Chapter 16

Lance started to wake up slowly, his head pounding, his mouth and throat dry. "Jo...Joey?" he croaked, his voice sounding horrible. "Joey?"

"Did...did you blow...blow out the candles?" Lance asked, his voice slowly coming back, but his eyes remaining closed. "Or did they...they burn out?"

Finally opening his eyes, Lance found that he wasn't in bed with Joey next to him in the honeymoon suite at the Radison. But now, he was back in the hospital bed, the stars shining high in the late night sky. "Where...where am I?"

Moving to sit next to him carefully, Joey took Lances' hand in his, the ring still on his finger. "You're at the hospital Lance. You've been in a coma for the last 3 days. I've been so worried about you."

Not seeming to understand, Lance echoed, "Hospital? Coma? 3 days? Why? How did I end up..." Then it all hit him. "You broke your...your promise to me Joey..."

Lowering his eyes, Joey answered, "I'm sorry. I love you Lance, I really do. I'm so sorry and believe me, it will never happen again."

Shaking his head weakly, Lance hissed, "I'm glad that dream didn't happen. How I could marry someone who...who broke their promise and hurt me so badly. I promised I'd call the police, and I'm going...going to."

"Then why do you keep on hurting me Joey. You may break your promises, but I don't." Reaching for the phone, Lance picked up the receiver and proceeded to dial the number for information.

Taking the ring off and slipping it onto Lances' finger, he whispered, "If I'm so bad for you, just remember I love you for eternity. Why don't you keep taht for me." Turning and walking out to go meet JC in the hallway, he told the older one, "He's awake."

"He doesn't want me," Joey informed. "I'm going back to the hotel. Why don't you go talk to him."

Shaking his head, JC replied, "Can't man. Hosptial staff won't let me near him cause I'm still sick. I was going back to the hotel to rest and I was hoping you could stay with him?"

"Great for the cops to come get me, no way," Joey thought. "I'm feeling a little uneasy. What about Justin or Chris. Where are they?"

"Anytime...I guess," Joey said, relunctantly turning to go back into the room. "Oh and tell a doctor he's awake?"

"Then why don't you just go do what you do best, go beat the shit out of him like you do me."

"You didn't seem to have a problem three days ago," Lance bit, laying the phone down back on the receive. "What? Did you turn into a saint between then and now?"

"Yeah, like my proposing to you. Why I proposed to someone I knew was cold and heartless, I'll never know."

"I knew I shouldn't have wasted my money on buying it." Reaching for the trash can, Lance dropped the ring into it making a clanging sound. "I should have known better that I couldn't change someone as heartless as you. God, I was such a damn fool. How many other times have you lyed to me Joey? How many times have you said one thing then went behind my back and did just the oppisite? How many times did you tell me you loved me and not have meant it?!"

"So let me get this straight, when you were throwing punches and kicking me, you loved me? What a great way to show your love for someone."

"Well maybe I don't show it in the best way, but I do love you. What do you want me to do? Take anger managment classes? I'll take them."

"I don't care what you do Joey. Maybe I should just hook up with Justin or JC. The fans that write slash stories online seem to like that pairing. I wonder why there aren't that many stories pairing us together. Maybe because you and I being a couple is so damn unrealistic?!"

Picking the ring up out of the trash can, just to spite Lance, Joey hissed "We'll just see about that."

"Is there an echo?" The only thing Joey did was to lean down and kiss him. Slapping the brown haired one with all the strength he could mustar, Lance hissed, "Stay away from me. Nothing you can do or say will ever make me love you again. Ever!"

"God, you are so retarded," Lance bit, anger getting the better of him. "Get the hell out of my room. The police are on their way, why don't you just go meet them downstairs." Actually, he never got through to the police, he hung up before he got a chance to speak with them. He just hoped Joey would fall for his bluff.

"What part of 'get the hell out' don't you understand? Sorry, I can't say it in Brooklynese, so I'll just say it in english again. Get the hell out!"

"If you're looking for someone who loved you and gave themselves to you as their first, he's not in here. Try down the hall."

"Then what pray-tell is the abusive Joseph Anthony looking for? Something he can use to beat me with again? Why, aren't his hands satisfying him anymore?"

Turning to glare at Lance, he hissed, "I thought you just broke up with me? And for your information, I'm looking for the mediaction they use to put dogs down."

"Oh, now see, if you had said that before you beat me almost to death, I would have gone all mushy on you, but now, I can't seem to care," Lance bit. Not knowing what to say, Joey only continued his search. "Oh, and when I get out of here, you can bet Jezebel is going back to the pet store."

"She's going back to and you can't stop me," Lance replied, turning on his side, his back to Joey. "You can kiss your kitten bye bye bye. Along with our relationship." Singing quietly, Lance added, "I know I can't take no more, it ain't no lie, I want to see you out that door, baby bye bye bye."

"Whatever Joseph," Lance replied, using his full first name. "Hope Jez lets you screw her over as many times as you've done to me." Not really knowing how to respond, Joey just kept looking. "God dammit Joey!" Lance shouted, "Get the hell out of my room! Whatever your looking for isn't in here!"

Probably against his better judgement, and using the worst timing ever, Joey decided to tell JC part of the truth. "I'm gay, and so is Lance. We just had a small little arguement."

His jaw hanging, JC sat down on the chairs outside the rooms. "Okay, overload. Let me make sure I heard you correctly. You're gay?" Joey shook his head. "Lance is gay too?" Again he shook his head. "You two had a fight?" Yet a third shake. "About what?"

"Okay, goodbye. I think I want out of this dream, so I'll be going back to the hotel now," JC said, standing and walking down the hallway.

A few hours later, Lance had gotten the okay from the doctors to go wheeling around the hospital, just so he could get his strength back. He hadn't seen Joey since he stormed out of the room some time ago, and frankly, he didn't care.

After sitting in the cafeteria for a few hours thinking, Joey had a full plan. Going back to Lances' room, he found that he wasn't there. Locating a nearby doctor, he asked, "Where's Lance?"

"He's been released for bed. He's probably wheeling around here somewhere," the doctor replied. "Would you like him paged?"

"No that's okay. I can find him," Joey replied, smiling devilishly. "This is perfect, it will fit better into my plan," Joey thought.

Wheeling around a corner, the blond spotted a candy and soda machine just down the hall. "Bingo," he whispered, moving towards them. "Hospital food, blech."

Skidding around the corner, Joey spotted Lance down the hall. Walking up quietly behind him, he voiced, "Lance?"

Stopping and not turning the chair around, Lance didn't even acknowledge his ex-boyfriends' presence.

Slipping in front of Lance between him and the machines, Joey tried to get a smile from him. "Are...are you Lance Bass? Can I have your autograph?" Again the blond didn't answer. He was becoming quiet skilled in using a wheelchair, so manuvering around Joey was no problem. Deciding to use his strength, Joey grabbed hold of the handle and pulled Lance back.

Ignoring Lances' question, Joey backed up, pulling the wheelchair out into a nearby parking garage.

"What the hell," Lance started to protest. "What are we doing in here? Feel like fooling around in a back seat again? Not on the bloody likely!" His deep voice echoed off the walls, ringing in both their ears.

Joey, reaching a car nearby, unlocked the door. Keeping a firm hand on Lances' arm, so he couldn't bolt, Joey reached in and grabbed a rag, along with a bottle of chloroform. Drenching the rag in the liquid, Joey then held it firmly over Lances' mouth and nose.

"Hey what the -- " he shouted, his voice muffled by the cloth, but he didn't get a chance to say much more. Before he knew what was happening to him, Lance was out cold in the wheelchair.

Opening up the back of the black 4Runner that he had rented a few days earlier, he wheeled the chair to the back of the SUV. Loading Lance in, he then proceeded to tie Lances' hands behind his back, then his ankels to his hands. Following that was a gag and blindfold.

Leaving the wheelchair where it was, Joey closed the back to the SUV and proceeded to move behind the stearing wheel. Putting the car in reverse, then into drive, Joey drove out to an abandoned house in the middle of the woods he had found in the middle of nowhere.

Driving up to the house, Lance started to wake up slowly. Trying to move or speak, or even open eyes, he found that he couldn't. Listening to the sounds around him, he heard what sounded like a car door closing near him. Screaming into the gag, he hoped that whoever was out there would hear him and help him.

Opening the back of the SUV, Joey rolled Lance onto his side and then picked him up, carrying him into the house, kicking the door opened, thinking Lance was still asleep.

Moving his fingers behind his back, Lance didn't make a sound as he listened to the whoever was carrying him (he had no idea it was Joey) and he tried to untie the knot in the ropes. He almost got it, except his hand brushed lightly against Joeys' arm.

Looking down, realizing Lance was awake, Joey threw him onto a nearby bed. Walking over to him, the older one tore off the blind fold. "So you're awake?" Trying to speak again, but the gag one more time stopping him, Lance only nodded his head. Pulling the gag off, Joey didn't warn Lance that no one was around to hear him scream. "You can scream yourself hoarse and no one would hear."

Not daring to take his eyes off Joey, Lance asked simply, "Wh...what's going to...to happen n...now?"

"About what? What I'm going to say when I get your ass to court and I take the witness stand?"

"As soon as I get these ropes untied you can bet I'm getting the hell out of here and away from you."

"You don't even know where you are," Joey bit back. "So how do you expect to get away from here?"

"Anywhere far away from you is totally fine with me," Lance hissed, moving to sit up against the headboard. Again his fingers started working at the ropes behind his back.

Knowing what Lance was doing, Joey shook his head. "It's not going to work. Don't even try."

"And if I decide not to listen to you?" Lance asked, disregarding Joeys' calm words. "And do you dare mock me before I kick your sorry Italian ass."

Shaking his head Lance pulled a rope free from the knot and started the next one. He didn't say anything to his ex-love as he continued to struggle with the rope and knots.

Sensing something was up, Joey walked back out to the 4Runner and returned with chloroform and rag. Again drencing the rag with the liquid, Joey held it over Lances' nose and mouth again until he started to fall asleep. As the blonds' eyes started to close, they were filled with a fixture of hate and fear. Hate for what Joey had done to him, fear for what would happen to him while in Joeys' presence. Joey only sat down to wait, until it took total effect.

Finally after less then a minute, the blonds' eyes were shut to the world, for the time being. His hands no longer struggled with the knot, his voice no longer produced harsh words towards Joey, he only slept peacefully, the chloroform working perfectly.

As soon as Lance was completly out, Joey turned Lance over onto his back, then secured him to the bedk, spread-eagle with handcuffs.

Moaning quietly, Lances' head fell to the side, a quiet word eminatting from his mouth, "Joey..." Going into the kitchen to prepair that evenings meal, Joey ignored Lances' word.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to When Love Hurts Chapter 16 Lance started to wake up slowly, his head pounding, his mouth and throat dry. "Jo...Joey?" he croaked, his voice sounding horrible. "Joey?" "Yeah Lance," Joey replied. "I'm right here. Need something?" "Did...did you blow...blow out the candles?" Lance asked, his voice slowly coming back, but his eyes remaining closed. "Or did they...they burn out?" "What candles Lance?" Joey questioned, confused clearly stated in his big brown eyes. "The...the candles...in the bathroom...in the honey...honeymoon suite..." "Honeymoon suite? When did that happen?" Finally opening his eyes, Lance found that he wasn't in bed with Joey next to him in the honeymoon suite at the Radison. But now, he was back in the hospital bed, the stars shining high in the late night sky. "Where...where am I?" Moving to sit next to him carefully, Joey took Lances' hand in his, the ring still on his finger. "You're at the hospital Lance. You've been in a coma for the last 3 days. I've been so worried about you." Not seeming to understand, Lance echoed, "Hospital? Coma? 3 days? Why? How did I end up..." Then it all hit him. "You broke your...your promise to me Joey..." Lowering his eyes, Joey answered, "I'm sorry. I love you Lance, I really do. I'm so sorry and believe me, it will never happen again." Shaking his head weakly, Lance hissed, "I'm glad that dream didn't happen. How I could marry someone who...who broke their promise and hurt me so badly. I promised I'd call the police, and I'm going...going to." "Lance, no please," Joey begged. "Don't. I promise I'll do anything. I love you." "Then why do you keep on hurting me Joey. You may break your promises, but I don't." Reaching for the phone, Lance picked up the receiver and proceeded to dial the number for information. Taking the ring off and slipping it onto Lances' finger, he whispered, "If I'm so bad for you, just remember I love you for eternity. Why don't you keep taht for me." Turning and walking out to go meet JC in the hallway, he told the older one, "He's awake." "You're serious?! He's awake?" JC asked. "Then why aren't you in there with him?" "He doesn't want me," Joey informed. "I'm going back to the hotel. Why don't you go talk to him." Shaking his head, JC replied, "Can't man. Hosptial staff won't let me near him cause I'm still sick. I was going back to the hotel to rest and I was hoping you could stay with him?" "Great for the cops to come get me, no way," Joey thought. "I'm feeling a little uneasy. What about Justin or Chris. Where are they?" "They caught whatever it is I have. You're the only healthy one. Please Joey." "Fine, I'll stay with him. Take care of Jez for me?" "Of course man," JC said. "Thanks man." "Anytime...I guess," Joey said, relunctantly turning to go back into the room. "Oh and tell a doctor he's awake?" "Yeah man," JC said, walking away towards the nurses' station. Walking back into Lances' room, Joey stated the obvious. "Hey I'm back..." Looking over at him, the phone still to his ear, Lance replied, "And I should be happy?" "Well, I wanted to leave, but JC wouldn't let me." "Then why don't you just go do what you do best, go beat the shit out of him like you do me." "I can't do that, you know that." "You didn't seem to have a problem three days ago," Lance bit, laying the phone down back on the receive. "What? Did you turn into a saint between then and now?" "Stranger things have happened." "Yeah, like my proposing to you. Why I proposed to someone I knew was cold and heartless, I'll never know." "I gave the ring back, you don't have to worry about it." "I knew I shouldn't have wasted my money on buying it." Reaching for the trash can, Lance dropped the ring into it making a clanging sound. "I should have known better that I couldn't change someone as heartless as you. God, I was such a damn fool. How many other times have you lyed to me Joey? How many times have you said one thing then went behind my back and did just the oppisite? How many times did you tell me you loved me and not have meant it?!" "I've always said I loved you and I've always meant it." "So let me get this straight, when you were throwing punches and kicking me, you loved me? What a great way to show your love for someone." "Well maybe I don't show it in the best way, but I do love you. What do you want me to do? Take anger managment classes? I'll take them." "I don't care what you do Joey. Maybe I should just hook up with Justin or JC. The fans that write slash stories online seem to like that pairing. I wonder why there aren't that many stories pairing us together. Maybe because you and I being a couple is so damn unrealistic?!" Picking the ring up out of the trash can, just to spite Lance, Joey hissed "We'll just see about that." "I'm shaking..." "We'll just see about that." "Is there an echo?" The only thing Joey did was to lean down and kiss him. Slapping the brown haired one with all the strength he could mustar, Lance hissed, "Stay away from me. Nothing you can do or say will ever make me love you again. Ever!" "Is that true?" "Get me a Bible and I'll swear on it!" Looking around the room, Joey opened and shut door as if he were looking for something. "God, you are so retarded," Lance bit, anger getting the better of him. "Get the hell out of my room. The police are on their way, why don't you just go meet them downstairs." Actually, he never got through to the police, he hung up before he got a chance to speak with them. He just hoped Joey would fall for his bluff. Completly ignore Lance, Joey went on searching for whatever it was he was looking for. "What part of 'get the hell out' don't you understand? Sorry, I can't say it in Brooklynese, so I'll just say it in english again. Get the hell out!" "Not until I find what I'm looking for," Joey replied. "If you're looking for someone who loved you and gave themselves to you as their first, he's not in here. Try down the hall." "For your information, that is not what I'm looking for." "Then what pray-tell is the abusive Joseph Anthony looking for? Something he can use to beat me with again? Why, aren't his hands satisfying him anymore?" Turning to glare at Lance, he hissed, "I thought you just broke up with me? And for your information, I'm looking for the mediaction they use to put dogs down." "Oh, but why would you want to be committing suicide?" "Because if I can't live with you by my side, then what's the point of living at all?" "Oh, now see, if you had said that before you beat me almost to death, I would have gone all mushy on you, but now, I can't seem to care," Lance bit. Not knowing what to say, Joey only continued his search. "Oh, and when I get out of here, you can bet Jezebel is going back to the pet store." "Oh fuck no. You touch that cat and you'll so regret it." "She's going back to and you can't stop me," Lance replied, turning on his side, his back to Joey. "You can kiss your kitten bye bye bye. Along with our relationship." Singing quietly, Lance added, "I know I can't take no more, it ain't no lie, I want to see you out that door, baby bye bye bye." "You better regret you said that." "Well, I'm not..." "Well you <b>better</b> be." "I think we're having a connection problem. I told you I'm not." "You have until you get out of here to realize your sorry," Joey threatened. "Won't happen. I'll never be sorry for leaving your fucking ass." "I don't care about breaking up, all I care about is the kitten right now." "Whatever Joseph," Lance replied, using his full first name. "Hope Jez lets you screw her over as many times as you've done to me." Not really knowing how to respond, Joey just kept looking. "God dammit Joey!" Lance shouted, "Get the hell out of my room! Whatever your looking for isn't in here!" Turning to glare at Lance, he stomred out of the room, running into JC again. "Hey man, calm down, what's up?" JC asked, noticing Joeys' heated expression. Probably against his better judgement, and using the worst timing ever, Joey decided to tell JC part of the truth. "I'm gay, and so is Lance. We just had a small little arguement." His jaw hanging, JC sat down on the chairs outside the rooms. "Okay, overload. Let me make sure I heard you correctly. You're gay?" Joey shook his head. "Lance is gay too?" Again he shook his head. "You two had a fight?" Yet a third shake. "About what?" Ignoring the question, Joey held up his left hand. "Yeah, and we're engaged too." "Okay, goodbye. I think I want out of this dream, so I'll be going back to the hotel now," JC said, standing and walking down the hallway. Hollering after JC, Joey pointed out, "It's not a dream!" "Good night!" Turing and walking the other direct, Joey walked down the hall to find something eat. ----- A few hours later, Lance had gotten the okay from the doctors to go wheeling around the hospital, just so he could get his strength back. He hadn't seen Joey since he stormed out of the room some time ago, and frankly, he didn't care. After sitting in the cafeteria for a few hours thinking, Joey had a full plan. Going back to Lances' room, he found that he wasn't there. Locating a nearby doctor, he asked, "Where's Lance?" "He's been released for bed. He's probably wheeling around here somewhere," the doctor replied. "Would you like him paged?" "No that's okay. I can find him," Joey replied, smiling devilishly. "This is perfect, it will fit better into my plan," Joey thought. "No problem sir," the doctor answered, smiling and returning to his rounds. "Thank you." ----- Wheeling around a corner, the blond spotted a candy and soda machine just down the hall. "Bingo," he whispered, moving towards them. "Hospital food, blech." Skidding around the corner, Joey spotted Lance down the hall. Walking up quietly behind him, he voiced, "Lance?" Stopping and not turning the chair around, Lance didn't even acknowledge his ex-boyfriends' presence. Slipping in front of Lance between him and the machines, Joey tried to get a smile from him. "Are...are you Lance Bass? Can I have your autograph?" Again the blond didn't answer. He was becoming quiet skilled in using a wheelchair, so manuvering around Joey was no problem. Deciding to use his strength, Joey grabbed hold of the handle and pulled Lance back. "Can't you get the hint that I want nothing to do with you?" "Lets go somewhere quiet and talk about this." "I think not. I don't want to be anywhere with you alone right now." "Well that's not in your decision to make now is it?" "What's that suppose to mean?" Ignoring Lances' question, Joey backed up, pulling the wheelchair out into a nearby parking garage. "What the hell," Lance started to protest. "What are we doing in here? Feel like fooling around in a back seat again? Not on the bloody likely!" His deep voice echoed off the walls, ringing in both their ears. Joey, reaching a car nearby, unlocked the door. Keeping a firm hand on Lances' arm, so he couldn't bolt, Joey reached in and grabbed a rag, along with a bottle of chloroform. Drenching the rag in the liquid, Joey then held it firmly over Lances' mouth and nose. "Hey what the -- " he shouted, his voice muffled by the cloth, but he didn't get a chance to say much more. Before he knew what was happening to him, Lance was out cold in the wheelchair. Opening up the back of the black 4Runner that he had rented a few days earlier, he wheeled the chair to the back of the SUV. Loading Lance in, he then proceeded to tie Lances' hands behind his back, then his ankels to his hands. Following that was a gag and blindfold. Leaving the wheelchair where it was, Joey closed the back to the SUV and proceeded to move behind the stearing wheel. Putting the car in reverse, then into drive, Joey drove out to an abandoned house in the middle of the woods he had found in the middle of nowhere. ----- Driving up to the house, Lance started to wake up slowly. Trying to move or speak, or even open eyes, he found that he couldn't. Listening to the sounds around him, he heard what sounded like a car door closing near him. Screaming into the gag, he hoped that whoever was out there would hear him and help him. Opening the back of the SUV, Joey rolled Lance onto his side and then picked him up, carrying him into the house, kicking the door opened, thinking Lance was still asleep. Moving his fingers behind his back, Lance didn't make a sound as he listened to the whoever was carrying him (he had no idea it was Joey) and he tried to untie the knot in the ropes. He almost got it, except his hand brushed lightly against Joeys' arm. Looking down, realizing Lance was awake, Joey threw him onto a nearby bed. Walking over to him, the older one tore off the blind fold. "So you're awake?" Trying to speak again, but the gag one more time stopping him, Lance only nodded his head. Pulling the gag off, Joey didn't warn Lance that no one was around to hear him scream. "You can scream yourself hoarse and no one would hear." "Where...where are we?" "We're alone." Not daring to take his eyes off Joey, Lance asked simply, "Wh...what's going to...to happen n...now?" "We're alone, so we can talk." "About what? What I'm going to say when I get your ass to court and I take the witness stand?" "It doesn't exactly look like you're going somewhere right now does it?" "As soon as I get these ropes untied you can bet I'm getting the hell out of here and away from you." "You don't even know where you are," Joey bit back. "So how do you expect to get away from here?" "Anywhere far away from you is totally fine with me," Lance hissed, moving to sit up against the headboard. Again his fingers started working at the ropes behind his back. Knowing what Lance was doing, Joey shook his head. "It's not going to work. Don't even try." "And if I decide not to listen to you?" Lance asked, disregarding Joeys' calm words. "And do you dare mock me before I kick your sorry Italian ass." "I don't think how that's possible at this moment at time." Shaking his head Lance pulled a rope free from the knot and started the next one. He didn't say anything to his ex-love as he continued to struggle with the rope and knots. Sensing something was up, Joey walked back out to the 4Runner and returned with chloroform and rag. Again drencing the rag with the liquid, Joey held it over Lances' nose and mouth again until he started to fall asleep. As the blonds' eyes started to close, they were filled with a fixture of hate and fear. Hate for what Joey had done to him, fear for what would happen to him while in Joeys' presence. Joey only sat down to wait, until it took total effect. Finally after less then a minute, the blonds' eyes were shut to the world, for the time being. His hands no longer struggled with the knot, his voice no longer produced harsh words towards Joey, he only slept peacefully, the chloroform working perfectly. As soon as Lance was completly out, Joey turned Lance over onto his back, then secured him to the bedk, spread-eagle with handcuffs. Moaning quietly, Lances' head fell to the side, a quiet word eminatting from his mouth, "Joey..." Going into the kitchen to prepair that evenings meal, Joey ignored Lances' word.