Chapter 67

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Chapter 67

JC slowly stirred awake. "You don't have to stay here," he mumbled, seeing Justin in the chair, blue eyes watching him carefully. "I'm fine, I won't lock the door again."

Justin eyed him suspiciously. "Uh uh," he said. "I'm just gonna make sure you're okay." Chris was long gone.

"I'm fine," JC protested sleepily. "You...go bed...and sleep..." he stopped protesting and fell back asleep.

Justin shook his head with a smile and settled back into the chair. He and Chris had tried to figure out what JC had meant when he said he loved this Lance guy, and then Joey had started talking to himself in the bathroom...Unless it had been that...angel. Justin believed in angels, of course, it was how he was brought up. But for someone to meet their angel? He sighed. Joey hadn't really given them any reason NOT to trust him, but still...

Lance was silent and his voice cracked a little when he finally spoke. "He...he said that?" he asked quietly.

Joey nodded. "Yeah he did. What was he talking about, Lance? What did he mean when he said that?"

Lance didn't seem to hear Joey. "He remembers," he whispered, and Joey heard the amazed, but scared tone of voice.

"It's true, then?" Joey asked.

Lance stood up abruptly. "I don't...I can't...Josh..." he walked over to the door. "Um, see you around?"

"Wait, Lance, I didn't mean--" Joey stopped. Where was he going?

Lance stopped, looking nervously. "Um...why don't you just...sleep..." he realized he was freaking Joey out, but he couldn't really stop, he wasn't thinking straight. And now, neither was Joey, he thought with a grin, because he was laying back down.

Justin heard footsteps in the hallway and closed his eyes.

"I'm going to bed, but if I wake up and come back in here, and you're awake, then I'm going to kick your ass, okay Curly? We all need sleep..." Chris had warned before he left.

Justin wasn't sure he wanted to see if Chris planned on carrying out his threat, so he decided to stay on the safe side and fake sleep. The door opened a little bit and someone came in, but he couldn't hear distinct footsteps anymore. Feeling SOMEONE'S eyes on him, he continued to keep his eyes shut.

Lance opened JC's door and looked around the room, seeing Justin in the chair. His eyes widened and he stopped moving. He forgot that he'd shown himself to Joey; if he'd remembered, he would've known that the others could hear some of the noises he made as well as sense him in the room. But he forgot, and looked at Justin, trying to see if his old friend was awake. Deciding that it didn't really matter, he turned his gaze onto JC's bed. A tender smile played across his lips. JC was on his side, facing the wall. One hand was tucked underneath the pillow, the other wrapped in the blanket and curled underneath his chin. The blanket was almost up to his ear, and Lance could see a pillow sticking out in front of JC. One leg was out of the blanket, though, and Lance frowned. He looked over at Justin once more, then started forward.

JC stirred in his sleep. Vaguely, he heard noises, then, in some dream world, he felt a soft, familiar touch on his face. "Lance," he sighed quietly, leaning into the touch. "I...miss...you..."

A whispered "I love you," was heard, then all sense of coherency was gone and he slipped into an otherwise dreamless sleep.

Justin lifted an eyelid just enough so he could see what was going on. He saw JC's face lean forward and heard the whispered words.

"Lance...I...miss...you..." He inwardly groaned. Not again. Then he heard footsteps again and the rustling of a blanket. He fought to keep silent when he saw the blanket move and cover JC's leg. Then he felt the eyes on him again, but no one was there.

Was Justin awake? Lance hoped not, his eyes were closed. JC had felt him...he hadn't meant for that to happen. He covered JC's leg and heard a movement in the chair. He turned his eyes to Justin, not moving. The young singer was quiet, but asleep? He didn't know. But he had to get out of there...he broke out of his thoughts when Chris' form appeared in the doorway. This was just getting better and better.

"Justin?" Chris whispered, sleepily rubbing his left eye with a fist. Lance looked at the form in the chair, and watching him seemingly shake himself awake.

"What?"

"Are you asleep?"

"What do you think, jackass?" Justin muttered. "Not anymore."

Lance smiled. It was the same as always. He saw JC stirring, and touched the blanket one more time before making sure Joey was asleep. Doing so, he spread his wings and flew away.

*****

"What did you do that for, James? Do you have ANY idea what could've happened?" Nikolas was livid and Lance cringed.

"I had to find out what was going on, don't you see?" he asked. "And writing signs and appearing in the mirror wasn't working! Maybe I SHOULDN'T have told you, but I thought you'd be interested in finding out what I found out! I'm not so sure of that now," Lance said, spinning around and walking away.

"James, wait," Nikolas said.

"I'm not going to tell you if all you're going to do is yell at me," Lance said quietly, before disappearing into the room he'd been occupying lately.

*****

"How's JC doing?" Chris asked quietly, looking at Justin.

"Fine," Justin said. "Did you come in here before?" he questioned.

"Uh uh, why?" Chris asked, frowning.

"Cause it felt like someone else was here," Justin said with a shrug. "I don't know, it was weird. Whatever."

"Lance was here," Joey said from the doorway. "He came back."

The pair turned to look at him. "Did he say where he went?" Justin asked curiously. Even if he didn't completely believe Joey, he was still curious.

"Hell," Joey said simply, his face serious. He looked at JC. "I think he came in here." Before they could ask how he knew, he continued. Laughing humorlessly, he said, "I asked him about the whole 'I love you' thing and he told me to go to sleep, then he left the room. Almost worked, too."

"JC was talking about Lance in his sleep," Justin commented with a sigh. "He said he missed him again."

"Let's wake him up," Joey said suddenly. "I want to talk to him." The three walked over and Justin shook JC a little. "JC?" he whispered.

"Wake up, Joey wants to ask you something. JC?"

"JC?" Chris asked a little louder.

Justin looked at the other two in alarm. "JC? Wake up! JC?!"

*****

"James," Nikolas began, "I'm sorry. But listen to me, you have to tell me what happened! What did you find out?"

Lance looked up from where he was still brushing off his clothes. He got up and left the room, looking around outside. "He remembers everything," he whispered quietly. "Joey told me that Josh said he loved me. He said he missed me and he didn't want to forget about me and he was sorry he was." Lance spun around. "I thought you said that wasn't supposed to happen! It WASN'T! Now he remembers and NOW he's hurting! That's not what I wanted!" he said, sitting down.

"Shh, James, it's...this is a special situation...You've been requested for an audience with--"

"God wants to talk to me?" Lance asked, eyes wide. "Why?"

"You should know that," Nikolas said with a small smile. "Now off you go."

Lance didn't seem to hear him and stood up abruptly. "What is HE doing here?" he asked angrily.

Nikolas looked by him to the disoriented looking figure that was standing a couple feet away. His eyes widened. "I don't know, I don't remember hearing anything about--"

Lance spun around, green eyes flashing angrily. "What, did you KILL HIM? Is THAT what you guys did? Is that why he remembers? Why is he here? Is he dead? What is Josh doing here?"


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 67 JC slowly stirred awake. "You don't have to stay here," he mumbled, seeing Justin in the chair, blue eyes watching him carefully. "I'm fine, I won't lock the door again." Justin eyed him suspiciously. "Uh uh," he said. "I'm just gonna make sure you're okay." Chris was long gone. "I'm fine," JC protested sleepily. "You...go bed...and sleep..." he stopped protesting and fell back asleep. Justin shook his head with a smile and settled back into the chair. He and Chris had tried to figure out what JC had meant when he said he loved this Lance guy, and then Joey had started talking to himself in the bathroom...Unless it had been that...angel. Justin believed in angels, of course, it was how he was brought up. But for someone to meet their angel? He sighed. Joey hadn't really given them any reason NOT to trust him, but still... * Lance was silent and his voice cracked a little when he finally spoke. "He...he said that?" he asked quietly. Joey nodded. "Yeah he did. What was he talking about, Lance? What did he mean when he said that?" Lance didn't seem to hear Joey. "He remembers," he whispered, and Joey heard the amazed, but scared tone of voice. "It's true, then?" Joey asked. Lance stood up abruptly. "I don't...I can't...Josh..." he walked over to the door. "Um, see you around?" "Wait, Lance, I didn't mean--" Joey stopped. Where was he going? Lance stopped, looking nervously. "Um...why don't you just...sleep..." he realized he was freaking Joey out, but he couldn't really stop, he wasn't thinking straight. And now, neither was Joey, he thought with a grin, because he was laying back down. * Justin heard footsteps in the hallway and closed his eyes. "I'm going to bed, but if I wake up and come back in here, and you're awake, then I'm going to kick your ass, okay Curly? We all need sleep..." Chris had warned before he left. Justin wasn't sure he wanted to see if Chris planned on carrying out his threat, so he decided to stay on the safe side and fake sleep. The door opened a little bit and someone came in, but he couldn't hear distinct footsteps anymore. Feeling SOMEONE'S eyes on him, he continued to keep his eyes shut. * Lance opened JC's door and looked around the room, seeing Justin in the chair. His eyes widened and he stopped moving. He forgot that he'd shown himself to Joey; if he'd remembered, he would've known that the others could hear some of the noises he made as well as sense him in the room. But he forgot, and looked at Justin, trying to see if his old friend was awake. Deciding that it didn't really matter, he turned his gaze onto JC's bed. A tender smile played across his lips. JC was on his side, facing the wall. One hand was tucked underneath the pillow, the other wrapped in the blanket and curled underneath his chin. The blanket was almost up to his ear, and Lance could see a pillow sticking out in front of JC. One leg was out of the blanket, though, and Lance frowned. He looked over at Justin once more, then started forward. * JC stirred in his sleep. Vaguely, he heard noises, then, in some dream world, he felt a soft, familiar touch on his face. "Lance," he sighed quietly, leaning into the touch. "I...miss...you..." A whispered "I love you," was heard, then all sense of coherency was gone and he slipped into an otherwise dreamless sleep. * Justin lifted an eyelid just enough so he could see what was going on. He saw JC's face lean forward and heard the whispered words. "Lance...I...miss...you..." He inwardly groaned. Not again. Then he heard footsteps again and the rustling of a blanket. He fought to keep silent when he saw the blanket move and cover JC's leg. Then he felt the eyes on him again, but no one was there. * Was Justin awake? Lance hoped not, his eyes were closed. JC had felt him...he hadn't meant for that to happen. He covered JC's leg and heard a movement in the chair. He turned his eyes to Justin, not moving. The young singer was quiet, but asleep? He didn't know. But he had to get out of there...he broke out of his thoughts when Chris' form appeared in the doorway. This was just getting better and better. "Justin?" Chris whispered, sleepily rubbing his left eye with a fist. Lance looked at the form in the chair, and watching him seemingly shake himself awake. "What?" "Are you asleep?" "What do you think, jackass?" Justin muttered. "Not anymore." Lance smiled. It was the same as always. He saw JC stirring, and touched the blanket one more time before making sure Joey was asleep. Doing so, he spread his wings and flew away. *** "What did you do that for, James? Do you have ANY idea what could've happened?" Nikolas was livid and Lance cringed. "I had to find out what was going on, don't you see?" he asked. "And writing signs and appearing in the mirror wasn't working! Maybe I SHOULDN'T have told you, but I thought you'd be interested in finding out what I found out! I'm not so sure of that now," Lance said, spinning around and walking away. "James, wait," Nikolas said. "I'm not going to tell you if all you're going to do is yell at me," Lance said quietly, before disappearing into the room he'd been occupying lately. * "How's JC doing?" Chris asked quietly, looking at Justin. "Fine," Justin said. "Did you come in here before?" he questioned. "Uh uh, why?" Chris asked, frowning. "Cause it felt like someone else was here," Justin said with a shrug. "I don't know, it was weird. Whatever." "Lance was here," Joey said from the doorway. "He came back." The pair turned to look at him. "Did he say where he went?" Justin asked curiously. Even if he didn't completely believe Joey, he was still curious. "Hell," Joey said simply, his face serious. He looked at JC. "I think he came in here." Before they could ask how he knew, he continued. Laughing humorlessly, he said, "I asked him about the whole 'I love you' thing and he told me to go to sleep, then he left the room. Almost worked, too." "JC was talking about Lance in his sleep," Justin commented with a sigh. "He said he missed him again." "Let's wake him up," Joey said suddenly. "I want to talk to him." The three walked over and Justin shook JC a little. "JC?" he whispered. "Wake up, Joey wants to ask you something. JC?" "JC?" Chris asked a little louder. Justin looked at the other two in alarm. "JC? Wake up! JC?!" *** "James," Nikolas began, "I'm sorry. But listen to me, you have to tell me what happened! What did you find out?" Lance looked up from where he was still brushing off his clothes. He got up and left the room, looking around outside. "He remembers everything," he whispered quietly. "Joey told me that Josh said he loved me. He said he missed me and he didn't want to forget about me and he was sorry he was." Lance spun around. "I thought you said that wasn't supposed to happen! It WASN'T! Now he remembers and NOW he's hurting! That's not what I wanted!" he said, sitting down. "Shh, James, it's...this is a special situation...You've been requested for an audience with--" "God wants to talk to me?" Lance asked, eyes wide. "Why?" "You should know that," Nikolas said with a small smile. "Now off you go." Lance didn't seem to hear him and stood up abruptly. "What is HE doing here?" he asked angrily. Nikolas looked by him to the disoriented looking figure that was standing a couple feet away. His eyes widened. "I don't know, I don't remember hearing anything about--" Lance spun around, green eyes flashing angrily. "What, did you KILL HIM? Is THAT what you guys did? Is that why he remembers? Why is he here? Is he dead? What is Josh doing here?"