It was late. 

And it was way past when Liz should have been in bed.  She was exhausted from working so many hours and then on top of everything, there would be a charity event for the flood victims she had been working with the next night.  Somehow, Liz had been the lone volunteer stuck with finishing the set up of the banquet hall after everyone else had gone home to their nice, warm beds. 

With a final look around to make sure no details had been forgotten, she left the hall, locking the door behind her and looked nervously across the dark parking lot to her car.  Rushing now, she hurried to her rental car, pushing the unlock button so that the headlights on the car came on to help guide her way.  Once inside, she immediately turned the car on and flipped the heater on high.  After typing the hotel’s address into her GPS, she tugged off her gloves and began to follow it’s directions.  As she pulled onto the road, a light snow began to fall.

It would take a good half hour to make it back to her hotel for the night, but at least tomorrow she could sleep in before heading back to the hall for the charity event.  She would make it her personal goal to make sure the evening went as smoothly as possible and hopefully raise plenty of money to help the flood victims with some of their basic expenses.  There was a local band that had volunteered to perform so with any luck a huge crowd would show up.  Tear down would hopefully go smoother as there were more hands willing to help.  Then she would be heading home for Christmas!

She was literally counting the hours. 

Glancing at the car clock, she mentally calculated the time difference between the east and west coast.  Deciding that her boyfriend would still be awake and that she needed someone to talk to so she could stay awake, she pressed the speed dial button and held the phone to her ear. 

“Hello?”  JC answered distractedly.  She could tell that he hadn’t checked the caller id first. 

“Hey.” 

His tone softened as he recognized her voice.  “Hey, Liz, what’s going on?”

She let silence reign for a moment as she just listened to him breathe, the low sound of music playing in the background.  “I miss you.”

“Liz…”  She could hear the music stop in the background and the squeak of his chair as he turned his back to the soundboard, focusing on their conversation, no distractions.  “I miss you, too.”  His voice was tender. 

Liz was tired enough that his words brought tears to her eyes.  She swallowed hard trying to keep the tears out of her voice.  “So what are you doing tonight?”

She wasn’t successful at hiding anything.  JC caught the hint of tears and became concerned.  “What’s the matter?  Why are you calling so late?”

“Nothing is wrong, I’m just on my way back to the hotel and missed your voice.  We haven’t talked for what – 3 days –  due to our schedules?”

“Elizabeth, what are you doing out so late?  It’s 2 in the morning there!”  His voice turned slightly scolding and brought a smile to Liz’s face at his concern.  “There is no reason that you should be out that late especially since I’m assuming that you are alone!  Or am I wrong, is there someone there with you?”

Pausing long enough to make him suspicious was all the cause JC needed in order to start yelling.  “WHY are you out so late alone?  You and I both know that you don’t always work in the safest areas in the daylight, let alone being in them during the middle of the night!  What is so important that you are out this late?” 

His words brought a smile to Liz’s face as she sped up to pass a car on the highway.  “Am I allowed to talk now or would you like to yell some more?”

“You may talk now.”  How Liz loved his playfulness. 

“Jace, I think I’m getting too old for this, I’m just so tired of traveling all the time and dealing with all the sadness in this world.  One disaster is cleaned up, but then another one comes right along behind it.  Is it too much to ask for a little time for myself?  I’m getting very close to burn out, I think.  How do you take a step back when so many people need you?”

“Awww baby…”

“You know what, I don’t want to get into this right now.  I called you because I miss you and I’m tired.  I don’t want to talk about all this when I can’t think straight.  I called to hear about your day and have you distract me from mine.”

“When is your break for the holidays?  It should be starting soon, shouldn’t it?”  JC wasn’t quite ready to leave the topic behind yet. 

“Yeah, I have the charity event tomorrow night, then once we get everything cleaned up, I’m heading back to the hotel and packing for my flight home.  My flight leaves in 32 hours and 45 minutes.  Not that I’m counting or anything.  Are you still heading down to your parents for Christmas?” 

“Why do you have to help clean up since you set up the whole event?  Shouldn’t someone else be in charge of that?”

Snickering, Liz asked, “When have you ever known me not to follow something all the way through – never.  You just have to take me as I am.”

“And that’s one of the reasons I love you, but I hate how much this is stressing you out.  How long a break are you taking at Christmas?  Why don’t you come down to Florida with me?  My family would love to meet you and spend some time with you.  That way you can leave your cell phone at home and not take any calls.  You could really rest and rejuvenate.  I worry about you, you know.”

“Hmmm…how long are you going to be there for Christmas?”  Liz was beginning to consider it. 

JC sensed her softening and seized the opportunity.  “Not sure yet, but I’m willing to work whatever you need around your schedule…just think – sunshine…warm weather…long walks on the beach…perfect nights under the stars at my house…you and me…uninterrupted time together.”  JC knew exactly what to say. 

Liz smiled at the eagerness in his tone as he worked his charm on her.  “Let me see what I can do.  I would love some uninterrupted time alone with you – it’s been so long since we have even seen each other.”

“So it’s high time we fix that.”

During the rest of her drive, Liz laughed until she cried happy tears as JC knew exactly what to say to lighten the mood.  They had spend so much of their time on the phone and got to know one other that they could pick up on the minute tones of the other.  So as Liz entered the hotel, JC could tell she was a lot calmer and more relaxed than she had when they had first started the conversation. 

Once Liz was safely ensconced in her hotel room, she knew she needed to head to bed so she started to wrap up the conversation even though it pained her to do so.  “Thank you so much for tonight, I still miss you, but I feel so much better now.”

“Anytime baby, you know that, I’m glad you are feeling better.  You sounded pretty down earlier.  And you are still thinking about Florida, right?”  JC pressed his advantage while he could. 

“Absolutely…Now I’d better hit the shower then bed.  It’s almost 3 here and I’m tired.”  She kicked off her shoes and began to slip out of her jeans as she spoke. 

“I love you, Liz.  Don’t ever forget that or that you can call me anytime day or night.”

“I love you, too, JC.  Thank you and good night.”

“Night, sweet dreams.”

“Always…of you.”  With that, she hung up the phone and spent the rest of the night doing exactly that.  Dreaming of JC. 

Liz and one of the local volunteers, Amy, were in the corner of the banquet hall going over the schedule one final time.  The place was starting to fill up in support of the victims. 

“Okay, I think – ”  Liz cut off when Amy grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard.  She looked over at Amy who stood there with a shocked look on her face.  “What’s going on?”  Amy never took her attention from the door, but Liz couldn’t see what she was looking at through the crowd. 

“Oh – my – gosh, JC Chasez just walked in here!  What is he doing here?”  Her fingernails were digging painfully into Liz’s wrist now. 

“What are you talking about?”  All of a sudden, the crowd parted and there was JC striding directly toward them, his eyes on her and only on her. 

“He’s coming over here, what do we do?”  Amy’s eyes widened with each step JC took closer to them, but Liz never noticed. 

Liz could feel a huge smile overtaking her face as the weight she felt on her shoulders lessened with his presence.  She knew his schedule was extremely busy right now before the holidays and yet when she called, he dropped everything and came.    

JC rounded the table that Liz and Amy were standing behind and placed his hand on Liz’s waist as she grasped the firmness of his bicep. 

“Hi,” he whispered just before he dipped his head.  The world disappeared around them, while Amy kept a hold of Liz’s wrist. 

When JC pulled back a fraction, Liz opened her eyes and looked into his smiling, blue ones.  “Hi yourself, what are you doing here?”

“You called and I thought I would surprise you.” 

She lifted on her toes to reach his lips again for another quick kiss.  “You certainly accomplished that, I didn’t mean to pull you away from anything.”  Slowly, the room came back into focus and Liz once again became aware that Amy was tightly gripping her wrist.  She shot a quick glance to her left, causing JC to do the same. 

“JC, this is Amy, one of the local volunteers who has been a tremendous help.  And I’m pretty sure she’s a fan of yours.”  Liz tried unsuccessfully to pull away from Amy’s grip and JC noticed her wince as Amy’s nails dug in harder. 

JC kept one hand on Liz’s waist and stretched his free hand out to pull Amy away.  All Amy could do was stare as JC pulled her hand away from Liz and into his own strong, warm grip. 

“Hello Amy, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Amy’s mouth opened and closed before she squeaked out, “You too.”

Free now, Liz slid smoothly into JC’s open arms for one of his comforting hugs.  As stressed as she had been, the heat that JC’s body emitted surrounded her and melted her tenseness away.  “I’m so glad to see you,” Liz whispered into his ear. 

“You sounded so down last night that I had to come make sure you were doing okay.”  The breath from his words stirred the air around her ear.

Liz pulled away slightly, conscious of the others in the room, staring.  “I’m much better now.”

JC took a moment to look around the room as people quickly averted their eyes.  “Is there a place where I can sit out of the way?”

“See that table in the far back corner?”  Liz gestured with her head as JC nodded.  “That’s where I’ll be sitting here shortly.”

“Okay, I’m going to find the facilities real quick then you’ll know where to find me.”  Before he walked off, he pressed one more kiss on her lips then sauntered through the crowd. 

JC wasn’t even 10 feet away before Amy was digging for the scoop.  “Why didn’t you tell me you were dating JC Chasez?  So that means that every time you were talking about your boyfriend, you were talking about him?”

Liz watched him sign a couple of autographs and pose for some pictures as he tried to make his way through the large room.  “To me, he’s just Josh – JC.  He’s not the international sensation.  He’s just an amazingly wonderful man.”  She paused as the opening speaker was announced.  “I’ll have to tell you how we met sometime, but for now we had better take our seats and raise some money.”

Amy watched enviously as Liz walked toward her table where JC was sitting.  Some people had all the luck. 

***

The pleasant evening was winding down and plenty of money had been raised to help the victims.  The local band was good; they had JC bobbing his head and tapping his toe as they performed.  Liz had been up and down all evening, making sure everything was running smoothly.  At the current moment, she was out thanking the caterers and making sure they had everything they needed. 

The lead vocalist had spoken to JC earlier, the common bond of music paving the way, but JC had no idea what the vocalist was planning. 

Matt, the vocalist, took a sip of water and wiped a towel over his brow before he raised the microphone up to his lips once more.  “Tonight, we have a special surprise guest in the audience – Mr. JC Chasez.”  A loud applause echoed through the room and had Liz glancing back at the hall entrance behind her.

After the applause had died down, Matt continued, “I was hoping JC could come up here and perhaps help us sing our next song.”  Screams were now added to the applause. 

JC tried to hide his dismay.  Why couldn’t he be allowed to enjoy one evening out without someone wanting something from him?  Slowly, he stood and made his way to the stage, taking the microphone he was offered.

Waving a hand, he tried to quiet the audience.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Liz slip back in and inspiration struck.  “Good evening, thank you for that wonderful welcome.  I have really enjoyed being here with you tonight.”  He had to pause again for the screams.  “But I don’t want us to forget the reason that we are here – to help the victims of the flood that has ravaged the area.  I don’t know if everyone here knows my connection to this event.  You see, my beautiful girlfriend, who is actually hiding in the back, helped plan this event tonight.” 

Liz had a deer in the headlights look as the entire room turned to look at her and applaud.  She tried to slide out the door, but didn’t get far.  JC jumped off the stage and jogged over to her, smiling. 

“What are you doing?”  She hissed under her breath as JC led her back to the stage. 

“Just relax and trust me.” 

“There are not many people out there that know the real story…a flood is actually the reason that Liz and I met.  You see, Liz was working near my home about 6 months ago.  When on a Tuesday night…”  JC looked over to see Liz’s nod, her face still bright red.

“On a Tuesday night that I was just home minding my own business, my phone rang.  Now, I don’t usually answer phone calls from numbers that I don’t recognize, but for some reason I answered this call…and there is this woman on the other end asking for Josh.  All I can think is ‘oh great - who is this and does she really think she can get close to me by using Josh?’  This is when I would normally hang up the phone, but something stopped me, so I told her that I was Josh.”  He shook his head with a large smile on his face. 

“And the woman launches into this whole spiel about how sorry she is that I’m going through this hard time and that we need to set up an appointment for her to inspect the damage.  Keep in mind I have no idea what’s she’s talking about.  I’m thinking this is the weirdest setup to meet me that I’ve ever heard.”

He threw his head back and laughed at Liz’s whispered comment next to him.  “Liz just told me that I have a big ego!”  The whole crowd joined in to laugh at JC’s expense.  “Anyway,” he tried to continue though he was still chuckling.  “Anyway, I finally figured out that it wasn’t a ploy to meet me, she just had a wrong number.  So we hung up and that was that.  I put the whole thing out of my mind.  But a couple of days later, my phone rings again.  It’s the same woman still looking for the other Josh.  So once I told her she still had the wrong number, we chatted a little bit before she promised to change her file.”

“Then a day or so later…”  His voice was teasing as the crowd in the audience started murmuring, so JC hurried to explain.  “I know what you’re thinking – that this woman needs to get a clue.”  Liz rolled her eyes and shook her head, beginning to get comfortable on stage now.  “But sadly no, this time I was the one.  I was frustrated after leaving a meeting so I got in my car and went to my recent calls to call my sister, but I didn’t dial my sister, I called Liz.  I didn’t even let her say hello before I was starting in on my rant.  Imagine my surprise when I hear laughter on the other end that is not my sister.  We talked that day for hours and that was the day that I realized that I liked having someone I could talk to about anything and know that she wasn’t after me for my name or my money.”

“We never even talked about meeting,” Liz said loud enough for the people closest to hear her. 

“No, we never talked about meeting.  We just kept talking and texting every day, all day long.  But God had other plans for us.  There is a coffee shop that I go to frequently and I stopped in one morning for a cup of coffee and a quiet place to read the paper.  A woman was in my favorite spot so I sat close by, not really paying attention until her phone rang and she laughed.  Let me tell you my heart literally stopped right then. 

I’d like to tell you that I was suave enough to go introduce myself right then and there, but I’m not.  I couldn’t believe how stupid I was to let her walk out of my life, but we continued our phone calls and texts until one day, I got her tickets to a concert and we met for the first time.”  He turned to look at the woman standing next to him. 

“I found that I couldn’t let her go, I had fallen in love with this beautiful, talented, caring, loving woman standing next to me right now.  And I’m blessed enough that she feels the same way.”  The microphone fell to his side before he placed it on a nearby music stand.  The rest of the room faded away until it was just the two of them standing underneath the bright stage lights. 

JC gathered Liz’s hands in his as his voice lowered intimately.  “The day you came into my life was the best day of my life and to have you return the love that I have for you is – there are no words and you know that I am rarely without words.  I was planning on waiting for Christmas to do this, but I think now is the right time.”

Keeping her hands in his, JC knelt on one knee as the other people in the room gasped out sounds of excitement.  The two under the lights never heard a thing.  “Liz, I love you more than words and I would do anything for you.  Will you do me the greatest honor and become my wife?”

Her eyes brightly shining with joy and love, Liz sank to her knees so she could look JC in the eyes.  “Yes, I would love to become your wife.”

The crowd erupted as JC dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring box.  Setting the box on the floor, he opened it with one hand and lifted out the engagement ring for his fiancée.  Liz held out her hand for him to slip it on her finger and he placed a kiss on her ring finger before sealing their love with a kiss that brought everyone to a standing ovation. 

Liz licked her lips when they finally parted with a becoming blush on her cheek.  JC stood first before helping Liz to her feet.  He waved to everyone trying to get them to quiet down as he grabbed the microphone he had just put down. 

“Thank you, that was completely spur of the moment so if you will excuse us, I want to celebrate with my new fiancée.  Have a nice evening.” 

Together the newly engaged couple rushed off the stage and grabbed their coats and other belongings before moving to the entry.  Amy followed close behind, not letting them escape just yet. 

“Liz,” Amy called as they threw on their coats.  JC and Liz looked up as Amy came toward them arms outstretched.  Grinning wildly, Liz squealed as she hugged Amy.  “Congratulations you two, I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you, I had no idea,” Liz pulled back and glanced over her shoulder at JC.  “I hate to ask this, but can you make sure everything gets finished tonight?  Normally, I would stay, but I think these are some pretty extraordinary circumstances.”

“Absolutely, you go celebrate, I’ve loved working with you and wish you all the happiness in the world.  Stay in touch.”

Liz gave Amy one final hug before she turned and linked her arm through JC’s.  They turned toward the door, but JC remembered something else that was in his pocket.  He dug out a small item and leaned back to hand it to Amy.  “I know this will be put to good use – anonymously, of course.”

Unfolding the check JC handed her, Amy was left speechless.  Her eyes widened as she tried to find the words to express her gratitude.  JC merely gave her a smile and a wink, then walked out the door. 

***

The fogged car windows blocked the view of the couple in Liz’s rental car.  JC cursed the console in the car as it kept the two separated in their bucket seats.  Breathing heavily, Liz pulled slightly away trying to remember where they were. 

“Jace – we – we, ohhhh…we need to leave before everyone comes out and sees us.”  She halfheartedly pushed at his shoulder, not sure how much time had passed, but knowing that the evening would be over soon and people would be heading to their cars. 

His chest heaving, JC tried desperately to get enough oxygen in his lungs so he could drive as he fell back into his seat.  He rolled his head so he could study Liz.  Her lips were swollen and he could still taste her lip gloss.  She looked back at him, his eyes were a deep blue that sparkled as he tried to breathe. 

Shaking his head, he twisted the key in the ignition and the car purred to life.  “I forget where I am when I’m with you.”  She reached out a hand to place on his knee and gently rub. 

“I love you, Josh.”

“I know,” he replied confidently as he pulled out of the parking lot.  “I love you too.”

“Let’s talk about a date,” JC said once he had accelerated onto the interstate.  “I’m thinking the sooner the better, actually.”

“It takes time to plan a wedding you know.”  Liz tried to mentally calculate what all needed to be done and how much time everything would take.  Their eyes met quickly before JC turned his attention back to the road. 

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”  Liz asked.

“I’m thinking the same thing you’re thinking.”

In unison, they voiced the others thought.  “Let’s elope.”  

“Elope?  Can we really do that?”  Liz tried to bring some reason into the thought.

“Why can’t we?  I can’t wait to marry you, surely we can find some place close tonight that we can get married.  It’s less than a week until Christmas and what better way to celebrate with our families than telling them we are married for Christmas.”

“So you are saying that you want to spend our honeymoon with our families, constantly surrounded by people?”  Liz asked teasingly. 

He stretched his right hand out and caught her unaware as he attacked her ribs with gentle fingers.  “Do you think this is funny?”

Giggling, she squirmed away from his touch.  His playfulness was just one more thing that she loved about him.  “Both hands on the wheel, mister!”  With one last tickle, he moved his hand from her ribs to grasp hers tightly. 

JC tapped on the brakes as he moved over to the exit lane to merge onto another highway.  Liz reached down to her purse on the floor and grabbed her phone.  “Any ideas where to look for a place that will marry us?”

“Google is a good place to start.”  He released her hand so she could open her phone and start searching. 

“Is this too crazy?  I mean we haven’t even met each others families.  You may change your mind after you meet mine.”

JC turned serious for a moment.  “Liz, I want you to take a moment and really think this through.  You didn’t really have an opportunity to say no earlier.  Is this what you really want?  I have a very hectic and public life.  You need to make sure this is something that you really want to do, because this will be forever.”

“Pull over for a second.”  JC did as Liz requested, finding a parking spot in front of an open shopping center.  He quickly put the car in park, leaving the engine running, and turned to face Liz. 

“Jace…you are the man that I never thought I would meet.  I thank God every day that I dialed your number those days and not the other Josh.  You came into my life for a reason and have made every day brighter.  You floored me tonight when you asked me to marry you, but I have never wanted anything more.  I love you and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.  I don’t want to wait another minute.  I want to marry you…now…tonight.”  She leaned over and met JC halfway as she backed up her words with a heated kiss. 

Drawing away enough to look into his blue eyes, she asked one more question, “Do you have doubts?”

“No doubts, absolutely no doubts.”

“Then let’s go get married.”

They each settled back into their respective seats and looked out the front windshield.  There was an enormous church across the parking lot in front of them that was brightly lit. 

“Perfect.”  JC drove quickly through the parking lot and parked in the nearly empty church parking lot.

They met in front of the car and walked hand in hand quickly up to the large front doors of the church.  JC pulled open the door and let Liz proceed him inside the beautifully decorated foyer.  A couple exited the sanctuary, talking, until they noticed JC and Liz making their way towards them. 

“Can we help you?”  The man, dressed well in a nice suit and tie, asked in a friendly tone as the short woman next to him looked on curiously. 

“Good evening, my name is JC and this is my fiancée Liz.  We were looking for the minister.”

“Well, you’ve found me.  I’m Luke and this is my wife Mary.  What can we do for you?”

After JC shook Luke’s hand, he placed an arm around Liz’s shoulders.  “We were hoping you would be willing to marry us tonight.”

Luke raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two.  “Marry you,” he said slowly.  “May I ask what the rush is?”

“The rush?  I guess the rush is that this is the most amazing woman on the face of the earth and I don’t want to spend another day without her as my wife.  She knows me better than I know myself, just as I know her better than she does.  I love this woman more than life itself and will do everything in my power to make her as happy as she makes me.”

Liz hurried to reassure the minister.  “We are not rushing into this, we are both anxious to start our life together, but don’t want to have to deal with the stress of planning a wedding.  Both of us have enough stress in our lives already and we are positive that God brought us together and that we are not making a mistake.  Will you please do us the great honor of marrying us?”

Considering their words, Luke looked down at his wife, who nodded her consent.  “Alright, I’ll marry you.  Do you have a witness?” 

JC and Liz shook their heads. 

“Would you be willing to be our witness, Mary?”

“I would love to.  Liz, why don’t you come with me so you can freshen up and we can search for something that will work as a bouquet and Luke and JC can take their places.”

Wiggling her fingers at JC, Liz let Mary lead her down the stairs to a group of older women seemingly finishing a meeting.  “Ladies, this is Liz and she and her fiancé are eloping tonight.  Luke is going to marry them upstairs.  Can you help us make this into a wedding to remember?” 

The women had all stared when Mary and Liz had entered, but now they realized they had work to do and jumped into action. 

***

Hearing the soft sounds of a nearby piano, JC glanced over at a woman who had snuck in to play the beginning strains of the wedding march.  He cleared his throat and adjusted the tie at his throat.  When Liz had left with Mary, Luke had ushered him to a nearby office, offering JC a dark suit for the wedding.  JC had quickly changed and had been waiting impatiently for Liz to make her appearance ever since. 

Now a few women made their way to sit in the first couple of pews as JC tossed a look of confusion toward Luke. 

“They had a meeting downstairs and helped get Liz ready for your wedding.”

JC threw them a grateful look and a smile until his attention was drawn to the back of the church.  Both doors had been thrown open to frame the portrait of his bride.  The smile slowly disappeared as his breath caught in his throat at the vision she portrayed.  Somehow, the women had managed to find a beautiful white dress that had been used in a play and had dressed Liz in all its finery.  Her makeup and hair were perfect and the candlelit sanctuary complimented the flowing bouquet she carried. 

Their eyes met and held as she walked down the aisle to the wedding march.  JC descended the stairs to meet his bride.  He tucked her hand through his arm as he escorted her back up the stairs to stand in front of Luke.  “You are beautiful,” he whispered as the music faded. 

Luke spoke for a few minutes about love and how it should be treasured and protected against all odds.  He moved on to the vows that Liz and JC exchanged, knowing that this would be forever, no matter what challenges came their way. 

Having no rings to exchange caused a momentary panic until JC suggested they use the ribbon in Liz’s bouquet.  A pair of scissors was quickly produced and the ribbon was cut and tied so the wedding could continue. 

Soon, Luke was announcing them man and wife and giving JC permission to kiss his new wife.  JC took a moment to bask in the love shining back at him in Liz’s eyes, before he settled his lips on hers.  His hand carefully cupped her face as the women clapped. 

Breaking apart, the newly married couple turned to walk back up the aisle as Luke introduced them for the first time, “I now present you Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Chasez.”

“Thank you so much,” Liz said as she gave a big hug to Luke and Mary.  “You will never know how much it meant to us that you made this night so special.” 

“We were glad to do it, you are a couple that is going to make it, I can sense these things.”  Mary commented as another woman rushed up to them. 

“Wait, I didn’t want you to leave until you got these.  I know they won’t be as nice as a professional would have done, but at least you’ll have something to show people.”  The woman pressed something small into Liz’s hand. 

Palm open, she showed JC.  The woman had given her two memory cards.  “One has pictures and the other has a video of your vows.”

That brought tears to Liz’s eyes as she gave the woman a tight hug.  “I don’t know what to say…thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Once they changed back into their own clothes, they started out the door to their car under a flurry of rose petals the women had found somewhere.

Inside the car, JC honked as he pulled out of the parking lot on their way to the hotel Liz had been staying in only a few minutes away. 

Liz covered her nose and mouth with her hands as she squealed.  “Oh my gosh, Jace!  We are married!  MARRIED!”

“I know!  Can you believe it?  You were the most beautiful bride I have ever seen.”

“You didn’t look so bad yourself.  I can’t believe how nice everyone was, they didn’t have to do any of that for us.  I don’t think I could have planned or dreamed a better wedding than that.”

“It was amazing.” 

JC parked the car near the back entrance Liz directed him to at their hotel.  Shutting the engine off, the couple just turned to look at one another for a moment in the silence. 

“Shall we go inside, Mrs. Chasez?”

“I would love that, husband of mine.”

While JC grabbed the duffel he had placed there earlier and locked the car, Liz dug through her purse for the key card to unlock the back door of the hotel.  She linked her arm through JC’s and led him up the stairs to their room. 

“It’s a good thing that you will be off work the next couple of weeks because I’ve waited this long for you and I’m not letting you venture very far.”

“That sounds like a threat.”  Liz said as she unlocked the door and prepared to enter until his hand on her arm stopped her.  JC tossed in his bag, not caring where it landed.

“Not a threat,” JC said as he swept her into his arms to carry her over the threshold.  “Merely a promise, a lifetime full of promises, Mrs. Chasez.”

“The best kind,” she whispered as the door closed behind them with a soft click, locking out the rest of the world.  

JC rolled over with a contented sigh, he felt so relaxed.  His eyes popped open as he recalled the events of the past 24 hours.  Getting up on his elbows, he looked around for Liz, she wasn’t in the bed and the bathroom was dark and empty. 

But just as he noticed a note on her pillow, the door softly opened and she tiptoed in, trying to stay quiet.  She put the bags smelling of breakfast down on the dresser before she looked at him. 

Seeing his intense gaze, a light blush crossed her cheeks as her eyes moved down his bare chest down to the sheet at his lap, which left little to the imagination. 

“Morning, are you hungry?”  Liz stopped pulling items out of the bag and stared. 

JC threw the sheet off and stood, confident in his nakedness.  “I’m starving.”  Moving to stand in front of Liz, he grasped her chin in his hand and lifted her gaze to meet his.  “For you.”

Her breath caught in her throat as he placed his hands at the hem of her shirt before sliding them underneath to touch her warm skin.  His hands wrapped around her waist and rose, skimming her sides as he lifted the shirt up her body.  His eyes disappeared from view as he lifted the shirt over her head and arms.  He tossed it to the side before his hands immediately returned to her body.  This time they slid just underneath the waistband of her jeans, a smile tugging at his lips as he eyes moved from her face down her body to where his hands caressed. 

Liz’s legs weakened to the point where she had to grab the dresser behind her to remain standing.  He made quick work of the button, but then slowly lowered the zipper, taunting her with his light touch.  He pushed the jeans over her hips then gravity took over until they pooled at her feet and she stepped out of them. 

With one hand, he softly placed his fingertips on her lips, appreciating their softness.  He left her lips and traced a path down her neck and over her chest that rose and fell with every breath.  Pausing in his trek, he lightly caressed the tops of her breasts with the back of his fingers, loving the delicate lace of her bra against her skin.  His quest continued over her stomach until he reached her panties. 

Liz’s gasp was swallowed by JC as he finally succumbed to temptation and pressed his lips to hers at the same time his strong hands went to her waist and lifted her into his arousal.  Her arms grabbed at him desperately as he spun her around and backed her toward their bed. 

Their legs tangled as they moved as one.  Their lips never broke contact as they tumbled sideways onto the bed; JC’s arms stopped him from crushing his bride as he rolled over her.  He pulled back a few inches; his world was only the woman in his arms. 

“You are beautiful.”  He murmured as he undid the clasp to her bra.  He was surprised when she stiffened and shoved at his shoulder. 

“What are you doing?”  She yelled over his shoulder.

“What the -?”  JC looked over his shoulder and saw a maid standing there red-faced with a stack of sheets.  He scrambled to pull the blanket up and cover them as the maid stuttered. 

“I’m sorry – I didn’t – I knocked –”  She dropped the sheets she was carrying and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. 

JC collapsed on his side in disbelief, one arm over Liz’s stomach, trying to gain control of his thoughts.  Liz lay next to him, laughing.  “That was a new experience.”

 “So you don’t often have maids barge into your hotel rooms?”  Liz’s eyes sparkled at him mischievously.

“Uh no, the guys…security – yes, even an occasional fan that tried to sneak in, but never a maid while I am trying to make love to my wife.”

“Let me up and I’ll lock the door.”  She rose and wrapped the sheet the maid had dropped around her so that she could put the Do Not Disturb sign out and lock the deadbolt in place.      

Sauntering back to the bed, Liz dropped the sheet and let the bra fall to the floor.  JC watched from his position on the bed where he had rolled to his back and stacked his hands behind his head.  The blue eyes burned with need as he followed her every movement.  Crawling up the bed on all fours, Liz straddled his body and sat on his thighs before she stretched out on top of him, her hands linking with his above their heads. 

“Now…where were we?”

Several hours later, Liz ran to the lobby to hand in the key card while JC loaded the bags in the car.  He jogged lightly down the stairs and rounded the corner, shoving open the stairway door with his hip.  He looked down as he walked toward the exit, digging in his jean pocket for the car key, not paying attention to his surroundings. 

Once he pulled the key out of his pocket, he looked up and straight into the eyes of the maid.  She obviously didn’t recognize him with his clothes on.  The little devil on JC’s shoulder couldn’t resist the opportunity.  You could practically see the horns protruding from his head. 

He paused next to her as she glanced up, about to offer her assistance.  “My wife and I are checked out of the room now.  Sorry about this morning, we’re on our honeymoon, you know.  I just can’t resist her.”  JC offered a sly smile as the maid struggled to breathe and the blood drained from her face.  ”Have a nice day.”  He called as he walked away. 

He was still chuckling to himself as he threw the luggage in the trunk and stretched one more time in the morning air.  Liz wrapped her arms around his waist from behind when she joined him.  She stood on her tiptoes so she could rest her chin on his shoulder. 

“Can I ask what you said to the maid?”

He rubbed her arms.  “What makes you think that I would say anything to the maid?”

Turning her head so her mouth pressed up to his ear, she tugged on his ear lobe with her teeth and whispered.  “Because I know how that evil mind of yours works…And… she was hyperventilating before she ran into a room and slammed the door as I walked down the hall.”    

JC’s head swiveled so that his lips grazed Liz’s.  “You know me too well, I won’t be able to get away with anything, will I?”

“Nope.  Now that we are married, you have won your last argument because for the rest of your life, I will always be right.  You might as well memorize the words ‘I was wrong’ right now and the number for a good florist – I’m partial to roses, actually.”

“Hmm…is it too late to rethink this whole marriage thing?”  He joked but grunted as she quickly tightened her arms around his waist, causing him to rapidly exhale. 

“You are stuck with me for life, baby.” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”  He twisted in her arms and got lost in her kiss before pulling away.  He reluctantly released her so they could both get in the car. It was a short drive to the airport where they turned the rental car in before making their way to a ticket counter. 

“What are the odds that we can get all the way to your house in Florida without you being seen or someone noticing your hand?”

“Our house,” he responded distractedly as he checked the monitor to see which airline could get them home the fastest.  “And why would someone look at my hand?”

“Um…I know it’s not much but there is a ribbon on a very important finger of yours.  And believe me women will be checking it out.”

“Let them see it, I’m proud of it.”

“Yeah, but do you want someone to spill the beans and let our families know before we tell them?”

“Well, what do you suggest?  I’m not taking it off.”

“I didn’t ask you to take it off, I just asked you to think about what will happen if someone sees it on your hand or as a matter of fact sees the rock on my hand that you gave me.”

“Then I guess we will deal with that when it happens.”  JC remarked stubbornly as he headed off to the earliest flight out. 

***

Flying with JC was a whole new experience.  Liz was no stranger to flying and had in fact traveled the country several times over with her job, but never had she flown in such comfort or been catered to in such fashion.  Just the name JC Chasez opened the doors to VIP lounges at the airport or called for pre-boarding in their first class seats.  There was no waiting around for the beverage cart to come around to serve you.  A flight attendant took your drink order before you were even in your seat. 

Need a pillow or blanket?  One was offered as soon as JC reached for his sweatshirt. 

“Spoiled much?”  Liz asked in amazement as yet another attendant stumbled over themselves in an effort to serve her new husband.

“What are you talking about?” 

“I’m just saying don’t expect that kind of treatment from me.  I don’t intend to fall all over myself serving you and being at your beck and call.” 

A hint of a smile crossed his face, “Jealous?”

“Not in a million years.”  She crossed her arms over her chest to ward off a sudden chill. 

“I’d be happy to share my blanket with you,” he grinned suggestively as he placed the blanket over the two of them and his hand disappeared inside it.  Liz let out a quick breath as she felt his hand slide up her thigh to his ultimate goal.  The jeans that she had on suddenly felt harsh against her skin. 

Grabbing his hand in hers, she hissed, “What do you think you are doing?  We are in public!  Didn’t you have enough of that this morning?”

JC paid no attention to her concern as he deftly undid the button and lowered the zipper.  “Just relax, no one is paying any attention to us.”  His fingers teased and pleasured as she panted quietly and placed her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.  Just as she was beginning to lose herself, not caring that a plane full of people were inches away, he removed his hand.  “But you’re right, we don’t want anyone to hear you and let me tell you, you can be loud.”

“Josh!”  She moaned breathlessly as he gave one last caress before pulling his talented hand out of the blanket.

“Sorry, baby, ‘I was wrong.’”  He mocked her tone from earlier.

Liz’s face turned red as she struggled underneath the blanket to fasten her jeans again.  “Don’t get too comfortable, there will be payback.”  She promised. 

He snuggled down into his seat and closed his eyes.  “I can’t wait.”

The car shook at the stop light from Liz’s leg that wouldn’t stop bouncing.  She was extremely nervous about meeting JC’s family.  They had arrived in Florida the day before and Liz kept checking the internet for any hint that their marriage had leaked yet.  JC called her obsessive.  She called him difficult.  While they both knew there was no way to hide the proposal and engagement, they were hoping to at least hold off on the news of their marriage until after the New Year and the chance to tell their families in person. 

Now they were on their way to a family dinner at JC’s house.  It was supposed to be a small, quiet affair with only JC’s parents and Tyler and Heather in attendance.  When he called to have the family together, he had asked that only the immediate family be there.  He hadn’t mentioned that he would be bringing someone else along.    

“Liz!”  He exclaimed, “Calm down.”

“I am calm.”  She turned a composed look his way, but knowing Liz as well as he did, he could sense the turmoil she was working so hard to hide. 

“My parents are going to love you; you have absolutely no reason to worry.”  The houses seemed to speed by faster and faster until everything skidded to a stop.  JC stopped the car in front of a two-story brick home, not unlike the one that he owned a short distance away.  He turned off the ignition and reached to pull Liz’s hand away from her mouth, where she had been biting her nail off. 

“Are you ready?”  He gave her a reassuring smile. 

She took a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it.  “Absolutely.”

JC gently guided her up the sidewalk lined with small bushes on both sides.  “Is this where you grew up?”  Liz asked as she looked around the small, but neat yard. 

“Nah, I bought this house for them with NSYNC money; the place where they were living before didn’t have enough security to deal with the crazy fans.”  He inserted a key into the deadbolt and quickly twisted it, hearing the lock disengage.  He pressed a quick kiss on her lips to bolster her confidence before he shoved open the door.  “Mom?  Dad?”

“Karen, Josh is home.”  His dad, Roy, called out as he came around a corner to give JC a hard hug.  Tyler followed close behind, pounding JC on the back. 

Liz took a quick second to look around the house.  It was simple, but very homey.  There were a couple pairs of shoes on the steps to the left of the entry.  The room where Roy and Tyler had come from had a football game on the big screen tv.  Sounds came from farther down the hall suggesting that Karen and Heather were in the kitchen preparing their meal. 

Liz felt eyes on her and turned back to see that both Roy and Tyler were staring at her.  Her cheeks turned red under their intense stares. 

“I thought this was family only.  Who’s your friend?”  Tyler asked, earning a quick look from his brother. 

“Let’s go find mom and Heather and I’ll introduce you all at once.”  JC placed a hand at the small of Liz’s back and they followed the other two down the hall to the kitchen. 

The women immediately turned and hurried to JC, smothering him in hugs and kisses that he ate up.  “You can tell it’s almost time to eat, JC’s here.”  Heather teased before becoming silent as she caught sight of Liz standing in the doorway. 

“It’s so good to be home, but I wanted to have everyone here together for a reason.”  He stretched an arm out behind him, grabbing Liz’s hand, and tugging her up to his side where he pulled her protectively under his arm. 

“Everyone, this is Liz…my wife.”  His announcement shocked his family in silence and motionlessness.  The only sound was the splashing of the boiling water as it erupted out of the pan on the stove. 

“You – you – you’re married?”  Karen gasped out as she looked between the couple.  Heather mimicked her mother, looking critically at Liz, with a large frown on her face. Tyler was speechless, holding a cracker halfway to his mouth.  Roy was the only one who reacted positively. 

Roy came forward and pulled Liz away from JC for a warm hug.  “Don’t hog her, son, welcome to the family Liz.  It’s a miracle that you are willing to put up with him.”

Karen offered a stilted “Congratulations” and a pat on the shoulder, flashing a hard look at JC.  Heather reacted much more violently. 

She dropped the stack of glass plates that she held onto the tile floor, where they shattered into hundreds of pieces.  While everyone was distracted, trying to clean up the mess and make sure no one was hurt, Heather took the opportunity to send a threatening glower at Liz, mouthing something that Liz couldn’t understand.  The glare was enough to send a chill down Liz’s spine.  JC had always spoken highly of both of his siblings so this reaction was a complete surprise. 

Trying to gain control of herself, Liz sent what she hoped was a reassuring smile at JC when he stood after throwing the glass in the nearby trashcan.  Liz remained slightly distant throughout the meal, trying to come up with ways to get JC’s family to like her.

Not soon enough, the meal was over and Karen and Heather headed into the kitchen to fetch dessert, waving away Liz’s offer to help. 

Karen returned carrying a tray and nonchalantly asked, “Josh, could you help Heather carry in the rest?”

“Sure, mom,” he pressed a quick kiss on Liz’s temple and headed the short distance to the kitchen. 

Liz had just begun to answer a question that Roy posed about her job when loud voices carried from the kitchen.  She bit her lip as the words rolled painfully over her. 

“Now wait just a minute – ”  JC’s voice was full of anger. 

“No!  You wait, JC!  What are you thinking – marrying someone like her?”  Heather’s voice screeched.

“Heather,” he said in warning.

“Did you even have her sign a prenup?  How many times have you complained about women being after you for your money?  Come on JC, you even sang a song about it!  You barely know this woman – why would you ruin your life like that?”

His face showing the tension, Roy pushed back from the dining table to stand and make his way to the kitchen, but before he could enter, JC emerged – his expression full of fury.

“Come on, Liz.  We’re leaving.”  Liz tossed her napkin onto the table as she gave a sad smile to the others in the room, following behind her husband. 

“Josh,” Karen called. 

“We won’t be back until my wife can be treated with respect.”  JC ushered Liz out the door, closing off the protests with a slam of the front door.  Liz had to practically sprint down the walk as JC took long strides to the car.  He let go of her hand and opened the door, sending an infuriated look back at the people standing in the now open door. 

As JC rounded the hood, Liz looked up and met Heather’s eyes.  The look froze Liz in place.  It sent a threat that promised the trouble was far from over.

Liz was surprised that the car window didn’t shatter from the force of JC’s anger.  As he slammed his door shut, he already had the engine running and was forcing the car into gear.  Liz sucked in a breath at the speed from which he pulled away from the curb.  With one hand, she wrestled with the seat belt, trying to fasten it quickly. 

“Josh, slow down!”  Pleadingly, she blindly reached for his shoulder, unable to take her eyes off the road that flew by.  “There could be kids around, you need to slow down.”

The seat belt locked her in place when JC slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel sharply to the left, barely pausing for the car in the other lane to pass.  Gravel in the parking lot flew as JC skidded to a stop.  Before the dust settled, JC was out of the car.  The roof received a hard fist to help relieve his anger. 

Liz watched from the car as JC took long strides to reach the top of the hill over looking one of the many lakes in the city.  He had pulled into an overlook in a park between his parents house and theirs.  There were a few parents watching over their kids in the playground some distance away, but the area close to them was deserted.  Perhaps it was the hour as the shadows were beginning to get long and the sun was just starting it’s descent into the nearby ocean. 

JC had left the key in the ignition so Liz grabbed the key, got out of the car, and used the remote to lock the car behind her as she slowly started up the path to JC trying to find the words to say. 

What did you say to your husband when you were so obviously disliked by his family?  What would his reaction be?  How much stock did he put into his families opinion of her?  Was this the end for them?  Liz’s mind raced as she made her way up the hill.  JC’s hair was standing on end from running his hands through it, now he was completely still with his hands stacked behind his head. 

Quietly, Liz stopped beside him, not yet daring to say anything, afraid to look him in the eye.  She wasn’t sure what she would see. 

JC sighed shakily and lowered his arms, letting one curve around Liz’s back as he took a step and turned so she was wrapped securely in his arms.  His other hand went to the nape of her neck to wind in the strands of her hair, tucking her head into his neck as he lowered his own head to her shoulder. 

“Liz, I’m so sorry, I never imagined that any of them would be anything but welcoming to you.  Can you ever forgive me for putting you in that situation?”  He whispered into the curve of her shoulder. 

Liz let her hands roam from his waist up his back where they tried to help soothe away the tension she could feel coiled in his muscles.  His words gave her only a small measure of relief.  His family had always been a large part of his life – there was no way that their opinions could be dismissed so easily. 

“Josh, I would never blame you for something like that.  I’m sorry that I –”  Her voice lowered until it was almost inaudible, as if she were only mouthing the words.  “Don’t measure up.”

As he pulled away, he gave her a little shake and she turned startled, wet eyes to him.  “Shut up!”  He said sternly.  “They were the ones that didn’t measure up.  Who knew that Heather would be the worst one?  She was always my shadow growing up.”  JC sniffed and turned back to the sunset, pulling Liz over to stand in front of him. 

“What are we going to do, JC?  How do we handle this?”

“I don’t know, Liz, I just don’t know.” 

Liz was glad that he couldn’t see her face as a look of pain crossed.  His words didn’t exactly inspire confidence for the future of their relationship. 

They stood together in silence as they watched the sun sink lower into the sky.  Liz could already feel a distance between them growing and she was helpless as to how to bridge the gap.  She loved JC with all her heart, but clearly their relationship was about to take a very rocky turn. 

***

Several days later

“Hey Liz, I have to –” JC quieted when he rounded the corner into the office and saw Liz on the phone.  She held a finger up to let him know she would be done in a moment then went back to twisting a strand of hair. 

“Well, I’m in Florida at the moment so – ”  She paused to listen to the other person, grabbing a pad of paper and a pen to start jotting down notes. 

JC leaned against the doorjamb and let a small smile cross his face as he observed his wife.  In the past few days, he had ignored every phone call or text from his parents and siblings.  He knew it was only a matter of time before they started stopping by the house so JC knew they had to get out of town.  He just wasn’t ready to face his family without having a plan in place for dealing with them.  Heather’s messages were becoming increasingly more hated toward Liz and JC did everything in his power to act confident while hiding the messages from Liz.    

He shook off the problem so he could tune back into Liz’s conversation. 

“If – if I agree to work, then I want it known that it is only on a part time basis and I come home every night.  I’m not willing to stay in hotels when my husband will be home waiting for me.”  Her eyes slid smoothly over to look at the man watching her.  His shoulder was propped against the opening and he had one ankle crossed over the other.  Noticing her stare, JC uncrossed his arms from where they rested against his chest and lowered them until they brushed the hem of his long sleeved t-shirt. 

Liz’s eyes widened as he drew the shirt up and off, tossing it carelessly off to the side.  She licked her lips unconsciously as she tried to focus again on the conversation coming to her ear, but her eyes constantly returned to JC’s seduction. 

“Alright, just go ahead and send me the info, I’ll do the best I can, but I’m making no promises.  You do realize that I just got married, right?  Listen, I have to get off, send me the stuff as long as you realize this is only temporary.  I’ll give you two weeks then we will talk about what happens after that.  I’ll talk to you later.”  She rushed to get off the phone before she said something she shouldn’t.  He had taken advantage of her distraction to begin to next pull off his wife beater, showing off his well-toned body as he flexed. 

Just as she was ending the call, he pulled at the drawstring of his sweat pants.  Liz knew that it wouldn’t take much encouragement to let those pants drop to the floor and her eyes greedily waited for that last final tug that would bare all. 

But he paused, his hand still on the drawstring.  “What’s this about you working the next two weeks?”

It took her a moment to realize that he was asking her a question and wouldn’t tug at the string until she answered.  Taking a deep breath, she blinked and focused her attention on his blue gaze.  “Oh, yeah, they are falling behind so I said I would help a little bit the next couple of weeks, please don’t be mad.  After that I told him that you and I would talk about what would happen next.”

Liz stood to make her way and help tug the string its final inch so gravity could take over and the promise she had seen in JC eyes could be fulfilled.  But before she made her way across the room, JC had retied his pants and placed his hands on his hips.     

Liz let a pout cross her face until she saw a frown cross JC’s.  “So you just committed to working two weeks right after we got married?  What are you thinking?”  That brought Liz up short.  But JC wasn’t finished, “I just booked our flight back to LA.”

“I know and I’m sorry, but they are really having a hard time – wait why did you book flights back to LA?  I thought we planned to stay here for a couple more weeks at least.”  Liz mimicked his pose by placing her own hands on her hips while she waited for him to answer. 

Uncomfortable, JC didn’t want to give the real reason that he had decided they should leave Florida so he went to the reason he had concocted.  Rubbing the back of his neck, he couldn’t quite meet Liz’s eyes.  “Um…Justin booked some studio time and we’ve been talking about collaborating on a new record so I told him I – we – would head out to LA.”  His hand dropped back down to his side and he timidly met her eyes.  “It’s the only time he has free from his latest film schedule.”

One eyebrow rose and her arms crossed tightly in front of her, even as her eyes narrowed.  “So...let me get this straight…you are mad at me because I said I would help some people out who are going through a tragedy close to the location where you said we would be staying for a couple more weeks and even got them to make a concession that I would be home with you every night and arrange my schedule around you…and yet – you – decided that it would be a good idea to book our flights across the country.  It’s okay for you to work during our honeymoon, but it’s not okay for me?”

A sheepish look crossed JC’s face, he knew that if he could distract her he would be home free.  So he tried to get closer.  Maybe if he could get her focused on something else, he would be home free.  But Liz was onto him, she quickly backed up so that the desk was between them.  “Go ahead, I can’t wait to hear this.”

He sighed and sank into the closest chair, running both hands through his hair before he leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees.  “Obviously, we both need to work on our communication here.  I’m sorry that I didn’t ask you before I made these plans, but in all fairness you didn’t talk to me before making your own plans either.”  He held up a hand to stop Liz from interrupting.  “I just think it’s time to head back to LA, we can invite your parents out there to visit us.”  He tried tempting her, hoping to keep the real reason hidden.  He should have known better. 

“I can’t, Josh; I made a commitment for the next two weeks.  Can you change your studio time or move it here?”  JC was already shaking his head as Liz realized what was really going on.  “Why are you in such a rush to get back to LA?  Is this because of how your family has reacted to me?”

Lowering his head, JC took a moment to try to gather his thoughts.  Gaining confidence, JC raised his head to meet her eyes.  “I just think that now is a good time to take a step back from this whole situation, get some distance and maybe some perspective.  Let things cool down here.”

Liz bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before she made her way over to JC.  She knelt down in front of him, placing her hands on his knees and gently rubbing his thighs.  “Josh, I’m sorry that you are going through this.  Tell me how I can help.” 

 “Come with me to LA,” JC pleaded.

Her own eyes begged him to understand, “Jace, I will be there as soon as I can, but I need these next two weeks.  What aren’t you telling me?”

“I love you so much, you know that right?”  His hands cupped her face even as she nodded.  “I just think my family needs a little time to get used to the idea of us being married.  Our courtship, if you will, was so rushed that they feel a little cheated out of the whole experience.  And they weren’t there for the wedding either, so I think they are just hurt and feeling left out.”

“Is that what they are telling you in their messages and texts?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

Liz could see the hurt in his eyes and wished his family could know what they were doing to him.  “I tell you what.  Let’s take the next two weeks and get everything straightened out with work.  Then let’s go somewhere that no one can find us.  Maybe we just need to plan a wedding where our families can be a part of the celebration.”

“Hmm…two weeks without you?  I don’t know that I can manage that.”  His hands began to roam over her body, sending the sparks into a full flame. 

“Then we’d better make the next few days count.”  Liz seized up on her knees so she could reach his mouth, tongues dueling for control.  JC broke the kiss long enough to stand and gather Liz in his arms.  As he carried her to the bedroom, he pushed back the thoughts about his family.  He would let them know he would be leaving town, making it seem like Liz would be going with him.   

How could he know that going across the country and leaving Liz for two weeks could possibly be the biggest mistake he would ever make?

Heather pulled her car into JC’s drive and shut off the engine, just looking at the house.  It didn’t look any different, maybe that woman hadn’t had an opportunity to change anything yet.  Heather still couldn’t bring herself to believe that JC was married or even think about her name.  Heather couldn’t even begin to describe why she was acting or feeling this way toward JC’s wife.  She knew it was completely irrational, but found she couldn’t help herself. 

Heather got out of the car and retrieved her overnight back from the back seat.  She was grateful that the motion light on JC’s house had come on.  It was much later than she had planned to arrive.  When JC was out of town, Heather often stayed at his house, maintaining a presence so the house wasn’t empty for long.  Even though JC had sent her a terse message saying she wasn’t needed, Heather decided to go anyway.  She thought if she could just get JC alone, she could show him that this marriage wasn’t a positive thing, he would come around.  While she was staying in her normal room, she thought she might do a little snooping to find any kind of dirt that she could on that woman. 

She locked the door behind her and quickly punched a code in the beeping alarm system.  All she wanted now was a bed.  Not bothering to turn any lights on, she climbed the stairs, but was drawn to JC’s bedroom.  He must have left in such a hurry that he hadn’t remembered to shut off the light.  She shoved open the partially closed door and froze in her tracks. 

Liz was lying in the bed fast asleep, a book open on her chest. 

This was an interesting turn of events.  Why would JC leave his new bride all alone in Florida while he was all the way across the country?  Was there trouble in paradise?

Heather quietly set her bag down in the hallway and toed off her shoes.  In just her stocking feet, she crept into the room, not making a sound.  Taking the opportunity she headed into the room’s walk-in closet, sending frequent glances back to the bed to make sure Liz was still asleep.  Heather looked through all the clothes that Liz had in the closet, but didn’t find anything incriminating.

On her way out of the room, she happened to notice that Liz’s cell phone was on the nightstand.  Did she dare?

Yes, she did. 

She snatched the phone up, grimacing when she saw that the phone was plugged in.  Carefully unplugging the phone, she shot a panicked look at the bed when Liz shifted in her sleep.  Taking no more chances, she took the phone with her and left the bedroom. 

Settling into the comfortable chair in the bedroom she used while she stayed at JC’s, she threw off any feelings of guilt that may have had.  There was no turning back now.  JC would forgive her when she proved that his wife was only after his money or his fame.

Nothing stood out to Heather as she looked through the phone.  But Liz had apparently just erased a lot of texts and e-mails.  There was nothing older than a couple of days. 

Frustrated, Heather was ready to toss the phone in the toilet when a thought suddenly came to her. 

What were the odds that Liz had JC’s phone number memorized?  If Heather changed one digit in JC’s phone number, would Liz even notice the difference?  Heather would bet that when Liz called or text JC, she would just call up his saved number instead of dialing from memory. 

Thinking quickly, Heather tried several different combinations of JC’s phone number, changing just one number at a time until she found a number that had been disconnected.  Smiling to herself, she saved the change and tiptoed back down the hall. 

After plugging the phone back in and setting it down on the nightstand, Heather took one more quick look around to make sure that nothing was out of place and Liz would never know that someone had been in the house.  Pulling the door halfway shut behind her, she grabbed her bag and shoes and left the house. 

She was headed to the airport, off to see JC.  She needed to get her hands on his phone as soon as possible.  

The taxi stopped in the street in front of JC’s LA house.  Heather pulled some money from her wallet to pay the driver, collected her suitcase, and stepped from the car.  She would have to navigate this situation very carefully.  Squinting against the sun, she punched in the code to let herself into JC’s house. 

She set her suitcase to the side and headed toward JC’s voice.  “Hey Justin, I thought you weren’t coming for another half hour.  What are you doing here so early?”

He looked up and realized that Justin wasn’t standing in the doorway.  Heather was. 

She rushed to explain as anger crossed his face.  “Listen JC, I’m sorry for the way I acted before.  I was going to come over and apologize in person, but then you text that you were heading to LA and I couldn’t let this come between us.”  Her voice turned casual as she pretended to search around the house for Liz, checking down the hallway and glancing up the stairs.  “Where’s Liz; I want to apologize to her too.”

Wary, but wanting desperately to believe that Heather was sincere, he spoke carefully.  “Liz stayed in Florida; they needed some help at her job so she agreed to help out for a couple of weeks.  Justin wanted some help in the studio and this was the only time that worked for him so I came out here.”

Biting the inside of her lip, Heather tried to contain her reaction.  She noticed that JC hadn’t said anything about missing Liz or that he even appeared to be upset to be parted from his wife for two weeks so soon after their marriage.  She immediately played for the advantage, moving towards him with arms outstretched. 

JC only briefly hesitated before he accepted her hug.   “Heather, what problem do you have with Liz?  I’ve never seen you act that way with any of my other girlfriends, why now with Liz?”

Heather stepped back from JC and headed over to look out the window down at LA, giving herself a moment to try to bring tears to her eyes.  “I don’t know why really, I guess it all has to do with the fact that you said you weren’t sure you were ever going to get married.  Then one day out of the blue you show up with this woman that you introduce as your wife and we’ve never even seen her before.  It was a pretty big shock.”  She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye as she turned back to face JC. 

He was watching her very closely. 

“So what changed your mind?”

“I don’t want to lose my brother – I mean then I’m left with only Tyler and who wants that?”  Heather sniffed.  “Please forgive me JC, I didn’t mean it.”

“I told Liz that you weren’t acting normal…my sister would never treat anyone like that let alone my wife.”

JC was too relieved to look for another motive in Heather’s actions.  “Wanna come to the studio with us today?  It’ll be just like old times.”  He picked up his phone and shoved it in his pocket as Heather watched silently.  She was so intent on JC’s phone; she was surprised when Justin entered the room. 

“Hey C, you ready?”  Justin looked up and saw Heather standing across the counter.  “Heather!  JC didn’t tell me you were in town.  What have you been up to?” 

With a bright smile on her face, Heather rounded the island to give Justin a big hug.  “Jace didn’t know it was a surprise.  I flew out to apologize to his –”  Heather paused forcing the word out.  “Wife.”

“Wife?”  Justin helped himself to a soda from the fridge.  “JC wouldn’t get married without telling anyone and besides he’s only known Liz for a couple of months.”

JC held up his left hand in response, showing off the ring that matched Liz’s wedding band.  They had shopped for official rings though they had each left the original ribbon they used at the wedding underneath the new ring.   

“What is that?”  Justin popped the tab on his Pepsi, unfortunately it was pointed directly at JC when it exploded and raindrops of the soda fell down over JC. 

Chuckling, JC wiped the drops from his face.  “Is this replacing the traditional rice thrown at weddings?”

“Wait – she’s serious?”  Justin looked back and forth between the siblings.  “You’re really married?”

With a large smile on his face, JC nodded.  “Yep, we eloped after one of Liz’s charity events just before Christmas.  She was having a hard time the night before so I flew in to surprise her and make her feel better.  I was planning on popping the question over Christmas anyway, but the time was right and the ring was burning a hole in my pocket so…”  He pulled the items from his pockets and set them on the counter so he could change out of his wet clothes.  “Anyway she said yes and neither of us wanted to wait so we found a church and made it legal.”

“So where is she?”

“Well, I made these plans to come out here without telling her and she told her boss she would work in Florida thinking we would be together there…so she’ll fly out here in a week or so and I can show her around.”

Justin didn’t notice the quick glance that JC shot at Heather, but Heather saw it knowing on some level that JC still didn’t believe her change of heart.  She knew that she had to get them both out of the kitchen as quickly as possible so she could change Liz’s number.  “I hate to break up this love fest but don’t you have to be at the studio soon.”

They both sent a look at the clock above the sink.  “Yeah, let me go change and we can head out.”  JC left the room already tugging off his wet shirt. 

Heather casually pulled JC’s phone over to her, hoping Justin didn’t ask any questions.  Instead, he grabbed a paper towel and wiped up the soda splatters that had somehow missed JC. 

With just a few swipes and taps, Heather had changed Liz’s number to one she knew was disconnected, and erased any texts from Liz.  As a precaution, she erased all the text messages from JC’s phone knowing he would assume that his phone was at fault. 

With a confident smile on her face, she walked out to the car behind Justin and JC.  She had bought more time to convince JC that Liz was not the woman for him. 

This may be easier than she thought…

Justin watched JC closely as he spoke, trying to see if JC was even paying attention.  “So, I think that if we add more bass in that second verse the aliens will come in from outer space and play with the dinosaurs since I’ll be elected the king of the world and you will be my puppet doing whatever I tell you to do.  By the way, can you loan me your broom since the Hogwarts Express is getting ready to take off and we will miss our fight with Voldemort?”

JC became aware of a long pause so he looked up into Justin’s questioning face.  Suddenly, he realized that Justin had asked him a question.  “Oh sure man, no problem.  That sounds good to me.”

Justin burst out laughing at his response.  Trying to gain control of himself, he glanced at his watch.  Still laughing, “C, you’ve got it bad, let’s go grab something to eat.  We can talk about how soon you are going to head back to Florida.”

“Something is wrong, J.  I haven’t heard from her since I left.  We parted on a good note – a really good note actually.”  JC’s mind drifted to a far off place while he recalled the hours they had spent together before he had ripped himself out of her arms.  He licked his lips at the thought of her taste…his nostrils flared at just the thought of her intoxicating scent…his eyes darkened as he pictured her as he left her – standing at the door to the garage, dressed in only a button down shirt of his.  The shirt barely covering the silky skin of her –

“Let’s go C, I don’t even want to know where your mind was going right there.” 

Mentally shaking himself, JC once again checked his phone as he meekly followed Justin out of the studio.  First thing tomorrow morning, he would be on a flight back to Florida to see what was going on with his wife. 

***

After grabbing a bite to eat while Justin did his best to distract JC, the pair left the restaurant to head back to the studio.  Justin agreed that he would work on the song while JC straightened everything out with Liz.  After everything was back in order on that front, JC would be back in LA – with Liz in tow.

The two pop stars pasted on smiles as they left the restaurant, quickly signing their names on the receipts and other various pieces of paper people shoved at them and posing for a couple of pictures.  More often than not though, phones were pulled out and pictures snapped randomly. 

Their bodyguards ushered them quickly into the waiting SUV before a television crew could get closer and ask for an interview.  The long ride back to the studio passed quickly.  JC was more relaxed now that he had a plan and would have Liz in his arms tomorrow. 

He held the studio’s lobby door open for Justin to enter first, letting it close softly behind him.  Their footsteps were the only sound in the lobby until they passed the security guard’s office.  JC ducked his head in to the office to let them know they were back, but before he could say anything, his attention was diverted to the television. 

“Hey Justin, they will be talking about us after the break.  What do you want to bet it’s about the restaurant and that we didn’t do an interview with that crew?”  He turned to the security guard.  “Can you turn it up, please?”

The commercials ended and the anchors from E! news appeared on the screen.  “Is there trouble in paradise already?”  A candid shot of JC and Liz showed behind the anchor.  “We broke the news of JC Chasez’s marriage just yesterday and no one was more surprised when Chasez, former member of the international pop group NSYNC and current judge on America’s Best Dance Crew, married than us.  It was a whirlwind courtship for the couple who eloped just before Christmas, not even inviting their families to the wedding.  Neither JC, his new wife Liz, nor his management have been very vocal about the marriage and we have to wonder why.  Could their brief marriage be on the rocks?  JC is currently working here in LA with former bandmate Justin Timberlake while his wife, Liz, remains in Orlando.  I want to warn you…this next footage will be graphic.”

The next silent video they had playing in the background caused Justin to forcibly hold JC up as he clutched desperately to the desk in front of him trying not to collapse.  “This is footage from earlier in the day.  JC’s wife Liz was involved in a serious car accident today about 1 p.m. Eastern time.  She was taken to Memorial Hospital in an Orlando suburb, close to where the couple resides.  The hospital spokesperson will only say that she is in critical condition.  For such a newly married couple, you would think that JC would be at Liz’s bedside...But take a look at these pictures taken not even an hour ago from right here in LA.”

Several still shots and a brief video of JC and Justin were featured prominently while they signed autographs in front of the restaurant.  One picture showed JC laughing at Justin as they climbed in the car.  “Not much concern coming from husband JC.  We will be following this story closely and will keep you updated.” 

Justin was already on his phone calling for a private jet to be ready to fly JC back to Florida as soon as they could get to the airport.  He had to keep a restraining arm around JC to stop him from taking off on his own.  As soon as Justin was off the phone, the two headed out at a jog with JC berating himself.  As soon as the car doors were closed and the car speeding down the highway, JC took a deep breath and scrubbed at his face with his hands. 

“I knew that something was wrong.  I told you that this morning – that I had a bad feeling.  I never should have left Liz back in Florida.”

“C!  Even if she had been with you here instead of Florida, a car accident can still happen.  How many close calls have we had?”

“But, I’ve had this bad feeling all week since I haven’t been able to get a hold of her.  I knew that something was wrong.  I just didn’t think it was serious enough to head back to Florida.  I was going to head back in the morning and we were going to have a long talk about why she hasn’t returned my calls.”  He turned to look at Justin with sadness in his eyes.  “Even before we met, if I left her a message, she would call back within a couple of hours.  I don’t understand why this time is different.  There is something else going on.  I will get to the bottom of this.” 

JC rocked forward as if that motion could get the car moving faster.  It was almost 11 p.m. Eastern time so Liz had been alone for 10 hours wondering where he was and why he hadn’t called or even come. 

But he could call the hospital.  The entertainment anchors had given the name of the hospital so he quickly looked the number up on his phone.  Impatiently he listened to the options before he pressed the information desk option. 

“I’m trying to get an update on Liz Chasez.”

“I’m sorry, sir, we can only release that information to family.  There are media packets available in the lobby.”  A dial tone pulsed in JC’s ear and he pulled the phone away incredulously. 

A look of fierce determination crossed his face and he dialed once more.  Hearing the same woman’s voice come over the line, JC’s voice turned hard.  “Do not hang up on me again or I swear I will sue your hospital until it has to shut its doors.  I need information on my wife, Liz Chasez.  I’m JC Chasez and I also want to know why I had to learn about the accident on Entertainment Tonight instead of from you.”

“I’m – I’m sorry, sir.  Let me put you through to the hospital administrator.”

“No – I want to talk to Liz or her doctor, not some suit!”  But it was too late, the woman had put him on hold, not willing to risk the wrath of JC Chasez.

Using a little bit of charm, a lot of reasoning, and finally using all the power that his name stood for, he was finally able to be connected to the nurse’s desk. 

Sighing heavily when someone answered the phone, JC asked again for Liz.  “Look, I’ve been bounced around to so many people.  I just want to know how my wife is doing.”

“And who is your wife again?”

Closing his eyes and leaning his head back, he answered one more time.  “Liz Chasez.”

“Oh Mr. Chasez, we have been trying to get a hold of you all day.  Your wife is in critical condition, she is here in our critical care unit.  Her vitals are strong right now.  She has yet to regain consciousness from the accident, but her doctors are very hopeful that she will wake up soon.  She has a lot of bumps and bruises, and a broken wrist.  She did hit her head when in the accident, which is why she is still unconscious.  There were some internal injuries, but she came through surgery well.  The doctors are optimistic that she will make a full recovery.”  JC could hear an alarm in the background as the nurse rushed on, “Let me give you a code for your wife so that if you call again or if other family calls then you can get right to the information about her condition – 67292.  Now I’m sorry, we have an emergency.  Will you be arriving soon?”

“I’m leaving LA now, I’ll be there by morning.”

“Ok sir, I really need to go.”  And the soft click echoed in JC’s ear. 

JC looked at Justin with a shimmer in his eyes.  “She’s unconscious, broken wrist, had surgery, but they are optimistic that she will recover fully.”  He punched the seat in front of him.  “I should have been there with her – for her.  What the hell am I doing in LA?  We’ve been married a month and yet I haven’t seen my wife in days…And why?  All because my family was having a hard time dealing with it and I needed some time away.  What kind of man – husband – am I?”

“So now you step up, C, become the husband that you want to be.  Go back and be with your wife.  Fight for her and let her see that you will always be there for her.  I don’t know what’s been going on that you haven’t been able to get in touch but fix it, whatever, however you can.”

“Thanks J.”  JC hopped out of the car as soon as it came to a stop.  The engine of the plane was loud behind him as he stuck his head back in.  “Can you swing by and tell Heather what’s going on?”  Even as Justin was nodding his head, JC was backing away.  “Thanks man.”

Justin slid over to the window and lowered it yelling, “JC!”  JC turned and walked backward, listening.  “It’s going to turn out okay, I’ll be praying.”  JC lifted a hand and started up the steps. 

Justin waited until the plane was in the air before leaving.  There was something not quite right about the whole situation, but he would do as JC asked and let Heather know and get her on a flight east. 

He only hoped that Liz would be okay, he had only met her once, but JC apparently loved her so as he left the airport, Justin sent a fervent prayer heavenward that everything would work out okay.

JC was glad that he was flying on a private plane back to Florida.  He had been pacing and throwing things around the cabin when he wasn’t checking in with the hospital every hour on the hour. 

“Still no change,” he muttered after the fourth such call.  On one hand, he was praying and hoping that Liz would be awake soon as his concern was mounting over the length of time she had been unconscious.  On the other hand, he wanted to be the first person she saw when she awoke. 

Jogging to the front of the plane, he asked the other routine question, “How much longer?”

The two pilots looked at each other before one turned back to JC.  “Sir, we are going as fast as we can, we should be touching down in just over an hour and a half.  Do you have a ride arranged to the hospital?”

“Yeah,” JC mumbled as he paced toward the back of the plane, dodging the pillows and blankets on the floor that he had tossed around.  He had called his dad from the plane a couple of hours ago to let him know about the situation and to ask him for a ride to the hospital.  It was too bad he wasn’t in a helicopter that could just set down on the roof of the hospital. 

Punching numbers in the phone gave JC something to do and would hopefully kill a couple more minutes, “Hey Dad, there’s been no change with Liz but we should be landing in about an hour and a half.”

“JC, Liz is young and strong, she’s going to pull through this.”

“I just wish that everyone had accepted her.  I should have been there for her instead of running to the other side of the country to get some distance between the family and all the problems.  I’m never going to leave her again.”  He spoke forcefully now before sinking into a seat and rubbing his forehead. 

“No, Josh, I should be apologizing because I never should have let the situation get so out of control.  I thought that everything would blow over and everyone would get over the suddenness of your marriage.  I failed you, Josh, and you can never know how much I want to fix everything for you as I could when you were younger.  But this can’t be taken care of with a hug or a band-aid, but I can promise you that whatever you need, I will be there for both you and Liz….your mom is coming around, this accident made her realize how important you are and she told me she will do anything to help as well.  She regrets what she did and said…anyway…Josh, you’re my son, and I love you.”

JC was stunned for a long moment.  This was the longest speech he had heard from his father in a long time.  “Thanks Dad, I love you too.”  He spoke around the large lump in his throat. 

He sniffed then cleared his throat as the line remained quiet for a time. 

He heard his father sigh through the phone.  “JC, I’m going to get off and head to the airport.  I want to be able to leave as soon as you land, I’ll be waiting as close to the door as I can with the car running.  Give me a call when you touch down to make sure we can meet with no problems.”

“Okay,” JC was still having problems speaking.

Now it was his dad’s turn to clear his throat.  “JC…Liz will be okay…you have to believe that.”

“She has to be…she’s my everything.”  With that and knowing that his dad would understand, JC pressed the button to disconnect the call and leaned back in the seat, sitting still for the first time since the seat belt sign had been turned off. 

He was startled awake a while later when the pilot came on the intercom.  “Sir, we are beginning our descent, you need to put your seat belt on.”

JC sat up and scrubbed at his face with both hands before finding the seat belt and clicking it into place.  With his head resting against the back of the seat, JC rolled his head so that he could look out at the lights growing bigger in the window. 

It took an eternity for the descent, then the landing, then the slow taxi down the runway.  JC was up and bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting impatiently for the stairs to be locked into place. 

The next second he was off and running, pressing the send button on his phone to connect to his father.  After getting the directions to where his father was, JC argued that he should be the one driving. 

But even more insistently, Roy argued that JC was in no condition to drive. 

Roy won.

Leaning forward in the car, JC urged his dad to go faster. 

Not taking his eyes or his hands from the wheel or the road in front of him, Roy murmured assurances as he took the final corner to the hospital faster than was safe.  JC jumped out at the door. 

During one of his earlier phone calls to the hospital, the hospital administrator had arranged for JC to use a private employee entrance to avoid the press and have a private escort up to Liz’s room. 

Roy watched from the car as JC ran up to the door that opened before he was halfway up the walk.  JC disappeared inside with the nurse even as Roy sent yet another prayer heavenward. 

He would park the car and find the waiting room near Liz so that he could be there if JC needed anything. 

***

JC jogged down the hallway, slowing only to recite the room numbers aloud to himself.  “318…320…322…350?  Wait…”  He paused in the hall; somehow, he must have missed a hallway that led off to her room.  Spinning around, JC almost tripped over a nurse who had approached him from behind. 

“Sir, can I help you?  Visiting hours haven’t begun yet today.”  She looked up at him warily. 

He seized her by an arm.  “Yes, Liz…I mean Elizabeth Chasez, my wife, where is she?”

She looked him up and down, not willing to take any chances with the press that had tried sneaking in on many occasions.  “Do you have some ID?”

“ID?  I had to learn about my wife on E! news and not this hospital.  No one would give me any information and yet when I finally get here, I’m asked for identification!”  He dug his wallet from his back pocket and flipped his driver’s license at her then pulled out every card flinging them at the nurse as well.  “There!  Is that enough ID for you?  Do you want more?”  He pulled out all the cash in his wallet and tossed it at her feet to join the cards then tossed his wallet down as well. 

His eyes were wide and crazy, darting around the area, still looking for his wife’s room number.  The nurse lowered her voice and calmly asked JC to follow her.  “I’m sorry, sir, we’ve had several people try and sneak in this evening.  We’ve moved your wife, please follow me.”

“Is she awake?  How is she?”  He demanded, right on her heels as they walked quickly down the hallway. 

“She is still unconscious and has been intubated to help her breathe.”  The nurse paused before she swiped her ID to allow them into the critical care unit.  “Sir, your wife is very bruised and there is a lot of swelling.  She doesn’t look the same – you need to be prepared.”

JC ran a hand through his hair, begging her with his eyes.  “Please, please…take me to my wife.”  His voice cracked. 

Swiping her card, she pushed through the entry that unlocked with a click.  She stopped at a room near the nurses’ station.  “The doctor will be in to perform rounds shortly; if you need anything just ask one of us.”

JC nodded; his attention already on what was just behind the door.  He took a deep breath and stepped into the dimly lit room…

She paced around the room, one hand punching the air in front of her in a panic.  “I told you to just watch her!  You weren’t supposed to hurt her yet…NO, I told you not to interfere…look just shut….JUST SHUT UP for a second, and let me think!”

Heather’s eyes were wide and her chest rose and fell rapidly with her distress.  It wasn’t supposed to come to this – JC can never find out what happened.  What do I do?

She paused in front of a window, looking down at the innocent lights of the city.  Occasionally, she would see car lights winding around the twisted roads, coming home from a late night out.  She let the phone fall from her ear down by her side so she could concentrate without listening to the person on the other end spew his excuses for messing up her plan. 

Tiny, the hoodlum she had engaged, was just supposed to follow Liz and let Heather know of any change in her routine.  Heather had planned to use Tiny to scare Liz sometime in the future, but since he had rammed into Liz’s car…well that changed everything. 

Letting her neck roll on her shoulders, Heather inhaled deeply then exhaled as she lifted the phone back to her ear.  “Okay, this is what you are going to do, you incompetent jerk.  You are going to lie like you have never lied before.  I can’t let anyone find out there is a connection between us or that I hired you to watch Liz’s every move.  You, in no way, are going to tell the police that it was anything other than an accident of your own making.”  She continued on over his protests, speaking very slowly and punching out every word.  “Tell them you just broke up with your girlfriend and you weren’t paying attention and didn’t mean to hurt anyone.  And you had better learn how to cry convincingly.  Do NOT let on that you know who Liz is or have had any prior connection to her.  Car accidents happen every day and this is just another one, no different than the hundred others that have happened today.  I’m assuming that JC knows that she has been in a car accident since he isn’t home yet so I’m betting I’ll be getting a call soon from him and I’ll be very sympathetic.” 

Heather cocked her head from a sound coming behind her but dismissed it as the house settling.  “Is any part unclear for you…okay then…keep me informed of anything that happens.  I’ll be in touch when I have something new to tell you.  I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping me out of the situation, JC can’t know!”

With that, she pressed the end button on her phone and nodded to her reflection in the window, satisfied for the moment at least that everything had been handled to keep her involvement a secret.  Deciding to head upstairs and get everything ready to leave, she finally turned toward the kitchen and screamed, dropping her phone and watching it skid across the floor where it stopped next to a very large booted foot. 

Her gaze rested on the phone watching while the man bent, picked it up, then followed his slow rise back to his feet before trying to confidently meet his hard and accusing eyes. 

“I think we need to talk, don’t you?”  Justin asked.

 ***

There was a light on the wall behind Liz that cast shadows over her face.  JC quickly crossed to stand next to the bed and look down on her swollen bruised face.  Now that he was closer, he could distinguish between the shadows and darkness coloring her skin. 

He rested his hands on the bed rail for a moment, trying to figure out the best places to touch her.  Finally deciding her forearm was safe; he gentled his touch and rested his hand on her unbroken arm, rubbing his thumb over her soft skin, while he tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear with the other hand. 

Not yet trusting his voice, JC simply concentrated on letting Liz know that he was there.  He ached just looking at her broken body, the machines helping her breathe loud in the stillness of the room. 

Several minutes passed before the squeak of shoes on the tile floor broke his concentration.  The nurse placed his wallet he had thrown on the table then studied the monitors for a moment comparing them to Liz’s chart she held in her hand.  With a smile, she turned to JC, “She knows you’re here; her heart rate and blood pressure are coming up.  Have you talked to her?”

JC shook his head as he tried to decipher the numbers on the machines. 

“Really?”  The nurse acted shocked.  “Well these numbers are the highest they have been since she was admitted and that’s just from your touch.  Try talking to her.”

Licking his dry lips, he tried to swallow around the huge lump in his throat.  Clearing his throat several times didn’t lessen the pressure.  Bending down closer to Liz, he finally managed to choke out a few words.  “Liz, baby, I’m here.  I love you so much and I’m so sorry that I haven’t been here for you.”

He took a moment to glance at the nurse and receive an encouraging nod.  He wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt.  Sniffing again, he took the tissue the nurse handed him then wiped his hands on an antibacterial wipe she shoved in his direction. 

“I’ll just leave these here for you in case you need them,” she said, placing a box of tissues and the container of wipes on the nearby table.  She lifted the call button to show him where it was then placed it back on the bed before she walked out as quietly as she had entered. 

The room was white, sterile, not something that Liz would ever want to spend much time in.  She loved color on the walls, not too bright of course, but enough that could showcase her personality and creativity.  “I’m going to have to buy out a florist shop so we can get some color in here, aren’t I?”  He whispered, more to himself than Liz.  “I’ve never really given you flowers, have I?”

Letting his thoughts roam in this new direction, gave JC a mental break from thinking of the pain she must be in.  “Other than the obligatory Valentine’s flowers, I’ve never given you any.  You didn’t even have a wedding bouquet as you should have had.  You never got to throw it afterwards either.”

The beep of the machines was his only answer.  Tugging a chair into place behind him with one hand, JC sank down onto the edge, never removing his other hand from her arm.  “That’s going to change, Liz.  I’m never going to go across the country with you so far away.  I was going to come home this morning and yell at you since we haven’t talked…Elizabeth?”  He questioned.

A sudden sob burst from his throat and he clapped one hand over his mouth to stifle the sound.  Giving into his tears, he formed a fist and bit down on a knuckle as he lowered his head to rest it lightly on Liz’s forearm.  He turned so he could still see Liz’s face, though it was blurry through his tears.  “Please Liz, please wake up, and yell at me for not being here.  I’ll do anything.  Please God, help her…don’t take her from me, I couldn’t bear it.”  He said haltingly. 

“Forgive me Liz – God, forgive me.  I love you, Liz, I love you, I love you, I love you.”  He repeated the phrase, whispering it until he finally gave into his exhaustion and fell asleep.  

A slight movement jolted JC from his slumber.  Remembering where he was, he brought his head up from the bed where he had fallen asleep still touching Liz.  Had he imagined the shift?  No, her eyelids were fluttering.  JC barely noticed the sun shining through the window as he leapt to his feet, shoving the chair away with the motion.  He cupped her cheek with one shaking hand and bent closer to her. 

“Liz?  Liz, baby?  I’m right here…open your big beautiful eyes for me.”

Her eyes shot open, wide with panic as she fought against the tube helping her breathe.  Her arms lifted to try tugging the tube out and JC fought to restrain her, trying to calm her between his shouts for help.

“Someone help us!  Liz, just relax and breathe, let the machine help you.  We need help in here!”

A nurse and doctor came running into the room, immediately setting to work – raising the top half of the bed up, putting on gloves, and trying to get Liz to calm down enough to be able to remove the tube. 

“Okay, I’ll take this tube out but I want you to blow hard.  Ready?”  The doctor asked.

Liz nodded once as she still struggled against the hands holding her.  Tears welled up in her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks as she blinked rapidly and blew.  No sooner had the doctor finished pulling the tube out than Liz was bent over the side of the bed, retching painfully.  JC was sure that the dry heaves she was having were causing extreme pain on her injuries. 

JC supported her with one arm while he rubbed the other one over her back.  When he felt her go limp in his arms, he gently laid her back on the bed with the help of the nurse.  Tears were streaming down her face and into the pillow below her head. 

“DO something,” JC demanded of the doctor.  “Look at how much pain she is in, help her.”

The doctor gave a few quiet instructions to the nurse who then in turn left the room as the doctor checked Liz’s incision.  JC held tightly to Liz’s hand as he wiped the tears away.  As the doctor was recovering the incision, the nurse returned and put something in Liz’s IV that caused her to go limp. 

“Will she be okay?”  JC choked out.   

The doctor finished making a couple of notes in the chart before he lifted his head.  “Your wife will have a long recovery ahead of her, but we are most concerned about the fetus at this time.”  He continued for a minute but saw that JC had gone white and was wavering on his feet. 

Springing into action, JC was shoved in the chair behind him and his head lowered between his knees.  He was slightly aware of a hand that held his head down, but all he could hear was the roaring in his ears and ‘fetus’ repeating in his mind. 

Pregnant?  Liz was pregnant?  She hadn’t said anything before he left and they hadn’t talked in almost 2 weeks now.  Was that why she hadn’t been taking his calls – she was afraid of his reaction?

“How far along?”  JC muttered.

The hand on the back of his head was removed but JC remained in the same position for another moment, closing his eyes against the swirling of the tile floor at the shock of the news.  JC could hear papers rustling as the doctor looked through Liz’s chart.  “Well…it looks here that she is about 7 weeks or so,” his voice trailed off.  “I – uh – I’m sorry to have blurted out the news like that.  I assumed that you knew about…”

JC’s head came up slowly, only to be propped in his hands.  JC heard the words that the doctor was saying, but none really sunk in as he concentrated on just taking one breath after another.  There should be a limit to the shocks a man could receive in such a short amount of time.  He vaguely heard a question asked and he simply nodded his head, hoping that was the right response.

He was aware that someone had left the room but still heard rustling so he was not yet alone.  Suddenly a hospital bag was placed next to his feet.  He glanced over at it with disinterest and saw that it was Liz’s belongings.  Now that the room was completely silent again with just a few machines, he raised his head to study his wife’s face. 

Pregnant?  He was going to be a father.  They hadn’t talked much about kids other than some vague mention of them in the far off future.  He performed a mental calculation counting the weeks back before he gave up and grabbed his phone with a calendar.  With his finger scrolling through the weeks, he realized it had been just over 7 weeks since their wedding.  Liz had gotten pregnant either on their wedding night or not long after.  With a small smile, he remembered those blissful days where nothing mattered but each other. 

Resting his head against the chair, his eyes moved down over her face to scrutinize her stomach.  He could imagine her body swelling with his baby and loved her all the more for it.  But doubts began to crowd in – did he really want to have a baby so soon?  Why had they not been able to communicate with each other for a couple of weeks?

Idly, he wondered if her phone was perhaps located in her belongings.  At first glance, he hadn’t noticed her purse but maybe it was tucked inside her clothes.  With a furtive glance at Liz, he picked the bag up and placed it on the rolling table nearby.  He stood to make it easier to retrieve the items. 

A pair of shoes.

Her bloody shirt.

Then finally, her jeans wrapped around her purse. 

With slow, deep breaths, he shoved her clothes back in the bag and put it in the room’s small closet, closing the door with a click.  Out of sight, out of mind went the bloody clothes. 

Checking to see that Liz still hadn’t moved, he once again sat down in the chair and pulled the purse onto his lap.  Why did women need all this storage space anyway?  He weighed it in his hand, still not understanding why she needed to carry so much stuff around everywhere she went. 

Opening one side, he found her Kindle, her daily planner, some Band-Aids, and some feminine products.  Closing that zipper, he opened the next one.  That side had her wallet, some cash loose inside, her checkbook, pens, blank sticky notes, and a map of the city. 

But still no phone. 

Only the sides were left.  He popped the button to peer into the cavernous pocket and saw a case.  He pulled that out but realized it was her iPod.  He hit the button and realized that she had been listening to his playlist.  Smiling, JC once again looked to see if she was waking up. 

Then his attention went back to the pocket – ah, there underneath her charger was her phone.  Before he looked through it, he put everything carefully back where he thought it went then placed it next to his chair in case she needed something from it. 

Settling back in the chair, he swiped his finger across the screen then entered her password.  First, he checked her missed calls and voicemails.  Nothing – so he went to all calls.  There were many to Josh so he pulled his own phone out and looked to compare.  He had never received any at those times. 

He tapped the screen until he came to her texts.  He started at the oldest first under his name. 

Hey Lover – just wanted to make sure you made it.  Love ya!  I can’t wait until we are together again.  ;-)

Was your flight delayed?

I’ll be in a meeting the next hour or so and won’t be able to answer, text me though to let me know you made it. 

I stopped at Victoria’s Secret on the way home and picked up something that you might like. 

Should I send you a picture?  No – I think this is best to experience in person – lol!

Ok, I’m starting to get worried, where are you?

The texts continued for days, echoing the tone of some of the texts that he had sent to her while they were apart.  Hers alternated between anger and concern as the days passed.  He skimmed through them quickly until one stopped him cold. 

Josh, why aren’t you answering calls or texts?  I keep getting a message saying that this number has been disconnected.  Is this it?  Are we done?  I honestly expected better from you than this – did your family finally convince you that I’m not good enough for you?  I don’t understand what happened from the last time we made love just before you left until your flight to LA.  Did I do something?  Please Josh, I need to know what’s going on.  I LOVE you!  Are you mad because I didn’t go with you?  I know you’ll probably never get this since your phone is off but please Josh – call me and…come home…

JC got to his feet and bent over the bed, placing his mouth close to Liz’s ear.  “Liz, I love you and NO this is not the end!  We are going to get through this and figure out what’s been going on.  You are never going to be rid of me – we made a promise for life and I figure that’s good for another 60 years or so.  Plus, we have our baby to look forward to.”  He placed his hand gently on her stomach just under her breasts, careful to avoid the stitches.  “You sleep now and get better because in a few months there will be no sleep for either of us.  I’m not going to leave you again.”

Her breathing remained steady, which comforted him in its repetitiveness.  He looked for any signs that she had heard him but saw no movement. 

Grabbing her phone once again, he sank into the chair.  He scrolled through the texts until something caught his attention.  Wait – that’s not the right phone number.  JC double-checked the calls again.  The number was similar but it had an 8 instead of a 5 in it.  He pressed the button to connect the call and got the same message that Liz heard dozens of times.  He put hers back down on the table and picked up his cell phone.  Odd, her number was off by one number as well as he checked it against her phone. 

JC didn’t think she had his number memorized since he changed it so often when fans got a hold of his number.  He was distracted from his thoughts when the door opened once again to admit a new nurse.  She gave him a quick smile and blushed when he nodded back.  “JC – um, Mr. Chasez – there is a man in the waiting room asking how your wife is doing.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s an older gentleman; someone said he’s been here most of the night.”  She took Liz’s blood pressure and wrote it down on the chart. 

JC stood and stretched.  “Sounds like my father – I thought he went home.”  He once again moved over to the bed, bending low to press a warm kiss on Liz’s forehead before straightening.  “I’ll be back in a few minutes, I love you.”

Pausing with one hand one the door, JC turned back.  “Is there a place where I can get a cup of coffee close?”

The nurse blushed when he caught her staring.  “Um…yes, sir – there’s one in the waiting room.  Just turn left at the nurses station, it’s at the end of the hall.”

“Thanks,” JC responded as he stepped out.  Following the directions, JC decided to duck into the men’s room.  Finishing, he stood at the sink to wash his hands and was taken aback at his appearance.  His hair stood on end, his eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles underneath.  He grabbed several paper towels and wet them with cold water before pressing them over his face, letting the shock of the cold water refresh him.  He took a few more, drying his face and hands before he tossed the whole pile in the trash and continued on to the waiting room. 

The room was empty, but the TV was changing channels at a rapid pace.  JC smiled to himself, getting a cup of coffee before making his way around one of the couches facing the TV.  “I knew that you would be the one changing the channels – Liz gets so mad at me when I can’t settle on just one.”

Roy jumped when JC spoke scaring Roy from his place lying down on the couch, but sat up as JC took a seat in the nearby chair.  “Liz – how is she?”

JC took a sip of the brew, feeling the jolt of caffeine before placing it on the arm of the chair with his hand wrapped around, needing the warmth.  “Liz is – well, she’s in a lot of pain.  She woke up for the first time since I’ve been here and I had to restrain her.  Dad, I don’t ever want to have to do that again.”

“What happened?”  Roy reached out a comforting hand to place on JC’s knee with a squeeze. 

“She was still intubated, with the tube helping her breathe, she woke up and panicked and tried to pull it out herself.”  JC shook his head at the memory.  “She had tears running down her face – they got it out but she was in so much pain, they gave her something to knock her out.”

He took another sip of coffee then a deep breath, meeting Roy’s eyes head on.  “But Dad, that’s not it.”

“What else is there?  She’s going to be okay, isn’t she?”

“She’s pregnant.”

Roy’s eyebrows rose at that news, “Okaaaay, didn’t expect that.”  He leaned back into the couch.  “Did – did you know?”  He asked tentatively. 

JC shook his head.  “I’m not completely sure that Liz knew.  If she did, she would have just found out.”

“How pregnant is she?”

“Around 7 weeks.”

“How long have you been married?”

“7 weeks and 2 days.”

“Huh.”  Roy nodded, rubbing his chin.  “Is the baby okay?”

“I think so, I’m not real sure, I was kinda out of it when the doctor was trying to explain things.  I know they are very concerned about the baby and said Liz would be fine.  It came as a little bit of a shock since we were going to wait a couple of years – and not to mention, I was just relieved to see my wife.”

“So, do you suppose that’s why you haven’t been able to talk?  Was she afraid of your reaction?”

Before he spoke, JC took a long sip of his coffee.  “I hope not, but no that’s not the reason.  I was looking at her phone and realized that somehow one of the digits in my number was off, but what is even weirder is that her number in my phone was off by one as well.”

“How does that happen?”

JC shrugged.

“A virus?”

JC shrugged again.  “I’m not sure, but this will never happen again.”  He finished the last swallow from his cup and stood.  “I’d better get back to Liz; I don’t want to be gone too long.”  He paused.  “Thanks for staying, Dad.  You didn’t have to.”

Roy held up a hand.  “Yes, I did, I wanted to be here for you.  Now…is there anything you need?”

Looking down at himself, JC nodded.  “Yeah, when you get a minute, could you get me a change of clothes and maybe my toiletry bag, I could use a shave.”  He touched the stubble on his face.  “There should be an extra kit in the downstairs bathroom.  And just any clothes – jeans and a couple of shirts would be good.”  He snapped his fingers, “Oh, and can you grab Liz’s laptop, it’s probably in the office.  Mine’s still in LA.  That should be everything for now.”  JC stepped into the comforting arms of his father.  “Thanks Dad – for everything.”

After returning the hard hug, Roy stepped back but left his hands on JC’s shoulders.  “You just take care of my daughter in law and my new grandbaby.”

They began their walk to the door and JC stopped to refill his cup.  “Oh, and dad, don’t mention the baby to anyone.  I’m not sure if Liz even knows yet and if something happens…”

Roy held his hand up.  “Say no more, I won’t even tell your mother.  That’s yours and Liz’s news to share.  I love you, Josh, and if you need anything, I’m only a phone call away.  I’ll be back after while.”

JC licked his lips at the emotion.  “Thanks, Dad, and there’s no rush.  Go home and get some sleep first.”

They parted ways at the nurses’ station, Roy heading to the elevators, and JC heading back to sit by Liz’s bedside.