Chapter 2

The next few days for the band were busy. From concerts to interviews to fan meets, they did all. Lance couldn't complain about being bored, that was for sure! The whole band was exhausted by the time the week ended.

"Was this crazy enough for you, Lance?" Justin asked tiredly on their last night. Lance barely managed to raise his head.

"Yup," was all he could manage. Joey collapsed beside Lance and proceeded to fall over, playing dead. Busta thought this was great fun and jumped on top of them both. He got bored soon and started licking their faces instead, sending both men into fits of squeals and laughter. Chris wandered out of his room, Korea in his arms.

"THERE he is!" Chris exclaimed, picking up Busta and putting him under the other arm. He passed JC on the way back to his room, but JC only gave Chris a strange look.

*New Orleans... maybe in New Orleans I can find someone who will tell me if he's gay, and if he is, what I can do to win him..." came a thought.

New Orleans is a city that never sleeps, which was perfect for the five members of *NSync. They had an entire week there, which made them immensely happy. Joey and Justin were thrilled with the clubs. Chris liked it 'cause he could visit strip joints without being questioned. JC and Lance liked it because it had so much history in it, which they both loved. They made plans to go to Riverwalk the next day, which was their favorite shopping place. The five of them went out to a club for a few hours before settling in for the night back at their hotel.

"I'm ready," Lance called back, running his fingers through his hair one more time to make sure it was perfect. He wasn't as obsessed as Justin with his hair, but he still liked it neat. "Shall we?" Lance asked, opening his door to JC's smiling face.

"We shall," JC laughed, taking off down the hall. Riverwalk was only ten minutes away, so the boys had plenty of time to shop. They had to be back at the hotel for a six o'clock publicity dinner, but other than that, their day was free.

"JOSH!" Lance yelled across the aisle after an hour of looking around. He stood in front of the Disney store, grinning. "Let's go in here!"

"Oh, all right," JC sighed. "But if we get mobbed, it's YOUR fault." To their amazement, they weren't mobbed at any point during the day, not even when they went on the riverboat cruise together. It was like they were invisible. On the way back to the hotel, they passed a voodoo shop and JC stopped suddenly.

"Please???" JC pleaded. Lance laughed slightly and gestured for JC to lead the way. They found themselves in a bright, airy room.

"Oh, I thought I heard someone come in!" she said brightly. She came farther into the room, allowing Lance and JC to study her a little better. She was actually rather young, and she didn't look like the stereotypical Voodoo Queen at all. She looked... normal. "What can I do for you?"

"Says who?" Lance muttered, but he followed the woman as she led JC into the back. There, she had more 'equipment'. She sat JC down on one side of a small table and took her place on the other side. Taking his hand, she studied his palm.

"You are a musician," she began. "A passionate one. You have millions of girls screaming for you, yet you are not happy. You want more than someone who admires your looks. You desire someone who admires your heart, too." She looked at JC. "And it doesn't matter the gender of the person, either." Lance's mouth fell open when JC just nodded. JC was bi?

"You do not see what is right in front of you," she said. "Someone loves you, very much. But this person keeps their love buried deep inside so that they will remain close to you and not lose your friendship."

"And your eyes," she admitted. "You do not hide your emotions well, young one. But the person you seek will make themselves known to you soon."

"You have many secrets that are locked deeply inside," she said softly. "Secrets that you are scared to tell anyone else because you think they will hate you for them. But they will not hate you-- they will love you."

"You do not believe me?" she asked, her slight French accent coming through. "You really think HE," she pointed at JC, "will hate you for loving who you do?" It was JC's turn to have his jaw drop. Lance reluctantly shook his head. "Are the others any different?"

"But you have a secret that lies even deeper than just your sexuality," the Queen continued, "you have locked your emotions up so tightly inside that you have trouble accessing them. But that is wrong-- let your emotions out. Tell him that you love him..."

"As you wish," she said, withdrawing her hand. JC went back into the main room, the Queen moving to follow before Lance stopped her.

"I want something that will make SURE he loves me," Lance said in all seriousness. The Queen, too, turned serious.

"So be it," she said. "Let me go appease your friend, and then we can talk." She went out front to deal with JC while Lance waited in the back for her. Minutes later, she was back.

"I will give you magic that will last three days. If you can get him to admit his love for you-true love, not just the words, 'I love you'-then you get anything you want from me, be it either blessing on you both, or curse on those who oppose you. If he doesn't tell you he loves you, *I* get YOU."

"If this fails, I get to keep you as my own, to do with what I wish. And you cannot refuse me anything. Do we have a deal?" Lance looked doubtful, but he nodded slowly. The Queen smiled.

"I will prepare," she said, handing him a piece of paper that he realized was a contract. He read it over and signed it, not seeing anything different from what she had already told him. Five minutes later, she was returned with a vial.

"Put this in his food tonight and your time will start then. I will know if he tells you or not, so don't try to lie to me later."

"I won't," Lance promised. "I will return in three days, either to collect on my contract, or to fulfill yours."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to The Eyes of the Cat Chapter 2 The next few days for the band were busy. From concerts to interviews to fan meets, they did all. Lance couldn't complain about being bored, that was for sure! The whole band was exhausted by the time the week ended. "Was this crazy enough for you, Lance?" Justin asked tiredly on their last night. Lance barely managed to raise his head. "Yup," was all he could manage. Joey collapsed beside Lance and proceeded to fall over, playing dead. Busta thought this was great fun and jumped on top of them both. He got bored soon and started licking their faces instead, sending both men into fits of squeals and laughter. Chris wandered out of his room, Korea in his arms. "THERE he is!" Chris exclaimed, picking up Busta and putting him under the other arm. He passed JC on the way back to his room, but JC only gave Chris a strange look. "O-K," JC said, fighting back a laugh. "That was weird," Lance agreed, pushing Joey off of him and sitting up. "Where to next?" Justin asked. "New Orleans," Lance said. New Orleans... maybe in New Orleans I can find someone who will tell me if he's gay, and if he is, what I can do to win him..." came a thought. **** New Orleans is a city that never sleeps, which was perfect for the five members of NSync. They had an entire week there, which made them immensely happy. Joey and Justin were thrilled with the clubs. Chris liked it 'cause he could visit strip joints without being questioned. JC and Lance liked it because it had so much history in it, which they both loved. They made plans to go to Riverwalk the next day, which was their favorite shopping place. The five of them went out to a club for a few hours before settling in for the night back at their hotel. "LANCE!" JC yelled through Lance's door at nine the next morning. "You ready?" "I'm ready," Lance called back, running his fingers through his hair one more time to make sure it was perfect. He wasn't as obsessed as Justin with his hair, but he still liked it neat. "Shall we?" Lance asked, opening his door to JC's smiling face. "We shall," JC laughed, taking off down the hall. Riverwalk was only ten minutes away, so the boys had plenty of time to shop. They had to be back at the hotel for a six o'clock publicity dinner, but other than that, their day was free. "JOSH!" Lance yelled across the aisle after an hour of looking around. He stood in front of the Disney store, grinning. "Let's go in here!" "No, Lance... no, Disney..." "Josh," Lance said with a pout, knowing JC couldn't resist his pout. Sure enough, it worked like a charm. "Oh, all right," JC sighed. "But if we get mobbed, it's YOUR fault." To their amazement, they weren't mobbed at any point during the day, not even when they went on the riverboat cruise together. It was like they were invisible. On the way back to the hotel, they passed a voodoo shop and JC stopped suddenly. "Let's go in," he begged. Lance raised an eyebrow. "Voodoo, JC?" "Please???" JC pleaded. Lance laughed slightly and gestured for JC to lead the way. They found themselves in a bright, airy room. "Hello?" a woman's voice called from towards the back. "Hi," Lance called back and a woman emerged. "Oh, I thought I heard someone come in!" she said brightly. She came farther into the room, allowing Lance and JC to study her a little better. She was actually rather young, and she didn't look like the stereotypical Voodoo Queen at all. She looked... normal. "What can I do for you?" "Do you read fortunes?" JC asked and she laughed. "I do. Why?" "Will you do mine?" "JOSH!" Lance exclaimed. "What? Come on, Lance-- this is going to be fun!" "Says who?" Lance muttered, but he followed the woman as she led JC into the back. There, she had more 'equipment'. She sat JC down on one side of a small table and took her place on the other side. Taking his hand, she studied his palm. "You are a musician," she began. "A passionate one. You have millions of girls screaming for you, yet you are not happy. You want more than someone who admires your looks. You desire someone who admires your heart, too." She looked at JC. "And it doesn't matter the gender of the person, either." Lance's mouth fell open when JC just nodded. JC was bi? "What else?" JC prompted the Queen. "You do not see what is right in front of you," she said. "Someone loves you, very much. But this person keeps their love buried deep inside so that they will remain close to you and not lose your friendship." "You got that* from my palm?" JC asked, shocked. "And your eyes," she admitted. "You do not hide your emotions well, young one. But the person you seek will make themselves known to you soon." "Wow," was all JC said as he got up. "Your turn," he said to Lance. "Me?" Lance protested. "Come on, it's fun!" "Whatever," he groaned, sitting down. He held out his hand to the Queen and watched as she studied his palm. "You have many secrets that are locked deeply inside," she said softly. "Secrets that you are scared to tell anyone else because you think they will hate you for them. But they will not hate you-- they will love you." "Yeah, right," Lance muttered softly. The Queen gave him a 'look'. "You do not believe me?" she asked, her slight French accent coming through. "You really think HE," she pointed at JC, "will hate you for loving who you do?" It was JC's turn to have his jaw drop. Lance reluctantly shook his head. "Are the others any different?" "Some of them." "But you have a secret that lies even deeper than just your sexuality," the Queen continued, "you have locked your emotions up so tightly inside that you have trouble accessing them. But that is wrong-- let your emotions out. Tell him that you love him..." "Stop!" Lance cried. "I don't want to hear this!" "As you wish," she said, withdrawing her hand. JC went back into the main room, the Queen moving to follow before Lance stopped her. "Can you perform real magic?" he asked her. She raised an eyebrow. "Why?" "You know why." "Oh. You want a love spell?" she asked with a grin. "I want something that will make SURE he loves me," Lance said in all seriousness. The Queen, too, turned serious. "Magic such as that commands a high price, young one," she said. "Are you willing to pay it?" "I will pay whatever is needed," Lance whispered. The Queen's smile was no longer so friendly. "So be it," she said. "Let me go appease your friend, and then we can talk." She went out front to deal with JC while Lance waited in the back for her. Minutes later, she was back. "He is waiting in my office," she said. "I told him you wanted a more private session." "Well, that's partly the truth," Lance sighed. "What is your price for what I ask?" "I will give you magic that will last three days. If you can get him to admit his love for you-true love, not just the words, 'I love you'-then you get anything you want from me, be it either blessing on you both, or curse on those who oppose you. If he doesn't tell you he loves you, I get YOU." "What?" "If this fails, I get to keep you as my own, to do with what I wish. And you cannot refuse me anything. Do we have a deal?" Lance looked doubtful, but he nodded slowly. The Queen smiled. "I will prepare," she said, handing him a piece of paper that he realized was a contract. He read it over and signed it, not seeing anything different from what she had already told him. Five minutes later, she was returned with a vial. "What is this?" Lance asked her, studying the liquid inside. "Put this in his food tonight and your time will start then. I will know if he tells you or not, so don't try to lie to me later." "I won't," Lance promised. "I will return in three days, either to collect on my contract, or to fulfill yours." "Three days," the Queen echoed, dark eyes glittering. "Three days."