Chapter 61

Joey was still standing and staring at the mirror. Justin looked at him, then ran to JC. "What happened?" he asked, kneeling on the floor beside his friend. "What was it?"

"Maybe you should take a break," Lou whispered to Ken, both still across the room. "We can delay the tour for you."

This was VERY bad. Nikolas paced. Lance had been trying to help with the fight the group was having and had been caught off guard. The only POSSIBLE person that had seen what was going on was Joey, and that was their last resort. Right now, Lance had been captured by Satan's very own minions and was being held who knows where having who knows what done to him. Everyone had been caught off guard. Nikolas thought back to the last conversation he'd had with the angel.

Lance looked up and smiled happily. "Absolutely nothing!" he said cheerfully. "Josh is crazy, that's all. Something wrong with his mind." He nodded, as if trying to convince himself. "I can do NO wrong, Nikolas my man. I am..."

"I just gave him a hug. The man got punched in the stomach," Lance defended. "So what if I hugged him? Ken's got issues. That boy needs some-- never mind."

"Nothing!" Lance said innocently. Nikolas gave him a look. Lance looked up again. "I wasn't gonna say a thing."

"Um...anger management courses, maybe?" Nikolas knew that Lance had probably wanted to say something else, but let it slide. Lance suddenly scowled. "I'm going back down," he said, running a hand through his hair. He tugged the sleeve of his white jacket back to his wrist impatiently. "Lou's gonna be mad and I wanna be there."

"No more hugs, all right?" Nikolas said, watching Lance's wings spread out. "You're scaring poor Joshua enough." He smiled inwardly. The blond angel was slowly becoming himself again, though the times he showed it were fleeting.

Nikolas felt like this was all his fault. If only he'd been watching Lance instead of Jen, one of the other guardians he looked over. He KNEW they were after him, he knew it and he still didn't pay attention at the right time. He knew there was going to be an argument between the group, he knew Lance would try to help...he knew there would be trouble anyway, so WHY didn't he pay attention? Why? Now Lance was gone. Chaos.

"JC's starting to wake up again...we're gonna bring him back to the hotel, okay?" Justin said, touching his arm, trying to keep the older man's attention. "Joey?"

"I don't know," Justin said, looking at Joey curiously. The statement on his face was troubled, not something they usually saw on the normally happy man's face. "He passed out before he could tell us. He's waking up now...you coming to the hotel, or not?" he asked again.

Joey started to say yes but didn't get the chance to. "He's staying," Lou said, hearing the tail end of the conversation. "You are ALL staying."

Justin idly scratched his arm and looked at Lou. "Okay," he said, directing it at Joey. The two started walking towards Chris and JC.

Joey stopped suddenly when he felt a hand on his arm. He spun around, looking at the hand. "What?" he asked, anger creeping into his tone.

"You're staying," Lou's voice said. Ken stood confidently behind him. "JC is fine. You are fine. Justin is fine, and Chris is fine. You are all staying. Get it?"

Joey pulled his arm back. "No, we're not. JC just passed out on the floor," he said, his voice as calm as Lou's own. "We are taking him back to the hotel and letting him rest," he continued slowly. "Get it?" He turned back to Justin. "Let's go." He walked over to Chris, and the two helped JC, now awake, stumble to the door. Justin held it open.

Nikolas continued to pace. Lance had seemingly disappeared into thin air. "James, where ARE you?" he muttered. Hundreds of angels were out looking for him, and there was no luck yet. He couldn't stand not being in control of the situation, couldn't stand the guilt he was feeling for not paying attention. Others had told him it was justifiable, after all, he couldn't ONLY watch Lance, could he? But no, he had to go and watch another the very DAY he disappeared. He kicked at a cloud. He was going to have to talk to Joey. There was no other way.

JC had passed out again. The others were talking quietly, and Joey was relieved that no one had mentioned the fact that he'd seemed oblivious to the little fainting spell at the rehearsal. Suddenly, JC's eyelids fluttered and he moaned. "Lance," he said. "There's monsters...it's dark in here...I...Where are you going?" his voice suddenly became fearful. "Lance? Don't go...where are you? I can't see you anymore..." the others looked at JC in fear, and Joey's head shot up, finally making the connection. Lance was the name of the angel...it couldn't be...

The other three exchanged glances. Was this...Lance the one JC had been seeing in his dreams? "What...part does he sing?" Justin asked, going with it.

"What, did you forget? We've known him for so long...so long...blond hair...soft...spiky...green eyes. Pretty green eyes. So pretty. He's the right size for me to hug."

The others looked at each other, wide eyed. Hug? Pretty eyes? Soft hair? What was this? "Why is he there?" Joey asked.

"He's in the group," JC said, sounding frustrated. "He sings. He's from Mississippi. Don't you know? Mississippi."

They were interrupted by the phone. "Hello?" Chris asked, answering it. He soon hung up. "Joey, you got something at the front desk for you...a message, I guess. Says it's urgent.

"All right," Joey said. "I'm gonna go take it..." He shut the door behind him and was startled to see someone standing there. He stopped still. "Who are you?" he asked.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 61 Chris felt his anger leave his body. "JC? What's wrong?" Chris asked, walking over. "What happened?" "I...I..." Suddenly, JC's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to the floor. Joey was still standing and staring at the mirror. Justin looked at him, then ran to JC. "What happened?" he asked, kneeling on the floor beside his friend. "What was it?" "He just...passed out," Chris said, shaking JC a little bit. "JC? JC?" "Maybe you should take a break," Lou whispered to Ken, both still across the room. "We can delay the tour for you." ***** This was VERY bad. Nikolas paced. Lance had been trying to help with the fight the group was having and had been caught off guard. The only POSSIBLE person that had seen what was going on was Joey, and that was their last resort. Right now, Lance had been captured by Satan's very own minions and was being held who knows where having who knows what done to him. Everyone had been caught off guard. Nikolas thought back to the last conversation he'd had with the angel. ~Flashback~ "James, what are you doing to that poor boy?" Lance looked up and smiled happily. "Absolutely nothing!" he said cheerfully. "Josh is crazy, that's all. Something wrong with his mind." He nodded, as if trying to convince himself. "I can do NO wrong, Nikolas my man. I am..." "Oh be quiet. Joshua thinks he's crazy now." "I just gave him a hug. The man got punched in the stomach," Lance defended. "So what if I hugged him? Ken's got issues. That boy needs some-- never mind." "No, tell me," Nikolas said, an amused smile crossing his face. "Nothing!" Lance said innocently. Nikolas gave him a look. Lance looked up again. "I wasn't gonna say a thing." "Yes you were." "Um...anger management courses, maybe?" Nikolas knew that Lance had probably wanted to say something else, but let it slide. Lance suddenly scowled. "I'm going back down," he said, running a hand through his hair. He tugged the sleeve of his white jacket back to his wrist impatiently. "Lou's gonna be mad and I wanna be there." "No more hugs, all right?" Nikolas said, watching Lance's wings spread out. "You're scaring poor Joshua enough." He smiled inwardly. The blond angel was slowly becoming himself again, though the times he showed it were fleeting. "No promises!" Lance shouted cheerfully as he disappeared out of view. ~End Flashback~ Nikolas felt like this was all his fault. If only he'd been watching Lance instead of Jen, one of the other guardians he looked over. He KNEW they were after him, he knew it and he still didn't pay attention at the right time. He knew there was going to be an argument between the group, he knew Lance would try to help...he knew there would be trouble anyway, so WHY didn't he pay attention? Why? Now Lance was gone. Chaos. *** "Joey?" Justin asked, walking over. "Joey?" Joey shook his head, startled out of his thoughts. "Huh?" "JC's starting to wake up again...we're gonna bring him back to the hotel, okay?" Justin said, touching his arm, trying to keep the older man's attention. "Joey?" "Yeah," Joey said, still looking in the mirror. "You coming?" "Uh huh...Why did he yell?" Joey asked, his voice still sounding distracted. "JC?" "Yeah." "I don't know," Justin said, looking at Joey curiously. The statement on his face was troubled, not something they usually saw on the normally happy man's face. "He passed out before he could tell us. He's waking up now...you coming to the hotel, or not?" he asked again. Joey started to say yes but didn't get the chance to. "He's staying," Lou said, hearing the tail end of the conversation. "You are ALL staying." "The hell we are," Joey said, finally coming alive. "Yes, I'm going with you, JUSTIN," he said. Justin idly scratched his arm and looked at Lou. "Okay," he said, directing it at Joey. The two started walking towards Chris and JC. Joey stopped suddenly when he felt a hand on his arm. He spun around, looking at the hand. "What?" he asked, anger creeping into his tone. "You're staying," Lou's voice said. Ken stood confidently behind him. "JC is fine. You are fine. Justin is fine, and Chris is fine. You are all staying. Get it?" Joey pulled his arm back. "No, we're not. JC just passed out on the floor," he said, his voice as calm as Lou's own. "We are taking him back to the hotel and letting him rest," he continued slowly. "Get it?" He turned back to Justin. "Let's go." He walked over to Chris, and the two helped JC, now awake, stumble to the door. Justin held it open. "You leave and I'll--" "BITE ME!" Chris yelled as the door slammed behind them. * Nikolas continued to pace. Lance had seemingly disappeared into thin air. "James, where ARE you?" he muttered. Hundreds of angels were out looking for him, and there was no luck yet. He couldn't stand not being in control of the situation, couldn't stand the guilt he was feeling for not paying attention. Others had told him it was justifiable, after all, he couldn't ONLY watch Lance, could he? But no, he had to go and watch another the very DAY he disappeared. He kicked at a cloud. He was going to have to talk to Joey. There was no other way. *** JC had passed out again. The others were talking quietly, and Joey was relieved that no one had mentioned the fact that he'd seemed oblivious to the little fainting spell at the rehearsal. Suddenly, JC's eyelids fluttered and he moaned. "Lance," he said. "There's monsters...it's dark in here...I...Where are you going?" his voice suddenly became fearful. "Lance? Don't go...where are you? I can't see you anymore..." the others looked at JC in fear, and Joey's head shot up, finally making the connection. Lance was the name of the angel...it couldn't be... Justin suddenly got and idea. He crawled on top of the bed and sat next to JC's head. "JC?" "What?" JC groaned in response. "Who's Lance?" "He's gone!" "What do you mean?" "I don't know." "Who is he, JC?" Justin asked again. A frown creased his brow and he wrinkled his nose in his sleep. "Silly, he's in the group." The other three exchanged glances. Was this...Lance the one JC had been seeing in his dreams? "What...part does he sing?" Justin asked, going with it. "He's the bass, duh. No one else can sing that low." He replaced Ken, Joey thought in wonder. "What...what does he look like?" Justin asked. "What, did you forget? We've known him for so long...so long...blond hair...soft...spiky...green eyes. Pretty green eyes. So pretty. He's the right size for me to hug." The others looked at each other, wide eyed. Hug? Pretty eyes? Soft hair? What was this? "Why is he there?" Joey asked. "He's in the group," JC said, sounding frustrated. "He sings. He's from Mississippi. Don't you know? Mississippi." Not Mississippi again... "Where is he now?" "He left!" "Why?" "I don't know." "What else should I ask him?" Justin whispered urgently. The other two shrugged. "JC," he said. "Wh--" They were interrupted by the phone. "Hello?" Chris asked, answering it. He soon hung up. "Joey, you got something at the front desk for you...a message, I guess. Says it's urgent. "All right," Joey said. "I'm gonna go take it..." He shut the door behind him and was startled to see someone standing there. He stopped still. "Who are you?" he asked.