When he saw her, he stopped still. There walking down the street was a young woman of no more than 23. Long brown hair, blue eyes, casual Capri pants & a soft pink sweater. But, there was something different about her. She was in a wheelchair.

She turned into a coffee shop. The same 1 he was going to. He walked in & watched her order an Iced Cappuccino. She balanced it carefully on her lap & went to a table. He distractedly ordered a black coffee & sat down a few tables away.

Haley Jordan could feel someone’s eyes on her. They’d been staring at her for a few minutes now. She looked up & caught the eyes of the man. Short brown curls under a Memphis Tigers cap, piercing blue eyes. His smile was familiar & her breath hitched when she recognized him. Justin Timberlake, the man of her dreams. She quickly looked away. She’d been a fan of his for quite some time; his music having a calming affect on her.

Although, that wasn't the affect him being in the Haleye room was having. She was nearly hyperventilating; never having thought she’d be this close to him. It was unreal. The man she’d idolized for years was in the Haleye coffee shop as her & he was checking her out! ’What do I do?’ she thought. Was there even an answer? How could you think of anything when he was that close?

When she caught him looking at her, he ducked his eyes away & blushed. He just couldn’t take his eyes off her. He knew he shouldn’t stare but she was beautiful. He then noticed she was all alone. ’Why would such a beautiful girl be alone?’ He saw her move to throw her cup out & he did the same. But just as he was almost close enough, she wheeled fast out the door. She looked back at him & what looked to be sadness crossed her face.

Haley knew Justin was going to say something & she hated to rush out like that but if she didn’t get to work, she’d be fired. She knew when he exited the shop, staring after her confused. With hands tightly on her wheels, she carefully crossed the street. Running into some ignorant pedestrians along the way, she made it to work 3 minutes late. She knew she’d hear about it from the boss.

Justin jogged down the street but before he could catch up to Haley, she was already in the office building. He turned, taking note of the address, & walked back to his car. He’d go to the studio & try to write out what this mysterious girl made him feel.

9:05 Haley wheeled into the main door of Vogue Magazine's massive building. "Hey, you're late," Jeremy said to her from behind the front desk. "Well, good morning to you too Jeremy," she said chuckling, "I know, and I'll hear about it too, I'm sure!" she said, getting on the elevator. "Yeah, don't we all," he said in agreeance. ** Ding ** The elevator came to a stop at her floor, the 14th floor. "Haley!" a loud voice said from across the office, "Where have you been?" her boss, Link, called. "Uh, sorry, stupid pedestrians don't know what the right-of-way is," she stammered and headed to he her office, Link following behind, chatting nonstop about her frequent tardiness.

"So what am I working on today Link?" she asked, ignoring his ramblings. He stopped, "You're on a William Rast account today, and for the next 3 weeks," he said, handing her a folder. "William Rast..?" she asked, "Are they new?"

She put the folder on her desk as she switched to her office chair. "I've heard of them, --" Link cut her off, "Yes, and they are the new rave," he said handing her a pass with her picture on it.

"Here, take this. At 10:30 you're going to JakPlaza where they're shooting their 1st commercial. You'll be interviewing one of the designers."

“Ugh,” she groaned. That was halfway across town. “Ok, I’ll get the questions together.”
---
Justin was sitting in the studio writing. He didn’t have a name for this song yet though. He was too distracted to think of anything past the first verse.

Hi, I'm not here to waste your time
{But} You know this ain't a pick up line
I just think that you're a dime
Well don't just sit there girl

Well I know that heart that's in your chest
It carries pain and so must stress
But you got to let it go
{Go, go, girl}
Just close your eyes I'll grab your waist
Next think you know you have your pace
Girl you got to let it go
{Go, go, girl}...

His mind drifted again to the girl he’d seen just an hour ago. He didn’t even know her name yet there she was. It seemed just those few moments had burned her into his brain. He looked down at his paper. Was it so bad he didn’t know her and he was writing about her? It could be about any girl, right? After all, he was a musician, not all things were personal.

He tried to think of the other women he’d met or dated. And as bad as it sounded, not one could compare. Yup, this song was about a girl he’d seen in the coffee shop and she was stuck to him. He felt pathetic, it was like a crush but he seemed instantly drawn to her. Just as he was on the edge of another verse, his phone rang.

He groaned and dug it out of the pocket of his slacks. “Trace, what do you want? I’m writing,” he asked. “You know not to call while I’m here.” He didn’t mean it to sound harsh but this girl and song were driving him insane. He listened to what his best friend/business partner said. “Ugh, today? They just threw this in already? Ok, I’ll be there.”

JAKPLAZA Haley was seated in the chair provided in the closed side lobby of the JakPlaza, talking to her side man, Gregory. And then, he walked in, notebook in hand.

She stopped midsentence. "Haley," he said, looking in the direction she was, "Stop drooling," he said just loud enough to get her attention. She smacked him on the arm, embarrassed. Gregory just laughed and walked out. Justin sat down, chuckling on the inside and blushing. Trace pulled up a chair too.

"So, let’s get this started," he said to her quietly, smiling.

“Y-you own William R-rast?” she stuttered, surprised to be in front of him again.

He chuckled, fixing the glasses she realized he wasn't wearing this morning. “Sorry, my eyes started to get irritated from the contacts. Yeah, my buddy Trace and I started this awhile back. We felt fashion was a way to express ourselves. You know, besides my music.”

He noticed her look down at her notes, seemingly nervous. He could kind of tell by now she was also a fan. “Um...”

“Hey,” he touched her hand gently. “Just take a breath and go slow. Like we’re just three friends talking.

She smiled gratefully at him and cleared her throat. “S-so, why did you guys start William Rast? Considering you're already doing music, acting, a restaurant.”

“Well, Trace has done some of the better stuff I’ve worn in the past and we found a cool way to show and promote our style, sort to say.”

“How did you create the name?”

Trace picked up the answer on this one. “We wanted something that meant a lot to both of us and his grandfather’s first name is William, my grandfather’s last name is Rast. So we put it together and it fit.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Haley smiled, certainly not missing the beam from Justin. “Guys want the style you guys possess and girls want something sexy so let’s run through some stuff in the line.” Both men nodded for her to continue, glad she finally got her footing. “What’s some of things you have?”

“Um we have kind of a casual/dressy look with the blazers and the free bird tees. Paired with the John Cargo Jeans; which are named after Trace’s grandpa. If you want something a bit more dressy you can wear slacks and dress shoes instead.”

“You can take the windbreaker and Tennessee Kid t-shirt with the Billy Jeans; so J’s grandfather. The windbreaker is one of my favorites.”

“What about the jeans, what do you think’ll be hot this season?” Haley asked.

“Well, a lot of women seem to like the Savoys which have the upside down yoke. And the Capris.”

“Yeah and for the guys, all the jeans seem to be popular,” Justin added. “And we have some new stuff coming too.”

“Can you give us a hint?”

“A little hint,” he answered goofily while squinting his eyes and making everyone laugh. “Anyway, I personally feel there should be a suede jacket to go with the new denim splash low riders we’re putting in the line.”

“Sounds hot! I’ll certainly be interested in those. Ok, well that’s all the questions I have,” she wrapped up. “Thank you very much for both of yours time.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Trace smiled charmingly. He walked to the door where their guards and Rachael waited. Justin stopped Haley as she stood up on her crutches that she must’ve used out of her wheelchair.

She turned to him as he said, “hey, when I saw you this morning at the coffee shop and I – well, we were looking at each other and I couldn’t help thinking I wanted to know you.”

The stunned look on her face said it all. Why would a handsome, not to mention busy and popular, man ask her out? She felt like she was back in high school again. She was nervous, shocked, and not to mention a fan of his for crying out loud!

He saw the wheels of her mind turning and smiled warmly. He didn’t exactly do this all the time – he would tell a girl he liked her but not just ask her out after seeing her once. “Just lunch, maybe talk?”

She finally smiled in return and nodded. His smile grew, if possible, and he walked out.

“Dude! Did you just do what I think you did?” Trace asked. When he didn’t get an answer he looked up at his best friend. Justin had an enormous smile and was humming. The same one he was writing in the studio. “What you smiling for, J?”

“Oh, nothing. Just figured out the lyrics to my new song.” Finally he would get to know the mysterious girl that caught his eye that morning.
---
TEN MONTHS LATER Justin and Haley enjoyed lunch that day she had interviewed him and Trace. It was so strange how he was intrigued by her but he couldn’t help it. It was like something pulled him in. Well, he was glad it did because they found they had some things in common. They both had different social circles during their school years and Haley wasn't anything close to the celebrity he was. But she’d become well-liked in her adult years, and had a good job. No matter that her boss was a jerk.

Lunch soon turned into a date, which turned into phone calls and seeing each other when Justin wasn't busy. That soon turned into deeper feelings and they continued to date. Now they’ve been together for eight months. Haley hadn’t ever felt like this; that a guy would love her and want to stay with her. As cheesy as it sounded, she’d never thought Justin would be the guy for her, that they’d fall for each other. She always thought he’d walk out like every guy she liked did. But nope, not him. He constantly surprised her.

She wasn’t like the normal actresses or models he dated. She was far from it. She wasn’t one someone would call pretty at first glance, but he found her beautiful. Her short height brought her up to just below his collarbone, her skin almost as pale as his, and her dirty-blonde hair naturally curled when it was down. She was handicapped, the disability affecting certain muscles in her body; primarily her legs. It wasn’t too bad, she lived with it all her life, but it required use of crutches and sometimes a chair.

Tonight they were at a club with their friends. Trace, Rachael, Nick, Tony, the other Justin, Esmée and Haley’s friends Sammy (Samantha) and her side man from the magazine, Greg. And of course Tim was DJ-ing, occasionally bringing Justin up with him. As the booming bass and fast-paced song became quiet, Tim’s voice could be heard over the mic. “Ok, how’s everyone feeling tonight? Nah, nah, I said: HOW’S EVERYONE TONIGHT?!”

This got the whole club cheering and jumping. “Alright,” Justin chimed in. “We’re going to slow it down a bit. This is ironically one of my own songs, thanks to Tim,” he snickered. “It’s called ‘Until the End of Time’ and it’s for all the ladies  out there.”

He made his way through to the VIP section, saying hi to a few people until he reached his girlfriend. He pulled her out of her seat, making sure to keep his hold since her crutches were left at their table. He pulled Haley to his body, whispering the words to the song in her ear. She smiled against his neck and gently kissed him. Towards the end of the song, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He groaned in annoyance but knew he should take it. “I’ve got to take this, Baby. Sorry.” He sat her back down at their table, their friends having scattered on the dance floor.

Not  even five minutes after Justin was gone, a strange man walked up to Haley. He was handsome, tall, long brown hair. Pretty green eyes. Had she not been dating Justin she might have thought this guy was cute. But something was off. “Your new here,” he shouted over the music.

“Um not really, I’ve come here before with friends.” She was getting nervous.

“Nah, I would’ve noticed you. you're to fine.” He then leaned in close. “I’m Nate. Let’s dance.”

“Let’s not. I’m here with someone.”

“Oh, come on. Someone as pretty as you should be on the floor,” he continued to flirt.

“She said she’s with someone. Back off,” Trace’s voice came as he moved behind her. Nate smirked, like he could take him if he wanted her enough. But then the others walked up.

“Maybe next time, sweet thing.”

The girl rolled her eyes, a bit creeped out, and sighed in relief as Justin came back to her side. He noticed the disgusted faces of his friends and asked, “what’s wrong?”

“Some jerk tried to hit on Hales,” Rachael answered.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked the girl in front of him, squeezing her shoulder.

“No, Jus. He was just flirting. The gang came to my rescue.”

“Well, I’m sorry I wasn't here. I’ll never do that again.” She scoffed off his comment like it didn’t bother her and he helped her up.

The group filed out of the club, surrounded by guards, and past paparazzi. Once in the car, Justin saw Haley smirking. “What's so funny, girl?”

“He was kind of cute.”

He looked at her suspiciously before a smile tugged at his lips. “Are you dating other people?”

“Haha, I don’t think you have to worry about that. I’ve got a very good man.”

“Oh, do you?” he smiled.

Haley sat in her cubicle of Vogue Magazine. Typing a few words, she looked at them and proceeded to hit delete. She sighed tiredly and ran her knuckles together a few times. She did that or rock back and forth to calm herself. Today her nerves were very frayed. She was writing an article on the Northern Stars, who was a new line debuting in fashion week. Interviews were also to be done on other major names and only one had called her back; it didn’t help Link was on her back. Why did she get stuck on this project anyway?
---
Meanwhile across town, Justin bounced into his apartment and called out excitedly for Haley, hoping she had decided to stay at his place. When he received no answer he did a quick search through the house and frowned when there was no sign of her. Pulling out his cell phone he dialed her work number and waited patiently.

“Vogue magazine, Haley Jordan speaking.”

“Hey, I thought you were coming to my place,” he pouted.

She briefly smiled, imagining his pout. “Sorry, Jus. Link stuck me with this article and I need to get it done.”

Justin’s smile dropped again. “Oh, well, hurry it up. I don’t want you to fall asleep before I share my good news.”

“Ok, well why don’t you go to the game with Trace and I’ll call you when I’m done?” she asked.

“Ok, hun. Talk to you soon.” Justin huffed after hitting the end button. Tonight was a game between his two favorite teams – the Lakers and Memphis Tigers. He wanted to see it but decided to catch the highlights after his time with Haley. He had just got one of the biggest projects in his career and wanted to share the excitement with her. Now he’d have to change his plans yet again. 20 minutes later, Trace clapped Justin on the shoulder. “C’mon, man. We’ll go have some fun, Hales will finish her work and we’ll pick her up. Then you two can celebrate. Now, let’s go!”

The singer smiled good-naturedly, never be able to say no to his friend’s antics.
---
Sammy walked up to Haley in the office and leaned on the desk. “What’re you still doing here, girl?” the black haired woman asked the brunette.

“I have to finish this,” she answered, not looking up.

“Come on, Link left, let’s go out and have some fun. This will all be here tomorrow.”

Haley thought for a minute. She could tell on the phone Justin was excited about something. Then again she had told him to go to the game and he probably wouldn’t be home for awhile so whatever he had to tell her could wait right? She deserved some fun too. That made her sound horrible because she wanted to know what made him so happy but she was so stressed out she needed some time to let go of things. “Fine, I’ll go.”
---
LAKER’S GAME “No, J, no! The Laker’s will win, they’re the best,” Trace argued as they watched the last half of the game.

“Dude, what’re you talking about?” Justin countered. “Memphis is our home team, they have to win!”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that!”

They watched for a few minutes; both cheering like crazy and playfully shoving each other.

“Haha told ya!” Justin called as the Tigers made a basket.

“Whatever,” Trace pouted as he grabbed his drink and took a big gulp.

“I’mma get more popcorn,” the singer laughed; dancing his way down the isle while the half-time music played.

As he walked back away from the concession stands, his phone rang. He recognized Haley’s number and answered cheerfully. “Hey, there’s my girl!”

He heard a rustle on the line before a slurred “Juuuuuuuuuuustttttin! Ha-hi!”

“Hales? Are you ok?”

“Yeah! W-wh-why wouldn't I be?”

His brow furrowed as he heard loud music and someone call for a round of shots. “You don’t sound right, what's going on?”

She giggled, the sound so childlike but shaky. “I was t-t-thiiiiiinnnking about you. I wish you were here. You ha-have to try this – this stuff, it tastes funny but makes my head fuzzy.”

Suddenly there was another commotion and a brief panic shot through his body as a muffled deep voice could be heard. “Hey sweet thing, can I buy you that drink now?”

Another giggle was heard and Justin shouted into the phone. “HALEY, WHERE ARE YOU?! I’m coming to get you!”

She didn’t answer, continuing to ramble on about the liquid she was drinking. At this moment, Trace came out of the basketball game laughing loudly and cheering over the final game shot. He saw Justin’s frown and heard him calling Haley’s name, asking what bar she was at. The singer cursed under his breath, rubbing his hand over his forehead.

“Your girl get herself drunk? Who’s she with?”

“From what I could make of it, some coworkers took her out to cool off. Something’s not right though. I have to go bring her home."

ULTRAVIOLET NIGHT CLUB Justin stormed through the entrance, guards following. Trace was waiting with the car. The young man pushed through the crowd and to the bar. His heart dropped as he heard her laugh ring out and saw that same creep from the other night leaning over her. Nate’s mouth was by Haley’s ear and said something Justin couldn’t hear. But when her body tensed, some flicker of fear breaking through the haze in her eyes, Justin’s blood boiled.

“Get off of her!” he roared, storming over. “Haley, are you ok?”

“I got here first, man,” Nate sneered.

“I believe the lady said to leave her alone,” Eric, their guard, spoke and came up behind the evil man.

Nate scoffed, roughly letting go of the girl’s arm. Trying not to create further commotion, but also figuring out what happened, Justin leaned into Haley. His right hand rested on her shoulder while his left moved her hair; her head resting on the countertop. “Hales, Baby, can you hear me? Why are you so drunk, what caused this?”

She wearily lifted her head, mumbling something. “Heeeey, Jus!! I – I – was hoping you’d come. Have you tried this?” She thrust the shot glass in his face, the strong smell hitting his nose.

Taking it and handing it to the bartender he answered, “why are you here?”

Suddenly Greg and Sammy appeared. “Chill man, she just came to cool off from work. Everyone needs downtime.”

“You of all people should know she shouldn’t drink so much. This could hurt her!” he scolded. “Why didn’t you stop her?” What were they thinking? They’d known her longer than he did, they should know the damage this could do to her body.

Without letting the drunken friends answer, Justin scooped Haley into his arms and let Eric lead them out of the club. They exited the back door, hoping to escape paparazzi. He knew it’d get out someway but didn’t want her to be worried by it right now.

Climbing into the backseat of his black Cadillac Escalade with his girlfriend still his grasp, Justin looked towards Trace who had a questioning stare in the rearview mirror. Justin shook his head, signaling he’d explain later. Then taking a bottle of water from his pocket and propping Haley up, he tried to get her to drink some.

She was in and out of consciousness due to the alcohol. The bartender had said only a few shots were served but knowing Haley was a lightweight, had health problems, and a low immunity, it hit her faster. She’d have the effects tomorrow twice as bad as anyone would. He sighed heavily, running a hand over his face.
---
BACK AT JUSTIN’S HOUSE, it was the next morning before Haley started thinking clearly. She woke in his bed but his side was empty, indicating he’d been up for some time. Her watch beeped, 8am and she knew she had to be up for work. Groaning she got dressed into clean clothes he had laid out and into her wheelchair next to the bed. She caught on to his idea that she shouldn’t try her balance with a hangover.

Rolling through to the kitchen, she found him sitting atop the counter. He was still in an orange t-shirt and khaki shorts; clutching a coffee cup. She guessed he couldn’t have been up much longer than her though judging on the tiredness of his features. She lay her head on the table, the pounding of her skull increasing with every movement.

A few moments later, Haley felt Justin’s hand rubbing her back, the other setting a glass of water and three ibuprofen in front of her. She looked up at him, concern spreading through his blue eyes. They were normally a piercing blue but now they were vibrant. Boring into her and held depths of question, worry, and love. Flashes of last night passed through her mind.

Him carrying her into the house. Telling Trace that he couldn’t believe this had happened.

Things were fuzzy from her drunken state but she could remember what he did.

Holding her hair back as she rid of the alcohol Keeping her drinking water every hour and hydrated. Holding her comfortingly while her body gave out and she fell asleep.

She certainly didn’t want to worry nor burden her boyfriend, she just wanted to forget everything for a night. “This should help with the pain today,” he spoke about the medicine. “You can't take more than that ‘til tomorrow though.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. “Jus, I’m really sorry for last night. I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Did they make you drink it?” he asked, staring at his hands.

“No.”

“Did you feel better after doing it?”

“No, I feel horrible.”

“Then why did you? You could’ve told Greg and Sammy you didn’t want it. You could’ve talked to me.” His eyes and voice held so much pain despite speaking in a low voice.

“I just wanted to forget about everything for a night. I wanted some fun. I was stressed.”

“About what? Huh? I understand stress, believe me I know with my lifestyle, but WHY did you drink so much to make yourself sick?! What was so bad you couldn’t talk to me?!”

“I don't know, Justin! I just – I didn’t want to worry about anything. I’m sorry, ok? I never meant to go overboard.”

“I’m trying to help you here! I get if you're not ready to tell me what’s going on, but you can't do this. You hate getting drunk, HATE it. So why would you want to make yourself feel like that?” The young man took a breath to calm himself. He didn’t intend to fight with the girl he loved but this didn’t make any sense.

“All I’m saying is that you know the health risks you have and they’re a lot worse than most people because of your low immunity and the way your body reacts. You could’ve seriously hurt yourself and that would’ve killed me.”

“I’m sorry.” She lowered her gaze as he took her hands in his and kneeled in front of her.

“I’m just upset you wont tell me what's going on. And last night was supposed to be our night to celebrate. I got the Shriner’s tournament and wanted to share the good news with you. I can't worry that something’s wrong when I have to focus.”

Haley’s head flew up, sudden anger coursing through her. “God, everything has to be about you, doesn’t it? My whole life revolves around your schedule now!” She pulled away, wheeling towards the door and grabbing her coat.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?” Justin asked completely confused. “Where’s this coming from, Hales?”

“Nothing, nothing. I have to go.” And with that she was gone.

It was October 19, right after the end of the Justin Timberlake Shriner’s Hospital for Children’s Open. It was in Las Vegas as always at TPC Summerlin and Justin had arrived there on the 11th. So now it was about a week since Haley had accused him of being the center of attention and stormed out.

Now she sat in her office, finally interviewing the clients for fashion week. Then she had to write the article. If she was lucky, she’d be out by midnight. Her phone beeped once again, indicating Justin had sent her another text. It read: ‘Please call me? I miss u – J ‘

Haley deleted it, along with the 20 others he’d sent her this week. She wasn’t giving in and was also not answering his calls. He knew she was just upset but without her telling him what was wrong, he couldn’t help. She knew he was wondering why she’d gotten drunk but she couldn’t tell him; he’d only worry more.
---
Justin sighed frustrated and turned off his phone. He looked up at one of his longtime friends, Chris, who was in the Shriner’s Tournament.

“Don’t worry, man. Just keep trying and she’ll come around. It can't be that bad.”

“I hope so.” He’d give her time but he just wanted to know what was wrong so he could help her through it. Why was she avoiding him?

He then walked back over to the group of children and parents at the sidelines of the golf course. They were children in the Shriner’s Hospitals and he was taking pictures with them. He plastered a smile on his face, which turned genuine when he saw the kids. Even in all the personal problems he had, these children touched his heart. They were what mattered, they were the ones money was raised for so they can get better. Facing the odds they had to everyday, they never ceased to amaze him.
---
Haley sighed once again, it was 10:30pm now and she was still writing the interview. Everytime she thought she was done, Link would have her redo it so Greg decided to help. “Ok, so if we put the part of Northern Stars here. And then add Dolche here.”

“Well, you can work it to death, I’m going to head out,” Greg answered. “Go home, get something to eat and rest.”

“No, I’m going to finish this.” She went to pull herself to her feet when her legs gave out and collapsed. She was out cold.

Greg caught her on the way down, her head lolling to the side. He tried to wake her but nothing worked.
---
Justin opened the door to his hotel room and plopped on the couch. He heard his phone ring and stopped dead. He stared at the number. Why was he nervous, isn’t her call what he wanted? He slowly put it to his ear and stuttered a “hello?”

“Justin? This is Greg?” the man on the other line answered. “Um, I’m calling about Haley.”

“W-what happened?” he asked, fear suddenly gripping him. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

“Well, we were at work late and when I went to leave she wanted to continue. She tried to stand up and just collapsed. The doctor’s won’t tell me because I’m not family.”

“I’ll be on the next flight out.” Justin hung up, not waiting for an answer. He hastily ran around the room, grabbing his stuff. He was thankful golf had ended and he could leave early without a problem. He didn’t care what his management or press said, his girlfriend needed him. This incident only made him more worried of what she was hiding.
---
THE PLANE RIDE from Las Vegas to LA was only an hour long but Justin felt it was forever. He was uncomfortable due to nerves of worry and he could not relax. He took out his red blackberry, pressing a few buttons and bringing up the pictures he’d taken.

There were a few with some kids from his recent golf game and then one in particular. It was of him and Haley about three months ago.

Justin lay on the red half-moon loveseat. Haley was wrapped in his arms, snuggly tucked between him and the back of the loveseat. Her head lay in the crook of his neck and Justin’s head on a small pillow. They both had a rare day off and spent it goofing round. After going to a few places they’d come back and relaxed watching tv. They’d been so drained from the work-week and conked out, oblivious to everything else.

That is how Rachael found them, snuggled together, as she came to return Brennen and Buckly. She’d watched them while Justin was out of town. Seeing the couple curled up, she’d picked up her cousin’s phone from the table and took the picture. It was rare to see them so relaxed and they looked so cute she just had to.

Snapping back to the present, Justin felt someone shaking his shoulder. He turned to see Trace and realized he must have drifted off while thinking. “C’mon, man. Ride’s here to take us to the hospital.”

The singer nodded, rubbing his eyes before replacing his glasses, and got up. He grabbed his bags before quietly exiting the plane and going through the airport. A few people recognized him and he was thankful that there was little to no fans/paparazzi. Even though he was a day earlier than he was supposed to be and earlier than his fans probably knew he’d be. He was glad because though he loved his fans, he couldn’t quite focus on them.

It was like his vision had tunneled and all he could think of was Haley laying in a hospital bed, for Lord knows what reason. He knew it had to do with what she wouldn’t tell him though.
---
CEDAR-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER It was past midnight by the time the cavalry entered a private entrance and to the desk in the ER. The group included Trace, Rachael, guards, and the rest of their friends who always traveled with Justin. They wanted to make sure Haley was ok too, they thought she was cool.

“May I help you, sir?” a small blonde nurse asked.

“Yes, a co-worker of my girlfriend’s told me she was brought in here after collapsing a few hours ago? I was hoping to talk to the doctor.”

“Name?”

“Haley Jordan,” he answered. “I was also hoping to talk to Dr Morales, she’s my doctor.”

A few minutes later Dr Anne Morales walked out of the elevator. She spotted Justin in the waiting room, who happened to be ducking people’s gazes so not to be noticed. “Hey, Mr Timberlake,” she announced quietly. “You're here for Miss Jordan right?” At Justin’s frantic nod and a swipe over his face, she motioned him into her office just down the hall. She knew he was a celebrity and wanted to give him privacy as always.

“Is Haley ok? What happened?” he asked immediately once inside.

“Calm down, Justin. Haley is fine, just worn out.” Anne had been the young man’s doctor for years during his stays in LA and she was lucky he didn’t have too many serious injuries other than a broken hand or something. He was a good kid; tough and when he was hurt, but worried when it was someone he cared for.

“When Haley was brought in, I was doing my rounds. I recognized her and took over her case. The man with her, Greg I think his name was, said they were at work and she passed out. We ran some tests and I found it was stress and exhaustion. That combined with her low immunity due to her disability caused her to just shutdown,” she explained.

Justin nodded in understanding. He knew that sleep and nutrition were very important to Haley’s daily life and any lack of them could cause problems. “Will she be ok?”

“Yes. We will keep her overnight to make sure she gets fluids and the proper amount of rest. It will boost her immunity and give her body the chance to fix itself like you or ours would normally. Now, when she wakes up we want her to talk about what's causing the stress. She can even talk to you should she feel. But if we can figure out a way to reduce the stress, then this won’t happen again.”

“Yeah, if she’ll speak to me even,” he mumbled defeated. He saw the doctor’s confusion and looked up at her. “We got in a little fight before I left on a trip. That’s when I noticed something was off. She wasn't acting like herself and when I asked about it, she got mad and stormed out.”

“Well, hopefully it’ll work out. I’d like to monitor her to make sure she rests but I would like it if we don’t have to bring in someone for her to talk to because the situation probably isn’t that serious. It seems like this is just daily stuff that piled up and her brain was overloaded.”

Justin sighed heavily, leaning his elbows on his knees and head in his hands, and digested the news. After a few minutes of tired, confused thoughts and deep breaths, he sat up. “C-can I see her?”

Dr Morales smiled a small smile. “Yeah, come on hun.”

Justin walked through the ER to the elevators. He stopped to tell his friends Haley would be ok and sent them home. Trace offered to stay but he sent him home too. Justin wouldn't be leaving until he could take Haley too.

Once inside the elevator, it took him to the Observation unit. They had admitted her for 48 hour watch just to be sure her strength would return. On the right floor, he was led to room 208 and Dr Morales spoke up. “She’s hooked to an IV to rehydrate and on low-flow oxygen to make sure she rests comfortably. She’s asleep right now but you can stay as long as you like.”

Taking a deep breath and going in, Justin removed his coat and beanie. Setting them on a table by the door. He sat next to her bed with his hand in hers. Every so often, the pad of his thumb would rub the top of her hand affectionately. He sighed heavily leaning against the bed so he could put his head on his arm. Closing his eyes, he thought back to the last week and mentally kicked himself in the butt. He should have known something was going on; he could tell she wasn’t taking care of herself like she should. If he would of just taken one single minute out of his day and made sure she at least ate something or just took a nap, maybe they wouldn’t be where they were at this exact moment in time. He tried to spend his free time with her but sometimes his schedule just didn’t allow much.

He moved onto the edge of the bed to lay down. Carefully avoiding tubes and such, he laid on his side. His left arm came up and gently smoothed her hair back which had been taken out of the ponytail. Her skin was a bit pale, her features relaxed from sheer exhaustion. He kissed her temple and kept running his hand over her hair. He kept going over the “what if’s” in his mind as the minutes ticked by. This caused even more frustration within himself because she still hadn’t woke up.

“God, Hales, if you’ll just wake up I’ll do anything in the world for you. We’ll go on a vacation to anywhere you want; just the two of us for as long as you want. Just please wake up.” He watched her for nearly an hour before his eyes drooped because it was almost 3am.

IN THE MORNING, Justin stirred as there was a slight rustle around him. His eyes shot open thinking Haley was waking and was sort of correct. Dr Morales was just doing her last rounds before her shift ended. The young man shifted off the bed and back into the chair; realizing he wanted to be home because of how his muscles were protesting. He looked hopefully at the doctor.

“She should be awake soon. Her vitals are good, just talk out whatever the problem is and then make sure she takes a few days off.” She then left them alone.

Justin continued stroking Haley’s hand and saw her stir a bit. He immediately stood in her line of sight so she wouldn't wake up and panic. As her eyes slowly fluttered open, he felt her hand involuntarily squeeze his. Haley groaned as her wrists bent and her toes curled from her muscles being so tight and weak. “Shh...relax. You're in the hospital but you'll be ok,” he soothed.

For a few moments she didn’t speak. He carefully rubbed her cheek, helping her focus. When she was more awake she looked into his eyes. “W-what happened?...” her tone groggy.

“You passed out at work.”

The girl looked alarmed. “From what?”

Worry etched itself across his features. “The doctors say exhaustion, slight malnutrition, and stress...now, answer my question. Will you finally tell me why you've been so distant? Why have you gotten so stressed you're not taking care of yourself?”

Haley avoided his eyes and pulled away from his touch; both feeling cold at the loss of contact. “Justin, I...I really don’t know. It all happened so fast.”

“Start from the beginning,” he coaxed calmly, though inside it tore him apart.

“Well, I got a promotion. Link told me to cover fashion week and the promotion was me having to work the whole thing myself. It pays better and has more benefits but the hours are insane.”

“So, you just got tired?”

“Yeah, I guess. But right after I started on it, I felt like I was drowning. There were so many people to interview and Link kept drilling me to get it done. He didn’t give me much time either.”

“Why didn’t you tell him you needed more time?”

“I just couldn’t. He can be a little lenient with the others but he doesn’t like me for some reason. And you know me. Ever since high school I’ve never been able to keep up with anyone, no matter what the task is,” she answered. By this point, tears were gathering down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to look like a failure in my first real job. I’m finally treated like everyone, I didn’t want them to know I couldn’t cut it...”

“Why didn’t you come to me, Baby Girl?” Justin asked softly. “I could’ve helped you organize your time or something.”

“It all piled up too fast. There was so much work I barely had time to eat, much less sleep. I don't know how you do your schedule if mine feels this bad. And then...” She let her voice trail off; biting back a sob and sinking into the hospital bed.

“What, Hales? What is it? You're doing so good, come on. You can tell me,” he urged her on.

“When I went out to that bar...I just wanted to let go a little. I didn’t mean to go that far but it happened. And then you looked so mad at me, like you were disgusted...” Haley buried her face in the flimsy hospital pillow.

His heart broke even more, if possible, as he watched his girlfriend fall apart. He pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her and make her realize she was wrong. “No, no, no. I wasn’t disgusted by you. I was mad your friends let you drink that much. I was worried because I saw that creep hitting on you and I was scared you’d be hurt. I could never be mad at you.”
---
TWO DAYS LATER, Haley was finally singed out of the hospital. She had been in and out of them all her life but now she hated them. She was tired of being prodded. Justin was more than happy and insisted she stay at his house so he could keep an eye on her. She was starting to be annoyed because she worked hard for her independence, but she kind of enjoyed his hovering.

He’d gotten a week off after much begging to Johnny. Yes, Justin Timberlake resorted to almost begging. But after a scare like this, it was understandable. Haley liked him making her feel safe and taking care of her. He had quite the protective side and it was kind of cute.

On the third night of staying at Justin’s huge LA house, she woke up to find his side of the bed empty. The clock read 2:00am. She pulled back the light brown sheets of the mahogany canopy bed. As she picked up her crutches, she noticed the balcony doors were closed but you could see the night sky. A few street lights illuminating the backyard. The wood floor was cold and she shivered; wondering where her socks were.

She made her way to the living room; dim flickers of light shining on the light silver wall from white candles around the room. Justin loved having candles around and she smiled as the walls shone like tiny shimmering stars. She found him on the L-shaped red couch, laying down. The dim lighting played across his features and she could tell he wasn’t relaxed like he usually was while sleeping.

Puzzlement and worry set itself on his face. His mouth was in a frown, his big blue eyes closed but moving under the lids. His chest rose and fell as tiny gasps escaped him. Sitting on the white carpeting, Haley touched Justin’s forehead, smoothing through his short curls. She tried to comfort him from whatever bad dream he was having when all of a sudden, his breath hitched.

His eyes shot open and darted around. He sat up quickly, rubbing his temples, and tried to rid of himself of the nightmare. But it wasn’t a dream; it almost came true. He almost lost the girl he loved. It was then that he saw her sitting on the floor in front of him. A shocked expression on her face. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her up and wrapping his arms around her. She could feel him tremble as he buried his face in her neck. “Shh...you’re ok. It was just a bad dream.”

“No, it wasn’t!” he rasped harshly. Silence engulfed them, the only sounds being his heavy breathing and her shushing him.

“What's wrong, what was it about?” she asked.

This time it was his turn to pull away. He kind of curled into himself, still shaking. “W-when I saw you in that hospital – even before that, when they called me – I didn’t know what had happened. They said you collapsed and I thought I lost you. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, it felt like my heart stopped.”

“I’m fine now.”

“Then when I saw you hooked to those tubes and monitors, my world crashed around me. I had to hold you, to know you're really ok.” Justin’s voice cracked and he sniffled. “When I laid on the bed, you felt so small and fragile. I didn’t want to break you. I just wanted you awake so we could go home and make things better.”

Haley scooted closer, wrapping her small frame around him. “I’m sorry that happened. I’m sorry I got so overwhelmed and I’m sorry I scared you. I promise to slow down when we figure out how to tell Link I need to do less.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Baby Girl. I love you, never be sorry. Just tell me the next time you feel overwhelmed or scared or anything.” As he said this, his grip tightened.

She nodded getting sleepy again. “Are you ok now?”

“As long as you are, I will be. I’m just scared of losing you.”

She reached her hand to the back of his neck and gently played with the curls there. “You won’t. Can we go back to bed now?”

He kissed her forehead, helped her stand, and led her back to his room. With his head on her shoulder and his hand on her abdomen to feel her breathe, he fell into a peaceful slumber. “I love you, Haley Jordan,” he whispered. He knew she wouldn't go anywhere now.

“I love you, too.” Haley felt safe in his embrace. She was still stressed but now she knew she wasn't alone. She just had to look deeper to find the answer to her problems. And that answer was being with Justin.