Chapter 84

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"They want to take our name," JC told them slowly. "They want to take our name and they won't let us record...rehearse...tour...ANYTHING...unless we do it under Tr...TransCon."

"Yeah, no kidding," Chris said.

"No," Joey said. "They know about Lance."

Lance started. "What? What are you talking about? Who knows about me? What are--"

"...Was seen around Orlando with JC Chasez earlier today...It's been reported that this man has been seen going into the TransCon studios as well as the house the members of *NSYNC are staying in..."

Jaws dropped as the gossip channel they were on cut to fans.

"He seemed really nice. I mean, JC was signing autographs and he was really polite about waiting. I wonder who he is. He's been EVERYWHERE. I wish I were him."

"He had a really low voice, lower then Ken's. I bet he sings nice."

Lance's eyes were wide. "What, so you can't have freaking FRIENDS anymore? This is ridiculous."

Joey turned off the TV. "I'll say...ugh."

"So what are we gonna do now?" Justin asked quietly.

Lance turned around and arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? We're probably gonna go to court, and--"

"No, no, I meant YOU. Now that they know..."

Lance looked at him oddly. "So what? I'll just be the...uh, 'friend of the group.' It's true, isn't it?"

"You're more than that," Joey pointed out.

"Not to them," Lance shrugged. "So they know I'm here. Maybe that'll be a good thing, who knows? It's no big deal."

"In that case," Justin said suddenly, "What's with you and Shari lately? You've talked to her on the phone a couple times, and then you got mad at me for calling her a wh--"

"Justin, that's a horrible thing to say about ANYONE," Lance started.

"Church is in session," Chris muttered to Joey.

Lance whirled around. "I'm NOT preaching. Y'all should know better than to call a lady a whore." He quickly suppressed the accent that had started to come through his voice. "Besides, she's on our side."

"What are you talking about? Shari? She's Ken's girlfriend--" Justin started.

"No, no, no, Shari WAS Ken's girlfriend. Shari dumped Ken in Vegas," Lance said. "Right after he so grandly got arrested, I believe." He scratched his head. "No, the girl you knew before and the one you know now are two completely different people. This Shari's name isn't Shari. Her name is Emily."

"So that same Emily that said you raped her...she's helping us now?" Chris asked slowly.

Lance nodded. "Yeah. Her...her father...uh, did it, and then made her blame me for it--"

"Look, it was Southern Mississippi. Fathers hit their children all the time. It happens. It happened to me, Stacey, everyone. That's just the way things WERE. So yeah, I believed her," Lance said, staring out the window.

"Sorry," Chris said quietly. "It just seems far-fetched. We're not like you, we don't know how life was in the 19th century. We don't know what it's like beyond this life. All we know is what you've told us."

"I'm sorry too," Lance sighed. "Sometimes I forget that you guys don't--" he stopped. "Forget it. Just...I've forgiven Emily. She's on our side. Just call her Shari in front of everyone but us five."

Chris smiled mischievously. "Oh, I don't know about THAT..."

"So who is THIS young man?" JC's mother asked.

Lance stood behind JC with a small smile on his face. JC's parents had flown to Florida to try and help with the lawsuit. "This is Lance, a friend of the guys," JC said.

He and Lance had decided not to say "boyfriend" only because of the way his parents had reacted when he had first told them about being gay. They reasoned that if the world remembered Lance, then his parents would remember everything too. Things with the lawsuit were bad enough without his parent's issues getting in the way. If they felt the need to talk about his and Lance's relationship, then they would, but for now they decided to keep it quiet.

"Are you that boy we saw on TV? The one they say is everywhere?" Karen asked curiously.

Lance smiled. "Yes, ma'am, I am. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Lance Bass."

"Karen Chasez. Nice to meet you too. What are you doing with the other guys?"

Lance regarded her for a second before opening his mouth to speak. "Well, ma'am, I--"

"He's a friend," JC interjected. "He's helping us out during the suit. Now...Lance, can I talk to you about something?"

Lance smiled with a raised eyebrow. "Sure," he said, feeling himself being pulled away. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Chasez!" he said.

JC was about to say something, but they were interrupted by a commotion by the door. He sighed and looked at the door.

"Hey, it's Barbie!" Chris was yelling. "When Barbie is here, Ken must be near! Ooh, I rhymed!"

Lance covered his face. "Chri-isssss!"

Emily shook her head. "Ken's not here," she said, walking inside as Chris held the door open. "Is Lance here? I need to tell him something."

"Sure, Barbie!" Chris said, winking at her. "Over there."

Emily sighed and saw Lance standing next to JC, a hand covering his eyes. She looked back at Chris. "I've always wanted to blow that doll's head off."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 84 "They want to take our name," JC told them slowly. "They want to take our name and they won't let us record...rehearse...tour...ANYTHING...unless we do it under Tr...TransCon." "Shit," Joey said. "Yeah, no kidding," Chris said. "No," Joey said. "They know about Lance." Lance started. "What? What are you talking about? Who knows about me? What are--" "...Was seen around Orlando with JC Chasez earlier today...It's been reported that this man has been seen going into the TransCon studios as well as the house the members of NSYNC are staying in..."* Jaws dropped as the gossip channel they were on cut to fans. "He seemed really nice. I mean, JC was signing autographs and he was really polite about waiting. I wonder who he is. He's been EVERYWHERE. I wish I were him." "He had a really low voice, lower then Ken's. I bet he sings nice." Lance's eyes were wide. "What, so you can't have freaking FRIENDS anymore? This is ridiculous." Joey turned off the TV. "I'll say...ugh." "So what are we gonna do now?" Justin asked quietly. Lance turned around and arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? We're probably gonna go to court, and--" "No, no, I meant YOU. Now that they know..." Lance looked at him oddly. "So what? I'll just be the...uh, 'friend of the group.' It's true, isn't it?" "You're more than that," Joey pointed out. "Not to them," Lance shrugged. "So they know I'm here. Maybe that'll be a good thing, who knows? It's no big deal." "In that case," Justin said suddenly, "What's with you and Shari lately? You've talked to her on the phone a couple times, and then you got mad at me for calling her a wh--" "Justin, that's a horrible thing to say about ANYONE," Lance started. "Church is in session," Chris muttered to Joey. Lance whirled around. "I'm NOT preaching. Y'all should know better than to call a lady a whore." He quickly suppressed the accent that had started to come through his voice. "Besides, she's on our side." "What are you talking about? Shari? She's Ken's girlfriend--" Justin started. "No, no, no, Shari WAS Ken's girlfriend. Shari dumped Ken in Vegas," Lance said. "Right after he so grandly got arrested, I believe." He scratched his head. "No, the girl you knew before and the one you know now are two completely different people. This Shari's name isn't Shari. Her name is Emily." *** "So that same Emily that said you raped her...she's helping us now?" Chris asked slowly. Lance nodded. "Yeah. Her...her father...uh, did it, and then made her blame me for it--" "You believed her?" "Look, it was Southern Mississippi. Fathers hit their children all the time. It happens. It happened to me, Stacey, everyone. That's just the way things WERE. So yeah, I believed her," Lance said, staring out the window. "Sorry," Chris said quietly. "It just seems far-fetched. We're not like you, we don't know how life was in the 19th century. We don't know what it's like beyond this life. All we know is what you've told us." "I'm sorry too," Lance sighed. "Sometimes I forget that you guys don't--" he stopped. "Forget it. Just...I've forgiven Emily. She's on our side. Just call her Shari in front of everyone but us five." Chris smiled mischievously. "Oh, I don't know about THAT..." *** "So who is THIS young man?" JC's mother asked. Lance stood behind JC with a small smile on his face. JC's parents had flown to Florida to try and help with the lawsuit. "This is Lance, a friend of the guys," JC said. He and Lance had decided not to say "boyfriend" only because of the way his parents had reacted when he had first told them about being gay. They reasoned that if the world remembered Lance, then his parents would remember everything too. Things with the lawsuit were bad enough without his parent's issues getting in the way. If they felt the need to talk about his and Lance's relationship, then they would, but for now they decided to keep it quiet. "Are you that boy we saw on TV? The one they say is everywhere?" Karen asked curiously. Lance smiled. "Yes, ma'am, I am. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Lance Bass." "Karen Chasez. Nice to meet you too. What are you doing with the other guys?" Lance regarded her for a second before opening his mouth to speak. "Well, ma'am, I--" "He's a friend," JC interjected. "He's helping us out during the suit. Now...Lance, can I talk to you about something?" Lance smiled with a raised eyebrow. "Sure," he said, feeling himself being pulled away. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Chasez!" he said. JC was about to say something, but they were interrupted by a commotion by the door. He sighed and looked at the door. "Hey, it's Barbie!" Chris was yelling. "When Barbie is here, Ken must be near! Ooh, I rhymed!" Lance covered his face. "Chri-isssss!" Emily shook her head. "Ken's not here," she said, walking inside as Chris held the door open. "Is Lance here? I need to tell him something." "Sure, Barbie!" Chris said, winking at her. "Over there." Emily sighed and saw Lance standing next to JC, a hand covering his eyes. She looked back at Chris. "I've always wanted to blow that doll's head off."