Chapter 74

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Lance was practically jumping up and down and squealing like one of the group's fans when he heard Chris mention the Dalmatian. "That stupid job...I SWEAR I will never...oh my GOSH...I will feed Busta dog treats for the rest of his life..."

"What's going on?" Nikolas asked.

"HE REMEMBERS!" Lance shouted. "HE remembered that STUPID dog you made me have as my first job. That Poofu...that STUPID job--"

"Didn't I tell you it would be important?" Nikolas asked slyly.

"Uh uh. NO WAY. You SO did not know this was going to happen," Lance argued, watching Joey and Justin run down the stairs and practically drag JC back up with them.

"Well, maybe not, but I knew it would be important."

"You just got mad cause I messed with your harp," Lance scoffed. "That's why you gave me that job."

"So what? It was still important, wasn't it?"

"YES!" Lance shouted. He looked over, watching Joey, Justin, and the man he loved coach Chris and help the eldest recount various tales about HIM...Lance. "This...oh my gosh, I can go back now, can't I? This is all...oh my goodness."

Nikolas fell silent. Yes, he would be going back...to live as a human, though, not an 'angel on a mission.' He wouldn't be completely human; but he'd age and die as one just the same. When JC died, Lance would probably return as well. And JC had a few decades left in him. And that meant little to no contact with Lance until then...Nikolas sighed. He'd miss the little blond angel, all of them would. But if that was what would make him happy...

"Hey," Nikolas said. "He hasn't completely remembered yet. And just because you're going back doesn't mean you can stop serving your punishment for that little lipstick trick."

Lance pouted. "Aw, but they all loved it."

"I'm sure THEY did, but the rest of us weren't to fond of it."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Details, details."

"Hey, when's Ken coming back?" Justin asked the next night. "Hasn't Lou bailed him out yet?"

"Probably. I don't care," JC replied with a shrug.

"He might be coming in tomorrow," Chris said. "I think Johnny said tomorrow or the next day. Either way, I ain't picking him up from the airport."

"Me neither," The others chorused.

JC yawned and turned off the TV. "Wow I'm tired. Night you guys."

"That's what you get for messing with the master," Justin said, suppressing a yawn of his own. "You get BEAT."

JC smacked him on the side of the head. "Go to bed."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Yessssss Daddy." Justin walked up the stairs, and Joey soon followed.

"Hey, Chris?" JC asked.

"I know I've said it before, but...I'm glad you remember."

Chris laughed. "I don't know how any of us forgot. I can't believe he saved my life," he said, shaking his head and thinking back. "He did that a lot, though, didn't he? Not like, drastic, but--"

"Yeah," JC said. His gaze was unfocused and Chris knew he'd lost him to JC-Land.

He shook his head with a smile. "Night, C." JC answered him with a grunt and collapsed on the couch and Chris rolled his eyes before walking up the stairs. "Say g'night to Lance, for me if ya see him, kay?"

"Mmmhmmm." Chris smiled and left the younger man to his dreams.

JC opened his eyes and knew he was dreaming again. You didn't just see yourself surrounded by white everyday. This looked familiar.

JC spun around to face the voice and his eyes widened. "Lance?" He remembered where he'd seen the white before. "Am I in heaven again? Oh, and Chris says hi," he added quickly, remembering.

Lance walked forward and laughed. "Does he? No, you're not in heaven. You're really dreaming this time; cause they let me dream-hop one last time. Sort of." He cringed a little. "Maybe they said it wasn't the best idea--"

"What do you mean, one last time?" JC interjected quickly, crossing the rest of the distance between the two of them

Lance quickly kissed him before continuing. "Before I get to come back, of course." He frowned and scratched his head. "Oh, wait, you didn't remember that part, did you? That's right. Duh." He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm going back, like...wait...tomorrow's your birthday, isn't it?" He'd completely forgotten the date.

JC nodded and watched his boyfriend suddenly become even paler, as if that was possible. "What? What is it?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. But...I could probably go back tomorrow...or the next day..." Lance squinted. "Maybe. But..." he looked around him. "I have to go...I'm not exactly supposed to be here, and I already got in trouble for that mirror...and then more when I--" he stopped abruptly, a sheepish grin on his face. "Never mind that though. But," he said, shrugging and taking a small step backwards, "I do have to go, and you have to wake up soon. It's your birthday!"

JC smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sure," he said. "I hope you come back tomorrow." He wondered why he was so calm, but figured that anything was possible in a dream.

Lance smiled and hugged JC one more time before he faded away. "Sleep tight, Josh."

Lance stumbled when he felt a sudden pain in his leg that was followed by one in his arm. It was happening earlier this year...why was it so early in the morning? He'd wanted to watch JC wake up...He yelped when pain engulfed his chest. He entered his room and fell to the ground, losing his balance when there was a pang in his other foot. Sobs of anguish wracked his body as he lay on the ground, writhing in pain...

Nikolas shut the door, hearing Lance's muffled cries of pain from within. He closed his eyes and tried to block them from his mind, but to no avail. He hated the way Lance had to go through this, year after year, and wished there was some way he could stop it. He sighed...at least this year would be the last one, once you were on earth as a "permanent" human, you didn't have to relive your death. He heard a louder cry this time and sighed. Lance hadn't done any crying, or much yelling for that matter, during his actual death, but Nikolas noticed that he broke down his barriers of "men aren't supposed to show emotion" a tiny bit more each year. Especially since he'd been on earth.

Nikolas took over for Lance and checked on each of the bandmembers. JC was last, and Nikolas' eyes widened at the sight. JC had begun sweating and shaking in his bed, caught in an unknown dream. He was tossing and turning wildly. Nikolas looked on. Something about this wasn't right...

JC sobbed in his sleep for a good while after his dream ended before waking up. He saw Joey sitting in a chair and nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Joey! You just gave me a heart attack!"

Joey ignored it. "What were you dreaming about?"

JC's face twisted in pain. "Nothing," he fibbed.

Joey shook his head. "You crying and sobbing and screaming in pain isn't 'nothing,'" he said. "Tell me what it was."

JC suddenly broke down again. "Lance was tied to a tree," he sobbed. "He...they... They shot at him and they hit him, and they set him on fire, and I was THERE and I couldn't move...but I was feeling everything they did to him. They shot him and they hit him in the head with guns and they killed him and threw him over a cliff and hung him in a tree and I couldn't do anything..."

Joey was white as a ghost, staring at JC in shock. Suddenly, he snapped out of it and practically flew the distance to the shivering JC. "JC? It's okay, you're both fine, I promise," he said.

"What was that?" JC asked, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Why did I see that?"

Joey was silent for a moment before he spoke. "That's how Lance died, JC," he said slowly, not wanting to believe his own words. "That's how they killed him."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 74 Lance was practically jumping up and down and squealing like one of the group's fans when he heard Chris mention the Dalmatian. "That stupid job...I SWEAR I will never...oh my GOSH...I will feed Busta dog treats for the rest of his life..." "What's going on?" Nikolas asked. "HE REMEMBERS!" Lance shouted. "HE remembered that STUPID dog you made me have as my first job. That Poofu...that STUPID job--" "Didn't I tell you it would be important?" Nikolas asked slyly. "Uh uh. NO WAY. You SO did not know this was going to happen," Lance argued, watching Joey and Justin run down the stairs and practically drag JC back up with them. "Well, maybe not, but I knew it would be important." "You just got mad cause I messed with your harp," Lance scoffed. "That's why you gave me that job." "So what? It was still important, wasn't it?" "YES!" Lance shouted. He looked over, watching Joey, Justin, and the man he loved coach Chris and help the eldest recount various tales about HIM...Lance. "This...oh my gosh, I can go back now, can't I? This is all...oh my goodness." Nikolas fell silent. Yes, he would be going back...to live as a human, though, not an 'angel on a mission.' He wouldn't be completely human; but he'd age and die as one just the same. When JC died, Lance would probably return as well. And JC had a few decades left in him. And that meant little to no contact with Lance until then...Nikolas sighed. He'd miss the little blond angel, all of them would. But if that was what would make him happy... "Hey," Nikolas said. "He hasn't completely remembered yet. And just because you're going back doesn't mean you can stop serving your punishment for that little lipstick trick." Lance pouted. "Aw, but they all loved it." "I'm sure THEY did, but the rest of us weren't to fond of it." Lance rolled his eyes. "Details, details." *** "Hey, when's Ken coming back?" Justin asked the next night. "Hasn't Lou bailed him out yet?" "Probably. I don't care," JC replied with a shrug. "He might be coming in tomorrow," Chris said. "I think Johnny said tomorrow or the next day. Either way, I ain't picking him up from the airport." "Me neither," The others chorused. JC yawned and turned off the TV. "Wow I'm tired. Night you guys." "That's what you get for messing with the master," Justin said, suppressing a yawn of his own. "You get BEAT." JC smacked him on the side of the head. "Go to bed." Justin rolled his eyes. "Yessssss Daddy." Justin walked up the stairs, and Joey soon followed. "Hey, Chris?" JC asked. "Yeah?" "I know I've said it before, but...I'm glad you remember." Chris laughed. "I don't know how any of us forgot. I can't believe he saved my life," he said, shaking his head and thinking back. "He did that a lot, though, didn't he? Not like, drastic, but--" "Yeah," JC said. His gaze was unfocused and Chris knew he'd lost him to JC-Land. He shook his head with a smile. "Night, C." JC answered him with a grunt and collapsed on the couch and Chris rolled his eyes before walking up the stairs. "Say g'night to Lance, for me if ya see him, kay?" "Mmmhmmm." Chris smiled and left the younger man to his dreams. * JC opened his eyes and knew he was dreaming again. You didn't just see yourself surrounded by white everyday. This looked familiar. "Hey." JC spun around to face the voice and his eyes widened. "Lance?" He remembered where he'd seen the white before. "Am I in heaven again? Oh, and Chris says hi," he added quickly, remembering. Lance walked forward and laughed. "Does he? No, you're not in heaven. You're really dreaming this time; cause they let me dream-hop one last time. Sort of." He cringed a little. "Maybe they said it wasn't the best idea--" "What do you mean, one last time?" JC interjected quickly, crossing the rest of the distance between the two of them Lance quickly kissed him before continuing. "Before I get to come back, of course." He frowned and scratched his head. "Oh, wait, you didn't remember that part, did you? That's right. Duh." He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm going back, like...wait...tomorrow's your birthday, isn't it?" He'd completely forgotten the date. JC nodded and watched his boyfriend suddenly become even paler, as if that was possible. "What? What is it?" "Huh? Oh, nothing. But...I could probably go back tomorrow...or the next day..." Lance squinted. "Maybe. But..." he looked around him. "I have to go...I'm not exactly supposed to be here, and I already got in trouble for that mirror...and then more when I--" he stopped abruptly, a sheepish grin on his face. "Never mind that though. But," he said, shrugging and taking a small step backwards, "I do have to go, and you have to wake up soon. It's your birthday!" JC smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sure," he said. "I hope you come back tomorrow." He wondered why he was so calm, but figured that anything was possible in a dream. Lance smiled and hugged JC one more time before he faded away. "Sleep tight, Josh." *** Lance stumbled when he felt a sudden pain in his leg that was followed by one in his arm. It was happening earlier this year...why was it so early in the morning? He'd wanted to watch JC wake up...He yelped when pain engulfed his chest. He entered his room and fell to the ground, losing his balance when there was a pang in his other foot. Sobs of anguish wracked his body as he lay on the ground, writhing in pain... * Nikolas shut the door, hearing Lance's muffled cries of pain from within. He closed his eyes and tried to block them from his mind, but to no avail. He hated the way Lance had to go through this, year after year, and wished there was some way he could stop it. He sighed...at least this year would be the last one, once you were on earth as a "permanent" human, you didn't have to relive your death. He heard a louder cry this time and sighed. Lance hadn't done any crying, or much yelling for that matter, during his actual death, but Nikolas noticed that he broke down his barriers of "men aren't supposed to show emotion" a tiny bit more each year. Especially since he'd been on earth. Nikolas took over for Lance and checked on each of the bandmembers. JC was last, and Nikolas' eyes widened at the sight. JC had begun sweating and shaking in his bed, caught in an unknown dream. He was tossing and turning wildly. Nikolas looked on. Something about this wasn't right... ***** JC sobbed in his sleep for a good while after his dream ended before waking up. He saw Joey sitting in a chair and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Joey! You just gave me a heart attack!" Joey ignored it. "What were you dreaming about?" JC's face twisted in pain. "Nothing," he fibbed. Joey shook his head. "You crying and sobbing and screaming in pain isn't 'nothing,'" he said. "Tell me what it was." JC suddenly broke down again. "Lance was tied to a tree," he sobbed. "He...they... They shot at him and they hit him, and they set him on fire, and I was THERE and I couldn't move...but I was feeling everything they did to him. They shot him and they hit him in the head with guns and they killed him and threw him over a cliff and hung him in a tree and I couldn't do anything..." Joey was white as a ghost, staring at JC in shock. Suddenly, he snapped out of it and practically flew the distance to the shivering JC. "JC? It's okay, you're both fine, I promise," he said. "What was that?" JC asked, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Why did I see that?" Joey was silent for a moment before he spoke. "That's how Lance died, JC," he said slowly, not wanting to believe his own words. "That's how they killed him."