His words now muffled, sleep overtaking him slowly, "Justin is still the only one that knows..."

"The only reason I'm doing it is because I know how badly they'd be hurt if we didn't invite them. They'd be left out."

"It's up to you Joey..." With a yawn, Lance closed his eyes, mumbling again that it was up to him.

"Okay, I'll call them and you just get some rest." Standing and leaning down, Joey gave Lance one more kiss, a goodnight kiss.

Stirring slightly, the sleeping one whispered "I love you Jo..." then was out cold for the night, dreaming of the next day when he and Joey would finally be joined as one in marrage.

Picking up his cell phone, Joey called Justin, mainly because he was the one that already knew.

"You got Justin," the blond answered his phone, JC and Chris talking quietly in the background.

"Joey, man. How's Lance doing? Any change?" Justin asked, immiditly getting the attention of the two other men in the room.

"Before you get worried, he's fine. He's sleeping," Joey answered. "I just called about something else."

Starting to twiddle his thumb, Joey began, "Well, since we got an unschedualed break, what are you three doing tomorrow around 3:30?"

Flipping through the date book, that now was useless, Justin said, "Um, I guess whatever we want. We had some stuff schedualed, but Johnny cancled the stuff up to the end of the tour and reschedualed the concerts for later on in the second leg of the tour. Why?"

Beginning to gush, his pure happiness showing through the phone, he asked, "Well, would you three join Lance and I at our wedding?"

Almost dropping the cell phone, Justin asked again to confirm, "Join you and Lance at your what?!"

"I think so," the blond answered, checking his phone to make sure he was getting a strong signal. "I thought you said join you and Lance at your wedding?"

"Um...you and Lance? Wedding? Tomorrow? Um," looking over at JC and Chris, who were both just as stunned as Justin was, maybe moreso since neither one of them knew about Joey and Lance in the first place, Justin for once in his life, was at a loss for words. "Um...we...we...um..."

"Yeah, but they're both standing looking at me doing poor immiations of cod fish. And before you ask, I mean they're standing here with their jaws hanging."

"Well," Joey said, rolling his eyes. "Let me try with one of them. Give the phone to JC." Justin handed his phone over to the older one, then left the room still mumbling something about marriages and weddings.

"What's this about you and Lance getting married? Is this some sort of publisity stunt you and the managment staff are pulling?" JC asked, grasping the phone tighter in his hand.

Letting it role off his tongue as if it were nothing, Joey explained, "We're gay. Got a problem with it?"

"Okay, too much info for brain to process," JC said, standing and handing the phone to Chris. "Your turn..." Before Chris could say anything, JC walked off to find Justin.

"You have reached an unlisted milatary number..." Chris tried, hoping Joey would buy it; which he knew he wouldn't, but it was still worth a shot.

In his current state of being in a good mood, Joey just shook it off. "Nice try Chris. So, can you come to my wedding tomorrow?"

Not understanding a word he said, Joey furrowed his brown and asked, "Um, sure, what does that mean?"

Silence for a moment. Then a long sigh. "Joey, you're our brother man, Lance too. But...this is just like, too much for us to handle right now. I'm going to turn Justins' phone off. Call back and leave the details. If we show, then we show. If we don't, then...congratualations to you both." Before Joey could protest, Chris made good on his word, ending the call and turning Justins' phone off so any further calls would be sent directly to the voicemail.

Picking up his phone, the eldest called to JC, "Jace, turn your phone off man." Hitting the 'call' button, Chris said simply, "Nice try..." and hung up, turning off his phone as well. Finally giving up, Joey called Justins' number back, leaving all the details he could think of.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to When Love Hurts Chapter 13 "Hey Joey!" someone called his name from behind him. "Wait up man!" Joey stopped and turned to wait for Justin. "Joey man," Justin said, nearly out of breath. "Where have you been? I've been looking everyone for you." Handing him the tissue, the blond added, "Lance thought you should have this back. Why did you ever give it back to him in the first place." "I was gonna get an x-ray done, but the idiot here won't do it cause I don't have a refferal," Joey explained, then took the tissue in his hand. "Lance wants me to have what back?" He didn't realize his eyes misting over at the sound of his beloved's name. "This," Justin replied. "The tissue might come in handy too." Taking the tissue and opening it, Joey all but fell to his knees in the middle of the hall, crying hysterically. "God make him better! I love him!" Justin dropped to his knees, embracing Joey tightly. "He'll be fine. The doctors said there wasn't that much damage inside. At least they hope not. He'll be fine Joey. Lance will be just fine." Clinging tightly to Justin, he stuttered, "W...why did he want me to have this back?" "I don't know, he just asked JC to give it to me to make sure you got it back. Why you gave it back to Lance in the first place, is beyond me. Why did you give it back to him?" Shrugging his shoulders, he replied, "I just felt that it was right at the moment." "That you had to give back an engagement ring to the person who gave it to you? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." "Well, it did at the moment," retorted Joey, slipping the ring back on his right hand. "So what happened?" Justin questioned. "Chris said that Lance did a Jim Carrey from 'Liar Liar'?" Looking completely dumbfounded, Joey replied, "He what?" "He purposely hurt himself. You know, like in the movie when Jim Carrey flings himself into the wall of the mens room, trying to make it look like someone had hurt him, when in fact, he did it to himself. You know the scene I'm talking about right?" "Yeah, the bathroom scene. Lance might be blond, but he's not that stupid." Then, thinking twice, "Sorry Justin." Smiling and helping him up to his feet, Justin ran a hand through his naturally copper locks. "None taken." Looking up at Joeys' brown hair, he teased, "You know, you'd look good as a blond...no wait, on second thought...you'd better leave the bleaching to the professional. Wait again, I did not just say that did I?" A small laugh eminated from his throat. "Cute one Justin." "I know, wasn't it?" Again the female voice came over the loud speaker asking all visitors to leave that part of the hospital. "Yeah yeah yeah, we hear ya. We're going." Turning to Joey, he informed, "Lance can have one person stay at his bedside overnight. Do you want to stay with him?" Looking hopeful, his answer was, "If he wants me to." "Go in and ask him them," Justin chuckled, pushing Joey into the semi open door to Lances' room. Hoping Lance wasn't awake, Joey turned around and made his way quietly towards the door. "But what if he says no?" "Joey?" a soft voice called from behind him, breaking the silence that hung over the room. Turning slowly as if to prolong what was coming, Joey whispered, "Yeah?" "Did...did Justin give you the ring back?" Lance asked softly, turning his head slightly, wincing in pain. "He did give you back your engagement ring? Staying where he was, but turning his body all the way around, he held up his hand, showing Lance his right hand. "Yeah, I got it back." "Come sit by me?" The blonds' voice was calm, almost frightened of Joey as he motioned towards the chair to his left. Creeping across the room, scared he was going to hurt Lance, Joey slowly made his way over to Lance. "Ar...are you sure?" "Yeah...we need to talk this out." Finally making it to the edge of Lances' chest, Joey crossed his arms over his chest. "Talk about what?" "About...about what's happening. To us." Looking away from him, out the window again, the younger one added, "Why Joey? Why did you break your promise to me? Have you no idea how much you've hurt me?" "You think I'm not hurting because I hurt you? If I could take back what I did I would." "But nonetheless, you did hurt me and broke your promise to me. You can't change the past Joey, believe me, you can't. Sometimes...I wish we..." He let his voice trail off, not wanting to admit what he was about to tell Joey, but he had to tell the truth. "Sometimes I wish we never got together. Sometimes, I wish we never fell for each other. But, like you said, destiny brought us together, love kept us together." For the countless time that night, the older one dropped to his knees, tears beginning to stream down his face. "Please Lance, I beg for your forgiveness." Sighing, Lance mumbled, "Get up Joey, I forgive you. I'll give you one last chance. Do you understand me? One more chance." Moving to his feet, he walked towards Lance and gingerly sat down on the chair next to him. "Are you okay? Are you hurting? Can I get you anything?" "I'm alright, but there is one thing you could get me," Lance replied, reaching for the phone that sat on the other side of his bed, on the right. "You...you want your phone?" Joey asked curiously. "Who are you going to call? Jez won't have to go back, will she?" "No Joey, she won't have to go back. Just hand me the phone book that's beside you please." "Who you gonna call?" he asked again, picking up the phonebook and handing it to the one in bed. "Who am I gonna call?" Lance echoed, flipping the pages looking for the letter he needed. "The Ghostbusters." "What for? There's ghost in here?" Joey teased. "Are they going to come with those cool zappers?" "No, there aren't ghost in here," the blond laughed, finding what he needed and dialing a number. Looking over at Joey, a sly smile on his face, he took hold of his loves' left hand and stroked his wedding finger, without the ring. "Hi, I was wondering if the Justice of the Peace was going to be in tomorrow?" The secretary that answered the phone replied, "Yes he will be, would you like to set up an appointment?" Holding the phone away for a moment, Lance made sure Joey wanted to do this. "Even though I don't entirly trust you right now, I still love you with all my heart. Do you want to do this?" Being the complete dumb one for once, Joey asked, "Do what?" Lances' only reply was to continue stroking his finger and humming the wedding march. Joey still didn't get it. "What?" he asked again, proving the dye had gone to his head. "Do you want to marry me tomorrow or not?" Lance teased, looking up at Joeys' eyes, not thinking twice about what he was doing. What was that saying about being a womans' perogitive to change her mind? Well, it was a mans' perogitive this time. Nodding, Joey replied, "Yeah, if you want to, it would make me the happiest man on the face of this world." His eyes once again brimming over, just on the verge of cascading. "I love you baby," he whispered, turning his attention back to the phone. "Yes please, if he'll be in." The secretary again asked, "Okay, and the name of the groom please?" Holding Joeys' hand tighter in his, Lance proudly annouced, "I am, Lan...James L. Bass." The secretary jotted the name down on her notepad. "From the group Nsync?" "Um...no..." Lance replied, now looking worriedly over at Joey. Not sure what to think, the secretary asked polietly, "Okay. May I have the name of the blushing bride?" "Um...well, you see," the blond started. "Um...well...there...there is no bride...if you get my drift?" After thinking a moment, she did catch his drift. "Okay, in that case, may I have the lifetime partners' name?" "Joseph A. Fatone Jr." Jotting it down, she pointed out, "That looks offly fimilar..." "Well, it's a small world," Lance voiced, his palm becoming sweaty from his nervousness. "That it is. What time would be good for you and your partner?" "I guess any time after 10 o'clock, I guess?" looking over at Joey to make sure the time frame was good for him. Slightly nodding, Joey leaned over and gave Lance a quick kiss as the secretary informed, "We have an opening at 3:30. Will the do?" "What about at 3:30?" Lance relayed, closing his eyes, savoring the feel of Joeys' lips on his face. "Yeah, that'll work," he replied all too ready. "We'll have time to get the wedding bands." Smiling, Lance again relayed the message back to the secretary. "That's fine. Um, can we write our own vows? Or is there a set ready for um...our type of union?" Checking her computer, she answered, "Well, there's nothing in the guidelines about it. So you can write your own, or go with the standard ones. It's up to you." "Okay," turning his attention back to Joey, Lance asked, "Do you want to write our own vows or just go with the standard one?" "I guess we can right our own, I don't care." "We'll write our own. My lifetime partner deserves more then just the traditional stuff. Not that I'm knocking the traditonal stuff that is." The secretary smiled and nodded. "Okay, I have you down for 3:30pm in front of the judge. See you then Mr. Bass." "Thank you so much," he replied, hanging up the phone and resting his head on the pillow, looking over at Joey. "As much as you've hurt me Joseph Anthony, I can never stop loving you." Laying his head down next to Lances' side, he asked, "Let me see if I get this straight. You get out tomorrow, we go to the JP, then off to jail?" "No," Lance answered. "I get out tomorrow, go get the wedding bands, then to the JP, then off to jail." Laughing quietly, Lance ran a hand through Joeys' hair. "Don't worry baby, I won't call the police, not this time. But, next time, married or not, I won't hesitate to call. Do you understand me?" Lifting his eyes sheepishly, Joey replied, "I understand. And I don't want to hurt you again, ever. You have to believe." "Prove to me that you won't hurt me again Joey. You'll have to build up that trust issue from the bottom up. I want to believe you, really I do. And I don't even know why I'm going through with this marrage. I only know that I love you and want to be with you, but..." Sighing he let his words trail off as the next wave of medication started to take over his body. "So, are we going to invite the others to the wedding?" asked the older one, hoping to get an answer before Lance fell asleep. His words now muffled, sleep overtaking him slowly, "Justin is still the only one that knows..." "Yeah, so? We gonna invite them or not?" "If you think we should let them in on this." "The only reason I'm doing it is because I know how badly they'd be hurt if we didn't invite them. They'd be left out." "It's up to you Joey..." With a yawn, Lance closed his eyes, mumbling again that it was up to him. "Okay, I'll call them and you just get some rest." Standing and leaning down, Joey gave Lance one more kiss, a goodnight kiss. Stirring slightly, the sleeping one whispered "I love you Jo..." then was out cold for the night, dreaming of the next day when he and Joey would finally be joined as one in marrage. ----- Picking up his cell phone, Joey called Justin, mainly because he was the one that already knew. "You got Justin," the blond answered his phone, JC and Chris talking quietly in the background. "Hey Justin, this is Joey." "Joey, man. How's Lance doing? Any change?" Justin asked, immiditly getting the attention of the two other men in the room. "Before you get worried, he's fine. He's sleeping," Joey answered. "I just called about something else." "And that would be what?" Starting to twiddle his thumb, Joey began, "Well, since we got an unschedualed break, what are you three doing tomorrow around 3:30?" Flipping through the date book, that now was useless, Justin said, "Um, I guess whatever we want. We had some stuff schedualed, but Johnny cancled the stuff up to the end of the tour and reschedualed the concerts for later on in the second leg of the tour. Why?" Beginning to gush, his pure happiness showing through the phone, he asked, "Well, would you three join Lance and I at our wedding?" Almost dropping the cell phone, Justin asked again to confirm, "Join you and Lance at your what?!" "At our wedding. Is there a bad connection?" "I think so," the blond answered, checking his phone to make sure he was getting a strong signal. "I thought you said join you and Lance at your wedding?" "You heard me right," Joey confirmed. "So can you be there?" "Um...you and Lance? Wedding? Tomorrow? Um," looking over at JC and Chris, who were both just as stunned as Justin was, maybe moreso since neither one of them knew about Joey and Lance in the first place, Justin for once in his life, was at a loss for words. "Um...we...we...um..." "Is JC or Chris around?" "Yeah, but they're both standing looking at me doing poor immiations of cod fish. And before you ask, I mean they're standing here with their jaws hanging." "Well," Joey said, rolling his eyes. "Let me try with one of them. Give the phone to JC." Justin handed his phone over to the older one, then left the room still mumbling something about marriages and weddings. "Yo, JC, man you there?" "What's this about you and Lance getting married? Is this some sort of publisity stunt you and the managment staff are pulling?" JC asked, grasping the phone tighter in his hand. "No," Joey began. "This is real. We're as sincere as can be." "But...but...you and Lance...you're guys...that's...that's..." Letting it role off his tongue as if it were nothing, Joey explained, "We're gay. Got a problem with it?" "Okay, too much info for brain to process," JC said, standing and handing the phone to Chris. "Your turn..." Before Chris could say anything, JC walked off to find Justin. "Chris? Are you there?" "You have reached an unlisted milatary number..." Chris tried, hoping Joey would buy it; which he knew he wouldn't, but it was still worth a shot. In his current state of being in a good mood, Joey just shook it off. "Nice try Chris. So, can you come to my wedding tomorrow?" "Um...Chris no in casa?" Not understanding a word he said, Joey furrowed his brown and asked, "Um, sure, what does that mean?" "No comprendo senor..." "What are you speaking? French?" "We misure..." "What the heck that mean?" "Polly vu Fronce?" By now, Joey was getting completely frustrated. "Would you just fucking answer me!?" Silence for a moment. Then a long sigh. "Joey, you're our brother man, Lance too. But...this is just like, too much for us to handle right now. I'm going to turn Justins' phone off. Call back and leave the details. If we show, then we show. If we don't, then...congratualations to you both." Before Joey could protest, Chris made good on his word, ending the call and turning Justins' phone off so any further calls would be sent directly to the voicemail. Thinking ahead of Chris, Joey hung up and called back, on Chris' number. Picking up his phone, the eldest called to JC, "Jace, turn your phone off man." Hitting the 'call' button, Chris said simply, "Nice try..." and hung up, turning off his phone as well. Finally giving up, Joey called Justins' number back, leaving all the details he could think of.