Chapter 59

Inner Reflection | home

"Has he agreed to be reassigned?"

"No sir," Nikolas said. "James refuses to stop watching Joseph. He tells me that even if we reassigned him, he'd visit anyway."

The voice chuckled. "I have no doubt. There is no convincing him?"

"No sir. He refuses."

There was a sigh. "Then keep your eye on him. I don't want to lose him."

Nikolas nodded, then hesitated. "There's one more thing," he said.

Nikolas shifted from one foot to the other. "Joshua is...well, he's having these...dreams..."

"I am aware of that, yes...the memories? Do they have anything to do with this?"

"No sir," Nikolas said. "This is happening by itself. Joshua is remembering."

Lance sat on top of Joey's couch. He was above Joey, who was next to Chris. They were playing a video game, having fun. He couldn't just NOT watch this because of some unknown danger. Nikolas overreacted most of the time anyway. Okay, so he'd been right about the whole collapsing mishap, but...Lance shook his head. The high angel wouldn't even tell him what was going on, and until he did, he wouldn't even consider abandoning Joey. Though there were times he wondered how sane he was...now was one of those times...

"You suck!" Joey said. "That's not fair."

"Hell yeah it is, Fat-One," Chris said, smacking the controller against his palm, eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Hey listen, Shorty--" Joey cut himself off when he felt a slight push, like a kick, on his left shoulder. Chris was on his right. "You ain't worth it," he said instead, being sure to lean backwards against the couch. He didn't expect the sudden cold, but he knew it confirmed his suspicions anyway. He felt another kick and stood up.

"You're weird," Chris pointed out, still playing.

"Naw, I'm not. I'm gifted," Joey said, stretching lazily.

Chris snorted, pausing the game. "Gifted? Name one talent." He un-paused it and then jerked the controller, as if that would help his character move.

"I would, but you ain't a chick," Joey shot back.

Chris got a disgusted look on his face. "Thanks."

"You asked, I told, little man."

Chris rolled his eyes and turned off the TV. "I think I'll go puke now."

"Bye!" Joey said brightly. He stood up to follow, and smiled when in the reflection of the TV glass, he saw a figure in white on top of the couch, above where he'd been sitting, with a smile on his face and a hand covering both his forehead and his eyes before it flickered away. "Hey Chris!" he yelled.

"You sure you don't wanna--"

"JC, how've you been sleeping?" Justin asked.

JC knew what he was really asking. Have you had any of those dreams lately? "Fine," he said out loud, remembering his vow not to share.

"You sure?" Justin asked, looking at his older friend carefully. "No dreams?"

"No," JC snapped quickly. "And even if I did, I wouldn't want to tell you anyway."

Justin backed up a step and hurt flashed across his face. "Why not?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because you don't believe me," JC muttered, looking at the floor. "You think I'm crazy."

"I don't!" Justin said. "Just tell me what it was about," he insisted.

"I didn't have one," JC said stubbornly.

"How do you know that? I didn't."

"Then why were you laughing?"

"Joey..." Joey looked up, hearing a voice whisper his name. "Joey!"

"What?" he asked, looking around.

"Come here!" the voice was behind a door. Joey raised an eyebrow and walked over to where the door was. He found Chris peeking in between the crack. "Joey!"

"I'm right here," he said.

"SHH!" he hissed in reply. "Look!"

Joey tried to look by. "You're in the way, dude. Why can't we just look in the room? The door's open."

Chris looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Duh! They'll see us!"

Joey raised another eyebrow. "They?"

Chris rolled his eyes in exasperation and stepped aside, shoving Joey's face into the crack. "Look at em!"

Joey looked. He saw Ken with Shari pressed up against a wall, and they were kissing each other without stopping for air. "Chris, you voyeur," he admonished. "You're such a dork."

"No I'm not!" Chris exclaimed, his voice a hushed whisper. He held up a tape player and grinned evilly, putting a hand over Joey's mouth. Then he stepped out into the door way, unnoticed by the couple. "They forgot to shut the door," he said. "I'm just making sure they know not to do it anymore."

"Glad you agree, dear Joseph." Chris turned up the volume and pressed play, the tape already at the spot he wanted.

"My loneliness is killing me

I must confess...I still believe

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Hit me baby one more time..."

Joey pulled away from Chris and slammed the door shut on the now aware couple. "Chris, you idiot!" He said, turning off the tape. "You want to get yourself killed?"

"He can't do anything," Chris said confidently.

"I thought you were friends with him!" Joey hissed, feeling the door press against him. Ken was trying to knock the damn thing down.

"I am! But it gets annoying when EVERY word out of his mouth is how wonderful Shari is! You can't tell me you're not sick of it!"

"I mean, I love Dani and everything...but I don't talk about her every five seconds!"

Joey was suddenly pitched to the floor and Ken jumped over him to tackle Chris. "You BASTARD!" he yelled. "I've had enough of this shit!" His fists were flying wildly and Joey heard Chris grunt as a few punches connected with his stomach.

"Dude, let go. Lighten up...KEN! Get OFF!" He tugged at Ken's shirt, trying to pull him off. "Dammit! Justin! JC! ANYONE! Get your asses in here!"

"You stupid son of a bitch..." Ken snarled.

"My mother wouldn't like that very much," Chris grunted, landing a punch of his own in Ken's stomach. Ken was oblivious, however, only concentrating on hitting Chris. His fury had built up over every prank. The guys had told him when he joined the group that Chris could be a little much at times, but he didn't think he'd get THIS bad. The other three didn't seem to mind...in fact, they LIKED Chris' antics. Suddenly, he felt something icy cold on his wrists, stopping his next punch midair and flinging him off to the side. Then Joey knelt in. Ken figured Joey had shoved him off, but...

Chris gingerly touched his side and sat up. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm fine." He blinked and shook his head. Joey extended an arm and helped the older man up. "Christ, it was just a Goddamn joke, Kenny Boy," he said, rotating his shoulder. "No need to get so pissy about it."

Joey looked from Chris to Ken, back and forth, unsure of what to do. From the way Ken was glaring at Chris, he wouldn't be surprised if Chris got jumped again. JC and Justin suddenly came skidding into the room. "What the HELL happened here?" JC demanded, looking from Ken on the floor to Chris, being supported by Joey. Shari stood in the doorway, a hand on her hip and her hair in disarray. "Well?"

Chris winced. "Well, lovebirds over here decided to start sucking face WITHOUT shutting the damn door, so I thought I'd be nice and make sure they knew it."

"By playing Britney's...that SKANK'S music?"

"Hey," Justin objected quietly. "She's not that bad."

He found himself ignored. "Then," Chris continued, "He just came out and jumped me. Friggin' maniac," he muttered as Joey decided to lead him into another room.

JC turned to Ken. "You know...ugh. I don't even wanna start with you. Lighten up, dude, we've been telling you this since you joined the group. We like to have FUN. And if you don't like it, then deal with it anyway."

"WE like to have fun?" Ken muttered. "You're the one that's a recluse...I'm SURE the only reason you never go out is because you're working on music. Any little tidbit of information you'd like to share with us, JOSH?"

JC got into his face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means?"

"Enough!" Justin said, getting in between the two. "Ken, you go back with Miss Barbie over there, and JC, you come with me." He looked in between them. "NOW." Neither moved.

"Justin," JC said. "I'm not going to touch him. Unlike SOME others, I prefer not to use physical violence. However..." he shook his head. "Just don't piss me off, dude." He spun around and stalked out of the room. He went into his own room and out on to the balcony. He shivered in the breeze when suddenly, he was embraced by a sudden, comfortable, unexplainable warmth...

"Joey, did you pull him off me?" Chris asked, holding ice up to his jaw.

"Hmm? Yeah, kind of, why?"

Chris shook his head. "I was just wondering how you managed to stop his punch and throw him across the room, that's all. I mean...it was weird, I could actually, like, feel the breeze. Weird."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 59 "Has he agreed to be reassigned?" "No sir," Nikolas said. "James refuses to stop watching Joseph. He tells me that even if we reassigned him, he'd visit anyway." The voice chuckled. "I have no doubt. There is no convincing him?" "No sir. He refuses." There was a sigh. "Then keep your eye on him. I don't want to lose him." Nikolas nodded, then hesitated. "There's one more thing," he said. "Yes?" Nikolas shifted from one foot to the other. "Joshua is...well, he's having these...dreams..." "I am aware of that, yes...the memories? Do they have anything to do with this?" "No sir," Nikolas said. "This is happening by itself. Joshua is remembering." *** Lance sat on top of Joey's couch. He was above Joey, who was next to Chris. They were playing a video game, having fun. He couldn't just NOT watch this because of some unknown danger. Nikolas overreacted most of the time anyway. Okay, so he'd been right about the whole collapsing mishap, but...Lance shook his head. The high angel wouldn't even tell him what was going on, and until he did, he wouldn't even consider abandoning Joey. Though there were times he wondered how sane he was...now was one of those times... "You suck!" Joey said. "That's not fair." "Hell yeah it is, Fat-One," Chris said, smacking the controller against his palm, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Hey listen, Shorty--" Joey cut himself off when he felt a slight push, like a kick, on his left shoulder. Chris was on his right. "You ain't worth it," he said instead, being sure to lean backwards against the couch. He didn't expect the sudden cold, but he knew it confirmed his suspicions anyway. He felt another kick and stood up. "You're weird," Chris pointed out, still playing. "Naw, I'm not. I'm gifted," Joey said, stretching lazily. Chris snorted, pausing the game. "Gifted? Name one talent." He un-paused it and then jerked the controller, as if that would help his character move. "I would, but you ain't a chick," Joey shot back. Chris got a disgusted look on his face. "Thanks." "You asked, I told, little man." Chris rolled his eyes and turned off the TV. "I think I'll go puke now." "Bye!" Joey said brightly. He stood up to follow, and smiled when in the reflection of the TV glass, he saw a figure in white on top of the couch, above where he'd been sitting, with a smile on his face and a hand covering both his forehead and his eyes before it flickered away. "Hey Chris!" he yelled. "WHAT?" "You sure you don't wanna--" "NO!" "JC, how've you been sleeping?" Justin asked. JC knew what he was really asking. Have you had any of those dreams lately? "Fine," he said out loud, remembering his vow not to share. "You sure?" Justin asked, looking at his older friend carefully. "No dreams?" "No," JC snapped quickly. "And even if I did, I wouldn't want to tell you anyway." Justin backed up a step and hurt flashed across his face. "Why not?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Because you don't believe me," JC muttered, looking at the floor. "You think I'm crazy." "I don't!" Justin said. "Just tell me what it was about," he insisted. "I didn't have one," JC said stubbornly. "Yes you did." "How do you know that? I didn't." "Then why were you laughing?" *** "Joey..." Joey looked up, hearing a voice whisper his name. "Joey!" "What?" he asked, looking around. "Come here!" the voice was behind a door. Joey raised an eyebrow and walked over to where the door was. He found Chris peeking in between the crack. "Joey!" "I'm right here," he said. "SHH!" he hissed in reply. "Look!" Joey tried to look by. "You're in the way, dude. Why can't we just look in the room? The door's open." Chris looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Duh! They'll see us!" Joey raised another eyebrow. "They?" "Ken and Barbie." "What about them?" Chris rolled his eyes in exasperation and stepped aside, shoving Joey's face into the crack. "Look at em!" Joey looked. He saw Ken with Shari pressed up against a wall, and they were kissing each other without stopping for air. "Chris, you voyeur," he admonished. "You're such a dork." "No I'm not!" Chris exclaimed, his voice a hushed whisper. He held up a tape player and grinned evilly, putting a hand over Joey's mouth. Then he stepped out into the door way, unnoticed by the couple. "They forgot to shut the door," he said. "I'm just making sure they know not to do it anymore." "Mmmphh." "Glad you agree, dear Joseph." Chris turned up the volume and pressed play, the tape already at the spot he wanted. "My loneliness is killing me I must confess...I still believe When I'm not with you I lose my mind Give me a sign... Hit me baby one more time..." Joey pulled away from Chris and slammed the door shut on the now aware couple. "Chris, you idiot!" He said, turning off the tape. "You want to get yourself killed?" "He can't do anything," Chris said confidently. "I thought you were friends with him!" Joey hissed, feeling the door press against him. Ken was trying to knock the damn thing down. "I am! But it gets annoying when EVERY word out of his mouth is how wonderful Shari is! You can't tell me you're not sick of it!" "Well..." "I mean, I love Dani and everything...but I don't talk about her every five seconds!" Joey was suddenly pitched to the floor and Ken jumped over him to tackle Chris. "You BASTARD!" he yelled. "I've had enough of this shit!" His fists were flying wildly and Joey heard Chris grunt as a few punches connected with his stomach. "Dude, let go. Lighten up...KEN! Get OFF!" He tugged at Ken's shirt, trying to pull him off. "Dammit! Justin! JC! ANYONE! Get your asses in here!" "You stupid son of a bitch..." Ken snarled. "My mother wouldn't like that very much," Chris grunted, landing a punch of his own in Ken's stomach. Ken was oblivious, however, only concentrating on hitting Chris. His fury had built up over every prank. The guys had told him when he joined the group that Chris could be a little much at times, but he didn't think he'd get THIS bad. The other three didn't seem to mind...in fact, they LIKED Chris' antics. Suddenly, he felt something icy cold on his wrists, stopping his next punch midair and flinging him off to the side. Then Joey knelt in. Ken figured Joey had shoved him off, but... "Chris, you okay?" Chris gingerly touched his side and sat up. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm fine." He blinked and shook his head. Joey extended an arm and helped the older man up. "Christ, it was just a Goddamn joke, Kenny Boy," he said, rotating his shoulder. "No need to get so pissy about it." Joey looked from Chris to Ken, back and forth, unsure of what to do. From the way Ken was glaring at Chris, he wouldn't be surprised if Chris got jumped again. JC and Justin suddenly came skidding into the room. "What the HELL happened here?" JC demanded, looking from Ken on the floor to Chris, being supported by Joey. Shari stood in the doorway, a hand on her hip and her hair in disarray. "Well?" Chris winced. "Well, lovebirds over here decided to start sucking face WITHOUT shutting the damn door, so I thought I'd be nice and make sure they knew it." "By playing Britney's...that SKANK'S music?" "Hey," Justin objected quietly. "She's not that bad." He found himself ignored. "Then," Chris continued, "He just came out and jumped me. Friggin' maniac," he muttered as Joey decided to lead him into another room. JC turned to Ken. "You know...ugh. I don't even wanna start with you. Lighten up, dude, we've been telling you this since you joined the group. We like to have FUN. And if you don't like it, then deal with it anyway." "WE like to have fun?" Ken muttered. "You're the one that's a recluse...I'm SURE the only reason you never go out is because you're working on music. Any little tidbit of information you'd like to share with us, JOSH?" JC got into his face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" "What do you think it means?" "Enough!" Justin said, getting in between the two. "Ken, you go back with Miss Barbie over there, and JC, you come with me." He looked in between them. "NOW." Neither moved. "Justin," JC said. "I'm not going to touch him. Unlike SOME others, I prefer not to use physical violence. However..." he shook his head. "Just don't piss me off, dude." He spun around and stalked out of the room. He went into his own room and out on to the balcony. He shivered in the breeze when suddenly, he was embraced by a sudden, comfortable, unexplainable warmth... ***** "Joey, did you pull him off me?" Chris asked, holding ice up to his jaw. "Hmm? Yeah, kind of, why?" Chris shook his head. "I was just wondering how you managed to stop his punch and throw him across the room, that's all. I mean...it was weird, I could actually, like, feel the breeze. Weird."