Chapter 83

"Hey guys," JC said, "Johnny wants to know if we want to release the Ken statement now...well, not now, apparently..." he paused. "In like a few days to a week, I guess."

The three that had somehow ended up in the backyard shrugged as they brushed dirt off of themselves. "I guess so," Justin said.

"What do you think?" Joey asked Lance, who had just come out of the house.

Lance shrugged. "Whenever. When it's good for you, it's good for me."

"Fine with me," Joey agreed, putting Justin in a headlock.

JC rolled his eyes and turned back to the phone. "Oh, and Johnny says one of us should probably talk to MTV when they get the statement...just cause...ya know..."

"Yeah, sure," Chris said, watching Joey and Justin wrestle on the ground.

JC smiled. He could tell the older man wanted to jump back in but was being polite enough to make sure they were done. "Go ahead, Chris. Yeah, Johnny, I'm here...they said yeah, it sounds good..."

"Hey, did you see the paper?" Chris asked. "Corny much?"

Justin nodded. "You think MTV's picked up on it yet?" he asked, chewing slowly on a Dorito.

Chris reached for the bag and Justin tossed it to him Taking one out, he shrugged. "Probably. Johnny and the PR guys at Jive sent it out everywhere..."

"I guess that answers my question," Justin said. Chris grinned and both walked into the other room. Joey stole the chips away and pointed to the television."

"...JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake have announced that not only will the four walk away from TransCon, but the fifth member Ken Brooks as well.

"The four say that not only has former manager Lou Pearlman allegedly been taking more than his share, but Brooks has also. Will this be the end of *NSYNC? According to Chasez, no it won't.

'*NSYNC will definitely be continuing,' Chasez told us on the phone earlier. 'Whether or not it is with a fifth member will be decided in the months to come. But the rest of us are doing this, and as far as we know, Ken's doing his own thing. That's really all I can say.'

"We will definitely keep you posted on this surprising development in what looks to be music's messiest lawsuit in years."

Joey turned it off. "JC did an interview? Where was I?"

Chris hit him. "Both he AND Johnny told us we would be talking to MTV when they got a hold of the story, you doofus. JC's the best choice, cause he's Mr. Serious," Chris continued, deepening his voice at the last two words.

Joey nodded in realization. "Oh yeah." Chris rolled his eyes and smacked him in the head again. Joey frowned suddenly. "Hey, who ate the Doritos?"

"Not me! I swear!" Chris said, holding up his middle finger. "Scout's honor."

"That's not the Boy Scout thing," Joey said with a frown.

"How would you know, anyway?" Justin asked. "You weren't in Boy Scouts...do they even have them in Brooklyn?"

Justin grinned. "Now children," he began, his voice a step higher than normal, "What do you do when your neighbor has something you need?"

"Well," Chris began shrilly, "First you kick him in the balls, and then you--"

"GOOD!" Justin broke in. "Now, what do you to do follow our motto of being prepared? What sort of things should you always keep with you at all times?"

"Did someone just say condoms?" JC asked, walking in the door with Lance and bags of food. "Why?"

"Cause Joey thinks Lance and you need 'em," Chris said. "Well, we wanna know if you need any more. To be prepared and all."

Lance put his head in his hands and shook his head. "Oh, Jesus, you guys--" JC began, his face tinged red.

"Please don't say THAT name when discussing this. Please," Lance said, covering his face.

"Oh, shut up," Lance said. "You don't think about anything but sex. You were what, eighteen? You had sex at LEAST three or four times a week. With different people, of course."

"NO!" Lance yelled. "What the hell do you take me for? Some kind of pervert? No, I didn't watch. I found other ways to occupy my time."

"Good," Joey said. "Cause there was the one time-- Never mind."

"Hey, you know what? I think this is OUR cue to leave!" Chris said cheerfully, launching himself towards the kitchen. "Hey, Jace, I think I'll help you with those bags..."

They were in the kitchen when the heard Lance's exasperated shout. "YOU SCREWED SOME GIRL IN THE BATHROOM OF A CHURCH? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"I'd advise you to stay away," Justin said, narrowing his eyes. "We called you and told you what was going on, and now we don't want to see you any more."

Lance walked in the room with a frown when he saw who was at the door. "Well if it isn't the Mississippi boy," Ken said.

"Leave him alone," Justin said. "And take your whore with you."

"I know your mother raised you better than that," he said with a frown.

"Sorry," he said, to Lance, not who he thought was Shari.

Lance shrugged. "You know where I come from," he said. "What was it you were here for?"

Ken held out a large brown folder. "Just to give you this. The company wanted to mail it to you, but I wanted to deliver it personally."

Justin accepted it warily, and Lance looked at Emily, a question in his eyes. He watched her mouth something and shook his head when he didn't understand it. "...Suit..." she said.

Lance's eyes widened. "Well, thanks, I guess...um, you can go," he said, directing it to Ken.

"Thanks," Ken said sarcastically. "Come on, Shari." Emily looked back at Lance and Justin helplessly before following Ken.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Lance said thoughtfully.

"Why are you so protective of her all of a sudden?" Justin asked curiously.

"Not everything is as it appears, Justin," Lance said. "You never would've known what I really am if I never told you, right?"

Justin forgot about his conversation with Lance and looked instead to the package in his hand. "Ken. He was dropping this off..." he opened it up and read it the papers inside.

Even though Lance knew what it was, he couldn't help but be astonished when Justin's knees buckled and he leaned against the wall for support before sliding down it.

Justin looked up, blue eyes wide. His hands started to shake. "$150 million," he said. "We're being sued for a hundred and fifty million dollars. Oh God."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Sent From Above Chapter 83 "Hey guys," JC said, "Johnny wants to know if we want to release the Ken statement now...well, not now, apparently..." he paused. "In like a few days to a week, I guess." The three that had somehow ended up in the backyard shrugged as they brushed dirt off of themselves. "I guess so," Justin said. "What do you think?" Joey asked Lance, who had just come out of the house. Lance shrugged. "Whenever. When it's good for you, it's good for me." "Sure," Chris said. "That sounds good." "Fine with me," Joey agreed, putting Justin in a headlock. JC rolled his eyes and turned back to the phone. "Oh, and Johnny says one of us should probably talk to MTV when they get the statement...just cause...ya know..." "Yeah, sure," Chris said, watching Joey and Justin wrestle on the ground. JC smiled. He could tell the older man wanted to jump back in but was being polite enough to make sure they were done. "Go ahead, Chris. Yeah, Johnny, I'm here...they said yeah, it sounds good..." **~ A Week Later ~** "NSYNC No Longer So In Synch"* "Hey, did you see the paper?" Chris asked. "Corny much?" Justin nodded. "You think MTV's picked up on it yet?" he asked, chewing slowly on a Dorito. Chris reached for the bag and Justin tossed it to him Taking one out, he shrugged. "Probably. Johnny and the PR guys at Jive sent it out everywhere..." "MTV's got it!" Joey called from the other room. "I guess that answers my question," Justin said. Chris grinned and both walked into the other room. Joey stole the chips away and pointed to the television." "...JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake have announced that not only will the four walk away from TransCon, but the fifth member Ken Brooks as well. "The four say that not only has former manager Lou Pearlman allegedly been taking more than his share, but Brooks has also. Will this be the end of NSYNC? According to Chasez, no it won't.* 'NSYNC will definitely be continuing,' Chasez told us on the phone earlier. 'Whether or not it is with a fifth member will be decided in the months to come. But the rest of us are doing this, and as far as we know, Ken's doing his own thing. That's really all I can say.' "We will definitely keep you posted on this surprising development in what looks to be music's messiest lawsuit in years."* Joey turned it off. "JC did an interview? Where was I?" Chris hit him. "Both he AND Johnny told us we would be talking to MTV when they got a hold of the story, you doofus. JC's the best choice, cause he's Mr. Serious," Chris continued, deepening his voice at the last two words. Joey nodded in realization. "Oh yeah." Chris rolled his eyes and smacked him in the head again. Joey frowned suddenly. "Hey, who ate the Doritos?" "Not me!" Justin said. "Not me! I swear!" Chris said, holding up his middle finger. "Scout's honor." "That's not the Boy Scout thing," Joey said with a frown. "Sure it is," Chris began. "How would you know, anyway?" Justin asked. "You weren't in Boy Scouts...do they even have them in Brooklyn?" "Inner-city Boy Scouts," Chris cracked. Justin grinned. "Now children," he began, his voice a step higher than normal, "What do you do when your neighbor has something you need?" "Well," Chris began shrilly, "First you kick him in the balls, and then you--" "Guys--" Joey began. "GOOD!" Justin broke in. "Now, what do you to do follow our motto of being prepared? What sort of things should you always keep with you at all times?" "CONDOMS!" Chris shrieked. "For EXTRA protection!" "Did someone just say condoms?" JC asked, walking in the door with Lance and bags of food. "Why?" "Cause Joey thinks Lance and you need 'em," Chris said. "Well, we wanna know if you need any more. To be prepared and all." Lance put his head in his hands and shook his head. "Oh, Jesus, you guys--" JC began, his face tinged red. "Please don't say THAT name when discussing this. Please," Lance said, covering his face. "Hey, don't put it all on me!" Joey began. "Oh, shut up," Lance said. "You don't think about anything but sex. You were what, eighteen? You had sex at LEAST three or four times a week. With different people, of course." "What, did you WATCH?" Joey asked. "NO!" Lance yelled. "What the hell do you take me for? Some kind of pervert? No, I didn't watch. I found other ways to occupy my time." "Good," Joey said. "Cause there was the one time-- Never mind." "No, tell me..." Lance said, narrowing his eyes. "Hey, you know what? I think this is OUR cue to leave!" Chris said cheerfully, launching himself towards the kitchen. "Hey, Jace, I think I'll help you with those bags..." "Me too!" Justin said eagerly. They were in the kitchen when the heard Lance's exasperated shout. "YOU SCREWED SOME GIRL IN THE BATHROOM OF A CHURCH? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" ***** "I'd advise you to stay away," Justin said, narrowing his eyes. "We called you and told you what was going on, and now we don't want to see you any more." Lance walked in the room with a frown when he saw who was at the door. "Well if it isn't the Mississippi boy," Ken said. "Leave him alone," Justin said. "And take your whore with you." "Justin," Lance said suddenly. Justin turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "What?" "I know your mother raised you better than that," he said with a frown. "Sorry," he said, to Lance, not who he thought was Shari. Lance shrugged. "You know where I come from," he said. "What was it you were here for?" Ken held out a large brown folder. "Just to give you this. The company wanted to mail it to you, but I wanted to deliver it personally." Justin accepted it warily, and Lance looked at Emily, a question in his eyes. He watched her mouth something and shook his head when he didn't understand it. "...Suit..." she said. Lance's eyes widened. "Well, thanks, I guess...um, you can go," he said, directing it to Ken. "Thanks," Ken said sarcastically. "Come on, Shari." Emily looked back at Lance and Justin helplessly before following Ken. "Damn, she follows him everywhere," Justin said. "That's not necessarily a bad thing," Lance said thoughtfully. "Why are you so protective of her all of a sudden?" Justin asked curiously. "Not everything is as it appears, Justin," Lance said. "You never would've known what I really am if I never told you, right?" Justin's eyes widened. "So are you saying--" "Who was at the door?" Chris asked. Justin forgot about his conversation with Lance and looked instead to the package in his hand. "Ken. He was dropping this off..." he opened it up and read it the papers inside. Even though Lance knew what it was, he couldn't help but be astonished when Justin's knees buckled and he leaned against the wall for support before sliding down it. "What?" Chris asked, alarmed. "What is it?" Justin looked up, blue eyes wide. His hands started to shake. "$150 million," he said. "We're being sued for a hundred and fifty million dollars. Oh God."