Chapter 70

Inner Reflection | home

"What, JuJu didn't like that? Sowwy Justy Wusty, don't tell mommy on me," Chris shot out.

"You did NOT just bring my mother into this, you freakish little weirdo..."

Something seemed oddly familiar about this conversation to Joey. He shrugged and decided to let them fight it out. All previous efforts had been in vain.

"What are ya gonna do, huh? What can you do about it? Come and get me," Chris said from his position on top of the table.

"Let me tell you this," Justin said, putting a hand on his hip. "First, you're gonna get your ugly butt off of my table. I have to EAT on that, thank you. And then you're gonna take back whatever comments you may or may NOT have made about my mother. Clear?"

Chris walked around the perimeter of the table, holding his arms like a sentry on duty. "Repeat that one more time, soldier!"

"Chris, get OFF of my table. Seriously."

Chris stopped walking. "Okay," he said simply.

Justin was dumbfounded. "What?"

Chris shrugged. "Okay," he repeated. "What, you didn't think I'd listen to you?" He slowly walked to the edge closest to Justin. Then he jumped off, knocking them both to the ground.

"JUSTIN!" Chris mocked.

"You ugly bastard...man, get out of my face!" Justin yelled. Joey shook his head, closing his eyes.

"Rough day?" he heard a sleepy voice ask from behind him.

Joey spun around, eyes wide. "JC! You're ali-- I mean awake!"

JC gave him a weird look. "Yeah, I am," he said, nodding slowly. "What's so special about that?"

"Nothing, it's just that you were sleeping pretty heavily, and--" he stopped, seeing the confused look on JC's face. "Never mind," he said with a sigh.

JC's eyes widened when the pair on the ground spoke the last phrase in unison. "No, I'm not here, really, this is just a figment of your imagination..." JC backed up slowly, hands next to his head in mock surrender, when he saw Justin and Chris exchange evil glances and stand up. "Hey, guys...come on, now--OOF--"

"Don't SCARE us like that, asshole!" Justin said from his position on JC's stomach. Chris pushed him forward so that he was on his stomach, and Justin was on JC's chest.

"One...two...three!" they shouted, then hands moved from their own sides to JC's. JC started writhing as they tickled him mercilessly.

"No-oo...please...sto-hop...guys!" he giggled, face turning red. "I didn't mean to fall as-sleep...le-heave me--"

"Uh uh, C, you're gonna have to BEG for us to stop," Chris said, jumping out of the way of JC's kicking feet. "Watch it!" He grabbed an ankle and attacked JC's sensitive foot. This only caused him to lash out more, and the free leg caught Chris in the stomach. "JC! Idiot!"

"Joey! A little help here? Please?" JC gasped, trying to get air into his lungs.

Joey shrugged. "Oh, I don't know..."

"JOEY! I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING--" he paused and twisted away from Justin's fingers, but to no avail. "--HELL IF YOU DON'T HELP!"

Joey's eyes widened. "Okay, okay, no need to get mean!" He walked over and picked Chris up, throwing him onto the couch before running back in and trying to pry Justin off.

"CHRIS! Man, you can't just-- UGH! Joey let me GO!" Justin whined. JC stood up, trying to catch his breath.

Chris had lost interest and turned on the TV. "Ooh, look!" he started singing along to the music. "I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of? I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for--"

"What the hell is that?" Justin asked, walking over and glancing at the television.

Chris kept singing, bopping his head to the beat. "I think I love you, isn't that what life is made of? Though it worries me to say, that I've never felt this way..."

JC narrowed his eyes. "Dude, what is that--The Partridge Family?! What the hell are you watching that for?"

"Tell me what else is on," Chris shot back. "The Partridge Family is cool." JC stole the remote. "HEY!"

"Shut up," he said, furrowing his brow and flipping it the channels through.

"I'm not in the mood for a singing family right now. Or whatever."

"--Other news from the rumor mill, *NSYNC member Ken Brooks was seen at a Las Vegas casino and was arrested for--"

"Turn that shit off," Chris snapped, grabbing the remote and changing the channel.

JC looked at him, eyes wide. "Ken got arrested? He got ARRESTED? For WHAT?!"

"He tried to bust open a slot machine," Chris said nonchalantly, turning it back to The Partridge Family, where the tail end of the song was on. He started singing again. "Do you think I have a case? Let me ask you to your face: Do you think you love me? I think I love you! Do you think you love--" JC turned it off. "--me...hey!"

"Hey nothing. Did he say Vegas?"

"Where's my mother?"

"James, I don't think--"

"Stop, Nikolas, it's a simple question. It's not like I haven't talked to her in the last hundred years anymore; she talked to me after my father did. But I haven't seen them since I got back..." Nikolas sighed and pointed. "Thanks."

Nikolas hoped Lance's mother could help the blond in the way Nikolas himself could not. He didn't really understand love; he'd never been in love. He was glad the three had reconciled, as formal as they remained or as uncomfortable as it was, the situation was better than it had been before. He sighed again and hoped JC would succeed, if only to make Lance truly happy once more.

JC sighed and tried to remember the dream he'd had. It wasn't vivid, but parts were coming back to him, like seeing Lance again...Lance, oh how he wished they could be together again. He sighed and fought against the tears that wanted to fall. He KNEW Lance had existed. No one was smart enough to make that whole story up. He had to convince them somehow, if only so they wouldn't think he was crazy...but there was another reason...the thought nagged at the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

Who would be easiest to convince? He thought about it for a few minutes before finally deciding on Joey. Hey, Joey wouldn't blatantly tell him he was crazy, and besides, he had the angel too, so...but in his dream, Lance had been an angel. And he'd been an angel before; that's why he had to leave in the first place. That couldn't be a coincidence, it was too weird.

"So let's see," he said, thinking out loud, "I love Lance. No doubt about that. Lance is an angel. Joey has a guardian angel that showed up when he almost attempted suicide." He shuddered at the thought but continued his thoughts. "The angel's name is Lance. I have a necklace that says Lance on it. Lance's necklace, the one I gave him...for his birthday." He started to pace. "So now, I'm gonna try to convince Joey that I'm in love with his guardian angel? Great."

He paused and chewed on his lip, steeling himself, before yelling down the stairs. "JOEY! COME 'ERE!"

Moments later, Joey entered the room. "Whassup, C?" He asked. JC had resumed his pacing. "Sit down," he said. Joey complied and looked at him, confused. "Okay, you're going to think I'm insane, but you HAVE to hear me out, okay?"

Joey nodded. "All right," he said slowly.

JC raked a hand though his hair before beginning. "You know I had all those dreams, right? The ones where Ken is replaced?"

"Well...That really happened. No -- before you say anything, let me finish. Lance was the original member of the band. I swear. He came in from Mississippi and we all became friends with him except for Chris. But even Chris started to like him." And JC continued to tell story after story about Lance, hoping he had enough so that the man still sitting on the bed would realize he COULDN'T have made up all that. He wasn't THAT smart. "And then," he finished, "He told us he had to go because he broke the rules; telling us and falling in love. He went away and no one remembered him."

Joey looked at him in disbelief. "JC, I'm not so sure-- I mean, everyone knows how creative you are--"

I DIDN'T MAKE IT UP!" JC exclaimed. "It all REALLY happened! You have to tell me you remember having that gunman waiting for us outside the club? And then Lance saved us all when he pushed me out of the way." He saw a light of recognition push its way thought Joey's eyes, so he rushed to continue. "Or the times we all fought and went north against south? With Justin and Lance against you and Chris? And when he told us he was gay and the only ones that went after him were me and you? When you dared me to kiss him? Or that one day when Lance brought in Justin's mother into the mix of one of our fights and got himself attacked? Or..." he paused, and decided on one more. "Or the time that I hit you cause you hurt Lance."

Joey's eyes widened and remembrance shown in his eyes. "Damn, that hurt like a bitch, too," he said.

A wide smile spread across JC's face and his blue eyes were electrified. He looked into Joey's eyes and saw the truth. "You remember? Please, oh God, please, Joe, tell me you remember..."

Joey pulled the older man into a hug and rubbed JC's back a little. "I remember JC. Oh, I remember."

JC sighed in relief, but somehow, he knew, it would only get harder.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 70 "What, JuJu didn't like that? Sowwy Justy Wusty, don't tell mommy on me," Chris shot out. "You did NOT just bring my mother into this, you freakish little weirdo..." Something seemed oddly familiar about this conversation to Joey. He shrugged and decided to let them fight it out. All previous efforts had been in vain. "What are ya gonna do, huh? What can you do about it? Come and get me," Chris said from his position on top of the table. "Let me tell you this," Justin said, putting a hand on his hip. "First, you're gonna get your ugly butt off of my table. I have to EAT on that, thank you. And then you're gonna take back whatever comments you may or may NOT have made about my mother. Clear?" Chris walked around the perimeter of the table, holding his arms like a sentry on duty. "Repeat that one more time, soldier!" "Chris, get OFF of my table. Seriously." Chris stopped walking. "Okay," he said simply. Justin was dumbfounded. "What?" Chris shrugged. "Okay," he repeated. "What, you didn't think I'd listen to you?" He slowly walked to the edge closest to Justin. Then he jumped off, knocking them both to the ground. "CHRIS!" "JUSTIN!" Chris mocked. "You ugly bastard...man, get out of my face!" Justin yelled. Joey shook his head, closing his eyes. "Rough day?" he heard a sleepy voice ask from behind him. Joey spun around, eyes wide. "JC! You're ali-- I mean awake!" JC gave him a weird look. "Yeah, I am," he said, nodding slowly. "What's so special about that?" "Nothing, it's just that you were sleeping pretty heavily, and--" he stopped, seeing the confused look on JC's face. "Never mind," he said with a sigh. "Okay..." "SKINNY!" "SLEEPY!" "YOU'RE AWAKE!" JC's eyes widened when the pair on the ground spoke the last phrase in unison. "No, I'm not here, really, this is just a figment of your imagination..." JC backed up slowly, hands next to his head in mock surrender, when he saw Justin and Chris exchange evil glances and stand up. "Hey, guys...come on, now--OOF--" "Don't SCARE us like that, asshole!" Justin said from his position on JC's stomach. Chris pushed him forward so that he was on his stomach, and Justin was on JC's chest. "One...two...three!" they shouted, then hands moved from their own sides to JC's. JC started writhing as they tickled him mercilessly. "No-oo...please...sto-hop...guys!" he giggled, face turning red. "I didn't mean to fall as-sleep...le-heave me--" "Uh uh, C, you're gonna have to BEG for us to stop," Chris said, jumping out of the way of JC's kicking feet. "Watch it!" He grabbed an ankle and attacked JC's sensitive foot. This only caused him to lash out more, and the free leg caught Chris in the stomach. "JC! Idiot!" "Joey! A little help here? Please?" JC gasped, trying to get air into his lungs. Joey shrugged. "Oh, I don't know..." "JOEY! I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING--" he paused and twisted away from Justin's fingers, but to no avail. "--HELL IF YOU DON'T HELP!" Joey's eyes widened. "Okay, okay, no need to get mean!" He walked over and picked Chris up, throwing him onto the couch before running back in and trying to pry Justin off. "CHRIS! Man, you can't just-- UGH! Joey let me GO!" Justin whined. JC stood up, trying to catch his breath. Chris had lost interest and turned on the TV. "Ooh, look!" he started singing along to the music. "I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of? I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for--" "What the hell is that?" Justin asked, walking over and glancing at the television. Chris kept singing, bopping his head to the beat. "I think I love you, isn't that what life is made of? Though it worries me to say, that I've never felt this way..." JC narrowed his eyes. "Dude, what is that--The Partridge Family?! What the hell are you watching that for?" "Tell me what else is on," Chris shot back. "The Partridge Family is cool." JC stole the remote. "HEY!" "Shut up," he said, furrowing his brow and flipping it the channels through. "I'm not in the mood for a singing family right now. Or whatever." "--Other news from the rumor mill, NSYNC member Ken Brooks was seen at a Las Vegas casino and was arrested for--" "Turn that shit off," Chris snapped, grabbing the remote and changing the channel. JC looked at him, eyes wide. "Ken got arrested? He got ARRESTED? For WHAT?!" "He tried to bust open a slot machine," Chris said nonchalantly, turning it back to The Partridge Family, where the tail end of the song was on. He started singing again. "Do you think I have a case? Let me ask you to your face: Do you think you love me? I think I love you! Do you think you love--" JC turned it off. "--me...hey!" "Hey nothing. Did he say Vegas?" ** "Where's my mother?" "James, I don't think--" "Stop, Nikolas, it's a simple question. It's not like I haven't talked to her in the last hundred years anymore; she talked to me after my father did. But I haven't seen them since I got back..." Nikolas sighed and pointed. "Thanks." Nikolas hoped Lance's mother could help the blond in the way Nikolas himself could not. He didn't really understand love; he'd never been in love. He was glad the three had reconciled, as formal as they remained or as uncomfortable as it was, the situation was better than it had been before. He sighed again and hoped JC would succeed, if only to make Lance truly happy once more. *** JC sighed and tried to remember the dream he'd had. It wasn't vivid, but parts were coming back to him, like seeing Lance again...Lance, oh how he wished they could be together again. He sighed and fought against the tears that wanted to fall. He KNEW Lance had existed. No one was smart enough to make that whole story up. He had to convince them somehow, if only so they wouldn't think he was crazy...but there was another reason...the thought nagged at the back of his mind, but he ignored it. Who would be easiest to convince? He thought about it for a few minutes before finally deciding on Joey. Hey, Joey wouldn't blatantly tell him he was crazy, and besides, he had the angel too, so...but in his dream, Lance had been an angel. And he'd been an angel before; that's why he had to leave in the first place. That couldn't be a coincidence, it was too weird. "So let's see," he said, thinking out loud, "I love Lance. No doubt about that. Lance is an angel. Joey has a guardian angel that showed up when he almost attempted suicide." He shuddered at the thought but continued his thoughts. "The angel's name is Lance. I have a necklace that says Lance on it. Lance's necklace, the one I gave him...for his birthday." He started to pace. "So now, I'm gonna try to convince Joey that I'm in love with his guardian angel? Great." He paused and chewed on his lip, steeling himself, before yelling down the stairs. "JOEY! COME 'ERE!" Moments later, Joey entered the room. "Whassup, C?" He asked. JC had resumed his pacing. "Sit down," he said. Joey complied and looked at him, confused. "Okay, you're going to think I'm insane, but you HAVE to hear me out, okay?" Joey nodded. "All right," he said slowly. JC raked a hand though his hair before beginning. "You know I had all those dreams, right? The ones where Ken is replaced?" "Yeah." "Well...That really happened. No -- before you say anything, let me finish. Lance was the original member of the band. I swear. He came in from Mississippi and we all became friends with him except for Chris. But even Chris started to like him." And JC continued to tell story after story about Lance, hoping he had enough so that the man still sitting on the bed would realize he COULDN'T have made up all that. He wasn't THAT smart. "And then," he finished, "He told us he had to go because he broke the rules; telling us and falling in love. He went away and no one remembered him." Joey looked at him in disbelief. "JC, I'm not so sure-- I mean, everyone knows how creative you are--" I DIDN'T MAKE IT UP!" JC exclaimed. "It all REALLY happened! You have to tell me you remember having that gunman waiting for us outside the club? And then Lance saved us all when he pushed me out of the way." He saw a light of recognition push its way thought Joey's eyes, so he rushed to continue. "Or the times we all fought and went north against south? With Justin and Lance against you and Chris? And when he told us he was gay and the only ones that went after him were me and you? When you dared me to kiss him? Or that one day when Lance brought in Justin's mother into the mix of one of our fights and got himself attacked? Or..." he paused, and decided on one more. "Or the time that I hit you cause you hurt Lance." Joey's eyes widened and remembrance shown in his eyes. "Damn, that hurt like a bitch, too," he said. A wide smile spread across JC's face and his blue eyes were electrified. He looked into Joey's eyes and saw the truth. "You remember? Please, oh God, please, Joe, tell me you remember..." Joey pulled the older man into a hug and rubbed JC's back a little. "I remember JC. Oh, I remember." JC sighed in relief, but somehow, he knew, it would only get harder.