Part 26

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Part 26

~Perfect moments wait~

JC and Karen were waiting for him when he was brought back to his room, after the MRI.

"How are you, Lance?" Karen asked, after Lance was back in his bed.

"I'm going home tomorrow!" Lance said, smiling broadly.

"Oh Lance, sweetie, that's wonderful!" Karen enthused, pulling Lance into a hug. JC looked on, smiling. He was still a little shocked at his mother's sudden total acceptance of his relationship with Lance. Since that day that she and his father had suddenly left, she had treated Lance almost like another son. Roy was still a little distant, but Karen was completely accepting of Lance referring to him as her 'son-in-law'. Lance was a bit taken aback by the turnaround, but was thrilled with JC's mother's enthusiasm. It was like having a mother again.

"I can't wait to get out of here," Lance said, smiling. "I really miss the house."

JC laughed. "I guess I should go clean it up then, shouldn't I?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Josh," Karen said. "I already did it."

"What?" JC said, surprised. "How'd you get in?"

"Justin gave me the key."

"You didn't have to do that, Mrs. Chasez," Lance said.

"Lance, please," she said, "I've told you, if you're not going to call me mom, at least call me Karen."

"Ok, Karen," Lance said, feeling a little awkward. "You didn't have to do that." Mentally, he was searching the house for anything embarrassing that she might have found in her cleaning. He just prayed that she stayed out of their bedside drawers.

"It was no problem," she assured them. "I knew that Josh probably wouldn't be stepping foot in that house until you were with him, so I decided to take care of things myself."

Lance smiled. This was great. It was like having a mother again. A part of him was jealous that JC's parents had accepted their relationship when his had not. The other, much larger, part was just grateful, and happy that JC had his family back. And it gave him hope. If JC's parents could come around, maybe his could too.

***

"Hey buddy!" Justin said, coming into the room, followed by Chris and Joey. "We heard the good news."

"Yeah, it's great," Lance said smiling. He was still in bed, JC sitting next to him. "By the way, Just. Why did you give JC's mother the key to our house?"

"She asked," Justin said, trying to look innocent. "Why? Did she find something that she shouldn't?"

Lance blushed. "God, I hope not."

"You are a sick man, Justin," JC said, shaking his head.

Justin laughed. "Here," he said, handing Lance a box. "We brought you a present."

Lance eyed the box, warily. "It better not be a clown," he muttered.

"Man, I wish we'd thought of that," Chris said.

Lance shot him a look, before pulling off the lid. He reached into the box and pulled out a blue bandana. "What's this for?" he said, looking at Justin.

"For your head," Justin said, taking it from him. "You know, to cover your hair? I know you're not a hat person. And it matched your hospital gown. Too bad you don't have that anymore."

"Yeah, that is upsetting," Lance said, rolling his eyes. Justin smiled, and tied the bandana around Lance's head.

"See, now you look cool. Almost as cool as me."

"I don't want to look like you," Lance said.

"It's better than a wig," Joey agreed.

Lance looked doubtful. "JC?" he asked.

JC looked at him thoughtfully. "It's not really you."

"It really isn't necessary," Chris said, looking at Lance's head. "Your hair's already starting to grow back."

"Yeah," Lance agreed. "It's a sign, you know? We'll be on tour before you know it."

The other guys smiled, hoping that Lance was right.

***

JC woke up early the morning of Lance's discharge from the hospital. Smiling when he realized what day it was, he remembered waking up this early exactly one week ago. This was different. This was so much better. He glanced over at Lance's sleeping form. He was lying on his side, curled up next to JC, as usual. His eyes lingered on the beloved face. Very little had changed in the last week. The swelling in Lance's face had gone down considerably, was barely noticeable anymore. He was still pale, but his skin had more color now. His face was smooth, showing no signs of the lines that marked it a week ago. The only indication of Lance's illness was the shaved portion of his hair, and the bandage covering his scar. It did nothing to deter from the beauty of Lance's face. JC gently ran his fingers through what was left of Lance's blond hair. It was so soft. There hadn't been gel in it in a week. There probably wouldn't be any in it again for a while.

His movement caused Lance to stir. The bright green eyes that greeted him were smiling. "Hey," he said, kissing Lance's cheek.

"Hey," Lance responded. "How long have you been awake?"

"Couple of minutes," JC responded, feeling a strange sense of deja vu. "How do you feel?"

"Great," Lance said, his smile growing. "So this is it, huh?

"Yeah."

"Well," Lance said, his voice full of cheer, "when the hell do I get out of here?"

JC's smile matched his. "I don't know," he said. "I'll go find out."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to But Faith Part 26 ~Perfect moments wait~ JC and Karen were waiting for him when he was brought back to his room, after the MRI. "How are you, Lance?" Karen asked, after Lance was back in his bed. "I'm going home tomorrow!" Lance said, smiling broadly. "Oh Lance, sweetie, that's wonderful!" Karen enthused, pulling Lance into a hug. JC looked on, smiling. He was still a little shocked at his mother's sudden total acceptance of his relationship with Lance. Since that day that she and his father had suddenly left, she had treated Lance almost like another son. Roy was still a little distant, but Karen was completely accepting of Lance referring to him as her 'son-in-law'. Lance was a bit taken aback by the turnaround, but was thrilled with JC's mother's enthusiasm. It was like having a mother again. "I can't wait to get out of here," Lance said, smiling. "I really miss the house." JC laughed. "I guess I should go clean it up then, shouldn't I?" "Oh, you don't have to do that, Josh," Karen said. "I already did it." "What?" JC said, surprised. "How'd you get in?" "Justin gave me the key." "You didn't have to do that, Mrs. Chasez," Lance said. "Lance, please," she said, "I've told you, if you're not going to call me mom, at least call me Karen." "Ok, Karen," Lance said, feeling a little awkward. "You didn't have to do that." Mentally, he was searching the house for anything embarrassing that she might have found in her cleaning. He just prayed that she stayed out of their bedside drawers. "It was no problem," she assured them. "I knew that Josh probably wouldn't be stepping foot in that house until you were with him, so I decided to take care of things myself." Lance smiled. This was great. It was like having a mother again. A part of him was jealous that JC's parents had accepted their relationship when his had not. The other, much larger, part was just grateful, and happy that JC had his family back. And it gave him hope. If JC's parents could come around, maybe his could too. * "Hey buddy!" Justin said, coming into the room, followed by Chris and Joey. "We heard the good news." "Yeah, it's great," Lance said smiling. He was still in bed, JC sitting next to him. "By the way, Just. Why did you give JC's mother the key to our house?" "She asked," Justin said, trying to look innocent. "Why? Did she find something that she shouldn't?" Lance blushed. "God, I hope not." "You are a sick man, Justin," JC said, shaking his head. Justin laughed. "Here," he said, handing Lance a box. "We brought you a present." Lance eyed the box, warily. "It better not be a clown," he muttered. "Man, I wish we'd thought of that," Chris said. Lance shot him a look, before pulling off the lid. He reached into the box and pulled out a blue bandana. "What's this for?" he said, looking at Justin. "For your head," Justin said, taking it from him. "You know, to cover your hair? I know you're not a hat person. And it matched your hospital gown. Too bad you don't have that anymore." "Yeah, that is upsetting," Lance said, rolling his eyes. Justin smiled, and tied the bandana around Lance's head. "See, now you look cool. Almost as cool as me." "I don't want to look like you," Lance said. "It's better than a wig," Joey agreed. Lance looked doubtful. "JC?" he asked. JC looked at him thoughtfully. "It's not really you." "It really isn't necessary," Chris said, looking at Lance's head. "Your hair's already starting to grow back." "Yeah," Lance agreed. "It's a sign, you know? We'll be on tour before you know it." The other guys smiled, hoping that Lance was right. * JC woke up early the morning of Lance's discharge from the hospital. Smiling when he realized what day it was, he remembered waking up this early exactly one week ago. This was different. This was so much better. He glanced over at Lance's sleeping form. He was lying on his side, curled up next to JC, as usual. His eyes lingered on the beloved face. Very little had changed in the last week. The swelling in Lance's face had gone down considerably, was barely noticeable anymore. He was still pale, but his skin had more color now. His face was smooth, showing no signs of the lines that marked it a week ago. The only indication of Lance's illness was the shaved portion of his hair, and the bandage covering his scar. It did nothing to deter from the beauty of Lance's face. JC gently ran his fingers through what was left of Lance's blond hair. It was so soft. There hadn't been gel in it in a week. There probably wouldn't be any in it again for a while. His movement caused Lance to stir. The bright green eyes that greeted him were smiling. "Hey," he said, kissing Lance's cheek. "Hey," Lance responded. "How long have you been awake?" "Couple of minutes," JC responded, feeling a strange sense of deja vu. "How do you feel?" "Great," Lance said, his smile growing. "So this is it, huh? "Yeah." "Well," Lance said, his voice full of cheer, "when the hell do I get out of here?" JC's smile matched his. "I don't know," he said. "I'll go find out."