Chris laughed, tossing some popcorn in his mouth. He and the guys were sprawled out in JC's living room. They had all just returned from having a long weekend home with their families for the Thanksgiving holiday. Before they had gone their separate ways, they had agreed to get back together Sunday night to allow them a night together to relax before they went to work finishing up their album No Strings Attached.

They were watching an action movie, but the plot was barely there and the things the protagonist was doing seemed to grow more and more ridiculous as the movie went on. None of them wanted to turn it off though, wanting to see just how it ended and how crazy it got in the meantime. If anything they were having even more fun making fun of it and laughing at the ridiculous dialogue and story.

"And you say my movies suck," JC said. He was lying on his stomach on the floor in front of the couch. "This is awful!"

"At least it's entertaining," Joey replied.

JC twisted his body just enough so he could look towards the couch where Joey was sitting. "And mine aren't?"

"Your movies are always deep and thought provoking. They give me a headache. But this," Joey nodded towards the TV, "it's got real action that moves the plot forward. And there's no thinking involved."

"What plot?" JC asked.

At the same time, Justin said to Joey, "When do you ever do any thinking?"

Chris cackled, and the others all joined in while Joey let out an indignant "Hey!" even though he wasn't really offended. They were all feeling light and carefree, which was more than they could've said a week ago. This time last week they'd still been in the midst of the lawsuit and stressing about the court's decision. Then on Wednesday the judge had ruled in their favor, and all of the stress they'd been feeling had instantly disappeared. The crushing weight had lifted and they all could breathe easier knowing they could truly move on and finish up the album they'd been working on.

"I feel bad for Penny. You probably force her to watch all those artsy movies," Joey said. JC stilled, and Chris frowned. Because JC was facing the TV he couldn't see his face, but he didn't like the way he'd just tensed.

But he seemed to be the only one that had noticed because then Lance replied, "She probably likes them."

JC turned his head again to look over at the armchair where Lance was sitting with his feet propped up on an ottoman. Any earlier tension seemed to be gone, and Chris wondered if maybe he'd imagined it.

"So, what? You don't like my movies either?" JC asked. "You always told me you did. Unless you were lying."

"No, I do like them," Lance said. "But I am happy you have someone else to share them with."

Joey and Justin laughed. "There you go, Jace," Justin said. "You'll have to invite Penny over for a movie night so you can get one more movie in before we finish up the album."

There was no denying it this time. Chris watched as JC's back and shoulders stiffened, and he couldn't seem to turn his head back to the TV quick enough, like he didn't want any of them to catch the look on his face. Something was definitely up.

"How are you and Penny doing? Did you end up going to her parents over the weekend?" Chris asked. JC had mentioned to them a couple weeks ago that he'd been thinking about spending at least a day or two of the holiday weekend with Penny and her family.

The others all focused their attention on JC, abandoning the movie in favor of hearing his answer. Chris could tell by the genuine interest on their faces that they hadn't heard anything about Penny lately either. Honestly Chris couldn't even remember the last time JC had said anything about his girlfriend.

"No, I didn't," JC said. He was still laying on his stomach, his eyes glued to the TV. He was silently telling them he didn't want to talk about it, but they weren't about to let this go.

Justin frowned. "Why not? The last time we talked it sounded like you were about to buy the tickets to Phoenix."

JC sighed loudly, pushing himself up to sitting position and spinning around so he was facing them. He looked as annoyed as he sounded. "Well it would've been pretty inappropriate since we broke up."

Chris's jaw dropped, and he saw the others had similar looks of surprise. Penny was a sweet girl who was a freelance photographer which allowed her to work from almost anywhere. Something that often gave her the opportunity to meet up with them while they were on tour. They'd all liked her from day one, and she and JC had seemed great together. It made no sense.

Justin was the first one to find his voice. "What? Why? You guys were perfect for each other!"

JC rolled his eyes. "We'd only been going out for four months. There's no way you could've known that."

"It's the longest you've gone out with anyone in years."

To most people that would've sounded ridiculous, but Chris knew it was true. In the four years he'd known JC, he'd never once seen him in a relationship that lasted as long as the one with Penny. That wasn't to say he didn't date because obviously JC did, but for one reason or another the girls never stuck around. Penny had been different and yet...she was gone too. Though, it was hard to say how many of the girls had left on their own and how many had been pushed away.

"Who broke up with who?" Joey asked.

JC was sitting with his knees bent and his arms crossed, resting on top of them. He wasn't looking at any of them, but his eyes were narrowed and his jaw was set. It didn't matter that JC didn't want to talk to them about this. The end of a relationship was a big change, and one that they should've been clued into before now. Not so much because they were nosy, but because they were best friends and were supposed to share all of their big life events with each other. The fact that JC hadn't was a red flag, signaling that something was wrong.

It was clear JC didn't want to answer Joey's question, but they all just stared at him expectantly. Finally, he snapped, "What does it matter?"

Joey and Justin exchanged knowing glances and said in unison, "You broke up with her."

JC growled and jumped to his feet, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "And what?" he demanded. "I'm not allowed to break up with someone if I want to?"

Chris thought about standing up so he could look JC in the eye without craning his neck, but he remained on the couch. Getting to his feet would look like a combative move to JC, and the last thing he wanted was for them to start fighting. This was supposed to be a fun night for the five of them to relax and hang out before they went back into the studio.

"Of course you are," Chris said to JC, his hands out in a placating manner. He glanced at the guys before looking back at JC. "We're just concerned. Things seemed to be going great between you and Penny."

JC glared down at him. "You don't know everything. You have no idea what things were like behind closed doors."

Chris shook his head. "I don't buy that. We shared suites and even when we didn't, you know hotel walls aren't that thick." He leveled JC with a serious gaze. "Things were going well with you and Penny. So what happened?"

"It's none of your business."

The words were said coldly, and there was a look in JC's eyes that Chris couldn't remember seeing before. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. But Lance seemed to be intimated by it because he shifted uncomfortably in his chair before he started speaking.

"Maybe he's right," Lance said, looking at them. "If he wanted to tell us what happened, he would've. And he obviously doesn't so..."

"No," Justin said, shaking his head. He looked up at JC, meeting his eyes. "You were the happiest with her out of all the girls you've dated. Happier than you've been in a long time, and then you just throw it away? I don't think so."

JC clenched his hands tighter, and Chris could see the way his muscles stiffened in his arms and shoulders. He was going to be hurting later if he didn't relax and loosen his grip. "If you know me so well then you must know why I broke up with her," JC replied. "So let's hear it."

All eyes went to Justin. Chris had to admit he was curious if Justin had a theory behind the breakup. After all, he was the one JC was closest to. Maybe JC had said something to him about Penny that gave him some insight into the situation the rest of them hadn't had. But even if JC hadn't said anything, the two of them were as close as they were for a reason. Half the time it almost seemed like they could reach each other's minds.

JC nodded, like he'd expected that Justin had been talking out of his ass. But before he could say anything, Justin spoke.

"Because you're scared." Justin stood up so he was eye to eye with JC. "You were falling in love with her and you didn't know how to handle it. So you did what you always do, you ran."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," JC said, his words firm and his body trembling from anger. But Chris could hear the slight stutter in JC's words. Justin apparently wasn't so far off the mark.

"Oh please," Justin said, rolling his eyes. "I've seen you do this too many times. Usually you do it as soon as you feel like there's even a chance you could feel anything for them. But with Penny it took you by surprise."

"What are you so afraid of, JC?" Joey asked, obviously believing what Justin was saying was true.

"Nothing!" JC shouted. "The reasons I broke up with her are mine, and I don't have to share them with you. But it certainly wasn't because I was afraid to love her."

"Deny it all you want, but she is not the first girl you've done this to," Justin said.

JC glared at him. "Name one."

"Oh I can name more than just one." Justin lifted a hand in the air and started counting fingers as he listed girls JC had previously dated. "Diana, Ali, Sarah-"

"Sarah cheated on me," JC interrupted. "And Ali was just in it for the sex. Not every girl that didn't work out was my fault."

Justin held up his hands. "I didn't say it was. I just hate to think you pulled away from Penny because of a few bad experiences."

JC laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I can't imagine why I wouldn't want to have my heart broken again."

"Maybe you were hurt by Sarah cheating and some of the other crappy things that happened, but I think it was mostly self-inflicted. You did things to drive each of them away," Justin said. "It just so happens that in Sarah's case it drove her into the arms of another man."

JC's face darkened, and it looked like he was ready to take a swing at Justin. Chris quickly jumped off the couch, placing himself between the two of them. He was pretty sure that JC would never actually hit Justin, but he didn't want to take any chances. Not now with how pissed JC looked.

The tension in the air was thick, and the only sound that could be heard in the room was of explosions and sirens as a chase scene happened in the movie. It was hard to believe they'd gotten to this point just from ripping on movies. Chris had no idea how to diffuse the situation any more than he already had. He was about to suggest they all just go to bed and sleep off the fight when the doorbell rang.

That seemed to break the spell as JC finally unclenched and looked away from Justin. He stepped around Chris and went over to the front door. Joey and Lance turned their eyes back to the movie, seeming to want to try to pretend things hadn't just escalated like they had. Justin sighed heavily and collapsed back on the couch, and Chris put a hand on his shoulder.

JC and Justin had had a lot of fights over the years, but this one had struck a nerve a bit harder than most. For JC especially. Chris knew Justin had only said what he had because he was truly worried about JC, but it was also apparent that he recognized he hadn't gone about telling JC in the right way.

"Are you JC Chasez?"

Chris turned his head to the door, brow furrowed. It was getting late. Who could possibly be at the door? He'd just assumed it was Johnny coming to rain on their parade and tell them he'd gotten that radio interview scheduled for tomorrow morning after all.

Chris heard JC confirm his identity, and he'd just taken a step towards the door to see who was on the other side when the person said, "You're under arrest."

"What?" JC gaped, and all of their heads snapped over to the door. He stepped back in surprise and the door opened further revealing two police officers. The shorter of the two reached for JC, and Chris was over to JC in a couple quick strides, pulling him away from the police.

"What the hell is this about?" Chris demanded, pushing JC behind him. He knew without looking that the others were standing there too.

"Mr. Chasez is being extradited to California for the murder of Marc Trujillo," the other officer said.

"Murder?!" they all chorused, JC included.

"I didn't kill anyone," JC denied.

"You can argue that when you get to LA. Right now, we're taking you in," the shorter cop said, reaching for JC again. Chris moved so he was in his way, glaring at the man.

"There's no way I'm letting you take him. He didn't do anything wrong," Chris said.

The taller cop who had been standing in the doorway, stepped further into the room. "Then we'll have you arrested for interfering with arrest."

Chris crossed his arms, more than ready to accept that outcome. He would do whatever he had to in order to keep JC safe, but he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. And then JC's quiet voice, which sounded loud in the nearly silent room.

"It's okay, Chris."

JC seemed relatively calm, but Chris could see the fear in his eyes. He was doing his best to keep it together, and it was clear by the look on his face that the last thing he needed was to worry about Chris. One of them being arrested was more than enough. More than any of them could handle.

"But you didn't murder anyone," Justin protested before Chris could.

JC nodded, looking back at Justin. "Something that will all get cleared up, I promise."

The shorter cop stepped forward, and this time Chris allowed him to step around him so he could grab JC's arm. Though it took everything he had in him to let the man do it. It was especially hard to watch the cop force JC to turn around so he could grab his other arm, cuffing them together behind his back.

"We'll call Johnny and a lawyer and meet you down there," Lance said.

JC gave a weak smile that was meant to be reassuring but that fell flat. The guys moved closer to the Chris as they watched the cops lead JC out the front door and into the police car that was parked at the end of the driveway. They didn't look away until the car was out of sight and even then they stood there in shock, all of them thinking the same thing.

What the hell just happened?

******************

Up until now, JC had only been in the back of a police car once before. It had been when he was eight years old back when he lived in Bowie. He was friends with a kid whose dad was a cop, and on Simon's birthday that year his dad had given them rides in the police car and had shown them around the station. It seemed silly now, but that was back when all the neighborhood boys would play cops and robbers. To an eight year old riding in a cop car had been a pretty cool experience, but now as a twenty-three year old man it was humiliating and scary.

The two cops riding up front didn't say anything to him and barely said anything to each other, leaving the car in silence for the majority of the ride. JC didn't even bother to insist his innocence or ask for more details about what evidence had been gathered to warrant his arrest. There was no point because they wouldn't believe anything he said, and after everything they'd just gone through with the lawsuit, he knew better than to say anything without a lawyer present.

JC shifted in the seat, uncomfortable from his arms being cuffed behind his back and the metal wrapped tightly around his wrists. Moving didn't alleviate any of the strain on his muscles though. If anything, it just chaffed his wrists as the handcuffs dug into the sensitive skin even more.

Despite where he was and what he was facing, his mind kept going back to Penny. He blamed the guys because after all, they were the ones that'd kept pushing and picking at something he'd have much rather left alone. He'd broken up with her a couple days before the judge had made his decision in the lawsuit and since then he'd spent time pushing away all thoughts of her. Only to have them hit him like a tidal wave now that the guys had forced open the latch that had held back his memories of their time together.

Rather than thinking about the breakup, all his mind seemed to conjure up was the day that they'd met. The day had started like any other, and it hadn't seemed like anything special was going to happen. Though, that was the whole point of hindsight. You didn't know what a big moment it was until later when the following course of events played out and allowed you perspective.

They had been in New York City, and they'd somehow managed to get an afternoon off. Joey had spent the time with his family with Lance tagging along, while Justin and Chris had stayed behind in the hotel wanting to just lay about. The tour was exhausting all of them, but JC hadn't been in the mood to lay around. It wasn't often they had time to kill in NYC and he wanted to make the most of it, especially since the last time they were there he hadn't gotten to hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It had been easy to spend a couple hours in there, and when JC left he'd only seen a third of the museum. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to spend any more time there. Though, that didn't stop him from walking through Central Park rather than hailing a cab right outside of the museum.

He'd been taking his time even though in the back of his mind he knew he'd have to head back to the venue for sound check soon. It was when he'd come through Strawberry Fields - the part of the park dedicated to John Lennon - that his day had taken a turn.

Even though he was on the path, he could see the street corner that led directly into Strawberry Fields where there was always a crowd of people. Most were just waiting at the cross section for the light to change, but others were huddled around a stand selling various Beatles and John Lennon merchandise. There was a young woman who'd maneuvered her way through the crowd, turning her body sideways as she did in order to fit between those who refused to listen to her polite attempts to clear a path. As she did so, JC saw a bag slip from her shoulders and fall on the pavement.

Before he could think about what he was doing, he was jogging forward and he swiped it from the pavement before anyone else could pick it up. Then he ran after the girl yelling, "Excuse me, miss?"

It took a couple times yelling for her before she seemed to realize that he was trying to get her attention. At the same time she spun to face him, JC saw the look on her face that said she'd finally realized she'd lost her bag. Then he saw the camera in her hands and there were butterflies in his stomach. Of course he had to run into paparazzi; there were no afternoons off for celebrities.

"You dropped this," JC said, handing her what he now realized was a camera bag. All he wanted was to get as far away as possible, already regretting coming out. It was a bad idea considering how they were becoming easier to spot the more famous they became. They dealt with the press enough; he didn't want to do it on his afternoon off.

She gave him a friendly smile. "Thanks."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, and JC was about to take a step back to leave when she spoke again. "I'm a freelance photographer, and I promise there's nothing in my assignment about getting pictures of celebrities," she said, her smile seeming to get bigger.

He had a feeling she could sense his unease, and he berated himself for being so transparent. Even if she was telling the truth and not paparazzi, he wasn't supposed to let his true feelings show. It was something that had been drilled into their heads enough the last few years.

"Sorry. You just caught me off guard," he said, forcing himself to smile. If Lou caught wind of this, he would get hell for not trying to portray himself - and by extension the group - in the best light. "I'm JC."

She laughed, but it wasn't in a mean way. It was like she knew he was uncomfortable and trying not to make him feel like the idiot he knew he was being. "I'm Penny. Penny Sampson."

A car horn loudly blew nearby, and JC turned his head towards the intersection. He could barely see it now, but it was a stark reminder that he had a busy life he had to get back to. Central Park was huge, and it often felt like its own separate world where you could just laze about by the lake or stroll through the zoo. Unfortunately, he didn't have time for any of those things; he had to get back to the hotel because they were due at sound check in about an hour.

JC turned back towards Penny to say goodbye, and before he could do anything to stop it, there was a telltale flash followed by a shutter noise. He looked at her with a frown. "I thought you weren't paparazzi."

"I'm not," she said. "I told you my assignment has nothing to do with celebrities. I'm photographing butterflies and one flew right past your head. I can't help it if attractive men are in my shot."

JC felt the tips of his ears burn with embarrassment, but he couldn't deny the pleasure he felt at her words. He'd spent a lot of years in an awkward phase, feeling less like the teen idol he was supposed to be and more like the dorky kid he'd always seen himself as. But lately it'd seemed he was finally merging the two - that he had finally found a hairstyle that suited him and helped him look more the part without feeling like he was trying too hard.

"I don't know how attractive I am in that shot. I probably have a terrible look on my face," he said.

"Maybe you just can't see what the rest of the world does," she said.

"I guess I'll have to wait for it to show up in a magazine before I see it?"

She shook her head. "I'm not going to sell it. But," she reached into her purse and pulled out a small card to hand to him, "if you are interested, give me a call."

He looked down at her business card, seeing her name and a couple of phone numbers listed. When he looked up, she was already walking away. He watched her leave, feeling a bit dumbfounded. Then she turned around and gave him a sweet smile, and he felt something loosen in his chest as his lips curled upward.

She'd been the first girl he'd allowed himself to be comfortable with in a long time. It didn't happen right away of course, but he'd actually gotten to a place where he thought he could trust her which was more than he could say about the last how many women he'd dated. She had been good for him, and they had been good together. He'd known that, and it'd actually made him regret breaking things off with her. But each time, he'd forced those feelings away. He'd done the right thing.

The car came to a stop, and JC realized they were outside of the police station. The cop that was seated in front of him got out and then opened JC's door, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him out of the car. JC didn't put up a fight or resist in any way. Doing so would be pointless and would only get him in more trouble.

JC was led through the side entrance and stopped at a desk where another cop was seated. Not a word passed between the two cops, both of them knowing what their jobs were. The cop at the desk was Jefferson as JC read from his nametag, and he got to his feet coming around so he could pat JC down while the other cop remained where he was with a firm grip on JC's arm. As if he was going to try anything.

Once the men seemed satisfied that he was unarmed, Jefferson said, "Put him in the last cell at the end of the hall. I want to keep some distance between him and the drunk and disorderly we had brought in."

"Will do, Rick," the man next to JC said.

JC was nudged forward and he walked, the cop keeping hold of his arm. They walked down a long hallway with the last half filled with six cells. Only one was occupied and JC assumed he was the man that Jefferson had referred to. The man didn't even look up as they walked past, seeming to be passed out on the small cot. From there, it wasn't much further until they reached the end of the hall and the last cell.

The cop unlocked the cell first, sliding the heavy door open. Then he located another key, this one to free JC from the cuffs around his wrists. There was an audible click, and the relief was instantaneous. JC stepped into the cell, rubbing gingerly at his chaffed wrists.

"You'll get your phone call in a half hour. I have to process some paperwork first, okay?" the cop said.

JC turned around and faced him, nodding. He wasn't concerned. Anyone he would've called already knew about him being arrested. Well, except his parents. But he would rather not tell them in the hopes he could get this resolved quickly and not have to worry them for nothing.

The cop slid the door home and quickly locked it. He then walked off without another word, but that was fine by JC. What little sense of calm he'd had seemed to have wore off the second the cell door was slammed shut, and he didn't want anyone to see him lose it.

JC turned around to face the interior of the cell, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. It made his chest feel tighter, which didn't make it any easier to breathe or his heart beat any slower, but in a way he felt like it was the only thing holding him together. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he would go to jail, and his environment just heightened his stress.

There was a twin sized cot on the one wall, chained and bolted so it couldn't be ripped away. There was a toilet in the far corner, and JC didn't have to get any closer to see how dirty it was. Even from where he was standing he could see the brown spots where either it had rusted or...well, JC didn't want to think about that. It was all a reminder that he didn't belong here.

He was breathing too quick, and he was beginning to feel lightheaded. He needed to sit down, but everything seemed so dirty that he didn't want to touch anything. But he knew if he didn't he would end up on the ground and probably with a head wound, which would just make him more susceptible to catching something. So he took the lesser of two evils and carefully lowered himself onto the cot. Though, he sat on the edge of it so as little of himself was touching it as possible.

JC prayed that the guys showed up soon with Johnny and a lawyer and that maybe, just maybe, this was all a misunderstanding and he could go home. But deep down he knew that wasn't going to happen. He may not have killed anyone, but he wasn't exactly innocent either.

He'd made a lot of mistakes in LA the year after the Mickey Mouse Club ended, and it seemed as if his biggest one had finally caught up to him.

Lance had been forced to park in a lot a couple blocks from the police station, and with each step that took them closer to the building, the more Justin's stomach tied up in knots. He was worried about JC - afraid of how he was handling things. JC had tried to put up a good front for them when the police had hauled him away, but Justin had seen the fear hidden behind it.

It was a feeling Justin shared. While he knew without a doubt that JC was innocent, he also knew that sometimes innocent people went to jail. That wasn't something he wanted to happen to his best friend. JC didn't belong in a jail cell, and the fact that he had been arrested and was likely sitting in one at this very moment was bad enough. If he were to actually go to jail for a crime he didn't commit? Well...Justin didn't want to think about that.

Once they were close enough, Justin could see Johnny standing in front of the building waiting for them with an unknown man in a suit. They all quickened their pace, only stopping once they were close enough to talk to Johnny without raising their voices. They wanted to try to keep this whole thing as quiet as possible because the last thing they needed was the press finding out about this.

"Hey, Johnny," Chris greeted, coming up beside Justin. He glanced at the unknown man that Justin could only assume was the lawyer. "You found a lawyer really fast."

"George gave me a couple recommendations," Johnny said. George was one of the lawyers that had helped them through the lawsuit. Justin had really liked him, but he supposed it made sense that they would need a different lawyer in this situation. If George liked this guy, then that was enough for Justin.

"I'm Todd Woodard," the man in the suit said, extending his hand and shaking each of their hands.

"This is pretty awesome of you," Joey said when it was his turn to greet the man. "I can't imagine a lot of lawyers would be open to showing up at midnight."

Todd just gave a noncommittal shrug. "It's what I do. But on that note, we should go in."

They all turned, following the lawyer and Johnny into the police station. When they walked through the doors, it wasn't anything like Justin had seen in the movies. There were several desks, but instead of there being a flurry of activity, they were mostly empty. Though, given the late hour, it made sense. A man who was seated at a desk a few rows back looked up when they walked in.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

The lawyer stepped forward. "I'm Todd Woodard. I'm Mr. Chasez's lawyer, and I'd like to meet with him."

The cop looked beyond the lawyer staring at the four of them and Johnny. "And you are?"

"We're his friends," Justin said. "And we'd like to see him too."

The cop sighed a little, but he picked up his phone and punched in a few buttons. It seemed to connect him to someone else in the building because he told them to bring JC out and put him in one of the conference rooms. When he hung up the phone, he ignored them in favor of looking at the lawyer.

"C'mon, I'll take you to where you'll be meeting with him."

Justin exchanged glances with the other three and Johnny, all of them wondering if they should just follow the lawyer. Chris stepped forward without any hesitation, and at the same time, the lawyer turned and jerked his head to motion that they could follow. It made Justin think this wasn't the first time a police officer had ignored the friends of the accused, but he was left feeling irritated. He wasn't used to being ignored.

They walked through the rows of desks before they came to a hallway where they made a right. It was a short walk as they stopped at the first door they came to. There were a couple of benches outside the door, and Justin knew before the cop even said anything that they were intended to wait out here.

"You can sit here. Once the lawyer is finished, you can have a few minutes with Mr. Chasez before we take him back to his cell," the cop said.

"Can't we go in with the lawyer?" Lance asked.

The cop looked at each of them, seeming surprised at the question. It made him hesitate, and finally he said, "I'll leave that up to Mr. Chasez. If he wants you in there, then I suppose that's okay."

Just as he said that, the sound of footsteps and metallic rattling drew their attention. Justin turned his head and felt his chest constrict at the sight of JC. He wasn't wearing an orange jumpsuit like Justin had envisioned he would, but his hands were cuffed in front of him and that was bad enough. It wasn't right to see JC in handcuffs, especially when he didn't do anything.

The cop escorting JC slowed to a stop a foot in front of them, forcing JC to do the same. He looked at them, his eyes meeting Justin's for a brief moment before he looked away. Justin frowned.

"JC, are you okay?" Johnny asked before Justin could.

JC nodded his head, but he didn't even glance in their direction. Justin's frown deepened, and he could see similar concern on the faces of the guys. Even though JC had only looked at him for a second, that had been all Justin had needed to know that JC was barely holding it together. It didn't surprise him because he could honestly say he wouldn't be faring much better if his was in his shoes, but he wished JC would let them help. That he would lean on them and not try to hide all the emotions he must be feeling.

Before Justin could even think about saying anything though, the lawyer stepped forward. "Mr. Chasez? My name is Todd Woodard. I'll be representing you, which starts with getting a statement from you."

JC had raised his head when the lawyer introduced himself, and he looked at the lawyer nodding. "Okay," he said quietly.

It wasn't hard to see that he was nervous and on edge. Justin blamed the environment and of course the circumstances. Even though he knew without a shadow of a doubt that JC hadn't done anything wrong, he could understand why such a place would make JC feel uneasy. Hell, it was making him anxious.

"It's okay, C. We'll be with you the entire time," Justin said.

JC licked his lips. "Actually..." he glanced at them briefly before looking away again, "can you guys wait out here?"

Justin's jaw dropped, and he struggled to say something but no words were forthcoming. Lance and Joey looked equally surprised, while Chris seemed more annoyed than anything. But what stunned him even more was what JC said next.

"Johnny, you're coming in, right?"

Johnny nodded. "Of course. If that's what you want."

JC gave a short nod, and that was the end of it. Before Justin could move or utter a single word of protest, the cops standing there herded JC into the room and allowed Johnny and Todd to enter before closing the door behind them. The cop who had brought JC from his cell stood outside the door, while the other left. Probably to return to his desk in case someone else came into the police station.

"Well, I didn't see that coming," Joey said once it was just the four of them in the hall. Not including the police officer by the door.

"Are you kidding? That was classic JC," Chris replied. "He hides stuff from us all the time."

Justin rolled his eyes. "It's not that often. And anyway, he let Johnny go in. He wouldn't have done that if he was hiding something."

"I think it was more that he knew he didn't have a choice. Johnny has to be involved because he's going to have to help figure out a way to get ahead of this and how to spin it when the press gets wind of what happened," Lance said.

Joey looked at him. "You really think they'll find out?"

"I'm not sure how we can keep it a secret. Feels like they'll find out eventually."

"Hopefully whatever JC did is nothing we can't handle," Chris said. They all looked at him in surprise, and Justin glanced over at the cop nervously. Chris followed his gaze and rolled his eyes, but he did lower his voice a bit. "What? All I'm saying is obviously he knows something or we wouldn't be out here."

"He's just nervous and having all of us staring at him would just make it worse." Justin looked Chris in the eye and said vehemently but quietly, "He didn't kill anyone."

Chris held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say he did, but there's something to this. If there wasn't, he wouldn't be so reluctant to have us sit in with the lawyer."

Justin shook his head. He refused to believe it. JC had seemed just as surprised as the rest of them when he'd been arrested earlier, and as far as he'd been able to tell, JC hadn't recognized the name of the man the police accused him of murdering. While it was true that JC did hide things from them, he would never keep something this big from them.

******************

JC couldn't help but feel a bit of relief when the police officer left the room, leaving him with his lawyer and Johnny. Yes, he was still handcuffed, and yes, it would likely stay that way. But it made him a little less tense with the cop gone, even if he was just standing on the other side of the door. Not to say he wasn't nervous, but it felt like the pressure to say the right thing was off. Or at least nothing he said would end up being used as evidence against him.

The lawyer sat across the table from him, and JC could feel the piercing gaze of the man as he scrutinized him. It made him wonder just how many clients he'd taken on that he'd known were guilty just by looking at them, and also just how many were actually innocent. He would hate to think the lawyer was making a snap judgment against him, but ultimately he trusted Johnny and the fact that he would've made sure he got a lawyer who would listen and treat this with the seriousness it deserved.

"Mr. Chasez," Todd, the lawyer said in a voice that commanded attention. JC lifted his head to look at him. "Are you ready to begin?"

JC gave a short nod, averting his eyes again. He wanted to look the lawyer in the eye, but the truth was he was terrified. Terrified of saying the wrong thing, of not being able to explain himself properly. But most of all, he was afraid of the reaction he would get because he knew it would change the way they would look at him. It was the sole reason he didn't want the guys hearing all of this, because he knew he would have to explain some things that he had never spoken of before.

"From what I understand, you're being extradited back to LA for the murder of Marc Trujillo." Todd paused. "Did you know him?"

The lawyer stared at JC, and JC shifted in his seat. He had thought the lawyer would have his attention diverted by taking notes, but there wasn't a single scrap of paper in front of him. In fact, he hadn't come in with anything at all. JC wondered if it was a stipulation Johnny had made - that he couldn't take any notes. If Johnny had, JC almost wished he hadn't because having the lawyer's full attention was making his nerves even worse.

"No," JC said, finally answering the question.

Todd raised an eyebrow. "But..." He sighed when JC didn't add to his response. "Mr. Chasez, I've been doing this a long time and I know when someone is holding something back. It's in your best interest to tell me whatever it is, and there obviously has to be something that connects you to this man. If there wasn't, I doubt you'd be where you are now."

Johnny was sitting next to JC and reached out to put his hand overtop of JC's, the action startling him. "No matter how dumb you think it is, you should tell him. It might even keep you from spending a night in jail."

He doubted it. Still, JC took a deep breath and said, "I wasn't lying when I said I didn't know the guy. But I knew of him. He was my girlfriend's ex." He saw the look of surprise on Johnny's face and rushed to clarify, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Not Penny. A girl I was with when I lived in LA after the Mickey Mouse Club ended."

"Did you ever meet him?" Todd asked.

JC shook his head. "I did see him though. The day I left LA."

Todd frowned. "You never met him, but you saw him? When?"

JC looked away. This was where it got hard. He didn't want to deal with this, let alone think about it. He'd spent a lot of time putting what had happened that year in LA behind him. Or at least he'd thought he had. Maybe he'd just buried it, forcing himself to forget.

"The day he died. I was at his house." JC watched the lawyer, looking for surprise. Instead, he just saw a calm, reasonable expression. He knew what Todd's next question would be, and he answered it before Todd could even get the words out. "I swear I didn't kill him."

"Then who did?"

"My girlfriend at the time. Sabrina."

Todd leaned forward a little. "Does Sabrina have a last name?"

JC bit his lip. His hesitation wasn't due to any loyalty he had for her, but rather because he knew the way everyone would react when he said it. Still, he had to say it. The lawyer needed to know the truth, and it would help clear him for the murder.

"Trujillo."

Johnny and Todd exchanged surprised looks. "She was his sister?" Johnny asked.

JC shook his head. "His wife." He gave a little shrug. "They married young. And she went by Sabrina Morton most of the time."

"How did she kill him?"

"I'm not sure," JC said slowly, his eyes fixed on his hands. "I think it was poison."

"You think? You don't know?" the lawyer pressed.

JC felt some anger rise up, and he lifted his head to look Todd in the eye. "I didn't see her do it. I was outside the house and when I came in, he was already dead. So instead of asking me about things I don't know, why don't you tell me how you're going to get the charges dropped?"

"JC," Johnny reprimanded, looking at him in surprise. JC looked away and would've crossed his arms if his hands weren't handcuffed. Johnny said to Todd, "What's our next step?"

Todd sighed, and JC watched him shift in his seat out of the corner of his eye. "We can schedule a hearing with a judge where we plead Mr. Chasez's innocence and ask for the reason he's being extradited. It would allow us to know exactly what evidence the police in LA may have to prompt the request for extradition."

"How long would that take?"

"Normally it takes a couple of days to get an appearance with a judge scheduled, but with my connections I can probably get something scheduled for late tomorrow."

"And in the meantime?" Johnny glanced at JC before he looked back at Todd. "Can JC go home?"

Todd shook his head. "I'm afraid not. At the extradition hearing we could plead our case that he's not a flight risk or dangerous which would allow him to be extradited to California without sitting in jail. Because honestly the whole process could take a couple of weeks or more."

JC's chest constricted at that. He wanted this whole process over with as soon as possible. A couple of weeks of this would be torture, especially if he was forced to wait it out in a jail cell. No, he wasn't going to do that.

"And if I turn down the extradition hearing? Will I be extradited right away?" JC asked, lifting his head up so he could look Todd in the eye.

"You could. If the police here pushed the paperwork through right away and coordinated with those in LA."

"Then let's do that."

Both Todd and Johnny stared at him in surprise.

"JC," Johnny started, but JC quickly cut him off.

"If this is going to take weeks, you know every reporter here and around the country will get wind of this story. It'll be a media nightmare, and that's the last thing we need right now." JC turned his head and stared into Johnny's concerned gaze. "The quicker we deal with this, the better chance we have at keeping it quiet."

Todd raised an eyebrow. "Is going along with the extradition for fear of the media finding out really worth spending the night in jail?"

"From what you've said, it sounds like I'd be in jail for a couple days anyway until we could get the hearing scheduled," JC said. "And like you said earlier, if they put this request in then they must feel they have something substantial. So I would be extradited no matter what. This way I can show I have nothing to hide by just going along with it."

Johnny frowned, but Todd just nodded. "If that's truly what you want to do, then I'll go talk to the police. See if I can do my part to make sure they protect your identity and don't cause this to turn into a media circus."

Todd stood up and walked out. Johnny rose to follow, but he paused after he got to his feet. He looked down at JC as he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

JC wasn't sure about anything, but he felt like this was the way to go. The sooner they could get this over with, the better. He nodded, meeting Johnny's eyes just briefly before looking away again.

"Okay, then I'll go back Todd up and make sure the police know just how much trouble you being spotted will cause. And I'll send the guys in."

JC didn't say anything, and he saw Johnny leave the room out of the corner of his eye. He sighed heavily, slouching back against the chair. He winced as the backward momentum had his hands sliding across the table, the sound of metal against metal making his ears hurt. Even though he'd gotten quite a bit of rest at home during the holiday weekend, he felt completely drained and he dreaded spending the night in the jail cell.

There was a bunch of noise as the guys all filed into the room, Chris closing the door behind them to give them some privacy. Justin was the first one around the table, plopping down into the seat next to JC and throwing an arm around his shoulders to pull him into some semblance of a hug.

"You doing okay?" Justin asked quietly.

JC nodded, forcing himself to pull away from Justin. He appreciated the support, but he was afraid if he kept leaning into Justin that he would completely lose what little hold he had on his emotions. Knowing that your best friend was spending the night in jail was bad enough, but knowing just how freaked they were would just make it all the more painful. He couldn't do that to Justin.

"We overheard Todd just before we came in. He says you want to be extradited to California tomorrow?" Joey asked.

"Yeah," JC said simply.

"But why? You didn't do anything so you shouldn't have to go." Justin seemed to realize something as he tensed and looked at JC with an expression that was a mix of sadness and concern. "You have to spend the night here. Don't you?"

JC let out a long sigh, but he didn't deny it. "I was going to have to do some jail time no matter what. Even if I went ahead with the hearing with the judge."

"But you didn't do anything!" Justin exclaimed. "How can they keep you when you're innocent?"

Lance stepped forward, putting a comforting hand on Justin's shoulder. "They don't know he's innocent, J. They think he's a murder suspect, and the evidence they have allows them to hold him."

"For how long?" Justin demanded, jumping to his feet. "How long will they keep an innocent man locked up? It's not right."

"Justin..." JC started, his voice calm as he tried pull out his best reassuring tone even though he wasn't feeling either of those things at the moment.

But all this seemed to do was spur on Justin's anger as Justin spun around to face him. "And why the hell aren't you fighting this? You're just going to let them think you killed someone?"

"I know the truth and when I get to LA, the cops will know it too. They'll realize I had nothing to do with it and this will be over. All without anyone finding out," JC explained.

Chris crossed his arms over his chest. "And if it doesn't happen quite that neatly?"

JC gave a little shrug, trying to act casual even though his heart raced at the thought. "Then Johnny will help me deal with it."

"Help us you mean," Joey corrected. JC opened his mouth to object, to say that they weren't coming to LA with him, but he was interrupted before he could even get a word out. "JC, c'mon. We're not letting you go to LA and deal with this yourself."

"Guys, no. That'll just make everything worse. It's easier to spot us if we're together and it'll ruin any chance of keeping this quiet," JC said. His heart pounded harder at the thought of them in LA, finding out the truth, meeting Sabrina. He wasn't sure how likely the last thing was, but he didn't want to risk it. Sabrina was from a life he didn't want the guys to know anything about.

Surprisingly none of them seemed to be thrown at his declaration, but then they knew how he was. He had always been super conscious of how the public perceived them and how the things they did looked in the eyes of the fans and media. Even before Lou had beat that lesson into them, he'd taken it upon himself to make sure they did everything in their power to put the best of themselves out there. Still, he would've thought they'd be a little more taken aback by his determination they stay out of it.

Before the guys could respond, the door opened and the cop that had escorted JC from his cell was there. "Time's up," he said.

He barely had taken two steps towards JC when Justin spoke. "Why do you even have to take him?" he asked, his voice full of attitude, still riding his earlier anger. "He can stay with us."

"No, he can't," the cop said sharply. "I don't know what you're complaining about anyway. You're getting what you wanted."

Justin glared, and it looked like he was about to snap. JC could imagine he was thinking something along the lines of that he wasn't getting what he wanted. He quickly intervened, not wanting to give him the opportunity to make things worse.

"Justin," he said sharply, a warning hidden in that single word.

Justin turned his glare on him, but JC met his gaze head on. He wasn't intimidated by Justin, more than used to his bad moods. Even if this one was actually justified, he wasn't about to put up with Justin going off on a cop and potentially ending up in jail himself. From the look on the man's face, he would have no problem throwing Justin in jail for a night just to teach him a lesson.

The cop turned his attention to JC. "Per your lawyer's instructions, an undercover officer will be accompanying you to LA. You won't be cuffed, but I can tell you if you try to make a run for it or escape in any way, you'll regret it."

"I won't," JC said quietly. He could only imagine what it'd taken to convince the police to go along with this and keep it quiet, and he certainly wasn't going to mess it up. Not when it would allow him to navigate through the airport without feeling like a criminal.

The man stared at him for a moment longer, seeming to wonder if he was sincere. Finally, he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around JC's bicep, tugging. JC quickly got to his feet even though the last thing he wanted was to go back to that dank cell.

JC looked at the guys wondering what to say to them. The subject of them coming hadn't been dropped, but they couldn't continue it either. He was worried if he pushed hard enough for them to stay that they would get mad and demand to know things he didn't want them knowing.

The guys looked just as awkward as he felt. Chris cleared his throat and said, "Just keep your head down and we'll talk to you soon, okay?"

JC nodded his head, and the cop led him out into the hallway. Todd and Johnny were standing just outside the door where Todd immediately began to speak, his voice quick and his words concise like he knew there wasn't enough time. "I'm flying out first thing in the morning so I'll be in LA by the time you get there. But if anything comes up in the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me. I left my number at the desk so just tell one of the officers."

"Thank you," JC said.

The cop tugged on his arm, forcing him to move down the hall. He wanted to turn and look over his shoulder at the guys, but he didn't. If he did, he would just feel guilty and even more panicked. So instead he focused on his breathing, keeping his eyes on the floor as he moved down the hall with the officer.

They reached his cell much too soon, and before he knew it he was locked inside once more. The cop mumbled to himself as he walked away, and JC knew without a doubt he was complaining about celebrities and the special treatment he got. He hoped that man wasn't the one who would be accompanying him to LA in the morning.

Reluctantly, JC settled himself on the small cot. He sat on it so his back was resting against the wall and pulled his feet up so they were resting on the edge of the bed, his knees in front of his chest. With a sigh, he tilted his head back until it hit the wall, closing his eyes.

His thoughts were running through his mind faster than he could keep up. There was one thing they kept circling back to though. Sabrina. In telling the lawyer and Johnny what had happened, it'd drudged up old memories of her. Things he would rather forget.

He prayed that he wouldn't see her at all while out in LA. When he told the police the truth about what happened the day Marc died, he imagined they would want to speak with her. He just hoped he wasn't around when they did. Thinking about the last time he saw her made his stomach churn anxiously.

They were in the middle of doing the Disney concert when he spotted her. Their eyes met, and he felt his blood run cold. How in the hell had she found out about this? What was she doing there?

Since he'd spotted her, he was unable to keep himself from glancing over at her the rest of the show. It took everything in him to stick to the choreography and hit all of the right notes because all he could think of was her, terrified of why she was there. And even more, scared of what she might say should any of the guys realize he knew her.

When the show was finally over and they had quickly changed backstage, the guys had all wanted to go off and explore the parks a bit. They had nowhere to be the next day so they wanted to spend a few hours in the parks before they closed and then head over to Pleasure Island. JC had told them to go ahead and he would catch up with them, that he needed to go back to the room and make a phone call first. They had looked at him skeptically, but none of them had pushed it.

It was only when they were completely out of sight that JC went looking for Sabrina. Part of him was trying to convince himself that she had left, that there was no way she had stuck around as long as it took for the crowd to filter out and them to leave the stage area. But he knew that wasn't true. He hadn't heard a word from her since he'd left LA and there was a reason she was here now. He just knew it.

He made a left out of the stage area moving towards the entrance of the Great Movie Ride, and that was where he spotted her. She didn't look any different than the last time he saw her. Her long black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, trying to keep her neck cool from the Florida humidity. Her green eyes were fierce, narrowed slightly, and she was smirking in that way that had always told him she wanted something and that he was going to be the one to give it to her.

JC stopped in front of her, standing back enough that he wasn't in arm's reach but that they could hear each other without yelling. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Aw, what's the matter, JC? Aren't you happy to see me?" Sabrina asked, throwing her lower lip out into a pout. But unlike the ones Justin often turned on him, he was immune to it.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

She tilted her head. "And why not? I like music, and I still care about you."

JC snorted. The ridiculousness of that statement making him forget about his anxiety. At least for the moment. "Please. You never cared about me. You only cared about what I could do for you. So why are you really here?"

"If that's the way you want it to be, then fine." Any signs of playfulness left her face. "I need $500."

JC stared at her in disbelief. They hadn't seen or talked to each other in over three years. What on earth made her think he would do anything for her much less give her money? "Why the hell would I do that? I'm not your boyfriend anymore, and as far as I'm concerned I gave you more than enough when we were together."

"You think so, huh?" She leaned in and whispered into his ear, "How about I just run to your manager and your friends and tell them all about the things we did together? How you helped me murder my ex."

JC jerked back, glaring at her. "I didn't do anything to Marc."

"That's not what I'll tell the police. Your career will be over before it even got started."

"You're blackmailing me?" he asked, his jaw dropping in surprise. Though, he shouldn't have been. He knew the kinds of things she did, the kinds of things she got away with. Stupidly, he'd thought leaving LA meant he'd left all that behind.

"There was no point before when you were making nothing, but now that you're about to be a big star," she gave him a mean smile, "I think I deserve a share. You know, considering that keeping my mouth shut means you'll stay out of jail."

"The only one that would go to jail is you," JC said, lowering his voice to just above a whisper. "I did nothing wrong."

"Except for run from a crime and fail to report it."

JC's heart stopped beating as he realized she was right. That day he'd been too focused on getting the hell out of LA. And then when he was in Memphis - far away from LA, he'd allowed himself to believe that since he'd left it behind and hadn't heard anything that he was safe. But obviously he'd been wrong.

"So like I said, I need $500," she said, knowing she'd caught him. "A month. And we'll renegotiate later if we need to."

"I...I don't know if I can afford that. That's a lot of money a month."

Her lips curled up in amusement. "You'll come up with a way."

The threat of what would happen if he didn't was unspoken but came through loud and clear. She watched him with those piercing green eyes of hers that he had once found beautiful but now only saw as fierce and intimidating. Her cocky expression said she knew he would give in, and of course she was right. He and the guys had gone through a lot to get to where they were, and it finally felt like things might really take off for them. She was right in that if anyone found out about what happened that day, it would ruin them - regardless if he killed the man or not.

"Okay," JC said quietly, nodding. "Okay."

For the last year he'd sent her five hundred dollars in cash each month. Mailing that much cash wasn't safe, so he had the money wired to her. Something that was difficult to make time for when they were on tour and could barely fit in enough time for meals on most days. Not to mention the way he'd have to scrape together money all month long to come up with enough.

The guys had always made fun of how frugal he was and how he tried to save as much money as he could. They thought he was just being overly responsible, hoarding all of his money for a rainy day. If only. The reality was he had to save in order to come up with the extra money every month, because as they discovered recently, their contract with Lou and TransCon hadn't left them with much money.

And now it appeared it had all been for not. Sabrina had said something anyway. Yes, he might not know what evidence the police had, but he had a feeling whatever it was she had been the one to give it to them. After all, he hadn't even touched Marc - he'd gone to feel for a pulse and Sabrina had intercepted his hand. Not to mention he'd been outside the house the majority of the time. There should be nothing to suggest he'd murdered her ex.

JC sighed heavily. This was such a mess - one that he could hopefully clear up rather quickly without the media or the fans finding out. The only good thing to come out of this was that all bets were off. Sabrina had said something to the cops and now she could no longer blackmail him.

But as much as that thought made him happy, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else. By turning him in to the cops and accusing him she obviously hoped to gain something, but he didn't know what. No career meant no money for her. So what did she want from him? What did she get out of this whole thing?

JC didn't know, but he was going to find out soon enough.

After an extremely long night, morning had finally come. There was a tiny window near the ceiling of his cell, and it let a small amount of light inside. Even though it wasn't a lot, it was enough for him to tell that it was still fairly early - that the sun probably hadn't risen fully yet.

It wasn't the first time JC had stayed up all night to see the sun rise, but it had been one of the worst nights he'd had. He hadn't moved much from the spot on the bed where he sat with his legs to his chest, only getting up once to reluctantly use the toilet that was on the other side of the cell. His legs, back, and neck ached from the unnatural position he'd been in all night, but he hadn't been able to force himself to lie down on the cot and get some sleep. The idea had sent shudders down his spine every time his eyes grew heavy enough that he'd consider it, but it only lasted a split second.

JC's stomach rumbled with hunger, and he wondered idly if they would make him eat before they left for the airport. He hoped that wasn't the case and that he could somehow convince the undercover cop that would be with him to let him get some coffee and some kind of breakfast sandwich at one of those coffee kiosks at the airport. There was no way he'd be able to choke down whatever breakfast they came up with here.

He wasn't sure when the cop would come get him, and he lowered his head so his face was buried in his knees. His eyes closed, trying to give himself at least a little bit of relief since they burned from the lack of sleep. It was hard to breathe in this position, but it was almost favorable compared to smelling the dank, unclean odor of the cell.

"I guess I can't leave you alone for more than a week without you getting into trouble."

JC's head snapped up at the familiar voice, the quick motion pulling on sore muscles in his neck and back. There, on the other side of the cell, was Lonnie. He was pretty sure he had never been so happy to see one of their bodyguards in his life.

"Lonnie," JC said, though it came out as a croak given how dry his mouth was. He hadn't eaten or drank anything since the night before when he and the guys had all had dinner at his house. He cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard about what's going on and thought you could use a change of clothes."

Lonnie held up a pile of clothes that were gripped in his left hand, and JC nearly laughed with relief. He'd love nothing more than to shower this awful jail cell off of him and finally get rid of the scent of the place. But knowing that wasn't an option, he would gladly take a change of clothes. After all, he'd been in his sweatpants when he'd been hauled out of his house.

JC would've jumped up from the cot if he'd had the energy. Instead, he straightened his back and straightened out his legs so he could stand. He was on his feet for a second before he nearly fell, stumbling as his muscles tingled from being stretched after sitting for so long. Thankfully he managed to regain his balance, and he hobbled over to Lonnie, pins and needles moving up his legs.

"You're the best, Lonnie," he said, thankfully taking the clothes Lonnie offered through the bar.

JC made his way back to the cot on his unsteady legs, and he didn't have to look at Lonnie to know he was frowning in concern. He could practically feel his heavy gaze follow him as he moved through the cell. But Lonnie made no comment about it.

Instead, he said, "Go ahead and change. I've got you covered."

Then Lonnie turned around so he was facing away, and JC saw that he tried to angle himself so that anyone coming down the hall would see him before they saw JC. It was such a small thing, but it made JC nearly weep, his emotions on the surface thanks to the never ending anxiety that this place just continued to provide him with.

JC changed as quick as he could, the task becoming easier as his muscles started to lose the tingling feeling. He'd exchanged his underwear the fastest, not wanting to be naked longer than absolutely necessary. From there, it only took another minute to pull on his jeans and the long sleeved t-shirt. Once he was dressed he almost felt normal. Right then he would've given anything for his deodorant and his toothbrush.

"I'm done," JC said quietly, letting Lonnie know it was okay to turn around. He handed over his sleep clothes to Lonnie. There was no way he wanted to keep them - what he really wanted to do was burn them after being in this place - but he also knew he couldn't just leave them behind or toss them in the garbage somewhere should someone come across them. It wouldn't be the first time fans had gone through the garbage for stuff of theirs.

"I hate seeing you in there, kid," Lonnie told him with a frown. "It doesn't look right."

It didn't feel right. He had of course brought it on himself though. Maybe if he had told the police what had happened right after Sabrina killed Marc, he wouldn't be in this situation. Actually, he knew he wouldn't. There had been no evidence that he'd killed the man, and his then girlfriend would've gone to jail which would've kept her from blackmailing him. But he hadn't and as much anxiety as being in jail gave him, he knew on some level he deserved it. And not just for neglecting to report Marc's murder.

JC shook his head, trying to clear his head of those thoughts. He couldn't allow himself to think about those things right now. He wanted to try to have as much control over his emotions as possible when the cop came to escort him to LA, which surely should be anytime now. And Lonnie was still standing there, leaning casually against the wall like he was waiting for something.

"Um..." JC licked his lips, raising his head to look Lonnie in the eye. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? I somehow doubt you came just to bring me clean clothes."

"I'm going with you to LA," Lonnie said.

JC blinked. "But I thought-"

"Did you really think I'd let you go without me?" Lonnie asked, cutting him off. "The cop's job is to take you to the station in LA. My job is to protect you, and I have my doubts he knows how to handle a mob of fans."

JC couldn't help the way his heart leapt at that. The idea that he wouldn't be going through this alone - that someone would be there to keep the cop honest and from potentially harassing him - was one that made him relieved. He suspected Johnny had called their bodyguards to let them know the situation and had asked Lonnie to accompany him, and JC was never more grateful for Johnny's interference.

"And the police are okay with that?" JC asked a bit hesitantly. Given the attitude the one cop had shown last night, he knew they were going along with his lawyer's request that this be handled low-key very begrudgingly. He was sure they didn't take too well to being told a personal bodyguard would be tagging along.

Lonnie gave a little shrug. "Doesn't really matter. They have no say in this. My job is protect you, so where you go, I go."

To Lonnie it was really that simple, and JC knew the other bodyguards felt the same way. They took their jobs very seriously, and they had all been through a lot together. Their bodyguards had become like family.

"Besides," Lonnie added, "this helps keep everything looking normal. Because none of you guys would be traveling alone right now, not while you finish up the album."

Technically they had all managed to go home for the holiday and return without being accompanied by bodyguards, but JC knew that was different. Really it was probably the last time they would be able to. At least if this album turned out as well as they were all hoping. That assumed of course they managed to get through this without anyone finding out about him being arrested or his past.

The sound of footsteps interrupted JC's thoughts, and he and Lonnie both turned to see a man walking towards them. He was in jeans, a t-shirt, and a dark denim coat. Even though he looked like a normal guy, the way his jaw was set and the hardness in his eyes told JC he was the undercover cop that would be accompanying him.

"I'm Officer Ray Warren. I'll be escorting you to LA," he said, looking straight at JC. He paused then to look back at Lonnie. "And even though you're tagging along, I'm the one running the show."

Lonnie gave him a short nod. "We'll both just be doing our jobs."

Officer Warren didn't say anything, but the lines on his face relaxed just a little. Like he was relieved to know that Lonnie wouldn't interfere unless he had to. It was such a small thing, but it made JC hope that things wouldn't be quite as tense as they would've been if the cop from last night was escorting him to LA.

The cop opened the cell and allowed JC to step out. There were no handcuffs this time, only one more warning that if he tried anything at all that he wouldn't like the consequences. JC said nothing because he had no intention of causing problems. He wanted this over as quick and painless as possible.

There was a car waiting out back, and JC was guided into the backseat. He watched as Lonnie opened the hatch of the SUV to put JC's dirty clothes into a bag. His surprise at seeing his familiar duffle bag must have registered on his face because Lonnie said, "You wouldn't take a trip without any bags, would you?"

JC shook his head, his lips curling just slightly. It seemed the guys and Johnny had thought of everything. Hopefully that meant this whole thing would go without a hitch and if they were spotted by fans or press, no one would know the real reason behind the trip to LA.

******************

Joey sat in the uncomfortable airport chair, slouched down a bit. His head remained upright so he could be on the lookout for JC. He and the guys had reluctantly left the police station last night with Johnny and the lawyer, pausing outside briefly to talk. They had told Johnny under no circumstances would let they JC go to LA and face the police there on his own. Johnny hadn't objected in the slightest and had even mentioned they should pack him a bag, that he would call their bodyguards to accompany them and send Lonnie specifically to JC.

That had made them feel a little better, but they'd still stayed up most of the night. The first thing they'd done was decide who was going to accompany JC to LA. There had only been three seats left on the flight that JC and the undercover cop would be on, and two of those would go to Lonnie and another bodyguard. That left one open seat, and everyone had a reason as to why it should be them. Or, Justin and Chris had the strongest arguments at least. Lance had said that JC would need a calming influence, which wasn't either of them. And before Joey knew it, he'd been nominated to go. Chris had said it was because he was laid back enough to keep JC from getting too tense, but he was better at seeing through JC's bullshit than Lance.

So Joey had gone along with Mike to the airport, and now he was just waiting on Lonnie and JC to arrive with the undercover cop. His leg bounced while he waited, his body hopped up on caffeine from the coffee he'd consumed even in spite of how sluggish the rest of him felt. Though, he knew the jitters were only partly from the coffee. He was anxious to see JC and find out how he'd faired from the night in jail.

The thought of one of their best friends sitting in a jail cell had weighed on all of them through the night, even though they had known there was almost no one there. All the horror stories of things that happened in jail wouldn't have happened to JC. Not in one night, and certainly not in a nearly empty police station. Their biggest concern was the emotional side of it - how JC would handle it.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Joey spotted them. Well, he spotted Lonnie first, the big man easy to pick out. Then his eyes zeroed in on JC, ignoring the unknown man that was walking slightly ahead of him. The group was slowing down, and then JC looked towards the gate where Joey was sitting.

Their eyes met, and Joey could see the surprise on JC's face even before he said, "Joey?" with bewilderment.

JC walked towards him, the unknown man who Joey could only assume was the cop and Lonnie following behind him. Even being several feet away, Joey could see the dark circles below JC's eyes and the slumped shoulders. There was also the hair that was unkempt and the general haggard expression on JC's face. They all told Joey that it hadn't been a good night, and even though he hadn't expected anything different, it broke his heart just the same.

Joey stood up and as soon as JC was close enough, he pulled him into a hug. JC's arms hung limply at his sides for a second before he finally brought them up and tightly returned the embrace. It lasted for a couple seconds before JC finally pulled away, still looking at him in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Did you really think we were going to let you face this on your own?" Joey returned, eyebrow raised.

JC shook his head slowly. "You shouldn't be here."

"Is that any way to talk to the guy who bought you coffee and a blueberry scone?" Joey reached down to the cardboard container to retrieve the untouched coffee and held it up along with the paper bag that contained the pastry. He shook the bag a little, and he was happy when he managed to get a smile out of JC. It was a small, exhausted one, but he would take it.

JC took the coffee and lifted the lid, inhaling the strong aroma before taking a large mouthful. Once he swallowed, he gave a little sigh and looked at Joey. "I take it back. You're a godsend."

Joey smiled at him and reclaimed his seat, patting the empty one next to him. JC dropped into it with another sigh, this one speaking of weariness. He drank a few more mouthfuls of coffee before he reached for the bag that contained the scone. It didn't take long for the pastry to disappear, and while JC was always a fast eater, it was obvious he was nearly ravenous. Something that surprised Joey because he would've thought all the anxiety would've made JC lose his appetite, but he was glad to see that wasn't the case. He needed his strength, especially since the lack of sleep had already zapped him of so much energy. It made him want to get JC more food, but before he could even get up, the gate agent announced they were going to begin boarding.

JC downed the rest of his coffee, and because they were all situated in first class, they were the first to board the plane. Joey stepped right behind JC who was leading the way, cutting in front of the undercover cop. There was no way he was going to let the cop sit next to JC for the five hour flight to LA. It wasn't like he needed to in order to keep JC from doing anything - they were on a plane and couldn't go anywhere. So when JC picked a row and slid in, claiming his usual window seat, Joey took the aisle seat right next to him. The cop frowned, but he didn't say anything as he took a seat across the row. Mike and Lonnie sat behind them, but Joey barely noticed as all his attention was on JC.

He'd already buckled his seatbelt, keeping it loose enough that he could slouch down in his seat. His body was angled toward the window, which kept Joey from being able to see much of JC's face. But he could tell that as tired as JC was, he wasn't nearly ready to give into sleep like Joey had thought he would. It wasn't hard to imagine why though - no doubt JC's thoughts were swirling as he thought about when they arrived in LA and how he'd be interrogated by the police there who thought he was a murderer.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked, his voice low to keep it from carrying beyond their seat area.

JC nodded, not even glancing at him. His body remained turned away, and his gaze was fixed on something out the window. Joey sighed, though he hadn't really expected a different response.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, knowing that he couldn't leave JC to stew in his thoughts. Not without at least trying to get him to release the burden from his shoulders.

JC turned his head this time and looked at him, the irritation evident on his face. "About my night in jail? Or about what happened in LA?"

Joey blinked. He wasn't surprised by the short, biting tone because JC never liked talking about himself - at least not about the personal stuff that he felt was no one's business. But he hadn't thought JC would figure out so quickly what he was really asking about. Usually it was easier to get JC to talk about stuff when he was tired because he was so out of it and didn't always realize what he was saying. It seemed that JC had been on high alert for it though, and so in retrospect he shouldn't have been surprised at how quickly JC shot him down.

"I don't want to talk about any of it."

Sighing, Joey sat back in his seat. Chris had made him promise to at least try to get JC to talk, but honestly he wasn't surprised it hadn't worked. Though, maybe he would have better luck talking about something else since JC was distracted with the LA stuff.

"What about Penny then? Can we talk about her?"

JC had returned his gaze out the window, and this time when he turned away, he gave Joey an emotionless expression. "No."

JC tried moving closer towards the window, and Joey grabbed onto his shoulder, forcing him to angle his body away from it and towards him instead. "JC, c'mon. You can't keep doing this." When JC stared at him, unmoved by his plea, Joey realized he would have to take a page out of Chris's book. "Either we talk about what happened out in LA, or we talk about what happened with Penny. It's your choice."

"We already talked about Penny," JC protested, his voice rising slightly. He glanced around and quickly lowered his voice back to the soft, just-above-a-whisper level they'd been speaking in. "I broke up with her, and there's nothing more to it."

"I don't believe that."

JC turned his head away and muttered, "Well, that's your problem. Not mine."

Joey sighed heavily. He wasn't surprised by JC's outright refusal to talk about it, but he hated it just the same. Most of the time he couldn't blame JC for being so private considering their career took away so much of their privacy already, but it seemed to keep JC from letting them in. Unless his defenses were weakened, like when he was sick.

"I'm not trying to annoy you," Joey started, not quite willing to give up yet. And the flight attendants were still moving about the plane, signaling they weren't ready to take off for at least another couple minutes. He leaned in, trying to see JC's face. "I just want to understand. You were happy with her."

JC looked at him with a frown. "Are you saying I wasn't happy before?"

"No," Joey denied, shaking his head. JC had been perfectly happy before he'd met Penny. He had his moments where he got homesick or depressed, but they all did. It was the price of being on the road all the time, but generally they were all happy because they were doing what they loved. But it'd been different when Penny came into the picture. "You were. It's just with Penny I think you realized that something had been missing. She'd given you someone to love and be intimate with, and she'd loved you in return. She loved you as JC the dork, not JC Chasez, one fifth of NSYNC."

JC's frown deepened, not even the slightest amount of amusement apparent on his face at the slight jab Joey had made. "You act like I won't ever find that with someone else."

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't," Joey said. "But why take the chance when you already have it?" A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Unless she did something to hurt you..."

He looked at JC hesitantly. As his friend, Joey knew he wasn't overstepping any boundaries here as he was just trying to look out for JC. But at the same time, he was afraid of how JC would react. Would he shut down and completely refuse to respond? Would he lash out at the not-so-subtle push into finding out why they broke up? As it turned out, he did none of those things.

JC blinked, like he was surprised that was where Joey had gone with the line of questioning. He didn't look Joey in the eye, but he shook his head slowly. "No," he said softly. "She didn't do anything. Not like that."

"Then what happened?"

JC's rubbed at his eyes, and Joey felt like he was wearing him down, that they were finally getting somewhere. But then JC dropped his hand and looked at him with eyes that were red from exhausted, his face pale and drawn. "Can we not talk about this right now?" He paused for a beat before he added, "Please."

JC was looking at him with such a pleading expression that Joey found he couldn't deny his friend anything at the moment. The last twelve hours or so had been quite an ordeal, and he didn't need another thing to make him feel even worse. He could wait to find out what had happened between JC and Penny until after they got everything resolved in LA, and the guys would have to be content with that too.

"Of course," Joey said. He gave JC a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

JC nodded and angled his body back towards the window again, his right shoulder brushing up against Joey's left. It didn't look comfortable by any means, and while Joey couldn't see JC's face again, he knew it wouldn't take long for him to fall asleep. Even as worried as JC was about LA, once they got in the air it would only be a matter of minutes before he was asleep.

What Joey didn't know was it wasn't actually what was going to happen once they landed in LA that was occupying JC's thoughts. Instead, all he could think about was Penny. Something he cursed Joey for doing because now in addition to how crappy he already felt, his heart ached.

JC hadn't wanted to tell any of the guys anything, but he couldn't let any of them think she had done something to hurt him, like cheating. If anything, she had looked out for him more than any girl he'd ever been with. Something that had started the very day they'd met, and that he'd experienced first hand when he'd invited her to meet up with him that night.

Sound check was over, and while it hadn't gone terribly, JC had known it could've gone a lot better. He hadn't seriously messed up, but there was no denying that he was distracted, his thoughts constantly going back to the beautiful girl he'd met at the park and her offer. Her business card had been burning a hole in his pocket all day, and given the way his mind kept wandering, he knew he needed to do something about it before the show.

So when the guys had left the stage after sound check, JC had gone a different direction. He was going to call Penny and see if she wanted to get together before he left town. Something that required a bit of privacy, which was hard to come by on tour so he had to go searching for the perfect place.

It was hard to find a part of the arena that wasn't full of activity and quiet enough that he could talk without feeling like he would be yelling into the phone. Finally, he managed to find a small hallway where there wasn't a lot of foot traffic. He stopped at the end of the hall and leaned against the wall as he pulled the card and phone out of his pocket.

Holding the phone in his right hand with the card in his other, he carefully dialed Penny's cell phone number. He couldn't imagine she was at the office number listed. Once the number was entered fully, he put the phone to his ear and listened to it ring. The ringing only lasted a couple seconds before there was an audible click and her sweet voice came through.

"Hello. This is Penelope Fischer."

JC sucked in a breath. "Penny, hi. It's JC."

The formality left her voice. "Hey," she said, and JC could picture that sunny smile she'd given him at the park. "Wasn't sure I was going to hear from you."

JC wasn't entirely sure what to say to that. So what he said instead was, "Would you be interested in getting together tonight?" He didn't give her a chance to shoot him down as he quickly added, "I know it's really last minute, but we'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon and I'd like to see you before we do."

Her light laughter made him stop, and for a second he wondered if she was laughing at his offer. Then he quickly realized she was laughing in amusement. "Whoa, JC. I know your time is limited, and actually I can do you one better."

"What's that supposed to mean?" JC asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

She laughed again. "It means come around to the back entrance of the arena. I've been standing back here for ten minutes trying to convince your bodyguards to give you a package."

It took a second for what she was saying to sink in. She was here. At the arena. She'd sought him out, and it left his heart soaring. He didn't feel so much like he'd gone out on a limb calling her. He smiled.

"Okay," he said. "I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and quickly made his way to the back of the arena. There were a set of double doors which were both open to allow some cool night air to make its way inside the stuffy, warm backstage halls. Several of their bodyguards along with a few of the arena security team were standing in front of barricades that had been setup to keep fans out, who were pressing on the other side of the barrier. For a second he wasn't sure how he was going to spot her, but then his eyes landed on her. She was standing right in front of Lonnie, a thin envelope in her hand.

"Penny," he called, slowing his light jog so he was standing between Lonnie and one of the unknown arena security guards.

Lonnie looked down at him. "You know her?" he asked, his eyes going to the blonde standing in front of them. The fans around her were screaming and reaching out. Thankfully there were only a couple who had managed to find their way behind the arena.

"Yeah." JC's eyes met Penny's, and he smiled a little. "She's a friend."

Lonnie looked at him for a moment before he nodded. "Okay, c'mon." He motioned for Penny to come through, and the other guards tensed as the fans shot jealous looks and glares at Penny. They seemed to be afraid that the fans would start trouble and try to force their way through with Penny. To help with this, JC stepped forward and gave a smile to the fans. He reached out and shook a couple of their hands, signing one or two things that were thrust at him.

Once Penny was safely inside the arena and standing behind Dre, JC waved at the fans and thanked them for coming out. Then he turned on his heel, nodding briefly to Lonnie and Dre before leading Penny down the hall away from the chaos.

JC pulled her into one of their dressing rooms, knowing that the guys would still be in the Toy Room for a bit longer. He shut the door behind them, and when he turned around he found her smiling at him. "What?" he asked, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"You're even nicer than I thought." JC looked at her confused and she clarified, "The fans. You were really sweet taking a minute to say hello and sign a few things."

JC just shrugged. "They're the reason we're here. It gets crazy at times, but I do what I can to make them happy. Plus I wanted to make sure they didn't cause a scene with you coming through."

"Don't act so modest. Not a lot of celebrities are so cool about their fans and how crazy they can get. Believe me, I know."

JC shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels. He'd never been great at taking compliments, and he certainly never knew what to say. So he just changed the subject.

He cleared his throat and nodded towards the envelope she was still holding. "So is that for me?"

She smiled and handed it out to him without a word. He stepped forward and took it from her, slipping a finger under the tape to open it. When he did he found there was a picture inside. Of him. It was the picture she had taken of him at Central Park.

He looked at her. "I thought you were gonna hang onto this?" he asked, remembering the teasing gleam in her eye as she'd told him he could call if he was interested in seeing how the picture turned out.

"I was," she agreed. She got to her feet and moved so she was looking directly into his eyes. "But when I saw it, I thought you deserved to see what I do."

JC looked back down at the picture. His head was turning away from the street, but his gaze was still focused on something out of sight. His face was serious, and to his surprise there was actually a butterfly just caught in the frame flying past his left ear. But he didn't see anything that hinted at what she meant.

"I don't see anything," JC told her.

Penny grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him over to the small couch, pulling him down with her so they were sitting side by side. Then she gently took the picture out of his hands and gestured to it while she began to explain.

"Your expression is serious and you're squinting a bit at the glare the sun cast on the building over here," she said, pointing to a building that was visible above the tree line of Central Park. "But that's all just surface stuff. If you look harder, you can see the way the corner of your mouth turns downward and the stress line around your eyes. In your eyes though, you can see a longing."

"For what?" JC asked, lifting his eyes from the photo to look at her.

She shrugged. "For a life free from the stresses that come with being a celebrity?"

"Is that why you wanted me to see this? So I'd stop worrying about stuff?"

"I wanted you to be aware of it. From what I can tell you're a very serious person, but that shouldn't keep you from happiness," she told him.

"I'm happy," he defended automatically, though he didn't really feel it. Maybe he had been spending more time obsessing over their public image and getting through all their responsibilities and not actually allowing himself time to relax and enjoy it.

Penny raised an eyebrow and lifted the picture. "This says differently. I don't see a trace of happiness, and that's what I wanted to you be aware of. No one should go through life unhappy." She paused, and it felt like they were just inches apart as she said quietly, "Especially someone as sweet as you."

JC gave a sad little sigh at the memory before forcing it out of his mind entirely. Part of him may wish she was here with him to help him through this, but she wasn't and it was entirely his fault. He didn't get to long for things that he'd pushed away, and while he was feeling a little bit of regret, this whole situation with returning to LA to face a dark part of his past had him glad he'd broken things off. No way did he want her to get caught up in this. It was bad enough the guys were refusing to let him handle this himself, but having Penny realize he wasn't quite the person she thought he was...well, that wasn't something he would've been able to deal with.

Though, it was his hope he could make it out of this whole thing without the guys finding out just what he'd done while he'd been with Sabrina. Things would never be the same if they found out, and he couldn't let that happen. They'd been through too much to let anything keep them from finishing their album and finally doing the music they'd always wanted. He just prayed his ex wouldn't somehow make an appearance and ruin everything.

When the plane landed in LA, JC had been nudged awake by Joey. Less than halfway through the flight he'd been unable to fight off his exhaustion and had fallen asleep against Joey's shoulder. The undercover cop had stepped out into the aisle first, leading the way off the plane while Lonnie and Mike brought up the rear.

They hadn't been able to make it through the airport without being spotted, and JC and Joey had stopped to sign a few autographs for the small group of fans that had surrounded them. More seemed to keep coming, but Mike and Lonnie turned people away, saying they had to leave now. All the while the undercover cop had stepped back and had looked quite relieved when the girls were gone, allowing them to continue on their way. JC and Joey had exchanged small smiles at Lonnie and Mike, knowing that the cop had realized allowing the bodyguards to come along and keeping JC out of handcuffs had truly made the whole thing go much smoother.

From there they hadn't encountered any other issues as they made it out of the airport and to the SUV that had been parked, waiting for them. As soon as they'd gotten in the car, JC's stomach had begun to twist and churn. The feeling got worse the further away from the airport they drove, so that when they pulled around to back entrance of the police station, he felt like he was going to puke.

Joey put a reassuring hand on his knee, squeezing gently. That was all he was able to do though because then the doors opened, and JC was being led into the police station by the cop with everyone else following behind them. And unlike when he'd been hauled into the police station in Orlando the night before, they didn't stop at all as the cop led him straight to a small interrogation room where another cop was waiting for him. Todd, JC's lawyer, was also waiting.

Behind JC, no one seemed to be stopping Joey and Mike from entering the room. JC turned and gave Mike a pleading look, and Mike immediately turned to Joey quietly telling him they should wait outside. Relief flooding JC's body, even as he felt a bit of guilt for still keeping Joey out of it when he'd made the trek to LA with him. It wasn't enough to make him change his mind though. The less the guys knew, the better.

JC turned his attention to Lonnie, but before he could even say a single word, Lonnie cut him off. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, kid. So you might as well save it," Lonnie said.

JC sighed, frowning. Though, he knew there was no sense in fighting him on it. Lonnie would never say anything to anyone, the guys included. It wouldn't stop him from seeing him differently once he heard the truth of everything, but JC could only hope that Lonnie would at least be able to understand why he'd done what he had.

Across the room, the new cop introduced himself to JC's escort. "Detective Luke Hansen. Thanks for bringing him."

The undercover cop assured him it was no problem and produced a folder he'd been carrying, asking Hansen to sign a couple documents so he could be on his way. JC tuned them out, taking a seat next to his lawyer at the table feeling weary...and more than a little nervous.

"Any problems at the airport?" Todd asked quietly, angling his body towards him. JC shook his head, and Todd looked relieved. "Good. Now hopefully we can this straightened out and be on our way back to Orlando by this evening."

JC could tell the lawyer wasn't just saying that, and it made him feel better knowing Todd truly believed he hadn't killed anyone. Now all he had to do was convince this LA cop, Hansen, that he was innocent. Something that in theory was simple enough, but JC had a feeling that it wasn't going to be that easy.

"So Mr. Chasez," Hansen began, moving to sit down across from JC at the table. The undercover cop was gone, so he now had the LA cop's full attention. "As you can imagine we have a few questions about what happened to Marc Trujilo."

Todd quickly cut in. "I want it on the record that even though you demanded Mr. Chasez be extradited, he voluntarily waved the extradition trial in favor of clearing this up as quick as possible."

Hansen gave a little nod, looking briefly from Todd to JC. "We do appreciate that. Most people drag their feet and delay the process."

If JC hadn't been a celebrity he probably would've done the same thing because the last thing he wanted was to face his past. But as it was, he couldn't afford the bad press that would come out if any of this was leaked. That was really the only reason he was doing this, but if doing this made the cop think he was more genuine with wanting to help then it certainly didn't hurt.

The cop cleared his throat. "Let's go ahead and get started." He paused and looked over at Lonnie. "If you could step outside-"

"I'm not going anywhere," Lonnie said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm here for JC's protection."

JC looked back at the cop and saw the way his eyebrows shot up at that. Hansen leveled a serious gaze at Lonnie. "I can assure you he's perfectly safe here."

"I'm not saying you'll do something to step over the line," Lonnie said. "But I'm his bodyguard and where he goes, I go. So I'll be staying here up against the wall. You won't even notice me."

Hansen still didn't look happy, but he let it go. He shifted some of the papers sitting in front of him, like he was buying himself a second or two to get his thoughts in order. Finally, he put the papers down and looked JC in the eye.

"Let's start with something easy. How did you know Marc Trujillo?"

JC opened his mouth to speak, but Todd quickly jumped in. "Wait a minute," he said. "Because he waived the extradition hearing, he hasn't learned what evidence you have against him to even warrant this discussion. Let's start there."

The cop reached for the manila envelope at the end of the table. He opened it and dumped out the contents as he said, "His fingerprints were on this."

JC's eyes fell on the objected contained in a sealed plastic baggie. It was a small, blue pocket knife. The object was so non-descript that at first glance it didn't seem like much. But JC recognized it immediately. Sabrina had given it to him.

"That bitch," JC breathed. There was no doubt in his mind where the police had gotten the pocket knife. Something he was even more sure of with what the cop said next.

"This is the murder weapon."

"What?" JC exclaimed.

"JC," Todd said sharply his tone indicating he'd been trying to reign JC's reaction in as soon as he'd realized JC had recognized the object.

JC knew Todd wanted him to shut up, but he had to explain. "The pocket knife is mine, but I didn't kill Marc. And he wasn't stabbed."

Todd shot him a dirty look and this time JC backed down, sitting back in his seat. The cop had raised his eyebrows and his gaze was piercing.

"That's not what was found at autopsy. He was stabbed in his neck."

JC opened his mouth to insist that he didn't do it, but Todd quickly cut in before he could get a word out. "Just because my client's prints are on it doesn't mean he did it."

"Doesn't mean he's innocent either," the cop countered. "And clearly he knows part of the story he's not sharing."

"Because you didn't ask. You just started attacking my client," Todd said.

Hansen sat back in his chair, like he was trying to look less intimidating and threatening. "Attacking? I was just telling him what we found. We're just having a conversation here."

JC nearly scoffed, but managed to hold it in. It wasn't quite that simple and casual as the cop was making it out to be. He had already been arrested, a suspect in a murder investigation. And clearly the cop believed that he had done it. Something he hoped to change his mind about.

"I'll tell you what happened," JC said. "Or at least what I think happened."

Todd leaned in, speaking softly in his ear. "Are you sure about this? I know you want to clear your name, but you haven't even told me all the details. There could be something damning in your story."

JC wasn't sure how that was possible. Once he told the truth about what had happened that day, it had to prove to the cop that he hadn't been the one to kill Marc. This was way past due anyway.

"It's okay," JC told him, trying to sound more confident than he felt. Even though he hoped it would clear up the question about him being the murder, he knew there was a good chance he would face repercussions for leaving LA without reporting it.

"I was dating Sabrina Morton at the time, and she was separated from her husband," he started, turning his attention back to the cop. Though, he couldn't bear to keep eye contact with him so he focused on a spot on the wall over the man's shoulder as his mind took him back to that day.

JC pulled up in front of a house with Spanish architecture that was fairly common for the LA area. He parked in the street and turned the car off, peering at the house through the windshield. He had never known anything about Sabrina's soon-to-be-ex-husband, and sitting here looking at the house they had shared together gave him the smallest glimpse as to what their life together might have been like.

The house appeared to be solidly built with white concrete, though it was more of a dingy gray from the dirt and smog of LA. The roof was low pitched, and it looked like a couple of shingles were missing. Not something that was a huge problem here given that it hardly rained in LA, but it was a clear sign the house had seen better days. Really, the entire neighborhood had - it was in as rough shape as the house. Something that put JC on edge, knowing they weren't exactly in the best part of town.

"C'mon," Sabrina said, tugging on his arm before releasing him so she could get out of the car.

JC took a deep breath and glanced in his side mirror to make sure no one was driving down the street. Seeing that the road was clear, he opened his door and stepped out. The neighborhood looked even worse now that he wasn't seeing it through the small windows of his jeep.

Sabrina was walking up the driveway, and JC shut the car door, jogging lightly to catch up to her. He slowed when he fell in step next to her. Much to his surprise, she didn't go to the front door. Instead, she walked through the grass around to the back door where she knelt down and pulled a small kit out of her purse. JC's brow furrowed, but he realized quickly what she was doing. It wasn't the first lock he'd watch her pick, but he didn't get why she was breaking into her own house.

"Why don't you just use your key?" he asked.

"Because he changed the locks on me." She shook her head and grumbled something to herself, but JC could easily imagine the kinds of things she was saying.

Even though he didn't know much about Marc, her ex, she had said enough for him to get the idea of what their relationship had been like. They had married right out of high school when she was only seventeen. She had been head over heels for him - or so she had thought. Once they were married and forced out into the real world, the crazy love they'd felt for each other had worn off real fast.

JC glanced around, looking around for any signs that they had drawn the attention of any of the neighbors. "You sure we won't get in trouble for this?"

Sabrina glanced over her shoulder with an annoyed look. "Until the divorce is finalized, it's still my house too."

She turned back to the door and fiddled with the lock for another second before they heard the telltale click. She straightened, putting the tools back in her purse. JC was going to follow her inside, but she put a hand on his chest and frowned at him.

"Maybe you should wait out here. Keep watch."

"For what?" JC asked, but she already had disappeared into the house leaving him standing on the patio.

JC sighed and sat on the concrete step, staring out into the small backyard. Sabrina had asked him to bring her to the house because she wanted to get some stuff that belonged to her. He wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't gotten it all already since she'd had her own apartment for months now, but he didn't question her. She had her reasons. It had seemed like she had left her things behind because she was hoping she could reconcile things with Marc, but now the fact that she was ready to take them back, it made him think she was finally ready to move on. With him.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but a middle aged woman came out of the house on the right and looked at him with narrowed eyes. He froze and she seemed to stare at him for the longest minute of his life, like she was wondering what he was doing there and trying to think if she'd ever seen him before. The only thing he had working in his favor was that he wasn't doing anything, but obviously even just sitting there was suspicious enough. Still, he was trying to play it cool like he was just a friend of Marc's and so he slowly stood up and went inside. It didn't matter that Sabrina had wanted him to wait outside; he couldn't do it any longer without drawing more attention from the neighbor.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the house compared to the bright sunshine he'd stepped out of, but when they did he saw he was standing in a small kitchen. He wasn't sure how big the house was or where Sabrina would even be. And more than anything he didn't want to come up behind her and surprise her.

"Sabrina?" he called out, hoping for some kind of sign as to where she was.

There was a loud thud, and it sounded like it'd come from the other side of the house. Cautiously, JC walked further into the house, moving towards the noise he'd heard. It wasn't until he came across a door that was partially opened that he stopped. He got the feeling whatever had made the noise was in the room beyond, and he slowly pushed the door the rest of the way open. With the door no longer obstructing his view, his eyes focused in on the scene in front of him and he felt his blood run cold.

On the floor was a guy that JC didn't recognize but who he could only assume was Marc. Sitting on the edge of the desk looking very nonchalant was Sabrina. He looked at her, panic quickly rising as if to compensate for her lack of reaction as he demanded, "What the hell happened?"

JC didn't even wait for an answer as he kneeled next to Marc, intending on checking for a pulse and seeing if he could help in any way before calling 911. But just as he reached his arm out, it was intercepted. He looked up at Sabrina who shook her head.

"It's too late."

Nothing about her expression spoke of regret or fear or the need to do the right thing. She was calm - too calm, and JC knew the truth about what'd happened, even if he was having trouble vocalizing it.

"But...you..." He shook his head, unable to believe how things had turned. She had killed her ex. There was no weapon in sight and there was no blood as far as he could see. That seemed to only leave one thing. Poison. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" Sabrina hopped down from the desk, and JC scrambled to his feet, feeling oddly vulnerable with her above him. She reached out and threaded her fingers through his hair as she pulled him close. "I can have everything I want now."

In that moment everything just clicked into place. She clearly been planning for this for a while, and last six months they were together ran through his mind. Everything he'd done with her, the things she'd gotten him to do, the way she'd made him feel. It all came to a head, and he decided he couldn't do it. He couldn't be with her if this was what it entailed.

"Not everything," JC said, pulling away from her. She looked at him surprised, and he forced himself to get the rest of the words out before he lost his nerve. "I'm sorry, but this is too much. I can't be with you."

And without another word, he fled. He ran out the front door and jumped into his jeep, driving off without any hesitation.

"We didn't find any evidence of poisoning," Hansen said once JC finished.

"That doesn't mean Mr. Chasez is lying," Todd replied. "His account tells you that you're looking at the wrong person. You should be speaking to Ms. Morton."

"We have spoken to her." Hansen looked from Todd to JC. "She told us a much different version to the story. One where you broke in and got into a fight with Marc. She was upstairs and heard the yelling. When she came down she found you were gone and Marc with a stab wound in the neck."

JC opened his mouth to protest, but Todd put a hand on his arm, signaling for him to keep quiet. His lawyer looked at the cop and said with a frown, "Given that this investigation is only happening now tells me that this evidence only just came to light. Something that seems awful convenient, along with Ms. Morton's story."

"She says she was afraid to report it, fearing for her own safety," Hansen said. "And up until two days ago we didn't have the murder weapon. It was dropped off at the station anonymously."

JC snorted. Anonymously. Yeah right. Sabrina had obviously dropped it off, intending for this whole set of events to take place. But why? He couldn't keep paying her the blackmail money if he went to jail, especially since it would destroy his career. It made no sense, but he knew she had to have a reason. She always did.

Todd looked over at JC. "Can you explain the pocketknife?"

JC gave a little sigh, shifting in his seat. "She gave it to me as a gift on our six month anniversary. I didn't ever use it though. I had no reason to. I'm a musician and not exactly the camping type."

"That explains my client's prints on the knife," Todd said to Hansen. "Again, I have to say you look closer at Ms. Morton. She's clearly the killer, and my client should be released."

"We will bring Ms. Morton back in for questioning, but Mr. Chasez will remain in police custody." JC bowed his head, doing his best to keep his breathing even though it was quite difficult with the painful way his chest seized at Hansen's words. "We have a case of he said, she said and until we know for sure who's telling the truth he will stay here."

"Then you should extend the same condition to Ms. Morton."

Hansen shook his head. "Besides Mr. Chasez's testimony, there is nothing linking her to the crime. We can't arrest her."

JC knew he should've been angry at the unfairness of the situation, but it didn't surprise him. Now that he had seen what the cops had on him, there was no doubt that this was a setup and not some misunderstanding like he'd originally hoped. And so it was no surprise that they had no plans on arresting her. He knew all too well how Sabrina could manipulate situations to get exactly what she wanted, and this time appeared to be no different.

Todd seemed to realize there was nothing else he could say at the moment that would convince the police to release him. Hansen looked towards the window and gestured for the officer standing outside the door to enter. As the cop entered, Todd had found something to say.

"What cell are you taking him to? I'm sure you've been informed on the nature of my client's celebrity status and how it's in your best interest to keep this all quiet."

Hansen nodded. "Yes, we heard. We're setting him up in one of the isolation cells."

There was something in the words isolation cell that had JC tense, and the look on Todd's face told him it was an appropriate reaction. "Is that necessary?" Todd demanded. "He's not at all dangerous, and he's been cooperating. Things that don't warrant being put in a small, windowless cell."

"Well, all the other cells are occupied. So unless Mr. Chasez decides to forego the need for anonymity then that's where we have to put him." Hansen looked at JC. "It's probably better that you're alone. I can only imagine what the others in lockup would do to a pretty boy like you."

JC could barely repress a shudder at the thought. It wasn't hard to imagine what someone would do to him. Even though he didn't consider himself completely innocent from what had happened during his time in LA, he doubted any of it was as severe as most of the people in the cells. The fact that he was a celebrity would just make it even worse.

Yes, maybe an isolation cell wouldn't be such a terrible thing after all.

JC looked over at Todd, glancing just briefly over his shoulder at Lonnie to make sure he knew he was included in this. "I'll be okay."

But once JC had been cuffed and led through the police station where he came face to face with the cell he'd be staying in, he felt panic rise up in his throat as he reconsidered that declaration.

The cell was much smaller than the one he'd spent the previous night in, and as Todd said, there wasn't a single window. In fact, there were no bars at all. Three cement walls and a metal door that only had a narrow slat, just slightly bigger than a mail slot that was built into some doors. As such, the lighting inside the cell was almost nonexistent. And there was only one thought that ran through his mind.

The next time JC saw Sabrina - because it would surely happen at some point - he was going to kill her.

******************

Justin was pacing the length of the suite's living area that they had rented upon arriving in LA, and Lance was reading the newspaper, desperately trying to ignore him. Chris was sitting across the room at a small breakfast table, clutching a cup of coffee as if his life depended on it.

They'd landed at LAX about an hour ago, and ever since they'd gotten settled in the hotel Justin hadn't been able to sit still. If he wasn't pacing, he was moving around the room unnecessarily, unable to get into any one thing for more than ten minutes. Something that was driving Lance insane, but somehow he managed to keep hold of his emotions. Unlike Chris who was gritting his teeth as he watched Justin anxiously move back and forth through the room.

With a sudden growl, Chris jumped to his feet and latched onto Justin's arm, forcing him to stop his continuous pacing. "Would you freaking sit down?" he snapped.

Justin narrowed his eyes, wrenching his arm out of Chris's grip. "You can't tell me what to do."

Lance sighed, releasing the newspaper in favor of pinching the bridge of his nose. They all considered each other brothers and often fought like them, but normally they all knew when to back off. But things had been tense ever since they'd returned to JC's house without him, none of them getting much sleep.

"Guys..." Lance started in a warning tone, but Chris and Justin paid no attention to him.

"What the hell do you think pacing is going to do? It's not going to suddenly make him walk through that door," Chris said to Justin with clear aggravation.

"No, but at least you know I'm upset about what's happened. I can't say the same for you."

"What?" Chris moved so he was nose to nose with Justin, glaring fiercely at him even though he had to tilt his head up slightly. "How dare you you little shit-"

Lance leapt to his feet, quickly shoving his body between the two of them. It was rather hard given both of them were stronger than him, but he pushed on Justin's chest forcing him back while turning his body so they were at least a foot apart.

"That's enough," he said sharply, glaring at both Chris and Justin. Chris may have attacked first, but Justin hadn't helped things. And given that they'd barely survived the mounting tension the long flight from Orlando to LA had created, their fuses were much shorter. "We're all worried about JC."

Justin crossed his arms over his chest. "It doesn't feel like it," he muttered, looking at Chris with narrowed eyes.

The anger in Chris's eyes was intense, and Lance selfishly found himself happy he wasn't on the receiving end of it. "You think I liked seeing JC arrested? That I liked seeing the fear on his face?" Chris didn't bother to give Justin a chance to answer, the questions mostly rhetorical anyway. "I would have done anything to keep him from that. But at the same time, I don't think he's as innocent as you think he is."

"He didn't kill anyone!" Justin exclaimed. "And even if he's not so innocent, does he really deserve to be in jail?"

"It all depends on what he did."

Lance couldn't help turning to Chris with wide eyes. "What?"

Chris gave a heavy sigh, his anger deflating and leaving him looking exhausted. "I'm not saying JC is a bad guy or anything. But sometimes we make mistakes and we have to pay for them."

Justin stared at Chris, like he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Technically, Chris was right. If JC had done something wrong, he had to own up to it and face the consequences. Only they were talking about a crime and doing jail time. They were all in agreement that JC hadn't murdered anyone, but it was hard to imagine he'd done anything worthy of going to jail. Not because JC was perfect but because he was typically an all around nice guy who often went out of his way to be helpful.

"You don't even know what happened!" Justin objected at last.

"Neither do you," Chris snapped.

Justin glared at him, but sighed. "Fine," he relented. "I may not have all the details, but I know whatever happened wasn't his fault. He just got caught up with the wrong people."

Chris opened his mouth, but Lance cut in before he could get a word out. He knew the question Chris was going to ask because it was the same one he wanted an answer to, and, unlike Chris at the moment, he could ask in a less hostile way.

"How do you know?" Lance asked, looking at Justin curiously. Personally he'd never heard a word about JC's year in LA. All he'd ever known was what Justin had told him. That JC had gone to LA after the Mickey Mouse Club, but nothing came of it and he moved out to Memphis with Justin.

Justin sighed again, but this time his shoulders slumped forward and he looked completely exhausted like his anger had depleted what little energy he'd had left. "A couple weeks after JC got back from LA, this girl called looking for him."

Lance and Chris exchanged interested looks. "Girlfriend?" Lance asked.

Justin shrugged. "I didn't ask, and she didn't say. But she was looking for him, and I knew that whatever had happened in LA had been bad. That she was probably somehow involved, and I just..." Justin let out a breath and looked at them. "I paid her $200 to drop it and stop looking for him."

Chris's mouth dropped open in surprise, and Lance just stood there dumbfounded. He'd never thought that Justin had known more than he was letting on about JC's year in LA. And okay, it didn't sound like he knew anything. To pay someone off in exchange for them leaving JC alone...that was pretty extreme, and probably one of the most thoughtful things a friend could do.

"How did you get the money?" Lance asked. As young as Justin had been at the time, he couldn't imagine him having that much money on hand.

Justin rolled his eyes, like he thought the question was ridiculous. "My mom made me put everything I earned on the MMC into savings, but I still earned an allowance. I was saving up for a new game system, but..."

Justin ended it with a little shrug, like it was no big deal that he'd spent money he'd saved up for probably weeks on keeping someone from bothering JC. People thought because Justin was the baby of the group that he was selfish and spoiled, but the reality was, Justin was one of the least selfish people he knew. It was even more true when it came to his family and friends.

"So you never told JC about this girl calling?" Chris asked.

Justin shot him a look that clearly said why-the-hell-would-I-do-that. "You didn't see him when he got back from LA. He pretty much slept the whole first week and barely said anything to me or my mom. I think he was afraid we would force him to tell us what'd happened."

Justin's eyes were looking towards something across the room, but they had a glazed over quality that told Lance he was remembering that week. It made Lance frown, but Justin shook himself out of it rather quickly and looked back at him and Chris.

"That phone call came when he was finally getting back to normal," Justin said. "He wasn't holing himself up in his bedroom anymore, and he was finally starting to enjoy himself again. I wasn't going to mention anything that could send him back into the funk he'd been in."

Chris sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "You're a great friend, J. What you did for him was awesome. But you shouldn't have done it."

Justin frowned at him, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Why not?"

"Because if the cops find out about this they could argue that you were involved in covering up what happened."

Lance could swear his heart stopped. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. If JC was found guilty of something - possibly being involved in the murder - would the police really be able to say that Justin was an accomplice after the fact? He didn't want to believe it was true, but it didn't stop his heart from clenching in fear.

But Justin didn't seem as worried. "Please," he said, dismissively. "If they had something, I would've been arrested by now."

"You better hope it stays that way," Chris replied.

Justin seemed content to brush off Chris's concerns, moving across the room and turning on the TV. He threw himself onto the couch, looking much more exhausted like he'd finally worn himself down enough to sit still for a bit. But Lance exchanged a worried look with Chris.

There was obviously a lot to JC's year in LA. All they really knew was the murder accusation and now Justin's involvement in keeping some woman from LA at a distance. Somehow Lance knew that was only the tip of the iceberg. He just hoped that whatever else was revealed, they could handle it.

JC sat on the cot with his knees to his chest with his arms wrapped around his legs, trying desperately to ignore the way his clothes made his skin itch. Unlike when he'd been put in a jail cell in Orlando, they had made him strip and change into orange pants and a shirt. The usual prison attire that almost every criminal wore on TV and in movies, and it wasn't nearly as soft or comfortable as his t-shirt and jeans.

Then to top it off, he was locked away in this isolation cell where there was such little light that JC would've believed it was midnight if he hadn't known it was still morning. There wasn't anything he could do given how dark it was, which just left him sitting alone with his thoughts. The exact place he didn't want to be.

All he could do was replay that last day with Sabrina over and over in his head, berating himself for not reporting what'd happened to the police. That if he had, he likely wouldn't be in this situation. He wouldn't be sitting in jail. Because while it may temporary, he'd never felt more like a criminal than he did in that moment.

That combined with the stress of the last couple days caused him to break down shortly after he'd been left alone in his cell. He'd sobbed into his hands, no longer able to fight back the tears. A couple of times he'd tried to rein in his emotions, but given the dark, dank cell it was nearly impossible and he quickly gave up. He'd only stopped when he'd literally cried himself out.

He had no idea how long ago that had been, but his cramping legs told him it'd been much longer than his body wanted to be in such a folded up position. It didn't motivate him to move though. The most he did was let his head tilt back to rest against the wall behind him.

The brick was cool, which felt nice on his warm head. You'd think a cell with no window would be cooler since there was no sun streaming in, but it was suffocating in that small room. He was sweating, and crying certainly hadn't helped things as it'd just made him even hotter. And this wasn't like when he'd get sweaty from performing; this was more reminiscent of when he was sick with a fever, especially with the way his head was pounding from the aftereffects of crying. Only, the last time he felt this horrible he'd had someone to take care of him.

JC woke up to someone running their hand through his hair. The action was soothing, and it almost put him right back to sleep. At least it would have if his body hadn't suddenly betrayed him, forcing him to cough and further irritate his inflamed throat.

As he coughed, a hand went to his forehead. It was cool against his warm skin, and it caused him to shiver a bit even in spite of the blankets he was buried beneath. His mind was hazy from sleep and the cold that had knocked him on his ass late last night after the concert, and it made him feel like he'd regressed twenty years.

"Mom?" His voice was hoarse, and the single word had him swallowing harshly against the pain it induced.

"JC?" The hand moved from his forehead and went back to his hair, running through the freshly cut hair. "It's Penny."

JC's eyes snapped open as he realized what day it was. He had completely forgotten when he'd gone to bed last night that Penny was flying in to meet up with him and travel with them for a couple of days. His intention had been to take her out to dinner and maybe catch a late movie.

"Penny?" he rasped. He blinked a couple times to clear his vision, and he found her sitting back watching him with sympathetic eyes. She had a soft smile on her face, and even in the dim lighting of the hotel room he swore she'd never looked more beautiful. "Sorry. Just let me jump in the shower and we can go."

He moved his arms, trying to untangle himself from the blankets he'd cocooned himself in. Though, he was having trouble as his limbs felt heavy and didn't seem to want to cooperate with him. He managed to get an arm free, but he was stopped from doing anything further as Penny put a hand on his arm.

"JC, no. We're not going out tonight," she said.

JC squinted at the clock, trying to figure out what time it was. The numbers were blurry, but they eventually focused enough that he could tell it was nearly seven o'clock. He'd meant for them to be done with dinner by now, and her plane had gotten in at four which meant she'd already spent hours just waiting on him. "I don't think we'll make the movie, but we can do dinner. Just let me get a shower and-"

"If you want to get a shower to help open your sinuses, great. But we're not going out."

"Penny," JC started, but she gave him that no nonsense look that always silenced him. This time was no different. Though, he quickly recovered and tried to appeal to her by saying, "You didn't come all the way out here to sit in a hotel room and take care of me. We had plans."

She put up a hand to stop him. "We'll just have to do them later." She leaned in a little so she could look him right in the eye. "And JC, I came out here to see you. We don't always have to go out and do things. I already like you a lot - you don't have to bribe me into liking you more."

JC frowned, and he was going to protest that that wasn't what he had been doing. But then his cold took over making him sneeze several times in a row and he ended up losing his train of thought. When he had recovered, he found Penny holding a tissue out to him. He took it gratefully, blowing his nose even as he grimaced at the sound. His head was pounding, and he was going to lay back down when Penny intercepted him.

She grabbed his hand and tugged gently, pulling him out of bed. "Let's get you in that shower. That should help, and I'll order up some food and find a movie for us to watch. We can have a quiet night in while you recover."

JC looked at her, seeing the concern in her eyes, and he couldn't help but give her a weak smile of thanks. He still felt guilty about ruining their night out, but he appreciated what she was doing. He was touched that she cared so much and didn't seem the least bit concerned about getting sick.

JC gave a sad sigh at the memory. Penny had been unlike any girlfriend he'd had. The level of concern she had for him - something that had started the very day they'd met - only grew as they became closer. She cared for him deeply, and while he'd known it from the beginning, it never failed to surprise him when he saw the worried look in her eyes.

Sabrina had never been so caring. He'd gotten sick quite a bit when he was with her, always running himself down from the jobs he worked constantly. And then when he wasn't working Sabrina always had them off and running or had him doing things for her. She expected a lot out of him, and those expectations didn't lower when he was sick. She'd never taken care of him the way Penny had, and with every day he spent with Penny he'd started to believe that maybe it was possible to truly be equals in a relationship.

They did have their fights and problems, but lately it had been hard to remember those times. The only thing he could think that would explain it was that he'd gotten used to her support and the way she took care of him when he was down or not feeling well. And in this situation he'd never been more terrified, which had him wishing for that comfort she so willingly gave whenever he needed it.

He had the guys though, and they would have to be enough. He had blown it with Penny, so if he wanted any comfort it would have to come from his friends. Joey's presence had helped greatly on the plane, and he'd been grateful for the breakfast Joey had bought him. It really made him feel guilty for not telling the guys the truth about everything, but he couldn't. If he did, they would look at him like he was a horrible person and he'd surely lose their friendship. It wasn't something he wanted to risk.

There was a knock on the metal door, the loud sound echoing through the small space. JC jerked his head up, his heart pounding in his chest from being startled out of his thoughts.

"You have a visitor," the voice said on the other side of the door. JC didn't recognize the voice, but it was obviously a police officer that worked within the building. But then his words registered and JC jumped to his feet.

As much as he hated the guys seeing him like this (and now that he was in prison garb it would be so much worse), any excuse to get out of the suffocating cell was more than welcome.

The lock loudly slid out of place, and the heavy door swung open. JC had to blink at the bright lights from the hallway that immediately flooded the dark space. As his eyes were getting adjusted, he sensed the officer step into the cell and cuffed his wrists together. It seemed now that he was dressed like a prisoner, he was being treated like one as well.

The cop grabbed onto his arm and led him out of the cell. JC suspected he was being led back the way he had come originally hours ago, but he couldn't say for sure since he hadn't been paying attention at the time. Regardless, they moved through a couple hallways without running into anyone before they reached a door.

"Your lawyer is in there. You have fifteen minutes," the man said. Then he twisted the knob and opened the door while simultaneously giving JC a push into the room.

The door shut behind him, but JC hardly noticed. All he could do was stare at the person in front of him. Todd, his lawyer, wasn't seated at the metal table waiting for him. It was Sabrina.

JC was paralyzed. He'd known this was coming - that he was going to see her at some point. But he hadn't expected it to be now.

"You better sit down before that cop makes you sit down," she said, nodding towards the window. They had been left alone in the room, but the cop was standing right outside ready to step in at a moment's notice should he need to.

JC wanted to refuse because he didn't want to let her think she could tell him what to do. Those days were long gone. But he knew she was right, that if he didn't sit down the cop would come in and who knew what else would happen.

So JC took the seat across from Sabrina, the long chain from the cuffs around his wrist clanging against the table. She was watching him with amusement, and he couldn't help staring back at her.

Even though he hadn't seen her in a year, she looked exactly the same. The only difference was that instead of the straight hair she normally sported, her black hair fell in soft curls. In anyone else it would've softened their features, but her green eyes outlined with eyeliner were just as striking. They held an intensity that told you she would get what she wanted no matter the cost. She could get many people to do this just from a single look - for months he had been one of them. But he wasn't going to fall under her spell this time.

"I see you finally grew your hair out of that awful thing you had last time I saw you," Sabrina said. She leaned forward, the corner of her lips twisting upwards. "You're way hotter than you were when we were together. And something tells me it's not just your hair that's gotten better."

Her eyes were with dark with lust and her tone was suggestive as hell. JC narrowed his eyes, wanting to show her that he wasn't affected by it at all. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sabrina didn't look put off by his tone or rude words, but she did sit back in her chair, crossing her arms casually. "You'd think you'd be happy to see me."

"Why the hell would I be happy to see you? It's your fault I'm here in the first place."

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "It is?"

"Don't play that game with me," JC growled. He didn't have patience for her crap anymore, and that was even more true with everything that had happened. "You and I both know that Marc didn't die from a stab wound in the neck."

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? I mean, you couldn't have known for sure he was dead when you came into the office."

JC stared at her, unable to believe he had never thought of that himself. In the moment when he'd seen Marc lying on the ground not moving his mind had immediately gone to dead because he knew the kinds of things Sabrina did to get what she wanted. But because she had stopped him from feeling for a pulse, there could have been a chance that Marc hadn't been dead. That maybe he had just passed out and she'd only killed him once he'd run out of the house.

JC shook his head, trying to clear it of those thoughts. It hadn't happened like that. He knew in his gut that Marc had been dead when he'd walked into the study, and the little smirk on Sabrina's face as she watched him solidified that thought. She was playing with him. But to what end? There was always a reason.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Sabrina uncrossed her arms and sat up in her chair, looking him in the eye. "I need something from you."

"Let me guess, more money?" JC shook his head, knowing that had to be it and completely unable to understand why she had gone to all this trouble. "Why didn't you just call me and demand it?"

"Because you could have easily said no," she replied simply. "But now? I have a feeling you'll agree to just about anything I ask in order to get out of jail."

JC glared at her. "I'm not the pushover I once was, and I don't need you to get out of jail. There is no proof I killed Marc."

"You mean besides the murder weapon?"

JC fumed, but he bit his tongue, forcing himself not to respond knowing she was goading him. Still, she smirked at him like she knew how her words affected him.

"Oh, JC, how I love this side of you. As good as things were before, it would be even better now. We could have so much fun together."

JC gritted his teeth, still trying to rein in his anger. Even though he knew she could see through his poor attempts at hiding it, he didn't want to make it quite so obvious. "Never gonna happen," he ground out. "And I don't need you to get out of here."

He wasn't entirely sure that was true. She had been the one to provide the police with the so called murder weapon, and it seemed pretty damning. Though, his lawyer seemed to think there was nothing substantial the cops could put on him to pinpoint him at the scene of the crime or definitely prove he was the one who wielded the knife to kill Marc. It may take longer that way, but JC felt that eventually the cops would agree and have to let him go.

She lifted an eyebrow. "No? Maybe I'll just have to find something else to motivate you then."

She hummed like she was thinking, but JC could tell it was fake. He just waited for her to reveal what she no doubt thought was the ace up her sleeve. And when she did, he wasn't prepared for what it was.

"I'll just have to go to one your friends to get what I need," she said. JC could feel his blood begin to boil, and it got worse as she continued on. "I'll probably go to that curly haired kid. Justin, right? You guys seem close."

At the mention of Justin, JC saw red and jumped out of his seat. He nearly lunged across the table as he gathered the front of her shirt into his fists, pulling her close as he threatened her. "If you touch him..." he growled.

JC's eyes bored into hers, all of his attention focused solely on her. So much so that he was surprised when his arm was gripped tightly and he was pulled off Sabrina. He turned his head to see the cop that had been standing outside of the door.

"I think that's enough for today," the man said gruffly, beginning to pull JC towards the door.

JC wanted to protest, but he knew it wouldn't do any good as the cop surely wouldn't listen to him anyway. It might be a good thing anyway to get away from Sabrina because he wasn't sure what he might do if he continued to sit with her, especially if she kept threatening the guys. Even though he did want to make sure that she wasn't going to go anywhere near them.

But Sabrina spoke up, bringing the cop to a halt. "It's okay," she said. "We're not quite finished yet, and I know he won't do it again."

The cop stared at her unsure, and JC anticipated he was going to shoot her down. But much to his surprise, the cop relented. Though, after he directed JC back into his seat, he made a point of cuffing him to the table.

"Just in case you don't know him as well you as you think," the cop told Sabrina. Then he turned on JC. "And if I see you even trying to do that again, you'll be getting no more visitors for the rest of your time here. I don't care if they're your lawyer or not."

JC gave the cop a slight nod to show that he understood, and he refused to look at Sabrina until they were left alone once again. As soon as he heard the click of the door shutting, he raised his head to see her smirking at him.

"Oh, JC," she said, shaking her head. "You haven't changed one bit. I'll get you to bend to my will, just like I always did."

JC glared at her. "You're wrong. Whatever you brought me to LA for, it's not gonna happen. And you won't even be able to get within ten feet of my friends."

"You sure about that?"

She was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and amusement in her eyes. With every look she gave him, he was assaulted with more and more memories of the things they had done together. Things that more often than not she'd forced him into doing. But that wasn't going to happen again.

"Our bodyguards-" he started, but she quickly cut him off.

"You mean the ones that I had no problem getting around at Disney?" she asked, giving him a knowing look. She then leaned in closely so their faces were inches apart. "You're going to give me what I want no matter what. Why don't you make it easy on yourself and let me make all this go away?"

JC's hands clenched into fists. It was hard to admit, but she was right about how easy she'd gotten around the bodyguards at Disney. She hadn't even been stopped by them. To be fair, he'd purposely gone out of his way to meet Sabrina in the most discrete way as possible, but he knew from experience just how she was able to work things in her favor. It terrified him thinking about just what she would do in order to get his cooperation.

The door opened, and JC looked up to see Justin step into the room with Lance right behind him. Once they were clear of the doorway, the cop stepped into it and glanced at Sabrina. "Maximum two visitors at a time," he told her. Then he looked at JC, his eyes narrowed. "You'll have ten minutes and that's it. This ain't your damn tour bus where you can entertain numerous people all day long. Some of us have work to do."

Sabrina stood up from her chair, drawing JC's attention back to her. He wasn't the only one either - both Lance and Justin had similar confused looks on their face. Before they could ask who she was, Sabrina confidently crossed the room to them and smiled as she stuck her hand out.

"You must be Justin," she said, shaking his hand. She tossed JC a quick glance before looking back at Justin. "It's great to finally meet you."

Justin looked thrown for a second, but he quickly recovered. "Uh, yeah. It's nice to meet you..."

He was hinting for her name like they did with those fans that were too shy to offer it outright. Sabrina released his hand and smiled wider as she gave him her name. Justin's eyes widened, and JC frowned, unable to even guess why he would have such a reaction. Though, he tried to cover it. Lance, at least, seemed to be as confused by Justin's reaction as he was.

The cop cleared his throat. "Miss, you need to leave." Then he looked at Justin and Lance. "And you're down to eight minutes."

"Hopefully I'll see you boys around," Sabrina said, giving a smile to both Justin and Lance though her gaze lingered on Justin a bit longer. She looked at JC with a raised brow, silently asking if he was really going to let her leave and not take her help.

JC said nothing, and she walked toward the door. He looked at Lance and Justin, and in that moment the confused expression on Justin's face made him seem so much younger. It caused an intense feeling of protectiveness to wash over JC, and he immediately reacted.

"Wait," he cried, stopping Sabrina just as she was about to step out into the hall. Wordlessly, she turned towards him, and he gave her a single nod. "Okay."

Her lips curled into small smile, one that held all sorts of secrets. "Okay," she replied before finally leaving the room. The cop closed the door behind her, leaving JC alone with Lance and Justin.

He sighed, leaning back into the uncomfortable metal chair. It made him nervous thinking about what Sabrina would demand of him in return for getting the murder charge dropped, but whatever it was he was certain he would find a way to handle it. And at least he could rest easy knowing she had no reason to get his friends involved.

"You okay?" Justin asked quietly.

JC forced himself to sit up straight so he could look him in the eye, trying to give him his best reassuring look. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said.

On a reflex, he started to lift his hand to run through his hair only to stop short when he realized his hands were cuffed to the table and didn't have much slack in the chain. This was the worst thing he could've done because it drew their attention to it, and the look of horror on Justin's face wasn't something he was going to forget to anytime soon. Lance's expression was equally as hard even though he was more sad than freaked.

Justin shook his head, anger clouding his young face. "Don't do that. Don't pretend like everything's fine. You're cuffed to a table in a police station wearing a prison jumpsuit. I'm pretty sure you're not okay."

The words had gotten louder and quicker as Justin went on, and JC's heart clenched at the emotion on Justin's face. There were tears pooled in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall. And JC wasn't sure if Justin was more upset or angry.

"I'll be okay," JC said softly, trying to soothe Justin's fears and worry. "This is all just temporary and it'll be cleared up soon."

"How can you know that?" Justin asked. "What did the police say?"

JC sighed heavily. "Justin..." It was all he said, and he let that single word hang, letting them know just how much he didn't want to talk about it.

"No!" Justin objected loudly. "You've been keeping this whole thing from us. For years! We deserve to know what's going on."

JC knew Justin had a point. They did deserve to know just who they were friends with. Because while JC hadn't been entirely himself when he was with Sabrina, he'd had enough sense to know better and the fact that he hadn't continued to refuse participation in her antics had left him with such guilt. Something that had him working hard to be a good Samaritan and give back whenever he could.

At the same time though, he selfishly wanted to hang onto this secret. The things he had done were in his past, and he'd done his best to atone for them. In his mind it would be better if things stayed buried. Just because Sabrina had dredged up all this up for him again didn't mean he had to get the guys involved in something that happened before they had ever gotten the group together.

"I can't," JC said finally. He raised his head to look Justin in the eye, knowing his answer was going to anger his youngest friend and hoping to appeal to his sensitivity. "Not now."

Justin's nostrils flared in anger, and JC thought for sure he was going to do some more yelling. But Lance jumped in before Justin could get a single word out.

"Why don't we start simple," Lance said. He looked straight at JC. "Who was that girl?"

JC hesitated. He didn't want them to know anything about Sabrina. It was bad enough that she had introduced herself to them. He'd known they were going to have questions, and he didn't want to answer any of them. Not when he knew that each question would lead them closer to finding out what'd happened, and that wasn't something he was ready for.

"She was your ex-girlfriend, wasn't she?" Justin asked. "She's the reason you broke up with Penny."

JC couldn't help but roll his eyes. Even in the midst of being extradited and accused of murder, the guys still found ways to bring up his recent ex-girlfriend. "No, she's not."

But Justin wasn't at all convinced. He stared at JC knowingly as he said, "She messed you up. That's why you haven't been able to have a decent relationship since MMC ended. Isn't it?"

"I'm not talking about this now." Not ever. At least if JC had anything to say about it. The guys would never know what happened between him and Sabrina - or him and Penny for that matter.

"It doesn't matter," Justin said. "I know I'm right."

JC clenched his fist, trying to rein in his anger. It didn't matter that Justin was right; he just wanted someone to respect that he didn't want to talk about her or Penny. Lance seemed to sense that JC was close to snapping and spoke up, though he didn't exactly steer the conversation away from Sabrina like JC had hoped.

"Why was she even here?" Lance asked. "Johnny would've told us if something had gotten out, so how did she even know you were here?"

Justin gasped suddenly, his eyes widening like they did when he got an idea. His eyes swung back to JC's and demanded, "She framed you for the murder, didn't she?"

JC stared at him in surprise, unable to believe Justin had been able to jump to that so quickly. But Lance shook his head, frowning like he thought Justin was being completely ridiculous.

"Justin, no," Lance said. "JC obviously called her. I'm not sure why, but clearly he thinks she can help somehow."

Lance turned to JC expectantly, waiting for him to explain why JC had called Sabrina and how he thought she could help. Justin on the other hand had turned away from them and was mumbling to himself. JC's brows furrowed as he tried to catch was Justin was saying, but he could only make out a few words here and there. Things like "makes sense" and "should've known", but there was one particular phrase that caught his attention, coming through loud and clear as though Justin was shouting it rather than talking quietly to himself.

"She didn't keep her word."

JC looked at Lance, but Lance was still watching him, waiting for an answer to why he'd called Sabrina even though he hadn't called her. Lance hadn't heard Justin, but those words were echoing in JC's ears. There were so many questions popped into his head, and JC's heart pounded with each new one.

"Justin," JC waited until Justin turned and looked at him before continuing, "do you know Sabrina?"

The question just spilled out of his mouth, and as the words left his lips he wanted to take them back. It was a waste of a question. Of course Justin didn't know her. If he had, their interaction would've gone much differently. Today had been the first time they'd met, but that didn't mean that they hadn't known about each other before. The thought made JC's stomach churn anxiously.

But before Justin could say anything, the door opened and the cop was there. "Time's up," he announced.

JC looked up at him. He got to his feet, but with his hands cuffed to the table he was left in a stooped position that had him hovering above it. "No, please. Five more minutes."

"You've had your time," the cop said gruffly, walking over to JC and unlocking the cuffs from the table. "You're done for the day."

"But-"

"Don't worry, JC," Lance said. "We'll talk to Todd and we'll be back. We'll do whatever we can to get this taken care of."

JC closed his mouth, knowing that he wasn't going to get anywhere arguing with the cop. And he couldn't explain to Lance that there was nothing for them to take care of. It was in Sabrina's hands, and as long as she kept her word, he imagined he would be out of here before the day was over.

It was a thought that should've comforted him, but he was too overwhelmed with other anxieties. The first was wondering just what Sabrina wanted from him because he would definitely owe her for getting him of out jail. And the second, which was just as concerning, how the hell did Justin know Sabrina?

As JC was led back to his cell, his stomach tied up with knots as he realized he might not be able to keep Sabrina away from the guys. Sabrina was his past and what he had with the guys was his future, and he had a feeling the two were going to collide in a horrific way.

"So that's it? It's over just like that?"

Chris watched JC's lawyer, Todd, carefully looking for any sign he was holding something back. Todd met his gaze head on and nodded firmly.

"They were using Ms. Morton's testimony to give weight to their evidence. Since she revoked her statement, that pocket knife is just circumstantial. It doesn't prove JC killed Marc."

JC hadn't said a single word to them about the case, but they'd managed to get Todd to tell them at least enough to assure them that JC wasn't in danger of going to jail for life. They'd believed he would get JC off, certain of their friend's innocence. But Chris had never thought it come about like this.

"But it also doesn't prove his innocence either," Chris pointed out.

Joey elbowed him. "Dude, do you want JC to be a murderer?"

"Of course not," Chris said quickly. "I just don't understand how the police are dropping this so quickly, like nothing happened. And all because that girl changed her story?"

"She was the one who set him up to begin with," Justin mumbled.

"Yeah, but why?"

"Do the details really matter?" Lance asked. Chris stared at him in surprise. Lance was the most anal person he knew - details mattered a great deal to him and for him to say otherwise was just wrong. Lance caught his look and added, "I'm with Joey. This gets JC out of jail, and that's all I really care about at this point."

"Her retracting her statement didn't change the outcome anyway. JC was going to be released no matter what because there was no real proof that he killed Marc. This just allowed us to get there faster," Todd said.

Chris nodded. He did believe that the lawyer would've gotten the charges dropped regardless, but he wasn't as willing as the guy were to believe it was over. "But what if there's more to this?" he asked.

"I'll stick around for a couple of days just in case," Todd said. "If anything else comes up, all you have to do is call me."

"And this is completely over? I understand they dropped the murder charges, but can't the police charge him for knowing about a crime and not reporting it?"

"Dude!" Joey said again, this time exasperated. "Are you trying to make sure JC stays in jail?"

Chris sighed, frustrated that his concern wasn't coming across correctly. "No," he said with an edge, beginning to get irritated at the accusation he didn't want JC out of jail. "I just don't want us to go back to Orlando thinking everything is fine and then something else pops up. I want to make sure this is truly resolved."

For the first time since Todd had sat down with them, he hesitated. "The police didn't mention anything about charging him for failing to report it. But you're right, technically they can."

"So why are they releasing him then?"

It was Lance's turn to object. "Chris!"

"What?" Chris snapped, tired of them all questioning him. "This isn't adding up. Something fishy is going on, and I just want to make sure we don't end up getting burned for it."

"She probably paid off the cops."

Chris turned his head to Justin in surprise. This wasn't the first comment Justin had made about this girl being more than just a little dishonest about what'd happened to her husband. The things he said almost made the whole thing sound like some kind of conspiracy, which on the surface sounded ridiculous. But at the same time, Chris wasn't sure the idea could be dismissed.

"You really think she could do that?" Joey asked.

Justin opened his mouth to respond, but Lance beat him to it. "No," Lance said. "To do any of things you all are suggesting - like interfering with a police investigation - she'd have to have some major pull. Something I doubt she has."

"Why? Because she dated JC?" Justin asked. "She could be a local politician or something. This whole thing has already proved we know nothing about what happened when he was out here after MMC."

Chris raised an eyebrow at Lance. The last part of what Justin said had been said with a hint of bitterness, and he'd been in a miserable mood since he and Lance had returned from visiting JC a couple hours ago. He could understand Justin feeling put out that his best friend hadn't shared all of this with him, but he'd expected the mood to lift when they'd gotten the call from Todd saying the charges were dropped and he was on his way over to explain everything to them. Lance just shook his head, seeming to say he didn't know how to deal with Justin's attitude. The only person that could fix it was JC, and considering how mum JC had been on the whole thing, he couldn't see that happening.

"I doubt she's a politician," Lance said to Justin, frowning. "I mean, she wasn't exactly dressed like it."

Justin sighed a little, but Lance seemed to have made a valid point. "Okay, fine. But there could be something more to her. Something that puts her in a position where she can get whatever she wants and force people to do things for her."

"Who cares," Joey said. Chris looked over at him surprised to find him irritated, and he was about to ask what his problem was when Joey cut him off. "We don't need to know the reason. All that matters is JC is getting out of jail. If they want to charge him with something else later then we'll deal with it then. But can't we all just be happy he's out?"

A knock on the door interrupted them. They all glanced at each other wondering if that was JC because when Todd arrived he'd told them that when he'd left the police station JC's release was being processed. So it stood to reason that he'd be arriving here at the hotel any minute.

Chris was closest to the door so he got to his feet. He glanced back at the guys and saw they all looked anxious. This was especially true of Justin who was leaning forward in his seat, like he was ready to spring from it in a moment's notice. It seemed his earlier irritation towards JC didn't stop him from being excited to have him finally return to them.

The only problem was when Chris opened the door, JC wasn't on the other side.

Instead it was a girl he'd never seen before. She was only a couple inches shorter than Chris with black hair that fell in soft waves over her shoulders. For a second he thought she was a fan, but her lack of giddiness and closed lipped smile made him rethink that. And in a way, that was even more concerning. Who was she and what did she want?

"Can I help you?" he asked. He knew without looking that the guys were watching him, wondering what was going on.

"I'm Sabrina." Chris's lips turned down into a frown, and she seemed to realize her name hadn't registered so she provided him with her full name. "Sabrina Morton. I'm here to see JC."

As she said the last part, she took a step forward. Chris was forced to take a step backwards in order to keep some space between them, which also caused him to step further in the room leaving the door wide enough for her to come in. He watched her slip by him, feeling surprise that the very woman they'd been talking about had shown up at their hotel and knew exactly what room they were in.

"You," Justin said, getting to his feet. "Get out. JC has no interest in seeing you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? Because I have it on good authority that he does. Me and him have some...catching up to do."

Todd clear his throat, drawing attention to himself. He then got to his feet and looked Sabrina in the eyes. "I feel the need to remind you that blackmailing someone is illegal, especially if it impacts a criminal investigation."

She gave him a wicked smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

Todd eyed her for a moment longer before he turned to the four of them. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call," he said.

Lance nodded and thanked him. Todd glanced at Sabrina one last time before he left the hotel room, the door automatically closing behind him. Almost as soon as he was gone, Justin started on Sabrina again.

"Whatever you think you're going to get from JC, you won't. He's a much better person than you, and he won't stoop to your level."

"Is that so?" she asked, almost sounding bored. "Perhaps you don't know him as well as you think you do."

"I know him better than anyone," Justin said. "And I know he's no murderer."

She nodded. "True. But he's not as innocent as you think he is. We did all kinds of things together - things that weren't exactly legal."

Chris couldn't say he was exactly surprised. Something had to have gone down between JC and this girl, especially since he had never mentioned her or talked about his time in LA to any of them. At the same time though, it was hard to picture him doing anything illegal. JC had such a guilty conscience, and Chris couldn't see him taking part in anything that would harm someone else because he would be wracked with the guilt of it.

"Like what?"

The question came from Joey, not Justin. He was looking at Sabrina with disbelief but also curiosity like he wanted to know her story while Justin just glared at her with a deep frown on his face.

Sabrina glanced at each of them as she spoke. "I read somewhere that you tease him for being a klepto. Well, let's just say you don't know the half of it."

"And why should we believe you?" Lance asked, not meanly but as a genuine question. "We don't even know you."

She gave a little shrug. "You shouldn't. But go ahead, ask him for yourself. You'll see I'm right."

There was a knock at the door again. This time Chris was sure it was JC, and sure enough, the door opened after that quick, single knock. Lonnie declared loudly, "Look who's finally broken out of the big house" and gently shoved JC into the suite.

JC stumbled a little bit, looking dead on his feet but Chris couldn't deny he looked in better spirits. No doubt happy to finally be out of jail. Though, any relief or joy on JC's face disappeared the instant he saw Sabrina. At once, his posture straightened and his face hardened.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, staring at her coldly. Chris's eyebrows shot up and he exchanged a surprised look with the others. Hardly had he ever heard JC speak like that to anyone.

"I came here to see you and instead I've been having a little chat with your friends. It seems they don't really know who you really are," she said. She took a step closer to him, a smirk playing around her lips. "Funny how you're not as honest with them as you were with me."

JC glared at her. "I'm not doing this with you."

She sighed, all hints of amusement leaving her face. "We still need to talk."

"Not here. I'll call you when I'm ready to meet," JC said.

She reached out, looping her arms around his neck as she stared up at him. "Why don't you just come by the apartment? I'll be there all night."

JC grabbed onto her arms, forcefully removing them from around his neck. "Fine," he said flatly. "See you later."

She stepped away from JC, but she didn't seem put off in the slightest. In fact, Chris would say she seemed highly amused at JC's lack of tolerance for her flirty behavior. JC crossed his arms over his chest and continued to glare at her, making it even more obvious she wasn't welcome and needed to leave.

She raised an eyebrow at him, but she didn't protest. It was when she reached the door that she stopped. She turned around to look back at the rest of them, and she said a syrupy sweet voice, "See you boys around."

Chris frowned, getting the sense she wasn't just saying that. But given how adamant JC seemed in keeping them away from her, he couldn't see it happening. Regardless though, she finally walked out the door, and it was only when the door shut locking automatically behind her that JC relaxed.

It was an almost instantaneous reaction. JC's shoulders slumped forward, his spine curving. Somehow he looked even more exhausted and run down than he had when he'd first walked in the door. And to top it off, his gaze was fixed on the floor as he avoided even glancing in their direction.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Chris had questions, and he could tell the others did too. Though, they seemed unsure how to bring it up. Or, in Chris's case, the state JC was in gave him pause. As much as he wanted answers, it didn't seem like the right time to press it.

JC jumped on their hesitation by mumbling, "I'm gonna take a shower."

He hadn't so much as taken a step when Lance stopped him. "Aren't we going to talk about this, JC?"

JC sighed heavily and slowly raised his head so he could look each of them in the eyes. "I know you guys have questions about Sabrina and...stuff. But can't this wait until I at least take a shower?"

JC sounded a little exasperated, but more than anything there was a pleading note to his voice. It wasn't Chris's style to back down, especially when he seemed on the verge of getting something out of JC who was so closed off - even from the four of them. But considering how bad JC looked, he knew this would be the thing to send him over the edge. The shower would be therapeutic for JC, allowing him to not only rid himself of smells from jail but also get his thoughts in order.

"Yeah, of course," Chris said on behalf of all of them. "But we will talk after."

Chris held JC's gaze, making sure the message came through loud and clear. He was curious about Sabrina and the past JC had with her yes, but he also wanted to make sure JC wasn't too emotionally scarred from this whole experience.

JC gave him a small nod, and Joey pointed out which room held JC's stuff. None of them moved until JC disappeared into the room, shutting the door behind him.

******************

JC was technically clean, having already thoroughly washed himself and his hair, but he was having a hard time forcing himself out of the shower. Partly because he was reveling in the feel of the hot water erasing all the grime from spending the last couple days in jail. But also because he knew he would have to talk to the guys once he got out.

He had no idea what Sabrina might have said to them, but he suspected she hadn't actually said anything specific. Because if she had, they likely would've jumped all over him to answer their questions and not allowed him the time to shower and collect himself. There was also the way she looked at him when she said his friends didn't seem to know him so well. That single look had told him that she was getting pleasure at forcing the issue, putting him in a position where he had to explain what she meant and reveal more than he'd ever intended.

JC bowed his head, letting the hot water beat against his neck in attempt to loosen the tense muscles there. Though, he had a feeling no amount of hot water would do it - it was entirely dependent on the guys and how they responded to what he told them. Their reaction terrified him more than he could say, but he knew he likely wouldn't be able to brush off their questions either. He'd have to offer some kind of an explanation to what Sabrina had said.

He rubbed at his neck and felt the cord of his Leo necklace beneath his fingers. It was something he had picked up while they were in Europe. Normally he'd never had much interest in astrology or his Zodiac sign, but in a small shop they'd had various Zodiac necklaces with a little write up for each. Being born in August made him a Leo, and the write up said that the necklace would harness a Leo's strength and courage as those traits were common in most Leos. And given he'd been silently dealing with everything that'd happened months ago in LA, he'd bought it with the idea that he wanted to be that person - someone strong and brave. Certainly more than he had been when he was in LA with Sabrina.

The necklace didn't magically change anything, but it helped to serve as a reminder that he was stronger than he thought. That he had it in himself to stand up for what was right - something he had finally done in LA after weakly letting Sabrina force him into things he hadn't agreed with. And as much as he didn't want to lay everything that had happened in LA on the table, he knew he would make it through it regardless of how the guys reacted. It didn't make him any less nervous, but it reminded him he was only as weak as he allowed himself to be.

With a heavy sigh, JC finally turned around and shut off the water. With the steam quickly dissipating, it kept him from lingering and stalling getting dressed. Though, he allowed himself the time to actually dry his hair when normally he would just run the towel through it a couple times. Every little excuse he could come up with to delay the inevitable, he was more than willing to use to his advantage.

As he walked out of the bathroom into the connecting bedroom, he was sure at least one of the guys would be waiting for him. Surprisingly, the room was empty. He certainly wasn't going to complain though as it allowed him at least a couple extra minutes to think about just how he was going to word things and exactly how much he would truly tell them about the time he spent with Sabrina.

JC sat on the bed closest to the bathroom to pull on his socks, his mind spinning all the while. Memories and thoughts ran through his head before he finally locked on one particular memory. He wasn't sure what it was about this one, why it was the one that had been pushed to the forefront of his brain, but it left him feeling even more exhausted than he already was.

It wasn't the first thing Sabrina had goaded him into doing, but it was the one that'd come closest to him ending up in jail under a grand theft auto charge. Thankfully it hadn't come to that, but it was still one of the many memories that haunted him.

JC couldn't believe his bad luck. The Jeep was in the shop again being repaired for God knew what. All he knew was that it was no doubt going to cost him more than he could spare, even with Sabrina's friend cutting him a deal. And to top it all off, he was going to miss out on an audition.

He'd gotten wind of a TV audition where they needed someone who could sing to act as one of background musicians on the show. It didn't sound like much, but JC knew there was so much opportunity with that role. If he got the part and ended up on TV, it would be easier for someone to take notice of his talent and hopefully hire him for more. At least this was the scenario he'd dreamed up in his head since he'd circled the audition in the paper.

But it wasn't going to happen now that his Jeep had died on him again. Public transportation wasn't an option either because taking into consideration the schedule and number of stops a bus generally made, it would take much longer than the extended lunch he'd gotten permission from his boss to take. It was disappointing though because it was the most promising an audition had sounded lately.

JC sighed, swiping at the sweat that had built up on his forehead. Just like his job at the restaurant, being a valet required being in slacks and a long sleeved dress shirt. What made the valet uniform worse though was that it also included a vest, and summer was well under way in LA, which meant the constant sunshine was even more intense.

"No one is going to tip you if you slouch like that."

JC didn't even look up at the sound of Sabrina's voice. If anything, he leaned forward more so he was practically sprawled out atop the valet podium. "No one tips me anyway," he muttered.

"Not if this is how you look when people approach," she countered as she stepped closer to him. She put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him until his back was perfectly straight with his shoulders back. While he used to have good posture, lately it had been pretty awful so such a position was actually painful.

"No one's even here," he complained. He was on the verge of whining - something Sabrina absolutely hated - but he couldn't help it. It wasn't turning out to be a very good day considering his Jeep was in the garage again, he was missing out on an audition for a decent gig, and LA seemed to be experiencing its hottest day of the year which just made his job that much more miserable.

And the sudden presence of his girlfriend didn't even lift his spirits. In fact, her nagging was just souring his mood faster. So much so that he turned on her and, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice, asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you and see if you were in a better mood than this morning. Obviously not."

JC sighed, rolling his eyes. Why on earth would he be in a better mood? When he'd left that morning it had been in a rush to catch the bus he needed to get to his first job of the day. He'd spent the night at Sabrina's apartment, and she'd turned off his alarm allowing him to oversleep. So needless to say he'd literally run out the door in order to catch the bus on time, which he did but without eating breakfast or getting a shower. Things he normally depended on to get him through the day.

Suddenly, it clicked in his head what her being there meant. He turned to look at her as he asked hopefully, "Can I borrow the car?"

She normally had an aerobics class this time three times a week, but if she was here then that meant her car was somewhere nearby. If he left right now, he could probably still make it to the audition in time. But she shook her head and he instantly deflated.

"Callie just dropped me off. She needed my car to run up to Malibu to check on her grandmother."

JC looked at her, trying to conceal his surprise. Sabrina was a good friend, but she normally didn't miss those aerobics classes for anything. So it must really be time sensitive. He frowned, worry creasing his brow as he thought about Callie. She was a sweet girl, and he hoped nothing was seriously wrong with her grandmother.

"There's a bus stop around here that goes to Universal City, right?" She didn't wait for him to answer as she said, "Why don't you catch that?"

JC's earlier annoyance returned, and he barely refrained from gritting his teeth. She hated when he got snippy with her, and he didn't really want to fight. His bad mood just had him primed and ready to fire off a nasty retort, and it took everything in him to hold back on saying something hurtful. It didn't keep the annoyance out of his tone though.

"I already told you. If I take the bus, I'll be gone twice as long as what my boss and I agreed on."

Sabrina gave a little shrug. "So what?"

"So she'll fire me," JC snapped. "And considering how much you like to spend my money, I'd think you'd prefer if I actually held down a couple of my jobs."

She narrowed her eyes, and JC sighed, knowing she was about to go off on him. But to his surprise, the next words out of her mouth weren't ones of anger meant to ignite their disagreement into a full blown argument. Instead she said, "Well, you do have another option."

He stared at her, not knowing where she was going with this. Though he caught on quickly as she gestured with her head in the direction where the valet parking lot was. His eyes widened as he stared at her in disbelief. "Are you nuts?" he hissed. "You want me to steal a car? Forget being fired, I'll be arrested."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "You're not stealing. You're just borrowing it." She leaned on the podium, moving into his personal space and staring into his eyes. "These yuppy rich people are going to be inside for at least a couple hours, and you'll be back in one, right? So there's plenty of time."

JC bit his lip, and he cursed himself for even considering it. Though, he couldn't help agreeing with her. That he would be back before the show that was occurring in the theatre behind him let out, and in all likelihood no one would even know. He looked at Sabrina and saw her lips begin to curl into a smile like she could tell he was about to give in and agree with her, and just like that, his moral compass snapped back into place.

"I can't," he said, shaking his head. It was wrong to take something that didn't belong to you - even if you were going to give it back, and his parents had raised him better than that.

"C'mon, JC, live a little," she replied. She straightened from the podium and took a step back, fixing him with a serious gaze. "What's the worst that could happen? They catch you?" She shook her head. "That's not going to happen, and even if it does, so what? You might get fired from this job, but it would be worth it if you got that audition, right?"

JC knew what she was doing appealing to the fact that he hated this job. Hell, he hated all the odd jobs that he worked in order to pay all his bills. He spent so much time working just to get by that he barely had time for music anymore. Something that would change if he got this part, and no doubt it would open all kinds of doors for him in the music business. And given that he would return before the show inside let out, the whole thing seemed to be low risk with a high payoff.

"Okay," he agreed at last. There was still a part of him that felt guilty for what he was about to do, but he forced those feelings deep down burying them under the knowledge that getting this part was the opportunity he had been waiting for. It held too much promise for him to miss the audition. He would just be super careful and return as quick as he could.

When JC had returned from the audition, the owners of the car were waiting for him along with his boss. As it turned out, the couple had decided to leave the show early and was livid when they'd discovered their car wasn't in the valet parking lot. JC had panicked, begging for their forgiveness as he crafted a story about his girlfriend's dad being in the hospital and he'd had to drive her there immediately. The lie had come so easily, and it'd left him feeling sick to his stomach, especially when the couple bought it and said they wouldn't press charges.

In the end, it hadn't even been worth it as he hadn't gotten the part. All JC had gotten was fired from his job as a valet, but he'd known he'd gotten off relatively easy. Something that happened quite a bit after he'd let Sabrina talk him into doing something he'd known wasn't right. It hadn't occurred to him at the time, but once he'd left LA he'd realized she'd been using the fact that he was underage to her advantage. Every scam they pulled, every petty theft she talked him into, it was all because he was under eighteen and the cops had a tendency to be more lenient with kids. While Sabrina, who was three years old than him, would've been arrested and who knows what else if she'd been the one caught doing any of the things he'd done. Not that they'd got caught often, but when they did, he was the one to feel the fallout from it - even if it hadn't been nearly as bad as what it could've been.

And that was why JC had kept the year in LA a secret. There wasn't a single person he'd told about the things he'd done because he was ashamed of what he'd done and couldn't stand the thought of disappointing the people that cared about him. His parents would've been horrified to hear how he'd let Sabrina lead him astray, and Justin...he was supposed to be a good role model for him, acting like the big brother he'd never had. He'd felt bad about lying to them all, but it'd been better than the alternative. Only now the guys would force him to reveal his history with Sabrina, and the thought made his heart rate quicken.

There was a soft knock on the door before the door opened. JC sighed, hanging his head as he lowered his foot to the floor. It looked like his time was up.

"JC?" JC didn't so much as lift his head at Chris's gentle probing. "You alright?"

JC shot him a quick look out of the corner of his eye, but otherwise didn't react to the question. He'd hoped that Chris would take the hint and leave him alone even though he knew that wouldn't happen. He was right, but he looked up as Chris sat on the bed next to him continuing to speak to him in a soft voice.

"Sorry. Dumb question." Chris looked him in the eye and said, "It gets easier, you know. From everything Lonnie told us you weren't put with anyone else so that had to make it easier. Though I know the crushing feeling of being behind bars."

JC's eyes widened. "You do?"

Chris gave a little shrug. "I got picked up for stealing some video game when I was fifteen, wishing like hell I could afford the same stuff as the other kids. You know, trying to be cool." He looked away from JC, his eyes becoming unfocused like he was replaying that particular memory. "The cops had me spend a night in jail to teach me a lesson."

JC couldn't help watching Chris, unable to believe what he was hearing. Chris wasn't a paragon of virtue in any way, but he seemed to have a moral compass that drove him the same as the rest of them. Though, that hadn't kept JC from doing things with Sabrina that he'd known was wrong. And knowing that Chris had spent a night in jail as a teenager just left him feeling sad.

"Chris, I-"

Chris interrupted him, "I didn't tell you that so you'd feel bad or pity me. I told you so you know you can talk to me about it, and I'll understand. You've been so insistent on dealing with all of this on your own, but you don't have to."

JC stared at Chris, feeling like he was in an alternate universe. It wasn't natural for Chris to be so soft spoken and sincere like this. That wasn't to say he didn't ever do it, but if he wanted to make you talked about something he would wear you down until you got it all off your chest. It made JC feel like he must really look like crap if Chris was being so gentle with him.

Chris seemed to sense his unease and opened his mouth to say more, but before he could get a word out, the door opened further and the others came in. His mouth snapped shut, and he looked more than a little annoyed that they'd been interrupted. But he didn't do or say anything to prevent the others from sitting on the other bed and making themselves comfortable for their impending talk.

"Can we talk about Sabrina now?" Justin asked once they were all settled.

Joey gave Justin's arm a backhanded smack, and Chris glared at him. "Justin," Chris said, his voice having that warning tone that they'd all heard at one time or another.

"It's okay," JC said. He looked down at his hands in his lap, knowing he couldn't do this if he was looking at any of them. "I do owe you guys an explanation."

"You don't have to tell us everything," Lance said. "Just as much as you want to tell us."

If JC had his way, he wouldn't tell them anything. That moment had long since passed, and it was time to fess up to what he'd done - even if they ended up hating him for it.

"I don't know what Sabrina told you, but we weren't exactly the best people when we were together," JC started. He could feel the weight of their curious gazes, and he knew they were hanging onto his every word. But he kept his eyes down, speaking quietly into his lap. "I regret every bit of it, but the thing I regret most was the stealing."

JC wondered if they were staring at him appalled, but he couldn't bring himself to raise his head and find out for himself. If they were, it would be so much harder to continue and give them the explanation they deserved.

"What did you steal?" Joey asked, quietly.

JC squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep the tears at bay. He couldn't hear any disappointment in Joey's voice, but he was sure it was written all over his face. On all their faces. He took a shaky breath and forced himself to answer the question.

"We stole money, food, almost anything we could get away with." JC bit his lip as memories flashed through his mind. "At first I was in shock at what she did, but it got easier the more we did it. She always was justifying it in such a way that even though I knew it was wrong, it didn't seem all that bad."

"She was manipulating you," Justin said.

JC shook his head, his eyes still closed. "I could've gone against her at any time, but I chose not to. And I never turned her in. Hell, after a while I started to agree with her."

She'd always been a very opinionated person, and she'd projected all of her feelings and thoughts onto him. There was a way she talked that JC had always found himself agreeing with her even he'd always thought differently. In her eyes the world owed her a lot, and she often was just taking things that people were too careless with or just plain didn't think about.

"There was one time we were walking around and we were drawn into a bakery from the smell of fresh baked bread," JC recounted, drawing upon the memory. "On the counter was a loaf of a bread that was meant for free samples. Sabrina told me to take the bread - that it was there for people to eat and there was no written rule a sample was only limited to one slice per person. I tried to argue, but she said that we needed the bread more than they did. And it was true - we'd paid so much on our bills that month that we hardly had anything for food. So when the shop owner was helping another customer, I took the loaf and ran out of the shop."

JC swiped at his eyes, wiping away any moisture that'd built up under his eyelids before it could pool enough to run down his face. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand rested on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Chris looking at him with a concerned frown.

"We're not judging you for what you did," he said.

"You're not?" JC replied, his disbelief clear. It made him suspicious because he'd never imagined another scenario.

"It's obvious you're still beating yourself up over it. We're not here to make you feel worse. It was a mistake. One that you've been killing yourself to make up for since then."

JC shook his head, unable to believe what Chris was saying. "You don't know about the things I've done. What I told you is just a small part of it."

"And our opinion isn't going to change when you tell us the rest," Joey said. "We know who you are, and a year of bad judgment doesn't change that."

Lance leaned forward on the opposite bed and ducked his head in attempt to catch JC's eyes. "Joey's right. There's nothing you can say that will change our opinion of you. You're our best friend, and we know you're not perfect. None of us are."

"Which is why you should just tell us everything and get it all out in the open," Justin jumped in, looking at JC earnestly. "It'll take the weight off your shoulders and make you feel better."

JC shuddered at the thought of telling them every single thing he and Sabrina had done together. He'd said they deserved to know the truth, but that didn't mean he was going to tell them everything. This was hard enough; he wouldn't be able to survive giving them a full rundown of his entire time with Sabrina.

"How about you tell us more about Sabrina? Like what's up with the murder charge and how she got it all to go away?" Chris said.

JC looked at him in surprise. He didn't understand why Chris wasn't pushing him to talk about everything and being less brash than usual, but he was grateful for it just the same.

"She's the one that told the cops I murdered Marc. She's the reason they have the pocket knife and think it's the murder weapon," JC said.

Lance frowned. "I thought that was submitted to the police anonymously."

Justin rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Lance. She obviously was the one behind that."

"So that isn't the murder weapon?" Joey asked.

JC shook his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. He maybe should've kept them more in the loop because there was so much he didn't tell them. It would take forever to explain it all, so he was just going to focus on the basics.

"Marc was poisoned. Or at least I think so. I didn't actually see her do anything, but that was the impression I got when I walked in on them."

Justin's eyes widened. "Your ex-girlfriend is a murderer?" He made a face before looking at JC with understanding. "No wonder you have relationship issues."

Beside JC, Chris snorted and JC himself couldn't help an eye roll as the corners of his lips twitched upward. Lance and Joey looked amused too, and JC could swear the knot that had been permanently between his shoulders for the last couple days loosened just a bit.

"That was when I got the hell out of LA," JC said. "I had done some crappy things with her to people, but I draw the line at murder."

"So why did she set you up then? What does she want?" Lance asked.

"And why didn't she do this sooner?" Chris added.

JC glanced at Chris briefly before he looked away, lowering his gaze once again. He didn't want to admit this, but he'd known it would probably come to him revealing what'd been going on since the Disney concert. "Because I was paying her to keep quiet."

"So you've been bribing her this entire time?" Chris shook his head, like that idea was in direct violation of everything he knew about JC. Then his face lit up with sudden realization. "She was blackmailing you, wasn't she?"

JC nodded. "She approached me after the Disney concert, and I've been sending her money every month because she threatened to talk about what happened with Marc."

"So what does she want now then? If you've been paying her, why would she basically go against her blackmail scheme?" Joey asked.

JC shrugged. "I don't know. She says she needs something. I figure it has to be more money, but she won't tell me until we meet." He glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table, noting the time. It wasn't late, but he knew the longer he waited the harder it would be. "Which I should probably do now."

JC started to push himself up from the bed, but Justin stopped him. "Now? Really? This can't wait?"

"I'd rather not wait. I want to figure out what she wants and deal with it, then get back to Orlando where I can put this whole damn thing behind me."

"How about I go with you?" Chris suggested.

JC shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't want you guys involved with her. It was bad enough she showed up here."

"JC, I don't know if I'm okay with you going alone. Not with everything you just told us about her," Chris persisted.

JC managed a half smile. "I can handle her." At least he hoped he could. "And anyway, Lonnie will be with me. You know he's not going to let me out of his sight."

Chris still seemed apprehensive, but the others looked reassured, feeling secure in the knowledge that Lonnie would never let anything happen to him. Before Chris could say anything though, Lance spoke.

"Just be careful, okay?"

JC nodded and agreed to Joey's idea that he meet up with them for dinner after he was done. As much as he wanted to fall backwards on the bed and sleep for days, he knew he wouldn't be able to. Not until he got whatever Sabrina wanted out of the way.

So he left the hotel suite, heading for Sabrina's apartment. One place he'd never thought he'd see again, and he could only imagine what waited him there.

JC paused outside of Sabrina's apartment door, taking a deep breath to try to calm his nerves. As much as he wished he was in complete control of his emotions and ready to deal with whatever Sabrina asked of him, he wasn't. Being blackmailed the last year had been bad enough, but to be back here again about to step into an apartment he'd spent much of his time? It was almost too much. One thing that did give him comfort though was he wasn't the same weak, beat down kid that she'd known.

He nodded his head at the thought, and finally raised his hand to knock. Lonnie was in the car just outside. JC had wanted to drive himself, but Lonnie had refused to let him go alone saying he wasn't letting him out of his sight again and he'd spent more years in LA than JC had. When they actually got here, JC had to spend a couple minutes convincing Lonnie not to come in with him, but in the end Lonnie had agreed. Something that JC was more than grateful for, especially as the door opened and he came face to face with Sabrina.

"You're here sooner than I thought you'd be," she said by way of greeting. Then she stepped aside, opening the door wide so he could follow her inside. She looked over at him. "I guess your friends didn't have as many questions for you as I thought they would."

JC wanted to lash out at her and say that they wouldn't have had nearly as many questions if it wasn't for her. He wasn't stupid enough to believe they wouldn't have had any questions if she hadn't said something because they were his best friends and were no doubt hurt he'd kept them out of the loop on everything. Those questions he could've handled no problem. Answering ones about time spent with Sabrina and the things they'd done were significantly harder.

"Maybe if you hadn't baited them, they wouldn't have," JC said, doing his best to keep his tone even as he watched her take a seat on the couch. He refused to let her manipulate his emotions and respond the way she no doubt wanted him to.

"You could've just lied to them and said I didn't know what I was talking about." She leaned back against the couch cushions, looking at him with a knowing gaze. "Something you've had no trouble with before since you've lied to them all these years."

JC realized then what he hadn't before - that he could've just denied anything Sabrina had said. He'd been the one to cop to stealing with Sabrina and while he hadn't been brave enough to look at their reactions, they hadn't said anything that implied they'd already known. It was likely he could've gotten away with lying to them, but after everything he'd felt honor bound to tell them the truth.

"It was time to tell them the truth," he said.

She smirked. "Ah, there it is. That morality and sense of duty that you struggled with so much when we were together."

JC let out an aggravated sigh. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" she repeated with a sly smile as she pushed herself to her feet. "I want a lot of things, JC."

JC's fists clenched at his side. It was getting harder and harder to keep control of his emotions. All he wanted was to figure out what she wanted, give it to her, and get the hell back to Orlando where he could put all this behind him. "What do you want from me?" he asked. "What do I owe you for getting me out of jail?"

Sabrina's smile grew, and she closed the distance between them, her hips swaying as she sauntered up to him. She only stopped when there was a foot between them. He wanted to step back and remove her from his personal space, but he forced himself to remain where he was. She leaned in close and softly spoke a single word.

"You."

JC's forehead wrinkled with confusion. "What?"

"I want you, JC," she said. "I always have."

This time JC couldn't stop himself from taking a step back, though this time it was in surprise. He stared at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding?"

Ever since she'd come to the police station, he'd figured she was going to ask him for more money. He'd never once considered anything else because all she'd ever seem to want from him was money. She had been part of the reason he had been so broke during his year in LA - because she'd kept asking him to cover her rent or to buy her something that she just had to have. But this? This was something he never saw coming.

"You should know by now that I don't joke about the things I want," she said.

"Well, I don't want you," he replied. It was harsh, but he didn't feel bad about it. It was hard to feel any kind of sympathy for her after all the crap she'd put him through.

She wasn't deterred though. In fact, she stepped right up to him so her body was practically pressed against his and looped her arms behind his neck. "I don't believe that. We were good together-"

"Because you used me to get whatever you wanted," JC interrupted.

"And I know you cared about me," she continued, like he hadn't even said anything.

"I did," JC agreed and he forcefully removed her arms so he could step away from her. "And you used how I felt about you against me. Why the hell would I ever want to be with you again?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

JC frowned. "No, but-"

"Then I fail to see the problem." She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him forward so their bodies were pressed together again, their mouths inches apart. "C'mon, JC. You know you want me."

"I really don't," he said, staring into her eyes. "I haven't since that day at Marc's when I saw you for the psycho bitch you really are."

He stepped away, and she glared at him. "I don't think you understand the position you're in here. You asked me what I wanted, and this is it. You either give me what I want, or I send your ass back to jail."

"I won't stay there," JC said, sounding more confident than he felt.

Sabrina gave a casual shrug. "Maybe, maybe not." Then her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes intense as they locked onto his. "But believe me when I say your management team won't be able to keep it quiet again. I'm sure the press would love to get their hands on the story of a rising pop star locked away for murder."

JC felt his blood pressure skyrocket, and clenched his fists so tight his fingernails were cutting into his palms. "You're blackmailing me to sleep with you?"

"I was blackmailing you to be my boyfriend again, but I love how your mind works." She smiled slowly, it stretching into a wicked thing. "Let's jump right to the fun stuff. You sleep with me, and I won't go back to the police station."

JC turned away from her, breathing heavily as he tried to rein in his anger. This was what he'd been afraid of, but even knowing how she manipulated people, he hadn't been prepared for this. He wished more than anything she'd just wanted money because that would've been easier to deal with. And as disgusted he was at the idea of being forced to sleep with her, he was more terrified of going back to jail, especially with the threat of her telling the press. Jail had been bad enough on its own, but having the press hound him and others for a story would mean the end of their career. Something he couldn't be responsible for, not when his actions had put them here in the first place.

"So do we have a deal?" Sabrina asked.

JC took a deep breath and unclenched his hands. He turned around to face her and took her outstretched hand. Instead of shaking it though, he held it firm and pulled it towards him, causing her to stumble forward a couple steps. She looked up at him with mild surprise and a question in her eyes.

"I sleep with you once, and we're even. You won't say anything to the cops and you certainly won't breathe a word of anything between us to the press," he said, staring her down. "That's the deal."

She looked at him for a couple seconds before a smile slowly spread across her face. "Sure thing, boss."

JC wanted to roll his eyes at the way she was mocking him, knowing she was more than amused at his firm attitude when it was the complete opposite of how he'd been when they were together. But before he could even start the action, she put a hand behind his head and pulled it down so his mouth met hers in a fiery kiss.

It took a lot of restraint to keep himself from pulling away, and it took everything in him to kiss her back. An image of Penny flashed before his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. Even though they weren't together, he felt like he was cheating on her.

Since the moment the police had shown up on his doorstep in Orlando, he'd wished he hadn't broken things off with her, needing her gentle strength and reassurance. Now all he could think about was the last time they'd spent the night together. He wanted to try to use it to help him through this here because if he could pretend Sabrina was Penny maybe he could actually get through this without pissing off his ex-girlfriend.

The problem was that the two girls couldn't be more different. Though he and Penny had had their wild nights, often sex between them was slow and sensual with a lot of foreplay. It was truly an act of love between them even though the words had never once passed either of their lips. But gentleness had never been a quality of Sabrina's. Something he was reminded of as her lips crashed back onto his, forcing him back in the moment.

All JC could think to do was to match her move for move. When they'd been together years ago, he'd let her lead and call all the shots. But he wasn't that weak kid anymore, and he refused to let her bring him back to that place. So he met her ferocity with his own, hoping that by doing it fast and dirty he could get out of there that much sooner.

Sabrina moaned in pleasure, and JC grabbed her, lifting her up into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him, kissing him with fervor as he maneuvered them to her bedroom where he deposited her on the bed. Their clothes were shed quickly, JC not at all interested in giving her the opportunity to do a strip tease and drag this moment out. Much to his surprise, she was actually letting him to keep control. Though, she did remind him just who was in charge when he tried to ask for protection.

He pulled away from her mouth, panting slightly as he asked, "Condom?"

She shook her head and grabbed onto his hips, pulling them against hers. JC started to pull away. There was no way he was doing this without a condom. But then Sabrina said, "If you stop, then our deal's off."

JC stared at her in disbelief for a long moment, but then the anger took over because there was no way he was going to break their deal and she knew that. This was Sabrina as he'd always known her, and he was pissed that he still managed to fall victim to her manipulations even after all this time. She even smiled at him, knowing that she had him caught.

He leaned down and captured her lips in a rough kiss as he lifted his hips and slid into her. As a habit, he wasn't usually so rough with women, but his anger had taken over. He almost hoped that if he was rough enough, she would get pissed and put a stop to it. But she seemed to enjoy herself as he watched her come apart beneath him while he pounded into her.

She reached her climax first, but he wasn't far behind. Their bodies trembled, and with the deed done, he fell bonelessly on her. He panted, trying to catch his breath and will himself to gather the strength to get up. All the while his head spun with so many thoughts and emotions. It was hard to focus on just one, but what he ended up landing on was disgust. Disgust with her for blackmailing him to sleep with her, but also disgust at himself for putting himself in a position to be blackmailed in the first place. If he'd seen her for who she really was in the beginning, he wouldn't be in this situation right now.

JC pushed himself up and got to his feet, locating his boxers immediately and pulling them on. He began collecting his clothes so he could dress and get the hell out of here. As he picked up his jeans, he heard the bed squeak and knew Sabrina was sitting up in bed watching him.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked, her voice sultry like she'd fully expected that once he'd gotten the chance to be with her that he'd want to repeat the performance. What she didn't seem to understand was that it was the last thing in the world he wanted. He wouldn't let himself fall into old habits with her.

"You got what you wanted," he said, sliding his jeans on and zipping them up. He looked up to give her a hard expression. "We're done here."

His head lowered so he could do the top button on his jeans, so he didn't see the look on her face. But her words made him stop dead. "Not quite," she said.

He jerked his head up in surprise. Though, anger quickly replaced the feeling, and he glared at her with all the intensity he could muster. "We had a deal," he replied lowly.

"We did," she agreed with a single nod. "But I'm not the one who orchestrated this whole thing. Yeah, I played my part and worked the situation to my advantage, but I answer to someone else."

"Who?"

"Tommie Ellis."

JC's blood ran cold. Even though it'd been years since he'd heard the name, he hadn't forgotten who the man was. How could he when he was the gang leader all of Sabrina's friends had talked about? He'd never been brave enough to ask if any of them were in the gang, but considering the neighborhood the majority of her friends lived in was part of Tommie's territory, he'd always assumed it was likely at least a couple of them were. All he'd really known was that this guy was not someone you wanted to mess with - or be on his bad side. And to hear that he somehow knew about JC and wanted something from him terrified him more than he could say.

"What does he want with me?" JC asked. He found his shirt and pulled it over his head in attempt to distract himself.

"To meet the man who killed Marc."

"But I didn't kill him. You did!"

She gave a little shrug, not seeming to care that the motion caused the sheet that was wrapped around her to slip so her breasts were exposed. "That's not what I told him."

JC felt his blood pressure skyrocket as he stared at her in disbelief. He wanted to demand why she had said that when she was the one that'd killed Marc, but he already knew the answer. It was self-preservation, and it was a selfish move that didn't surprise him in the least given everything he knew about her. Though for the life of him he couldn't figure out why Tommie Ellis would even care.

"What's it to him anyway?" JC asked.

She smirked, looking like she was trying to keep herself from bursting out laughing. "Marc was his brother." JC's stomach dropped at that, realizing he was in so much more trouble than he'd thought. Sabrina continued, "Well, step-brother. But family's family I guess."

"So what does he want from me?"

She relaxed back against the bed, looking so nonchalant that he just wanted to shake her. "Money. $25,000 in cash."

JC frowned. "I don't have that kind of money and certainly not in cash."

"Well, you better come up with it because he wants to meet you tomorrow at 7am."

"Where?"

"If you want to stick around I can drive you there in the morning myself," she said, giving him her best come hither look complete with smoldering eyes. She even patted the open space on the bed next to her.

JC glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest. She had to know there was no way in hell he would stay - not after everything she had done to him. After a moment of holding each other's gazes, she sighed.

"Alright. I'll write the address down."

She got out of bed completely naked and didn't even attempt to cover herself at all as she went to the nearby desk. As she searched for a piece of a paper and pen, JC sought out his socks and shoes and put them on. When he stood back up, she was standing right in front of him holding the piece of paper out to him.

He took it and glanced at it briefly before sliding it in his pocket. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away from her. There was plenty left unsaid between them, but he didn't bother because he knew she wouldn't go there. She was only interested in what could benefit her, and taking responsibility for the things she'd done and the way she'd treated him wouldn't.

"See you around, JC," she said, her sultry voice following him as he stepped out of bedroom.

JC didn't so much as look over his shoulder. He just left her apartment and didn't stop until he got in the car Lonnie had been waiting for him in. As he slid into the passenger seat, he let out a heavy sigh and let his body melt back into the seat feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.

"That good, huh?" Lonnie said.

JC just sighed again. Though, he did turn his head to look at Lonnie. "Is Todd still staying at the hotel?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I need to speak with him before I meet up with the guys."

Lonnie just nodded and started the car. JC relaxed knowing that Lonnie wasn't going to press him for more information and eternally grateful for it. As it was, he was still having trouble processing everything that'd happened inside Sabrina's apartment.

He hated himself for allowing Sabrina to use the same old tricks on him. He might not have bent to her whim to please her, but he'd fallen for her manipulations just the same. Only this time there was even more to it - him being extradited hadn't been orchestrated by her but rather by a known gang leader. It terrified him more than he could say, and he cursed himself again for just running off that day at Marc's and not reporting Sabrina to the police.

Every day since he'd left LA, he'd regretted meeting Sabrina. He'd also hated how he'd been so despondent from failed auditions and other struggles that he'd clung to the one person who had looked at him differently. At the time it had seemed like the unforgiving city had finally cut him a break, which made him blind to the fact her attentions weren't because she cared about him. Certainly she hadn't felt about him like he had about her - he'd fallen in love with her despite the short time they'd been together.

Since then, he'd done his best to make sure he didn't put himself in that position again. He'd kept his girlfriends at an arm's length, afraid to let them in and lower his guard around them. Something that had worked pretty well...until Penny. She'd managed to get around the walls he'd built around his heart and made him fall in love with her - even if he hadn't realized it at first.

JC's smile was bittersweet as he stared at the window, thinking back to the night that had been a turning point in their relationship. Even if he hadn't realized it at the time.

They were at a karaoke bar. It had been Penny's idea to go out as a way to distract them all from the nonstop meetings they'd had all day with their lawyers. Initially it hadn't been a bad idea, but when JC had realized they were at a karaoke bar, his mood had quickly soured. Even as he watched his tone deaf girlfriend purposely make a fool of herself onstage.

"Damn, girl," Justin said as Penny stepped off the small stage where she had just sang a Shania Twain song. "I think you owe Shania an apology for what you did to her song up there."

Penny rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. I wasn't that bad."

"Yeah," Joey agreed. "Besides, people don't expect much from karaoke."

Penny lifted her eyebrow at him. "Are you saying I'm a bad singer?"

Joey coughed and a gave a little shrug. "Uh...no?"

"And what does JC say?" Lance asked. Their attention all turned to him, and he gave a small smile as he looked at Penny, who was looking at him expectantly.

"No comment," he said. She laughed, and the corners of his mouth twitched, like he wanted to really smile and join in with her laughter. But his face fell, the small lighthearted moment unable to break through the foul mood that had settled over him.

Some girl they didn't know and who was clearly intoxicated stepped up on the stage next, and JC tuned her - and the conversation among the guys - out completely. He stared down at his drink, which was just a soda. As much as he wanted nothing more than to get drunk after the miserable day they'd had, they had to be up early for a few radio interviews and then spend the rest of the afternoon with the lawyers again.

So caught up in his thoughts and mood was he that when an arm slid across his shoulders, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Even though his mind had already realized the slim arm resting on him belonged to Penny. He tilted his head so he could look at her face, and he saw that she was giving him a small smile.

"Why don't you come sing with me?" she asked.

JC made a face. "No thanks."

"Well, I can't stand to sit here and watch you be miserable."

JC turned his head, breaking eye contact with her. He couldn't bear to look at her as he muttered, "No one's forcing you to stay."

The noise level around him quieted slightly, and he knew without looking that his snippy remark had caught the attention of his friends. They had abandoned whatever conversation they'd been having, and a quick glance told JC that they were studiously avoiding looking at him or Penny. Though, he had no doubt that while they were opting to stay out of it, that they were listening in.

"What's this all about?" she asked. He could hear the frown in her voice.

JC shot her a dirty look that made it loud and clear how ridiculous that question was. Her lips narrowed to a thin line, and she shook her head. She pushed herself away from him so they were no longer touching, but the way she was sitting still allowed her to look down at him.

"It's not a stupid question. I know you're upset about the lawsuit and scared of what's going to happen, but you know things are going to work out."

JC cut her off there. "No, I don't know that. We could lose everything, and the fact that you brought us here in the first place tells me you don't get it."

"Get what exactly?" She crossed her arms.

"This is what could happen to us if we lose!" he said harshly, aware of the people around him and doing everything in his power to keep from yelling. "We could end up singing in karaoke bars, so I don't appreciate this little preview into our future."

To his surprise, her hard expression faded. "That wasn't what I-" She shook her head, and he could see the tears beginning to build in her eyes. It made him feel like a jerk, especially with what she said next. "I just thought it'd be fun."

He knew without looking that he had the attention of the guys. That they had given up openly staring to look at him in surprise. He could just imagine the expressions on their faces. Even though he and Penny had only been going out a couple of months, they all had bonded with her.

JC let out a long sigh, and he forced himself to look Penny in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I know you mean well, but you can see why I'm a little irritated."

"Maybe," she sniffled, wiping at her eyes even though the tears hadn't actually fallen. She was doing her best to force her emotions away and regain control. "But I do know you're not telling me everything." She looked at him for a moment with a pensive expression before an idea seemed to spring to her mind. "You blame yourself for this, don't you? For not catching what Lou was doing sooner."

JC said nothing, just looked down at his hands. But that apparently was enough because he heard the squeak of leather as someone leaned forward. Then Chris said, "Jace, none of this is your fault. None of us knew what he was doing, how much he was really taking."

"Yeah, JC. We're all just as responsible for what happened as you," Lance said.

JC jerked his head up, narrowing his eyes. "No. I should've caught it. I was in LA and I saw the kinds of things they did out there. I got tangled up with the wrong people and..." He shook his head, cutting himself off. He was getting off topic. He looked past Penny to his friends. "I knew Lou was probably taking more than his fair share. Because that's what everyone did out in LA. I just didn't know how much."

"And that's not your fault," Chris repeated. JC tried to protest, but he couldn't even get a word out. "I mean it, JC. None of us blame you, and I don't want to hear anything about it again."

JC didn't know what to say, but they were all waiting for him to agree with them. So he nodded his head even though he wasn't sure he believed it. Though, his chest didn't feel as tight as it had just moments ago. He couldn't tell if his friends believed him, but if they didn't, they seemed willing to let it go. At least for now.

A waitress walked by then, and Joey lifted his beer, gesturing for her to bring another round for the six of them. Though, it was really only Joey and Chris that were drinking. JC looked over at Penny, thinking she'd use this as an opportunity to leave. It was what most women he dated did after they had a fight or felt uncomfortable around him.

But she stayed.

There was an awkward, heavy silence over them for a moment. Then, Penny jumped up and announced that she was going to do another song. The karaoke stage was empty again, the last person having jumped down a second ago. She stood up and she reached out for Justin.

"C'mon, Justin. We can do a duet."

Justin sighed. "Don't pull me into this," he whined, though he smiled slightly.

"This ought to be good," Joey murmured.

"How long do you think it'll take before Justin tries turning her mic off?" Lance asked.

Chris leaned forward, interested. "Are we making a bet?"

"No," JC said before either Lance or Joey could get a word out. "You're not betting against my girlfriend."

"Who says I'd bet against her?" Chris replied, giving him a playful smile.

JC shook his head, focusing all of his attention on the stage. The first notes of the song poured out of the large speakers, and he couldn't help but smile at her choice. Instead of their duet being a typical song like You're the One That I Want from Grease, Penny and Justin were singing Don't Stop Believing.

Penny was singing, and JC tried not to wince. She truly couldn't carry a tune, which was a shame because she had such a love for music. But the crowd didn't seem to mind as she moved deliberately around the stage, deftly avoiding Justin as he tried to put a hand over her microphone. She was having fun, which in turn was making the crowd have fun.

She danced over to the edge of the stage that was in front of their table, and JC looked up at her. As their eyes met and she gave him a soft smile, he felt his heart flutter. Just that fast his bad mood melted away, and he couldn't help smiling back at her. So when she reached out a hand for him, he grasped it and jumped onstage.

She handed the microphone over to him in time for him to sing the next verse. He looked at both her and Justin as he sang the line, "Some were born to sing the blues." In return he got smiles from all the guys.

He was still worried about the lawsuit, but in this moment he realized there was nothing else he wanted to do with his life. No matter what happened, and he couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten it.

It wasn't until the next day that he'd been able to place the feeling he'd had when Penny had smiled at him from that stage. Then it had hit him like a ton of bricks. He was in love with her. He'd spent months hanging out with her, talking all the time, and growing closer to her with each day that passed even if they weren't in close proximity. In a lot of ways she'd become another friend, and so he'd been completely unprepared to fall in love with her.

When he'd first admitted to himself he was in love with her, he'd watched her for the signs that she didn't feel the same, or at least incapable of getting to that point. But as the days passed he'd realized she seemed to care about him a lot. She was considerate in a way none of his other girlfriends had been, and she hadn't taken any of things he'd snapped at her personally like she understood he was under a lot of stress. Knowing that she loved him - or could grow to love him - should've made him feel secure in his feelings, but instead it'd terrified him. Because after all, for a while there he'd actually thought Sabrina had retuned his feelings when instead she was just using him. And so he'd broken up with Penny, deciding not to risk that happening again.

JC hated himself for being so weak as to not face up to his true feelings, and he'd been conflicted with his decision ever since. Even in the midst of the past few days with being extradited and facing his ex-girlfriend, he'd wished Penny was still around and missed her greatly. He still wasn't sure he'd made the right decision, but he'd burned that bridge. He'd broken up with her - and likely had broken her heart - and there was no coming back from that.

He shook himself of those thoughts, knowing he couldn't do anything about it. What he needed to focus on was explaining the situation to Todd and asking him what the best move would be. He couldn't imagine Todd would tell him to meet with the gang leader, but he was scared of what would happen if he didn't.

This whole thing had gone from bad to worse, and he sincerely hoped it was over. He wasn't sure he could handle one more thing going wrong.

Chris sat in the small kitchen of their hotel suite, drinking coffee and idly reading the paper. He wasn't at all interested in the news but rather was trying to kill time while the others were gathering their bags. All four of them were supposed to be on their way back to Orlando in a couple hours - at JC's insistence. But Chris wasn't leaving.

Last night JC had gotten back from Sabrina's later than they'd thought he would, and when he'd walked into the suite, he'd told them he would be sticking around LA for at least another day. Then in the same breath, he'd told them there wasn't a point in them being there any longer and that they should go back to Orlando. And Chris knew that if it'd been up to JC, he would've just left it at that. They'd all objected though and had forced JC to tell them what was going on.

JC sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm going to work with the police on something," he said. "Something that will ensure we won't ever have to go through this again."

"And what's that?" Chris asked. "Because unless it's something big, I don't know how they could make that kind of promise."

Chris realized what he'd just said, and it hit him. The others seemed to have come to the same conclusion too because before he could get a word out, Lance asked, "It's bigger than Sabrina. Isn't it?"

JC hesitated, but that was all Chris needed for confirmation. He didn't need the nod and JC's soft "yeah" that came a moment later. He'd had his concerns that there was more to this than just some petty ex-girlfriend blackmailing JC. After all, she'd been so successful blackmailing JC that it begged the question why she would go through all this trouble of getting him arrested and sent back to LA, especially if she just wanted more money.

A quick glance at the other three told Chris they were just as concerned as him, especially with the way JC was trying to get rid of them.

"That's why I want you guys to head home," JC said. "I don't want you to get tangled up in something you shouldn't."

"But it's okay for you to?" Justin demanded. He crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at JC. "What's going on?"

Given the way JC was frowning, Chris was sure he was going to refuse to answer the question. So he was more than a little surprised when JC sighed and sat heavily on the couch. He didn't look at them, his eyes fixed on the floor beneath his feet, but he did start to explain in a quiet voice.

"Sabrina's ex, Marc? He was the brother of a known gang leader, and I guess she told him I killed Marc." Chris felt his anger rise up, but he did his best to keep it at bay knowing he couldn't go flying off the handle right now no matter how justified his anger was. JC continued, "He wants me to bring $25,000 dollars to him first thing tomorrow morning."

"And you're doing it?" Joey asked.

JC sighed again, rubbing at his eyes. "Yeah," he said, nodding. He finally lifted his head to glance at each of them. "I just came from talking to Todd, and after I told him what Sabrina said, he called the officer that's been responsible for the case. They said that if I help them catch this guy then I'll be in the clear and they won't charge me for anything concerning what happened to Marc."

It was a concern Chris'd had when hearing from Todd that they were releasing JC, knowing that just because he hadn't been identified as the murderer didn't mean the cops couldn't charge him with something else. But now he found he'd much rather have that as a possibility than JC getting tangled up with a gang leader. Though, he supposed he'd already been made a target considering the lie Sabrina had told had gotten JC expedited and brought back to LA on a murder charge.

"JC," Lance breathed. "That sounds risky. What if something happens?"

"Nothing will," JC replied, and even though he sounded confident, Chris could see the nerves behind the bravado. "An undercover cop is going to accompany me."

"Yeah, but will he be walking in with you?" Chris asked. "A lot can go wrong in a short amount of time, and we'd rather nothing bad happen to you."

"I'm not sure of all the details. I'll be meeting with the police tomorrow beforehand and leaving from the station," JC said. "But I know they won't let anything happen to me. They can't if they want my cooperation."

"And you expect us to just go back to Orlando and leave you here to face a gang leader? Alone?" Justin demanded.

JC stood up so he was eye-to-eye with Justin. "Yes," he said, firmly. "There's nothing any of you could do, and you certainly aren't going with me. So why would you stay?"

"For support," Joey said. "Justin's right. You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own."

JC shook his head. Chris wasn't sure if he disagreed, or if the motion was related to his own thoughts where he was perhaps dealing with an internal struggle. If it was the latter, it was clear with what JC said next that the side that wanted to keep them out of it won out.

"I already talked to Johnny, and he has you all booked on the first flight out tomorrow morning. It leaves at six-thirty."

For JC, that was the end of it, and he headed for the bedroom saying he was going to change so they could go to dinner. But as soon as the door closed behind him, the four of them looked at each other, sharing equal looks of concern.

"So you're gonna call Johnny and cancel our reservations, right?" Justin asked, turning to Lance.

"I could," Lance said slowly, his hesitation to agree obvious. "Or we could just do what he asks."

Justin stared at him blankly. "You can't be serious."

"Nothing good will come of leaving JC alone," Chris agreed.

"I like the idea of leaving him as much as the rest of you," Lance said. "But we're just making an already stressful situation worse. If he's doing this, I want him to be focused and worried about himself, not the rest of us."

Chris sighed. Lance had a good point, but the idea of leaving JC here alone while the rest of them went back to Orlando like nothing was happening here in LA didn't sit well with him. Even if they couldn't do anything or help with the situation, he wanted to be there for JC and help him to deal with everything because it was obvious he'd been pushing a lot of his feelings to the side.

But when Chris pointed all that out to Lance, he easily countered with, "And you think it won't wait a few hours until he's back in Orlando? Because you know the second it's over, he's going to jump on a plane and get the hell out of LA."

Justin immediately started to object. "Yeah, but-"

"Lance is right," Joey said, at last. He'd been silent since JC's abrupt exit, but he'd obviously taken the time to listen to both sides and get his thoughts together. "Ever since JC got arrested, everything that's happened has been out of his control. Let him have control over this, and hopefully it'll give him the closure he needs."

Justin frowned, but Chris could tell from the way he didn't jump all over the idea that he was thinking it over. Then finally, he sighed but nodded. And just when the three of them looked towards Chris, waiting for his confirmation, JC emerged from the bedroom dressed and ready to go to dinner. Chris gave the guys a quick nod, knowing they wouldn't relax and let it drop if he didn't, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin dinner with lingering tension.

Chris hadn't agreed though - not by a long shot. They may not be able to go with JC when he confronted the gang leader with the help of the undercover cop, but Chris knew JC would need their support sooner than him arriving in Orlando. Too much had happened for Chris to leave thinking that JC was completely able to deal with his emotions on his own. He did agree that all of them being here would cause too much worry for JC, which was why he was letting the guys gather their things to head back to Orlando. Only one person needed to stay.

The guys spilled out into the main room of the suite just as Chris finished his coffee. Chris stood up and joined them by the couch at the same time JC emerged from the bedroom they had shared last night. JC was dressed, but his hair was mussed like he'd been tugging on the stands anxiously. Something that solidified Chris's decision to stay.

"You guys have everything?" JC asked. Then his eyes caught sight of Chris and that he wasn't bogged down with a carryon like the rest of them. "Where's your bag?"

"Already in the car," Chris lied.

Lance frowned in suspicion, but Justin spoke, taking the attention off Chris as he looked at JC. "You sure you don't want us to stay?" he asked.

JC mustered up a small smile - one that Chris was sure JC meant to be reassuring but instead it just made his exhaustion that much more apparent. "I'm sure," JC said. "I should only be a few hours behind you guys anyway."

Justin looked like he was going to object, but Joey nudged him towards the door. Chris followed them, in step with Lance while JC brought up the rear. They paused briefly at the door to exchange quick hugs with JC and reassuring words before moving out into the hallway.

"See you guys later," JC said, standing in the doorway, his hand on the door keeping it propped open.

They echoed the sentiment back to him and started down the hallway, hearing the hotel door click closed once they were out of sight. Chris moved with them knowing he couldn't tell JC he was staying, not with the guys standing there. There would be too much argument, which would just make JC's stress even worse.

When they reached the elevators though, Chris stepped away from them. "Have a safe flight, guys," he said.

Joey frowned. "You're not coming?"

"I thought we agreed that this was for the best. That we were going to let JC take care of this and be there for him when he gets home," Lance said, his eyes narrowed.

"You agreed. I didn't," Chris said simply. "And I'm not leaving him alone to deal with all this. He hardly slept at all last night, which means he's not dealing with everything. Not like he wants us to believe."

"Why do you get to stay?" Justin asked, his tone verging on whining.

Behind them the elevator dinged, the doors opening. Chris nodded to it. "You better get going. Don't want to miss your flight."

Justin glowered, and Lance looked at him like he recognized that Chris had waited until the last possible second to spring this on them. It was Joey who moved first, prompting the other two to follow suit. Though, he did have one final warning for Chris.

"Don't push him too hard," Joey said.

Chris couldn't guarantee that because sometimes JC needed pushed to talk about things and properly deal with whatever was weighing him down. So instead, he made a promise he knew he could keep. "I'll take care of him."

Joey gave him a nod and stepped into the elevator, pulling Justin in with him. Lance sighed, but he followed them in. "Good luck," he said.

"Bye, guys. Have a safe flight."

The elevators started to close, and Chris could hear Justin protesting. "Let me off. If Chris gets to stay, I should too. You two can go home and-"

The doors closed, the elevator descending and Chris could no longer hear Justin's voice. He shook his head as he turned and walked back down the hall to their suite. It'd been quite a while since he'd heard Justin complain in such a way that he was practically whining about how unfair the situation was. And even though Chris understood it was because he wanted to show support for JC, he knew that having more than one of them stick around wouldn't be any better in terms of putting JC at ease.

Chris let himself back into the hotel room, using the key he'd pocketed earlier when he'd decided he would stay. JC was standing in front of the sliding glass door, his arms crossed over his chest but not in a defensive way. It was more like he was trying to give himself a hug, or hold his emotions in. His head turned towards the door, and his brow furrowed in confusion at the sight of Chris.

"You forget something?"

"No," Chris said simply. "I'm staying."

JC sighed, unfolding his arms and turning completely so he was facing him. "Chris..." he started, but Chris quickly interrupted.

"Look, man, I know you think you need to do this on your own, but you don't." JC opened his mouth, but Chris continued before he could get a word out, having a pretty good idea what he was going to say. "I know I can't help with this whole sting operation, but I can help you deal with everything."

"How do you know I haven't been?"

Chris fixed JC with a knowing look. "C'mon, C. We shared a bedroom last night. I know you didn't sleep."

"Well, clearly you didn't either," JC mumbled.

Chris didn't even bother to respond to that, knowing it was a feeble attempt to redirect the conversation. "You don't have to hide anything from me. From any of us. We just want to help, and you know I'm not going to judge you for anything you say."

Silence fell over the room, and JC turned back to gaze out the glass door. Chris was surprised he wasn't trying to escape to the balcony, though maybe JC figured he'd be even more trapped if he did. He wasn't going to be the first to break though. They didn't need to get into everything right now, but he wanted JC to at least acknowledge he was there to help and maybe lean on him just a bit.

Finally, after what felt like ages, JC said quietly, "I'm scared, Chris."

"I know," Chris replied just as softly. He stepped up behind JC and put a comforting hand on his back. "You don't have to do this. They dropped the murder charges, and that's enough. We can just go back to Orlando."

That wasn't what he'd argued with the guys, bringing up his concern that JC could be brought back to LA on different charges. It would be good to have the reassurance that nothing else could pull them back into this again, but he didn't want JC to feel like he had no other options. He didn't want JC to push himself beyond what he could handle.

JC shook his head before turning to look at him. "I need to do this. I need to know that it's over. For good."

Chris could see the determination in JC's eyes, and it was a welcome sight compared to the fear that had been prominent on both his face and in his voice. When JC had managed to doze off last night, he'd been woken by nightmares, and even though JC hadn't shared them with him he could only guess they were about this encounter with the gang leader. It was understandable why JC was afraid, but he didn't want that to be the emotion JC went into this situation with. It was going to be dangerous enough, and he wanted JC to keep his wits about him. Something he felt reassured JC could do given that the fear wasn't dominating his expression any longer.

With any luck, this would all be over in a couple of hours.

******************

JC hadn't been this nervous in his entire life.

In a matter of minutes he would be arriving at the location Sabrina had indicated Tommie Ellis - the known gang leader - wanted to meet. The idea of facing this man terrified JC, especially since Sabrina had told Tommie he'd been the one to kill Marc. It didn't even help knowing that an undercover cop was following close behind him with a whole unit in the area should he call on them.

Chris had accompanied him to the police station, and Officer Hansen had spent an hour explaining how the meet would go and what JC needed to do. He'd even set JC up to wear a wire, telling him that everything that was said would be monitored so they could come in at the perfect moment. That had been when JC's nerves had really kicked into overdrive; he'd seen enough movies to know what typically happened to the guy who walked into a meeting with a criminal while wearing a wire. The only thing that had kept him from completely losing it was Chris.

Without hesitation, Chris had gotten up from his chair and put his hands on JC's shoulders, pulling him in just enough that JC's eyes locked with his. "It's okay, JC. Just breathe."

Strangely, it had helped. JC hadn't been reassured by Chris's words because he'd understood that Chris saying it was okay wasn't a way to ease his fears but rather letting him know it was okay to be scared. For a reason JC hadn't been able to put his finger on, it'd loosened the knot in his chest that'd made breathing difficult. He'd still been scared, but he'd felt like he had control over it.

Now though, JC was beginning to feel that control start to slip the closer he got to his destination. The only thing that kept him from completely losing himself to his dizzying thoughts was the fact that he was driving, navigating through semi-familiar streets alone. It'd been decided that he needed to arrive without anyone in the car since that was what Tommie would be expecting. While it'd made sense, it had made JC more tense as his mind went wild with all the ways this meet up could go wrong. Something that had only intensified as those vaguely familiar streets had given way to highway and desert, leading him away from the city limits of LA.

JC made the final turn, following the dirt road until it came to a small two-story house with a large barn nearby. Both buildings looked like they had seen better days, a layer of dirt and grime covering their exteriors. That was all he was able to take note of before he caught sight of three men and Sabrina standing in front of the closed barn.

He slowed the car to a stop and slid the gear shifter into park. Even though the men were staring at him expectantly, JC couldn't seem to make himself shut off the car and get out. His heart pounded painfully against his chest, and his hands squeezed the steering wheel in a desperate attempt to will the shakiness away. All it did though was make the muscles in his shoulders and neck bunch together, pinching the nerves there and making his head throb more. He tried to look away from the men that were waiting for him knowing he'd have a much better chance at calming his nerves if he wasn't quite so aware of their stares, but that was easier said than done.

Even though JC had never seen Tommie before, he felt certain he was the man in the middle. Not just because he was being flanked by the two other men, but there was something about his posture and the way he held himself that told JC he was the leader. When their eyes locked, Tommie smirked at him like he was aware just what an affect he was having on him. JC wished he was better at hiding it, especially when he spared a quick glance at Sabrina and saw that she was watching him with similar amusement.

Knowing that it would just get harder the longer he put it off, JC finally shut the car off and took a deep breath to try to swallow down the majority of his anxiety. He grabbed the bag of money off the passenger seat and pushed the car door open. As he got out of the car, he couldn't help looking around, trying to figure out where the undercover cop was so he could know which direction to expect him. The problem was the area was pretty sparse with the exception of a few small groups of trees on either side of the property. It was hard for him to imagine how the cop would come in undetected, but he had to trust that the man knew what he was doing.

"JC Chasez," the man in the middle said, stepping forward. "I'm Tommie Ellis. Though, I get the feeling you already knew that."

JC gave a short nod. "Yes, sir."

Tommie's lips upturned in amusement, but the men flanking him had no such restraint as they laughed at him. "I've heard a lot about you."

JC glanced at Sabrina, certain that she had been the one supplying him with information about him. He looked back at the gang leader. "I can assure you not everything you heard is true."

"No?" Tommie said, raising his eyebrows. Then he looked at Sabrina. "You been lying to me, Bree?"

JC blinked, surprised at the nickname. It was cutesy, and it certainly wasn't something he associated with Sabrina. She was so manipulative, cold, and selfish that it clashed with the image a nickname like that created. One that lent itself to picturing a bubbly, friendly girl, and consequently made him think of Penny. A cute nickname worked for her, but it just didn't fit with Sabrina. And if the face she pulled when Tommie said it was any indication, she hated it.

"Why would I lie to you?" she asked, her voice soft and confused. Her eyes were turned downward, like she couldn't even look Tommie in the eye.

Even though JC knew she was lying, he was nearly fooled by how demure she looked. When she lied, she had no problem doing it to your face and often looked you straight in the eye, so all the signs you normally associated with someone lying didn't apply. Here though, she was putting on quite an act for Tommie. Either that or she was just as terrified of him - something that, if it were true, made JC even more nervous.

"Why indeed," Tommie murmured, though he turned away from her. JC wasn't sure if Tommie actually believed her, but it seemed like he wasn't dismissing it entirely. It gave him hope that he could get him to believe that Sabrina had been the one to kill Marc. Though, he supposed it wouldn't really matter once the man was in police custody.

"I brought the money," JC said. He was anxiously waiting for the undercover cop to burst onto the scene and take care of everything, but the cop had told him he'd have to wait for the right moment. JC hadn't been given specifics on what that moment would look like, but the cop had coached him to try to get Tommie to say as much as possible.

"All $25,000?"

JC swallowed nervously and gave a little nod, fighting everything within him to do any of the tells that made it apparent he was lying. "It's all here," he said, lifting the bag he was still holding into the air slightly. The bag was filled with fake bills that were meant to mimic what twenty-five thousand dollars would look like because the cops had said they would move in before the exchange could be made.

Tommie took a step forward, looking at JC with a no nonsense expression. "And you think that's enough? That it's enough to make up for the fact that my brother is dead?"

JC glanced at Sabrina wondering if she'd conveniently forgotten to tell him something last night, wanting to see him sweat before facing the notorious gang leader's wrath. He looked back at Tommie. "Sabrina told me that's what you wanted."

Tommie nodded. "That is what I told her, but it's not true. Look at me." He spread his arms, gesturing to himself and the expensive looking suit he was wearing. "Do I look like someone that needs money?"

JC's stomach churned, his rising anxiety making him feel like he could hurl at any moment. He took a shaky breath, trying to settle his stomach. It was nearly impossible though, especially as Tommie moved closer and closer to him. The gang leader moved slowly, looking very much like a big cat on the prowl, and all JC could do was stand there and pray the undercover cop decided this was the right moment to show himself.

His prayers went unanswered though as Tommie stopped right in front of him, standing close enough that he could smell the man's cologne. His breaths were shallow, watching Tommie warily as he leaned in closer. Then Tommie whispered in his ear, "Besides, I know the money in that bag is fake."

JC unconsciously took a step back, the bag slipping from his fingers. He inhaled sharply, unaware until then he'd actually stopped breathing for a moment. His heart pounded painfully in his chest as he stared at Tommie in horror. "I...how...what-" he stuttered, unable to voice the numerous questions running through his brain.

"As I'm sure you've figured out since you've become a celebrity, it really pays to know the right people," Tommie said.

Tommie motioned to his left, and JC turned his head. His mouth turned to dust while his heart jumped in his throat. The undercover cop - the very one that had coordinated this whole thing - stepped into view, his posture loose and his face relaxed as he gave a brief nod of greeting to Tommie.

"Sorry, kid," the cop said. "It's nothing personal."

JC stared at the man, still in shock, but the man's words created a tiny spark of anger. It seemed likely the man had some situation that made working for the gang leader a necessity even though his job was meant to protect and serve the citizens bullied by people like Tommie. While the words seemed sincere, they were said with a casualness that ignited anger within JC. Though, he quickly forced it down knowing that showing it would likely result in pissing Tommie off.

"You didn't honestly think I wouldn't have someone on the police force working for me, did you?" Tommie said to JC. "He was especially integral in carrying out Sabrina's plan to have you indicted."

JC glanced quickly at Sabrina, who was smirking at him from where she stood behind Tommie. He hadn't had any doubt that getting him to LA by having him arrested for Marc's murder was Sabrina's idea, but it was different knowing that she had done so while in cahoots with Tommie. All of this was an elaborate setup for them to get what they wanted, and JC was terrified what the outcome of it would be for him.

He looked back at Tommie, forcing himself to look him in the eye. "I know Sabrina told you I killed Marc, but it's not true."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm telling you the truth!" JC said desperately.

Tommie was silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on JC like he was sizing him up and trying to decide if he was indeed telling the truth. Finally, Tommie broke the eye contact only to begin to slowly walk around JC as he talked.

"Tell me something, JC. You have a brother, right? And friends you consider brothers?"

JC nodded. "Yes," he said quietly.

"Imagine something happening to one of them. Imagine hearing that someone killed them." Tommie was still moving slowly around JC, coming up on his left side. "What would you do?"

JC's breath caught in his throat. It sounded like an innocent enough question, but he was quickly learning there was no such thing when it came to Tommie. "What?" he choked out.

Tommie stepped around in front of him, facing him once again. "What would you do if they died, JC? They could be taken away from you in instant. In fact, it could be happening right now."

JC's heart stopped. It was only for a second, and his chest pounded painfully as his heart worked to get back into rhythm. He barely noticed it though, his mind flashing to Chris who was waiting for him back at the hotel. While he was there with a couple of their bodyguards, JC knew better than to think Chris was safe from anyone Tommie sent because he got the feeling what Tommie said wasn't just words - that his friend was in immediate danger.

Without thinking, JC turned on his heel and dashed for the car with no regard for himself. All he could think about was getting back to the hotel and to Chris. Even though Tommie said that it could be happening right now, he had to hope that he could make it back in time to warn Chris and, more importantly, their bodyguards so they could prepare.

As JC ducked behind the wheel, slamming the door shut, he looked up and was surprised to find that Tommie and his crew along with the cop weren't making any move to stop him. They all were just watching him, and Tommie's lips were curled in amusement. It was strange, but JC didn't question it. To do so would waste time - time he didn't have if he wanted to make it to Chris before the worst could happen.

JC quickly turned the engine and immediately threw the car in reverse, spinning the steering wheel as he did until the car's nose was pointed down the road he'd come in on. Foot on the brake, he glanced up in the rearview mirror, still surprised that no one was stopping him. Then he shifted the car into drive and pressed his foot on the gas so fast the tires chirped as they spun, throwing up a cloud of dirt behind him as he barreled out of there as fast as he dared.

Normally he wasn't someone that would speed much, but right now the situation warranted it. Even the thought of passing a cop didn't slow him down. He wasn't driving fast enough to be reckless - just fast enough to shave as much time as he could off the trip back to the hotel.

When JC finally did make it, he pulled into the front bay of the hotel. He didn't waste any time in throwing the car into park before jumping out and running for the door. As he passed the valet, he tossed the man the keys without missing a step as he ran through the lobby and straight to the elevator.

He jabbed the up button repeatedly, impatiently watching the numbers above tick down. JC briefly considered taking the stairs, but he knew it would take much longer to climb twelve flights of stairs rather than waiting a few seconds for the elevator to return to the lobby and riding it back up. As he stood there, he kept his head down and prayed that his frantic motions hadn't drawn enough attention to him for someone to recognize him. The last thing he needed was anything that would delay him from getting upstairs to his friend and bodyguards.

Finally, there was a loud ding and the elevator doors slid open. It was empty - thank God - and he jumped in, hitting the twelve button before repeatedly hitting the door close button until the doors did just that. His body vibrated, and his stomach churned as he watched the number increase. Even though it only took a few seconds to reach his floor, it felt like much longer. And as soon as he heard that ding and the doors opened wide enough, he jumped out onto the floor.

Quickly, he glanced up and down the hallway for any signs of anyone else. He didn't see anyone - not even Mike. One of their bodyguards was usually stationed by the elevator so they could monitor the comings and goings of everyone, and it would allow them to catch people who didn't belong on the floor. So the absence of Mike immediately put JC on edge, his nervousness and anxiousness to get to Chris just increasing.

He forced himself to slow his pace, fighting the urge to run into the suite Chris was waiting for him in as he cautiously made his way down the hall. When he reached the end of the hall, he turned the corner to enter the part of the floor where their suite was. Then he stopped in his tracks, his blood turning to ice at what he saw.

Down the hall, there were two men that were forcing the door to the suite open. Even though JC wasn't close enough to see the room numbers, he was certain that was the suite they'd been using. But if he'd had any doubts, they were eliminated when he heard a distinctive, "Hey! What are you-" that sent chills down his spine. Chris.

For as much as he'd stressed he was going to be too late, it appeared he was right on time. The entire drive he'd been so focused on just getting there that he hadn't actually thought about what he'd do when he did, especially with their bodyguards completely out of sight. It seemed stupid to just run at them when he was unarmed and Tommie's men surely had guns. But could he really leave Chris in attempt to find help?

It was an impossible decision, and one that was taken out of his hands.

One of the men suddenly turned his head and looked straight at JC. They stared at each other for a second before the spell was broken, and the man started moving down the hall, coming for him. JC turned on his heel, knowing he had to worry about himself now, not Chris. As painful as that was.

JC wasn't entirely sure where to go. His mind immediately went to getting back down to the lobby where he could get help, but as he turned the corner he saw the door for the stairs. He glanced once down the hall where the elevators were before he threw open the door and raced down the stairs. In his eyes, it was better to keep moving rather than stopping for the elevator as he knew that man would be on him in no time.

Sure enough, JC hadn't gotten more than a couple floors down when he heard another set of footsteps. He pushed himself to move faster, nearly falling as his upper body got ahead of his churning legs. It forced him to keep his back upright and slow his pace just enough to prevent an actual fall. Though, it didn't work.

JC had been so focused on descending the stairs as fast as he could that he didn't realize his feet were coming closer and closer to the edge of each step they landed on until his right foot slipped. His feet went out from under him, and he fell backwards, sliding down several stairs on his back until coming to a stop at the next landing.

For a moment, he laid there dazed. Then the sound of pounding feet getting louder broke through, and JC knew he had to get up and keep going. He couldn't allow the man Tommie had sent to catch up to him before he could reach the bottom and get help. So he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a bit and hissing in pain that raced up his leg from his calf. Normally he would listen to his body and take it slow, but that wasn't an option at the moment so he forced himself forward, picking up the pace he'd had earlier.

Footsteps echoed loudly in his ears - both his own and the man chasing him. His heart raced not only from the exertion but from the fear of hearing someone following you and knowing they could be on you any second. But finally, he reached the end of the stairs and jump the last couple, stumbling as he landed. He quickly recovered and threw open the door.

JC had expected the stairs would take him out into the lobby of the hotel, but instead the door had opened to the outside. It took him a second to realize the stairs had dumped him into the side alley of the hotel where several cars were parked. To the left he could see the street and knew he could get some help from the valet.

He turned left and hadn't taken more than a couple steps before he heard a voice behind him. "JC?" The single word was said with surprise and concern, but the voice was unmistakable. Lonnie.

JC felt immediate relief as he turned around to see the large bodyguard standing near an SUV that was to the right of the door he'd just come out of. "Lonnie!" he cried, quickly closing the distance between them. "Someone's here. They got Chris, and they were chasing after me, and-"

"JC, JC," Lonnie interrupted, grabbing onto his arms and ducking his head to get him to look him in the eye. "Calm down."

"But Chris! We have to help him! And that guy, he...he..." JC trailed off, his eyes going to the door he'd come out of. No one had come out after him, and that guy had been right behind him. He would've made it outside by now, and the fact that he didn't...well, JC didn't know what it meant. But he did get an uneasy feeling.

JC looked back at Lonnie, who was still loosely holding onto his arms. He saw genuine concern on his bodyguard's face, but there was something else. Something that looked like resignation, and it did nothing to ease JC's anxiety.

"I'm sorry, JC," Lonnie said.

JC's brow furrowed. "For what?"

Lonnie looked at him with such a sad expression, and warning bells went off in JC's head. It didn't make sense, but he wasn't going to ignore the feeling either. He went to pull his arms out of Lonnie's grasp, but he could only get one free as Lonnie tightened the hold on his other.

JC panicked, but before he could do anything, Lonnie tugged on his arm and turned him around so his back was against Lonnie's chest. Then a wet cloth was pressed over his nose and mouth. As JC breathed in the sweet smelling solution, he struggled desperately to break Lonnie's hold. But Lonnie was much stronger than him, and after a long minute, all the fight left JC as his body went limp.

JC would've hit the ground if Lonnie didn't have a hold on him. His eyelids grew heavy - something he tried to fight as hard as he could, especially when he heard Lonnie speak to someone else.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Lonnie asked. The rag was removed from JC's face, but it didn't make him feel any better. If anything, the darkness seemed to pull at him harder.

"Does it matter?" the other voice replied. There was silence and then the man scoffed. "You've gone soft, man. Now c'mon. Tommie won't be happy if we're late."

Lonnie's arm went under JC's legs, lifting his feet off the ground. JC could guess where he was being taken, but he wouldn't be awake long enough to find out as he couldn't fight the pull of unconsciousness any longer.

His last conscious thought was of Chris and praying that he was okay.

Justin opened his eyes, blinking as he tried to take in his surroundings. The back of his head throbbed, which just added to his confusion. He went to lift his hand to touch the sore area only to find that he couldn't. His arms were tied behind his back and a thick rope was wrapped around his chest, keeping him in the chair he was sitting in.

Then, everything came rushing back.

He'd been on the way to the airport with Lance and Joey. Chris was supposed to have been with them, but he'd refused to leave JC alone. So it'd just been the three of them with Dre and Mike accompanying them back to Orlando. Only they'd never even made it to the airport.

They'd been driving along the freeway when there had been a loud pop and the SUV had jerked. Dre had carefully pulled the vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway to investigate the problem. He and Mike had both gotten out and quickly reported that the front, right tire had blown. None of them had thought anything of it because that wasn't the first time something like that had happened, and they knew their bodyguards were more than capable of fixing the problem with just the slightest delay. Though, Justin had been secretly hoping it would take long enough that they'd miss their flight home and have a good reason to return to the hotel where Chris and JC were.

That was when another car had pulled up behind them. Something that hadn't been all that alarming, but when Justin saw two muscular men with large tattoos on their forearm get out, he got a bad feeling. Then one of the men punched Mike in the head, taking him by surprise and causing him to fall to the ground, and Justin knew things were about to get a lot worse.

Joey and Lance had recognized the same thing, but before the three of them could even try to prepare themselves, the door to Justin's right opened. He was hauled out of the car by the second man, and before he could tell Joey and Lance to run, the other side had opened and the first man had grabbed hold of Joey's arm.

Justin had struggled, but the man's grip had been too tight. As he was being manhandled away from their SUV and towards the other vehicle, Justin had caught sight of Mike and Dre. Both of their bodyguards had been on the ground motionless, obviously unconscious. Justin wasn't sure what'd happened, but it'd just made him fight harder.

All he'd succeeded in doing was pissing off the man holding him. The guy had whipped out a gun that had been hidden in the waistband of his jeans and had pointed it at him, ordering him into the vehicle. It'd been clear what would happened if he didn't, and Justin had gotten in. Lance and Joey had been forced to join him, and in a matter of seconds, they'd been driving down the freeway again. This time though with two strange men.

It'd been a long, tense ride with the three of them exchanging nervous looks with each other. None of them had been brave enough to say anything to their kidnappers though. Justin had known it had everything to do with the gang leader JC was supposed to be confronting though. It would've been too much of a coincidence for them to be taken by people completely unrelated to the situation JC had found himself in.

When they'd finally arrived at their destination, Justin had been surprised to see it was an old, run down house in an isolated area. Though, knowing that there weren't many houses in the area hadn't stopped him from elbowing the guy when his door had opened and trying to make a run for it. He hadn't gotten far though as he'd been tackled and forced into the dirt by one of them. Then, the last thing he'd remembered was getting coldcocked by a gun.

"Justin, are you okay?" Lance asked, breaking Justin out of his thoughts.

Justin almost nodded, but he managed to stop himself in time, knowing that doing so would just aggravate his headache. "Yeah," he said. Lance and Joey were tied similarly to him in their own chairs just feet away. "What about you? Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah," Joey said.

"We were just worried about you," Lance added.

Justin eyed both of them carefully, trying to see if there was any sign that they were lying to him. He couldn't see any injuries, though he knew that didn't mean there wasn't some hidden in places he couldn't see. Ultimately it was the fact that neither of them looked to be in much pain that convinced him they were relatively unharmed and allowed him to breathe a little easier.

"Where are we?" Justin asked, trying to twist his body in the chair so he could fully take in their surroundings. He was tied tightly though, and the only thing he could easily turn was his head.

The walls were made of wood, what surely used to be a dark stain having faded and chipped over the years of neglect. It was cluttered full of random objects and tools. It looked like a garage or barn of some kind.

Joey shook his head. "We don't know." He paused, and Justin looked at him, watching as his brow furrowed with concern. "JC was here though."

"What? How do you know?"

"Those guys that took us. We could hear them talking," Lance said. "He apparently left in a hurry."

Justin frowned. No way would JC leave them behind, which meant that he hadn't known they were there. As far as JC knew, they were on their way to Orlando by now. So what had caused him to take off, and more importantly, why had those guys let him?

They were all good questions, but he figured he'd start simple. "Why?" Justin asked.

Lance and Joey exchanged nervous glances. Then Lance looked back at him. "From what we overheard...it sounded like they had threatened Chris. That something might be happening to him."

Justin's stomach twisted. "Like what?"

"We don't know," Joey said. "But I wouldn't worry. You know Chris. He can take care of himself."

Normally Justin would agree with that, but he couldn't deny that all Joey's words did was cause him more anxiety. They were out of their league with this gang stuff, and JC had obviously thought Chris was in danger if he'd taken off to try to intervene.

"What's the point of this?" Justin asked. "I mean, they have us. Why couldn't they just use us as leverage instead of going after Chris too?"

As soon as the words left Justin's mouth, he nearly winced as he realized what he'd said and how it'd sounded. It wasn't that he wanted them to be in danger or have the attention of a sadistic gang leader focused on them, but they were already here and in a bad situation. Surely, the gang leader could've used them to get JC to do what he wanted without getting Chris involved. Right?

Joey and Lance shot each other a look, neither seeming to know what to say. Not that Justin blamed them. He hadn't really expected them to have an answer; his anxiety and fear for Chris had him asking stupid, hard questions.

Then, to his surprise, his question did get answered. Only it wasn't by Lance or Joey.

"Tommie's doing it to play with JC."

Justin twisted his head around as much as he could, straining to see behind him. It was hard to see clearly, but there was no doubt who was standing there. Sabrina, JC's ex-girlfriend. Though, as Justin had suspected all along, she'd been much more involved in their LA trip than just simply being an ex.

"What do you mean?" Justin demanded. "What the hell is going to happen to him? To Chris?"

Sabrina stepped forward and held up her hands. "Whoa, somebody's a bit feisty, aren't they?" She walked around Lance so she was facing the three of them, glancing at each of them before looking Justin in the eye. "Chris is fine. Or at least, he won't be dead. Some of Tommie's guys are gonna bring him and JC back here. And then that's when the real fun begins."

"Fun?" Joey repeated, frowning.

"Well," Sabrina smirked, "not fun for any of you I suspect. But the rest of us...yes. Because I have to tell you, watching JC squirm is one of the more entertaining things I've seen."

Justin's muscles tensed. "You bitch!"

"My, my, listen to that temper," Sabrina said, shaking her head. She took a step closer to Justin. "JC showed a lot of anger the last time I saw him too. I'm guessing you're the one that rubbed off on him?"

"JC is strong all on his own. If anything, I learned a lot from him," Justin shot back.

Sabrina moved even closer. "I find that hard to believe. He was such a weak, pathetic thing when I met him. And I loved him that way."

"Then you obviously didn't know him at all," Justin said, glaring at her.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're the ones who don't know him. He's been pretending with you four. Lying to you."

"Just because he didn't want to tell us what happened between the two of you doesn't mean he's been pretending with us," Joey said.

"So he's told you about what we did, what he did." Sabrina slowly walked the length of the area they were tied up in. "He stole from people. He helped me scam people. And you want to tell me he didn't pretend with you four? Tell me, if that's the case, then why didn't he ever tell you about the arrangement I had with him?"

"If you're trying to turn us against JC, it won't work," Lance said. "He had his reasons for not telling us, but that doesn't mean we know him less than you do."

Sabrina smile, but it was a wicked thing. "Oh I'm not trying to turn you against him. I'm just trying to point out you're wrong about him. And for the record, I never said there was anything wrong with him being weak. Not all of us women want a big, strong man. Some of us like having power over our men."

Justin fumed at her words, but he was quickly realizing there was no point in arguing with her. He wasn't getting through to her, and quite honestly, he didn't care what she thought. Nothing she said could make him think she knew JC better than they did.

Sabrina, for her part, didn't seem put off at all that none of them were bothering to fight her on it anymore. Instead, her smile turned sly and she sauntered towards Justin, her hips swaying back and forth with each step. For the first time, Justin felt uneasy as he watched her approach, especially with the last words she'd said echoing in his ears.

She only stopped when she was standing right in front of Justin. "You remind me so much of him," she said, reaching out a hand to stroke his cheek. Justin wanted to rip her hand away, but all he could do was turn his head. "He tried to put on a brave face, but this city beat him down. He was broken when I met him, barely holding on to hope that things would work out. He didn't have the fire you have, but I can get you there."

Justin stilled. "What?"

"Oh yes. The rough sex with JC the other night was good, but I missed when he would give into my every desire. And assuming Tommie gets his way, I'll need someone else to play with." She climbed onto his lap, her legs wrapping around the back of the chair. "And who better to replace him with than his best friend?"

Justin looked up into her lustful eyes, and his stomach twisted. Only this time it wasn't out of fear and anxiety for Chris and JC but rather himself. They didn't know the story between JC and Sabrina, but it was obvious she had manipulated JC into everything. More stuff than Justin had even considered. Seeing her this close made him realize she had a danger to her, and he got the feeling she could just as easily manipulate him into having sex with her.

"Get the hell away from him!" Joey growled.

Sabrina looked over at him, smirking. "I'd love to see you stop me."

She turned her attention back to Justin, and he felt his heart pound painfully against his chest. Was she really going to do this right now? He couldn't imagine her doing it in front of Joey and Lance, but maybe that was the point. Something fun for her that would also torment them. It was like she'd said - he couldn't do anything to stop her. He was completely at her mercy.

Sabrina slipped a hand under his t-shirt, making him jerk and inhale sharply. It was a fairly innocent move, but there was no question it would lead to much more. He closed his eyes, trying to summon the strength to either break out of his bonds somehow or just endure what seemed to be inevitable.

"Bree, quit fooling around," a new voice said suddenly, and Justin's eyes flew opened. He saw one of the men that had kidnapped them standing in the doorway of the barn, arms crossed as he gave Sabrina a look that screamed of impatience. "The other two are on their way, and Tommie wants us ready."

Sabrina sighed. "Fine." She turned back to Justin and placed her lips on his in an unexpected kiss. "We'll finish this later."

Then she got off his lap and walked out, not sparing another glance at any of them. The guy followed behind her, and then they were left alone again. Justin looked at Lance and Joey and saw the fear he was feeling reflected back at him. They were going to be reunited with Chris and JC, but they all felt was trepidation at what would happen when they arrived.

******************

When JC came to, the first thing he was aware of was the pounding in his head - particularly behind his eyes - and how dry his mouth felt. Something that was only made worse by the fact that his mouth was taped shut. Then he realized that the thing he was lying on was moving. And after a brief struggle to get his eyes open, they confirmed that he was lying on the floor of a utility van where the only seats were the two in the front of the vehicle that were occupied.

JC tried to use his arms to push himself upright, but it became immediately obvious that both his hands and feet were bound. He tried to at least roll himself onto his back so he could have some leverage to push himself up, but his body barely moved, his muscles still weak from the chemical he'd inhaled. It was unfortunate because he'd hoped that by sitting up he could take some of the pressure off his roiling stomach, knowing that if he puked he would end up choking on it.

It was hard to take slow, calming breaths through just his nose, but he did his best, hoping it would help settle his stomach. He only managed a couple of slow breaths before he had to abandon the idea. It was just too hard, especially with his heart beating painfully against his chest which just caused his anxiety-induced nausea to worsen.

As bad as he felt, he suspected that Chris was feeling worse...wherever he was. Though, JC felt quite certain that he was currently en route to the very place JC had left in his haste to get to Chris. He worried about his oldest friend, his mind going crazy with scenarios of exactly how Chris had been removed from the hotel suite. The hope was that there had been minimal force used - like with JC and the involuntary inhalation of a sickening chemical. The worst case scenario was that Chris had been shot and was bleeding. Suffering.

Well okay, the worst case scenario would be if Chris was dead. But JC knew without a doubt that he wasn't. Not only because he had convinced himself he would just know - that he'd feel it if he was - but because Tommie would use him as leverage. For what, JC wasn't sure, but in the end, it wouldn't matter. He would do whatever Tommie wanted if it meant ensuring Chris's safety and getting him out of this terrible situation.

His fear and worry for Chris made JC's heart race even faster, and his breathing was speeding up to match it. He had to try to calm himself down, or he would surely pass out since he couldn't open his mouth to help draw in more oxygen. It hurt to push down his feelings for Chris, but not doing so would likely put him in an even more vulnerable position. He wanted to be fully aware of what was happening by the time they arrived at the house Tommie and his crew were at.

JC turned his eyes to the front of the car, wondering just how far they were from Tommie. Lonnie was driving and another man was in the passenger seat beside him. JC recognized him as the man that had chased after him, and he could hear the echo of pounding footsteps in his head as he remembered the dizzying race to the bottom of the stairs.

Even though JC could see the rearview mirror, he was too low to actually be able to see what was reflected in it. He got the feeling though that Lonnie was glancing at him periodically, checking on him as much as he could. Because while JC couldn't see his face, he could see the tension in his shoulders and arms. Lonnie was worried about him.

While Lonnie had been the one to subdue him, JC couldn't bring himself to feel any anger towards him. Obviously he was involved with Tommie, or Sabrina, or even both. JC didn't know how or even how long he might have known them, but he knew from experience how manipulative Sabrina could be. A quality Tommie had too, especially considering the way he'd hinted about Chris and let JC go as if he had a chance of saving him.

Did it make what Lonnie had done right? Of course not, but JC wasn't in a place to judge. He'd done terrible things when he was with Sabrina, and sadly, it'd gotten easier the longer he was with her. She had a way of making things that he knew were wrong sound okay - that whatever stunt they pulled would be completely harmless. Of course, that wasn't true, and even if they got away with it, JC had always felt a twinge of guilt. But nothing compared to the first time.

JC was sitting at a small round table in a coffee shop, scouring the newspaper for a job when Sabrina joined him. She sat with a sigh, and without any prompting, she launched into her latest complaint. This time it was about how the barista was someone new and hadn't saved her a blueberry muffin like the usual guy did, but that she'd at least gotten her drink free for the trouble of it all.

JC nodded absently, half listening as looked for not only auditions but anything he could do along with his job at the restaurant. They had only been together a month, and he was already used to the way she would complain about little things. Normally it was kind of cute because her cheeks would flush, and her eyes would turn a shade of green that was breathtaking. And he could usually turn her mood around pretty quickly just by smiling at her, but this time he had more on his mind. Something she was quick to notice.

"What are you doing?" she asked, leaning forward and turning her head so she could read what he'd circled. A grocery store clerk with a close proximity to his neighborhood. She shook her head. "JC, that job is completely beneath you. Working at the restaurant is bad enough."

JC frowned. She'd never liked him waiting tables at the restaurant they'd met at, saying he was wasting his talent. He didn't disagree, but he couldn't get any callbacks for the auditions he went to and he needed something to pay the bills along with other expenses, which included taking her out.

He reached out for the coffee she'd placed in front of him and took a sip, trying to occupy his mouth with something so he wouldn't snap at her. As soon as it hit his tongue, his frown deepened. He normally ordered a black coffee because it was the cheapest thing on the menu, and she always insisted on coming to these expensive coffee shops. But what he was drinking instead was sweet - almost sickeningly so compared to his usual order.

"This isn't what I ordered," he said, gesturing to the coffee as he set it back down on the table.

She gave a little sigh. "I know you always order that dark Brazil roast or whatever, but honey, you need to gain a little weight. You're too skinny."

JC gave a sigh of his own. He'd lost a couple of pounds since he'd moved to LA, but he didn't think he looked much different than he had before. It was one of the things she always pestered him about, but what she didn't seem to realize was money was so tight for him that often all he ate for dinner was ramen noodles or peanut butter toast. And in addition to his bills, he was trying to save up for some studio time so he could record a demo.

It was something he'd told her a few times, and he didn't want to get into it again. So he just let it go and got back to their original topic. "I need a second job. The restaurant has been cutting back my hours, and I've nearly obliterated my demo fund to make up for it. Now I owe $200 for the Jeep."

His Jeep had broken down on his way to work yesterday, and it'd already cost seventy-five dollars to be towed to the garage where one of Sabrina's friends worked. An hour ago he'd learned the issue was something with his engine, and according to Sabrina, her friend was really giving him a discount only charging two hundred. Still, that was money he didn't have.

"But if you get another job, when will you have time to sing or sleep? Or even see me?" She looked at him with those serious green eyes, burning with intensity. "I'll never see you anymore."

JC sighed. "Don't be ridiculous. We'll just have to rearrange our schedules a bit."

Someone squeezed past their table and inadvertently bumped into it. JC's pen went rolling off the table, and he bent down to pick it up. When he spotted the pen, he saw there was also a small wallet under the table. He grabbed both items and placed them on the table.

"Looks like someone lost their wallet," he said. "We should turn it in on our way out."

Sabrina picked up the wallet and opened it. JC could see an ID in it, and he was glad to know it would get to the right person because he was sure they would realize it was missing and come back for it eventually. He figured that was what she was checking for, but she kept flipping through it and then to his horror she pulled several bills out of the center.

"Sabrina," he hissed, putting a hand over hers in an attempt to stop her. He couldn't help glancing around nervously even though no one was looking in their direction. "What are you doing?"

"Oh come on, JC. This wallet probably belongs to some rich lady. It's only $100 anyway."

"You don't know she's rich," JC said.

"Actually," she held up the wallet, "this tells me she is. It's a designer wallet. And if she can afford this, I can guarantee she won't miss a measly $100. Besides, you leave your wallet some place, you never expect to have it returned to you with the cash still inside."

JC looked down at the table. Everything inside him screamed it wasn't right. He was taught that you didn't take what didn't belong to you. But there was a small part of himself that agreed with Sabrina. If you were careless with your money, you didn't deserve it. And it wasn't like they were taking it from someone who really needed it. If anything, they needed that money more than its owner did.

During his internal struggle, Sabrina glanced down at her watch and shook her head. She stood up, getting his attention. "C'mon," she said. "We have to go if we want to catch our bus."

JC was startled for a second and was going to protest, still fighting to squash the devilish voice that told him taking the money was okay. But she was already moving towards the door, and he was left hastily gathering his newspaper and pen and tossing them in his backpack. He slung the bag over his shoulder and grabbed his extra sweet, fattening drink before moving as quick as he could through the crowded shop to catch up to her. He only managed to do so when she handed the wallet over to the man behind the counter where she gave him a meaningful glance. He said nothing, just ducked his head and followed her outside narrowly missing being run over by a young woman carrying a baby in her arms as she rushed in.

As they walked to the bus stop, JC couldn't help but feel his gut twist anxiously with what they had just done. So much so that at the first garbage can he saw, he dropped the coffee cup into it. He felt guilty wasting the money, but he knew he wouldn't be able to drink it. At least not without making himself sick.

Sabrina glared at him, but he ignored her. He wasn't interested in appeasing her right then, and anyway he had been the one to pay for the coffee. What the hell did it matter to her?

The bus stop was fairly crowded when they walked up, and there was one open seat on a bench. Sabrina quickly sat down and he stood next to her, watching the buses and numerous cars go by. They stood there quietly for a couple minutes before loud footsteps caught his attention. He looked up and saw a woman rushing, pulling up to a quick stop as she arrived at the bus stop. It was the woman who had nearly run into them as they'd left the coffee shop, her baby clutched firmly in her arms. She seemed relieved, likely having made it before her bus could come. JC was about to turn away so he wasn't caught staring when something in her hands caught his attention. It was a familiar looking wallet with a pretty floral print.

JC swallowed, watching her open it anxiously and how her face fell. She was the one the wallet at the coffee shop had belonged to. The way she'd rushed in and now had rushed back to the bus stop. It made sense. She had lost her wallet at the coffee shop and had gone back for it, trying to make it before her bus came. And now she had discovered that her cash - what she needed to pay for her bus ride - was gone.

His stomachache intensified, and his heart pounded in his chest. What they'd done wasn't right, and now he was seeing the direct consequences of it. Contrary to what Sabrina had believed, the wallet didn't belong to someone rich. She wasn't poor by any means, but the crushed look on her face told him that it hadn't been just bus fare that she'd intended that cash for. And considering his own financial situation, he could appreciate that all too well.

He took a step forward, planning on going to her and coming clean. He would make Sabrina give her back the money, and everything would be okay. But he hadn't taken more than a single step before Sabrina grabbed onto his arm and pulled him towards the bus. Their bus had apparently come while he was lost in his moral dilemma.

"Sabrina," he protested, trying to pull away from her. She didn't listen to him though, just shoved him forward causing him to nearly fall up the stairs into the bus. He quickly regained his feet, but she was pushing behind him so all he could do was move further in. His shoulders slumped as he realized there was no getting off the bus, that he wouldn't be able to do the right thing.

He took the first pair of open seats he saw and slid in so he was sitting next to the window. It was normally Sabrina's seat, but he didn't care. After what she did he wasn't interested in accommodating her. He could see the woman from the window, and he felt unshed tears burning in his eyes as he watched the distress play across her face. But as he felt Sabrina slide in next to him, his anguish quickly turned to anger.

"It didn't belong to some rich woman," he said to her lowly. Both to try to get across how angry he was without shouting and to keep the people around them from eavesdropping.

He felt her shoulder brush against his, and he knew without looking that she'd shrugged. "This time. But it could've easily been true."

JC's anger spiked at her callous behavior, and he turned to look at her. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were set in a thin line. "I am never doing anything like that again."

Thinking back, JC couldn't believe he'd ever gone along with what she'd said after that. But that just proved how good she was at manipulating people. Either that or how weak he'd been. JC had worked hard since then to make sure he wasn't vulnerable - that no one had that kind of power over him again - and all of this just reminded him that it was for naught. He'd screwed up huge, and now he was paying dearly for it.

Regardless of who it was Lonnie was involved with - Tommie or Sabrina - it all stemmed back to a simple fact. None of them would even be in this situation if he hadn't followed her to Marc's so blindly, or if he'd gone in sooner and managed to stop her. Hell, even reporting the damn thing before he'd left LA wouldn't have created this situation he'd found himself in. What made it even worse was knowing that Chris was in danger because of him.

Knowing that Lonnie would be no help, JC tried to focus his mind and come up with some kind of a plan. Or at least some way he could remove Chris from the dangerous situation he'd been unwillingly placed in. It was difficult though since JC didn't know exactly what Tommie wanted. From what he'd said to JC earlier, it'd sounded like he wanted to kill his friends. Had it just been a threat to torture him, or would Tommie actually try to kill Chris?

It wasn't a question JC could answer, and it was terrifying. Whatever happened to Chris was completely on him, and JC's stomach twisted anxiously at the thought of something even worse happening to him. If Chris died today, he would never forgive himself.

JC forced the thought out of his mind. He couldn't afford to think like that; he needed to have his wits about him if he had any hope of getting them out of this situation. He needed to have hope that he could somehow convince Tommie to take his anger out on him and not Chris.

The van came to a stop then, and the engine died a moment later. JC's heart instantly sped up, and he began to sweat. The back door opened, and JC blinked against the harsh sunlight that came streaming into the vehicle. A rough hand grabbed his bicep and pulled him closer to the door. Once there, the zip tie around his ankles was cut, but his hands were left bound behind his back.

Lonnie came up on JC's right, while the other man came up on his left and each of them grabbed onto his arms. They lifted him out of the van and set him on the ground, but as soon as his feet touched the dirt, his knees buckled. He would've face planted if it wasn't for their strong grips.

Tommie's henchman seemed content to drag JC to where Tommie was waiting - no doubt on the other side of the van. But Lonnie said, "Wait. Just give him a second."

The other man scoffed and shook his head, like he couldn't believe what Lonnie was doing. But that was all the confirmation JC needed to know that he'd been right. Lonnie had been forced or manipulated into doing this, and as JC looked him in the eye, he could see it was taking everything Lonnie had not to grab him and try to get the hell out of there.

"Let's go," the guy growled and yanked on JC's arm, like he was trying to rip JC out of Lonnie's grasp. But Lonnie held his grip and moved so he could support JC as much as possible while JC fought to get his feet under himself. He stumbled the first few steps, but thankfully his legs actually held him up as he fell in step with them.

This is it, JC thought as they walked closer to the very spot where he'd left Tommie not hours before.

JC didn't know what was going to happen, but he swore to himself he would do whatever Tommie wanted. He wasn't going to let anything else happen to Chris. No matter what.

Chris had absolutely no idea where he was.

The van he'd been riding in had finally come to a stop, the engine shut off. One thing he did know was that this had everything to do with the gang leader JC had gone to meet earlier. Neither man had said anything to him when they'd forced their way into the hotel room, but as soon as Chris had opened the door he'd known something wasn't right. Something that had been confirmed when they'd shoved him back into the room and quickly jammed a large looking gun into his shoulder, causing his muscles to freeze and his body to drop to the floor with a loud thud. The two men had taken advantage of his vulnerable, weakened state to shoot him in the leg.

The searing pain as the bullet entered his leg was the last thing he remembered, and then when he came to he was in this van, on his way to some unknown destination. His hands and feet were bound, and there was a large piece of tape over his mouth. His pant leg was dark where it was stained with blood, and the wound throbbed painfully. But it seemed like the bleeding had nearly stopped - or at least slowed considerably making Chris think they'd just wanted insurance he couldn't run from them.

When he'd first regained consciousness, he'd tried to get out of his bonds, but he'd quickly discovered the object that was keeping him immobile was a zip tie. And all his struggling had done was tighten the zip tie, cutting the thin plastic into his wrists.

The doors to the van opened, and Chris was yanked out of the back. Rough hands manhandled him, pausing briefly to cut the tight cord around his ankles. Then he was all but dragged out of the van and out into the harsh sunlight.

Chris blinked rapidly, doing his best to help his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness quicker so he could take in his surroundings. There wasn't much to see though. Just an old house with an equally old barn providing the backdrop in what looked to be a desolate piece of desert. What really drew his attention though were the men standing in front of the barn, using the shade it provided as protection from the sun.

Chris tensed. Everything in him was screaming at him to fight - to try to break free, but he knew there was no escape. All he would do was just injure himself more (the pain in his leg was more than throbbing now), and likely make things worse for JC. Because there was no doubt in his mind that this was all done to get something out of him.

Then, before he could think anything else, there was a firm weight against his shoulder again. And just like before, his body was jolted by electricity. His muscles seized, and he was released, falling onto his chest hard with a muffled groan since he was unable to use his hands to break his fall. His body tingled, and his heart raced, but he didn't blackout.

It was a good thing too because he could hear more footsteps approaching. Given that he was lying face down on the ground, he couldn't see much, and he was still in too much pain to think about moving. So he had to be content with lying there and only being able to listen.

"Ah, JC. Good to see you again so soon," an unknown male voice said. The tone was mocking, and it caused Chris's anger to surge while the words themselves made his heart stop. Of course he'd figured JC would be brought here, but knowing that he was here put him on edge. It seemed only a matter of time before things escalated out of control, and he was afraid JC wouldn't make it out of it.

But as afraid as Chris was for JC, the opposite was true.

JC stared at Chris, who was lying several feet away from Tommie and his henchmen. Even at a distance, he could see the pain written all over Chris's face. He didn't know what he'd already suffered, but whatever it was had clearly been bad enough to send Chris to the ground. And the large man that stood at his feet, towering over him didn't bode well either.

"And I see you've noticed I invited someone else to join us this time," Tommie said. Even though JC wasn't looking at him, the amusement in his voice was clear.

Because both of JC's arms were being held by Lonnie and one of Tommie's men, JC could feel the way Lonnie tensed. Without looking at his bodyguard, he knew that the man was having similar thoughts as him. This situation was bad enough already, but having one of the guys part of it and already actively hurt? It didn't lend much hope that things would get any better.

"Of course," Tommie began, his voice a low growl, "I could always kill him so he's not a distraction."

At once, JC's eyes snapped back to the gang leader who looked annoyed that he'd been all but ignored since JC had laid on eyes on his friend. Chris most certainly was a distraction, but he couldn't allow Tommie to think that. He couldn't risk pissing off the man and having him take his anger out on Chris. If Tommie wanted to lash out at JC, then so be it, but he wouldn't stand for Chris being hurt because of his insolence.

"I could take care of him now. Save you the trouble of doing it later," the man standing at Chris's feet offered.

Tommie shook his head. His eyes met JC's. "I think he got the message." The words were said with an air of civility, but JC could hear the underlying threat. He shifted on his feet as he resisted the urge to look over at Chris once again. Tommie eyed him for a moment longer before turning to instruct the man on JC's left. "Remove the gag and cut him loose."

Despite the instructions being for the other man, Lonnie stepped in front of JC and grabbed hold the edge of the tape. He met JC's eyes, and in that instant JC could see the sadness and anxiety Lonnie had over having to be a part of this. Then, Lonnie ripped the tape away from JC's mouth with one quick motion. There was a second of pain, and almost instantly JC licked his dry lips, trying to moisten them.

Behind JC, there was a snap as the zip tie was cut. As the plastic fell away, JC brought his hands up to rub gently at his chaffed wrists. He wasn't at all fooled into thinking any of this meant something. There was no point in being tied up - not when there was no chance of escape. Not with so many people working for Tommie around; he'd be caught before he even made it far. And that would only be if he left Chris behind, which he'd already swore to himself he wouldn't do.

"Lonnie," Tommie started, and Lonnie turned on the spot to face the gang leader. "You're dismissed. We can handle this from here."

"Why? I brought him here."

The kidnapper came around from behind JC and scoffed. "You wouldn't have if I wasn't there to make sure you did your job. You've gone soft, Lon."

"And that is why I can't allow you to stay," Tommie agreed. "I hired you to keep tabs on JC and report back, and you got close to him. To all of them."

Lonnie's lips thinned, but he couldn't deny it. JC could tell he wanted to argue some more and find some way to convince Tommie to allow him to stay, but Tommie had made it more than clear. And from what JC knew about Tommie, he would no doubt make Lonnie pay for any backtalk. Something Lonnie seemed to know as well because he turned without saying a word.

JC forced himself not to speak or react in any way as Lonnie passed him. It was a hard thing to do, especially given the reluctance and fear in Lonnie's eyes when they met his for a second. There was no way of knowing if they would see each other again, and it nearly had JC do something stupid out of the panic that rose up. But he quickly shoved it down, forcing himself to remain still and not turn around to watch as Lonnie walked away.

Not a single word was said again until Lonnie had gotten in the car and was driving back the way they'd come in. In that time, JC had taken the opportunity to check in on Chris. His friend had managed to roll over and was now laying on his back, his head turned to the side looking in their direction. His hands were still bound behind his back, and he was still gagged as well. Even though he couldn't see his eyes, JC was certain Chris's thoughts were going wild with knowing that Lonnie had been involved - and apparently had been working for Tommie for quite a while. It just made JC more anxious to get him out of there, fearful that Chris would somehow find a way to do something stupid even in spite of him being tied up.

So when JC could no longer hear the car Lonnie had driven away in, he looked back at Tommie and took a deep breath. "You have me here, and I'm not going anywhere. Just please let Chris go."

"And why would I do that?" Tommie asked.

"Because I'm the one you really want," JC said.

Tommie nodded. "True. But there's nothing that says I can't have a little fun first. After all, you took away my brother. I think it's only fair I take away one of yours."

"But I didn't kill Marc! I don't care what Sabrina told you. It was her. She poisoned him and she kept me from calling for help."

JC knew he was just short of pleading with the gang leader, but he couldn't help it. He needed to convince him that Sabrina had been the one to kill Marc so any retribution from his death should be directed at Sabrina, not him. And most certainly not one of his friends.

"Funny, but she told me a similar story. Only it was you who killed him and she was the one who'd wanted to call for help."

JC's fear was overrode by his anger, and he had to clench his hands into fists to keep his anger under control. Exploding on Tommie wasn't how he was going to get him to let Chris leave. For that he needed to keep his cool and do his best to reason with him.

"Did she tell you she was the one who drove me there?" JC demanded, his hold on his anger slipping just a bit. "Before that day, I didn't know where he lived. Hell, I hadn't even met him. So how the hell could I have been prepared to poison him?"

JC's voice rose as he spoke, his tone turning snippy by the end. As soon as the words left his mouth and he realized how he'd sounded, he snapped his mouth shut. He wasn't trying to piss off Tommie, but his frustration was getting the best of him.

Tommie's eyes narrowed, and he made a motion with his hand. Then, JC was hit in the back of the head with something hard. Spots danced in front of his eyes as he fell to his knees. He could hear footsteps that stopped in his line of vision, and a large shadow was cast over him. JC unconsciously put a hand to the back of his head as he looked up, seeing Tommie standing there with cold eyes and an annoyed expression.

"Watch what you say to me," Tommie said. "And to be clear, I don't give a shit if you poisoned Marc or not. It doesn't change the fact that my brother is dead, and you're the reason for it."

"But-" JC started to protest, but it died on his lips as Tommie threw a punch that hit him on the side of the face near his cheek.

Before JC even had a chance to recover, Tommie crouched in front of him and grabbed a handful of his t-shirt, pulling him close. "Sabrina and Marc had their problems, but they would've worked it out eventually. Then you came into the picture and gave Sabrina ideas. You came between them."

In the six months they were together, Sabrina hadn't mentioned Marc much. All JC had known was that she hadn't been happy with him for quite a while, and that was why they'd separated. Then at the time of Marc's death she had hit him with the idea that by killing Marc it allowed her to have everything she wanted. JC wasn't convinced she wouldn't have killed Marc if she hadn't met him, but he couldn't deny that him being with her had seemed to motivate her.

"And that's why you're here," Tommie said, releasing JC and rising to his full height. "I'm going to make sure you're properly punished, and I'm going to start by killing your friend over there."

JC's chest tightened, and he swore he stopped breathing as he heard the telltale click of the hammer being pulled back on a gun. He turned at the sound and saw his kidnapper with a gun in his hands pointed at Chris who was staring at the man looming above him.

"Wait!" JC cried, struggling to his feet. "I'm sorry about what happened, and I understand you wanting revenge. I know you're going to kill me," JC swallowed hard at the thought, but forced himself to push on, "but you should let Chris go. You're not going to kill him."

Tommie raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain about that?"

"No," JC admitted. "But the fact that you didn't kill me the first time I showed up here tells me you have something more planned. Chris is just here to make sure I do whatever it is, and if you kill him you know I won't play your games."

"Is that right?" Tommie didn't wait for a response as he turned towards the barn. "Hey, Bree! Come out here."

JC tensed, unsure what was about to happen. He watched as Sabrina came out of a side door to the barn. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and he saw her smirk. It made him clench his fists in anger, though it didn't completely overtake the wariness he was feeling. Sabrina went to the large barn door and slid it open, allowing an unobstructed view into the interior of the barn.

Inside were Joey, Justin, and Lance.

JC's blood ran ice cold, and his limbs felt heavy. His heart was in his throat as he watched the three of them blink against the sudden sunlight. Each of them were tied to a chair, but they weren't gagged so as soon as their eyes focused, they called out for him.

"So you see, JC," Tommie began, stepping closer. "I'm not at all concerned I'll lose my leverage by killing Chris."

JC forced himself to look away from the guys. "What do you want?" he asked Tommie, his voice quiet and shaky.

"You know what I want," Tommie said. "You were right. I do want to play a game. Tell me, JC. Have you played Russian roulette?"

"No," JC whispered, horrified. He could tell where this was going, and he wanted no parts of it. Though, he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it either.

Tommie reached out his hand and without a word, one of his men handed him a gun and a single bullet. "A single bullet," he started, holding it up for JC to see, "gets loaded and then you spin the chamber. Like this." Tommie put the bullet in and spun the chamber of the gun. "Now there's no telling where the bullet is."

"Please don't do this," JC begged.

"Normally, each person puts the gun to their head and pulls the trigger," Tommie started, ignoring JC. "But I think I'll keep the gun. So I will go one by one or you can choose."

"You can't do this!" Justin objected loudly.

Tommie turned on the spot and glared at Justin. "You shut up, or I'll get Frank here to shoot you," he said, gesturing to one of the men standing off to the side. "And I assure you his gun is fully loaded."

The man JC now knew as Frank unclipped his gun and held it up, flicking off the safety. It was enough to make JC freeze, but unfortunately it didn't have the same effect on Justin. Rather, it had the exact opposite.

"If you're going to shoot anyone, it should be her." Justin's voice was agitated, and JC was certain if Justin's arms hadn't been tied behind his back he would've pointed at Sabrina. Instead, he settled for nodding his head in her direction. "She's the reason for all of this. Not JC."

"Justin..." Lance tried, his face showing the same nervousness JC felt. A quick glance at Tommie's face showed the gang leader wasn't happy, and it made JC tense in anticipation.

"Yeah, Justin," Sabrina echoed, her voice teasing while her eyes belied a darker intent. It was one JC recognized, and it made the nervousness he felt loosen it's grip slightly. "You should shut up and look pretty." She gave Justin a meaningful look. "It may just save your life."

JC had spent enough time with Sabrina that he understood how to hear what she wasn't saying, and it turned his stomach. She was telling him if he didn't piss Tommie off bad enough, she would make sure he was spared. But not out of any sympathy or because it was the right thing to do - it was for her own selfish reasons. She wanted to seduce Justin, and JC could tell by the expression on her face that she felt she would be able to if she saved his life.

Justin glared at Sabrina as he spat, "I'd rather be dead than be with you."

"Let's see if you get your wish."

Tommie's voice was quickly followed by a telltale click, and JC's eyes widened as he saw the gang leader pointing his gun at Justin. At the same time, Chris protested, though his voice was muffled given that his mouth was still taped shut.

"No!" JC cried and unconsciously moved forward. Before he could take more than a couple steps though, Tommie pulled the trigger.

Instead of a loud bang, there was a hollow click. That particular round had been empty.

JC choked on a sob of relief, the feeling driving him to his knees. Justin, for his part, was wide-eyed and completely ashen. Lance and Joey were glancing at Justin worriedly, both looking pretty shaken themselves.

"Who's next?" Tommie asked, casually swinging the gun from Lance and Joey and even turning on his heel to point it at Chris.

"Don't," JC said, struggling to his feet. "Please. Just leave them out of this."

"It's too late for that. They're here now."

JC took a step towards the gang leader. "But that doesn't mean they have to die." He wrung his hands as he took another step. "Please. They don't deserve it."

Tommie turned on his heel to glare at him. "And my brother did?" It was a rhetorical question, and Tommie just plowed on. "It's only fair one of yours dies. And if you won't pick one, then I will."

JC watched as Tommie faced Justin, Lance, and Joey. For whatever reason, he seemed content to leave Chris alone. It made JC wonder if it had anything to do with the fact Chris had clearly been through something during his capture and transport from the hotel. If he was honest though, he didn't care why. He was just glad there was one less person to worry about.

Though, it didn't make seeing the gun pointed on Lance any easier.

Even from where JC was standing, he could see the way Lance's body had stiffened. He was trying to put on a brave face, but JC picked up on all the other things that indicated it was just a mask. The rough swallow. The way Lance's eyes flashed nervously from the guys to Tommie and the gun. The erratic rise and fall of his chest.

It was too much for JC to watch, and there was no way he could allow Tommie to pull that trigger. Yes, it could be empty and the odds were in his favor it was, but he wasn't willing to bet Lance's life on it.

"Stop!" JC cried. "Please. Just kill me instead. You don't need to kill them - this is torture enough."

"Didn't I tell you he was easy to break," Sabrina said to Tommie, looking quite satisfied with herself. Then she looked at JC with a wicked smile. "I knew you weren't any stronger than last time. You're still that weak boy you were when we met."

"Your information was good, Bree," Tommie said with a nod. "But mine was better."

All amusement slipped from Sabrina's face. "What are you talking about?"

Tommie still had the gun pointed at Lance, but all his attention was on Sabrina. "Did you really think I was going to believe what you told me without any proof?" The question was rhetorical, and Tommie continued on without waiting for a response. "After Marc's death, I had people watching you. So I know that you've been lying to me, and you know how I feel about liars."

For the first time since JC had met Sabrina, her face twisted with fear and anxiety. Gone was the cool persona she normally had, and the raw emotion made her look years younger.

"Tommie, I'm sorry. I-"

Without warning, Tommie abruptly turned the gun on Sabrina instead of Lance and pulled the trigger with zero hesitation. This time there was no telltale click. Instead, there was a loud bang, and Sabrina's body jerked as the bullet struck her in the middle of the forehead. Her lips parted open and her eyes were wide with surprise, then her body fell forward.

JC stared at Sabrina's now lifeless body on the ground in disbelief. There had in fact been a bullet in that chamber of the gun. One that would've gone to Lance if Tommie hadn't suddenly turned the gun on Sabrina instead.

The thought of it caused JC's body to tremble - both with relief and with anxiety at knowing how close he'd come to losing one of his best friends. His legs buckled, and his knees slammed into the ground. He panted heavily as he tried to choke back the sobs that were rising up in his throat.

"Well, that happened sooner than expected," Tommie said, and JC didn't miss the casual ease to his voice. As much as Sabrina had thought she was on the same side as Tommie, it now seemed obvious she was never going to make it out of this alive. And any hope JC had that Tommie would stop now that the person who truly killed Marc was dead was dashed with what Tommie said next.

"Rick, give me another bullet. We can start a new game."

There was a tense silence, and JC could imagine the guys were too terrified to object, fearing that doing so would make them an instant target. At least, that was what he was assuming. He couldn't bring himself to look any of them in the eye, not when he knew he was the reason they were in this terrible situation.

JC was just as scared as his friends, but the thought of going through another game of Russian Roulette with one them meeting the same fate as Sabrina...it was too much. This was going to end right now. No matter what JC had to say or do to make that happen.

"No!" JC cried out, raising his head to look at Tommie. The gang leader turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a quirked smile. "Please. Just kill me, and leave them alone."

"JC!" Justin objected.

JC could see Justin struggling in his chair, fighting against the ropes that kept him bound. He didn't dare look him in the eye though. It went without saying that none of the guys liked him giving up and basically asking for Tommie to just kill him, but there was no other option.

"You want to die?" Tommie asked, frowning at him doubtfully.

JC shakily pushed himself to his feet, doing his best to face the man that would surely end his life in a matter of minutes. He took a deep breath to try to steady his nerves and looked Tommie in the eye. "I don't want to die," he started. "But we both know this is going to end with my death. Might as well be now."

"And you believe that'll stop me from killing your friends?"

The question wasn't mocking or teasing, but rather curious like Tommie was trying to figure out what JC was doing. It gave JC a brief moment of triumph knowing that he had managed to at least somewhat throw the gang leader off his game. But it was gone in a flash as the reality bared down on him, knowing what was in store.

"I'm hoping it will. They had nothing to do with Marc's death, and Sabrina is already..." A large lump formed in his throat, and JC cleared it, forcing himself to carry on. "So killing me will mean it's over. That you got your revenge for Marc."

"But you didn't do anything!" Justin cried out.

"Justin," Joey hissed, and JC was certain that if Joey hadn't been tied to a chair and out of arm's reach, he would've elbowed Justin in the side.

But the warning came too late. Tommie turned to glare at Justin, and that was all the cue Frank, the man standing to the side, needed. He walked up behind Justin and brought his elbow down on the back of his head. The action made Justin's head jerk forward and then his entire body slumped unconscious.

The look on Joey's face was verging on murderous, and JC knew he had to redirect Tommie's attention immediately. He couldn't risk Tommie taking notice of it or reacting to the instinctive protectiveness that had risen up in Joey the moment Justin had been hurt.

"I'm begging you to please spare my friends," JC pleaded, and mentally sighed in relief when Tommie turned back to him. "As you said before, they're like brothers to me, and I'm willing to die for them."

Tommie took a step towards JC, and it took everything he had within himself not to step backwards. He forced himself to meet the gang leader's eyes, allowing the man's hard gaze to penetrate him. JC didn't know what he was looking for, but he kept his thoughts focused on the guys and how he was doing the right thing - that he was completely sincere with everything he'd said.

Finally, Tommie nodded. "Okay."

JC felt relieved while at the same time, his heart lurched in his chest. He was glad Tommie was going to leave the guys alone, but it also meant he would be dead shortly. It wasn't at all how he'd thought his life would end, but there were worse ways to die. Right?

"Thank you," JC whispered. Then he shut his eyes. He couldn't bear to look at any of the guys just before Tommie killed him - he didn't want to see his death reflected in their eyes. Maybe it was selfish to not even want to try to say goodbye, but he was certain any attempt at doing so would break him and possibly have him begging Tommie to reconsider their deal. He wasn't going to put their lives at risk for the sake of his own.

JC waited for the sound of the gunshot and the flash of pain before everything would go dark permanently. There was a heavy silence broken only by some light sobbing. Since JC's eyes were closed, he couldn't say who it was, but his gut was telling him it was Lance. After all, he was likely still suffering from the shock of knowing he would be dead right now if Tommie hadn't turned the gun on Sabrina instead, so it wouldn't take much to send his emotions out of control.

Several long seconds passed and yet, nothing happened.

Reluctantly, JC opened his eyes and he found that Tommie was standing in front of him. Instead of holding a gun though, he was holding two small liquor bottles. JC blinked in surprise.

"I figured we'd have a drink to seal our deal," Tommie explained. "Though, yours has a little something extra in it. After all, I think it's only fair after what happened to Marc."

Poison had been the only explanation JC had come up with for Marc's death, and it seemed Tommie had come to the same conclusion. Somehow, JC suspected he should've seen this coming. After all, Tommie had been threatening to kill at least one of the guys claiming it was only fair that his own brother had been killed, and JC drinking poison would be a true eye-for-an-eye.

"Right," JC said softly, accepting the small bottle that Tommie held out to him.

"JC." Joey's voice caught his attention, and JC looked over at him even though he'd sworn to himself he wasn't going to look at the guys. "You don't have to do this."

JC shook his head. He did. It was the only way to end this, and he'd known deep down from the moment the undercover cop had revealed himself as part of Tommie's crew that he wasn't going to make it out of this situation alive.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking Joey in the eye. He then briefly met Lance's gaze, his freaked out expression causing his heart to ache and his gut to twist violently. This was all his fault and the last thing he wanted was for the guys to watch him die, but there was no other way out of this.

JC unscrewed the lid from the bottle and looked back at Tommie who had already taken the lid off his tiny bottle of liquor. The gang leader held up the bottle and gave him a single nod before downing the contents in one long gulp.

JC took a deep breath before he threw back the tiny bottle in his hands. There was no foul taste - all it tasted like was whiskey. It wasn't an alcohol JC did a lot of shots of, but he'd done it before and therefore was accustomed to the slow burn as it made its way down his throat and to his stomach.

The reaction wasn't instantaneous, but surely would hit him in a matter of seconds or minutes. Even though JC hadn't been in the house when Sabrina had poisoned Marc, it hadn't seemed like much time had passed. Not knowing freaked him out, but he couldn't change the course he was on now.

JC closed his eyes, letting the bottle slip from his fingers. He didn't want to risk catching sight of Sabrina's lifeless body knowing that would be him shortly, and he didn't want to be looking at any of his friends while he waited for the poison to take his life. Having them watch this was bad enough, they didn't need to be looking him in the eye when it happened. That, and he was certain he would end up bawling. Something he didn't want to do in the presence of Tommie - he wanted to show the man he could own up to his decisions in the hopes that Tommie would indeed keep his end of the bargain.

As JC stood there, seconds passed and yet he didn't feel any worse. Surely if the poison was going to claim his life, he would begin to feel signs of it. Right? It made sense, and yet he didn't feel anything.

"It's not going to be quite that quick," Tommie said, breaking the tense silence. JC slowly opened his eyes and looked at him in confusion. "The poison used on Marc killed him in a matter of minutes. But this one...it usually takes a couple hours to kill someone. Though, it could be more or less depending on how your body reacts to it. Quite an agonizing way to die is what I'm told."

There was a wicked smile on Tommie's face, and JC's stomach dropped. Of course. He should've figured his death wouldn't be as painless as a bullet or a fast-acting poison. A fate he suspected would've befallen Sabrina as well if that chamber of the revolver hadn't been loaded.

"C'mon, boys. Cut the kids loose and let's get the hell out of here," Tommie said.

Without any hesitation, several of Tommie's henchmen jumped into action. Frank, the man that had elbowed Justin in the head, went over to Joey and began to cut his bonds, while two other men went to Lance and Justin. And JC noticed with relief that Justin was coming around as the man worked on freeing him.

JC desperately wanted to go to Chris, who had been turned on his stomach so the man could cut the zip tie around his wrists, but he forced himself to remain in place. He couldn't believe that Tommie was just leaving - that he wasn't going to stick around to make sure JC succumbed to the poison.

"That's it?" Lance asked warily, obviously having similar thoughts.

"What? You honestly thought I was going to stick around for a couple hours waiting for him to die?" Tommie replied, nodding his head in JC's direction. "I'm a busy man, and I've spent enough time on this already. I'll come out later to make sure, and finish him off if not. Though, by the looks of him I don't think I'll have to."

JC wasn't sure what he meant. He was pretty hot and sweaty, but they were in middle of a desert-like landscape in California. There must have been truth to what Tommie was saying though if the worried look on Lance's face was any indication.

"And you're just letting us go?" Chris asked, finally free of all his restraints and no longer gagged. Though, he hadn't stood up quite yet, seemingly satisfied for sitting upright. At least for the moment. His voice was scratchy, and it made him sound rougher than usual.

Tommie nodded. "That was the deal. Though, it's quite a hike out of here, and I'm not sure all of you will make it to the nearest town."

In that moment JC felt like an idiot. Tommie hadn't seemed particularly malicious to the guys, and he'd thought getting the man to promise not to kill his friends would remove them from danger. Now though, he saw that he had overlooked one very important thing - how they would get out of there. Of course Tommie wouldn't give the guys a lift back to LA. Allowing them to live was probably more than the gang leader normally did.

"If you do make it though, I promise you won't be hearing from me again," Tommie said. Then he motioned for his men to get in the vehicles they came in so they could leave.

JC stood there, still unable to make himself move and check on the guys until Tommie was gone and they were truly out of danger. Or out of danger from being shot at least.

It only took a minute or two for Tommie and his crew to gather into the three vehicles that had been parked nearby. They followed each other out, moving down the narrow road in a single file line. Only when JC could barely hear the noise of the gravel crunching under the tires did he finally turn his attention to his friends.

And as he turned back to them, he swayed on his feet. As the world spun, JC crashed to his knees. He heard a shout and footsteps rushing over to him. By the time Joey had made it over to him, the dizziness was gone. But as he looked up at Joey's concerned face, it became clear that he still had another battle left.

JC had to find a way to convince the guys to leave him behind because he knew they would be determined to stay with him, and he couldn't let them do that. They had to get to the next town and get help for their injuries. Then get back home. It would be a near impossible task, but JC hadn't come this far to fail now.

Joey had seen the way JC had paled when he'd turned to face them, and despite his best efforts to move as fast as possible, he hadn't been able to reach JC in time to catch him. JC, for his part, remained upright, and when Joey finally made it to him, he gently gripped his shoulders.

"You still with me, C?"

At first JC appeared to be out of it, but then he looked up at him. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm okay."

It was an automatic response - one that Joey ignored. JC was not okay, and that much was obvious. He knew JC realized it too even if he didn't say anything. The way he was avoiding Joey's gaze told him everything, or so he thought. When Joey finally managed to duck his head and catch JC's eyes, he was taken aback by what he saw there. The once vibrant blue eyes were now dull and had turned a gray-ish blue, and Joey suspected the poison currently coursing through JC's veins was only a small reason behind it. There was no fight behind JC's gaze, the resignation of his impending death clear to see.

Joey opened his mouth to say something to JC about it when nearby he heard Justin ask loudly, "Chris, what happened to your leg?"

When Joey had run over to JC, Lance and Justin had gone to Chris. Joey hadn't paid them any mind at first, knowing they could handle Chris for a moment while he made sure JC was alright. But now, Joey followed JC's lead and turned to look at his oldest friend.

Justin hadn't specified what leg, but it didn't take long to figure out which he'd meant. There was a small hole in the left pant leg of Chris's jeans, which was offset by a huge bloodstain that surrounded it. Joey's head had just put together the pieces when Chris mumbled, "I was shot."

For the first time, Joey took a good look at Chris. His face was pale - maybe paler than JC's - and his forehead was damp with sweat. It seemed obvious the gunshot was the major culprit, but Joey was certain the sun beating down on them wasn't helping. While it may be winter, the sun in California was still quite strong.

"Let's get out of the sun," Joey said. He looked at Chris. "Can you walk?"

Chris waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Yeah, of course," he said, already trying to push himself to his feet in such a way that he didn't immediately put all his weight on his injured leg.

Joey sighed and shot a look to Lance, who just nodded appearing just as frustrated. Justin had already reached out, grabbing Chris's arm in attempt to take some of the weight from him and provide leverage. Lance came up on Chris's other side, forcing the older man to wrap his arm around his shoulders.

Satisfied that Lance and Justin could help Chris get to his feet and out of the sun, Joey turned back to JC only to realize he was already halfway to his feet. Joey quickly jumped up, ready to offer assistance as needed. And even though JC squinted and put a hand to his head, he got upright without any issue.

Lance and Justin had helped Chris to stand and with him supported between the two of them, they led the way to the shade the barn provided. Joey started to follow only to realize that JC hadn't moved. He stopped and found JC looking off beyond the house, his gaze unfocused. Frowning, Joey reached out and put a hand on JC's shoulder, planning on asking him what he was thinking about so intently. But as soon as his hand made contact, JC blinked and shook himself out of his stupor. He walked towards the shade without Joey having to say anything.

As they stepped into the now abandoned barn, Joey felt an instant drop in temperature. It wasn't extremely hot, but having been in the direct sunlight, there was a noticeable difference once you were removed from it. Lance and Justin had lowered Chris back to the ground, who was grimacing in pain from the strain and movement on his injured leg. At least that was what Joey assumed.

"JC, why don't you come sit down?" Lance asked.

Joey followed Lance's gaze and saw that JC was leaning into the doorjamb of the open door they'd all just come through. His back was to them, and he was looking out at the area they'd just left. It was a position Joey had seen him in plenty of times before, but this time lacked the casual easiness. Instead, it looked like the doorjamb was providing more support than would normally be necessary.

It didn't seem like JC had even heard Lance, and Joey was going to say something only for JC to push off the door and turn around. "You guys need to leave," JC announced.

"Don't be stupid, JC," Justin said. "We're not leaving you here."

JC stepped further into the barn, holding eye contact with Justin. "Yes, you are."

The tone in JC's voice said it was a fact and not something that was up for discussion. Of course, they all disagreed with that, and naturally Chris was the one to vocalize it first.

"Like hell we are," Chris said, haphazardly pushing himself to his feet. Lance tried to step in and help, but Chris pushed his hands away. Joey suspected it had more to do with him convincing JC than being too proud to accept help. "If you honestly think we're going to just leave you here to die alone, then you're an idiot."

"Chris!" Joey hissed, glaring at him. He understood what Chris was trying to do, but to mention the fact JC was dying so carelessly wasn't the way to go.

JC shook his head. "I would just slow you guys down."

"And I'm not?" Chris replied, gesturing to his injured leg. He may be standing upright, but all his of weight was resting on his good leg with the heel of his left foot raised off the ground.

"That's exactly my point," JC snapped. "It's already going to be hard enough for you guys to walk out of here. You don't need someone else to drag along."

Chris stared at JC, but JC wasn't the least bit intimidated, meeting his gaze head on. It was like they were locked in a staring contest, waiting for someone to break first. In the end, it was Chris.

"Fine," he said. "Me and you will stay while the guys go for help."

Joey quickly glanced at Lance and Justin, who looked equally horrified at the idea. It was a feeling Joey shared. The idea sounded good in theory; it made sense to have those less injured walk out and return with help. But all he could think about was they didn't know how much time JC had before the poison took over completely, and the idea they would come back to find him dead...Joey shuddered.

"We're not splitting up," Joey said. "That's how we got into this mess in the first place."

Justin shot Joey a look, and it was only then Joey remembered he'd been the one to backup Lance when he'd agreed to JC asking them to leave. Okay, maybe he'd been find with splitting up then, but it wasn't like he'd known this was going to happen. He suspected it likely would've had a similar outcome even if the three of them hadn't tried to leave town like JC wanted.

"Guys..." JC started to protest, only for Justin to quickly cut him off.

"JC, I love you and I know you're trying to do what you think is right," Justin started, "but just shut up."

Lance groaned. "Justin..."

Joey had expected JC to put up a fight, or at least put Justin in his place in that way only he could. But JC did neither. Instead, he just shook his head and turned around, heading back outside.

Chris took a hobbled step forward, and Joey quickly held up his hand to keep his oldest friend from moving further. "I'll go," he said. Then he walked out without giving Chris a chance to respond.

As Joey stepped outside of the cool shade the barn provided, he was nearly blinded by the sun. Though, it wasn't as bad as earlier that afternoon given that the angle of the sun lessened the intensity. Once his eyes adjusted, he found JC had made his way over to Sabrina's lifeless body, and he was no longer on his feet. Instead, he was sitting with his back resting against the barn and his knees bent in front of him.

Joey crossed the short distance, making sure the gravel crunched under his sneakers so he didn't startle JC. He didn't have to worry though because when he reached JC, he found that he was already looking at him with a furrowed brow. Their eyes locked for a moment before JC looked away.

"I'm not trying to be a martyr," JC said, his gaze having returned to Sabrina's dead body in front of him. "I just want you guys to get to safety."

"I know," Joey replied, nodding. He kept his eyes on JC, feeling uneasy about the dead body between them, especially when there was a poison slowly making its way through JC. "But we're not leaving here without you."

"I don't want you guys to watch me die."

"Who says you're going to die?" JC actually lifted his head so he could look at Joey, giving him an are-you-serious look. Joey continued, "I mean it, JC. You know what's going to happen if you stay here. But if you come with us...who knows. Your fate might stay the same, but at least there's a chance for a different outcome."

JC said nothing. He just looked out into the distance, ignoring the body laying in front of him. Joey could tell he didn't believe what he was saying, that JC believed he was going to die no matter what. But Joey remembered the guilt he saw on JC's face when pleading with Tommie to just kill him, and he wondered if that was why he didn't even want to fight for a chance to live.

"I know you feel responsible for everything that happened, but it's not your fault. You were manipulated, and you don't deserve what's happening to you any more than we do," Joey said. "So why not at least try to fight? If not for you then for us."

JC remained silent, and Joey worried he hadn't said the right thing to get through to him. Though, he didn't know what else he could say. Ultimately, they couldn't force JC to at least try to change his fate by leaving with them. And if JC decided to stay, Joey knew the rest of them weren't going anywhere.

"Okay," JC said at last, his voice quiet.

Joey looked down at him in surprise. He almost wanted to ask JC to repeat himself or if he was sure, but he was afraid questioning JC would result in him changing his mind. So all he said then was, "Well, c'mon. Let's get the hell out of here."

Then Joey reached out his hand, offering assistance to JC in getting off the ground. JC accepted the help without a word, allowing Joey to help pull him to his feet. He only swayed slightly when he was upright, and Joey's hold on him kept him upright until he got his feet under him.

They heard footsteps behind them, and they turned to find the other three coming out of the barn. Chris was hobbling a bit, but the determined look on his face told Joey he was refusing any help from Lance or Justin. At least for the moment. Once again, his attention seemed to be solely focused on JC.

"So are we staying or going?" Chris asked.

"Going," JC said. It was said firmly, but Joey could see the hesitation on JC's face and knew he still wasn't completely convinced it was the best decision for him to walk out with them.

Chris stared at JC for a long moment before he gave a single nod. "Okay."

"Should we check the house first?" Lance asked, looking over his shoulder at the old building that appeared completely undisturbed. "You know, see if there are any supplies or anything we can use?"

"Like what?" Chris said. "The house doesn't exactly give off the lived-in vibe. It's probably locked anyway, so unless you want to break into some gang leader's hang out..."

Lance sighed. "It's at least worth a try." He then turned to Justin. "C'mon, let's check real fast."

Justin made a face like he was wondering why him, but surprisingly he didn't fight Lance on it. The two of them walked away, and Joey looked back at JC to find that he was once again looking down at Sabrina's dead body. He gave an awkward little cough.

"Should we do something with her?" he asked.

JC tore his gaze away from Sabrina and shook his head. "No."

Joey was relieved. The last thing he wanted to do was touch a dead person, but at the same time...was that what JC really wanted? He'd spent time with Sabrina and while she'd sounded awful in the little bit JC had shared with them, surely he had to feel something about leaving her behind like this. But almost instantly he remembered JC's concern about slowing them down. This was likely the same thing.

"We can come back for her," Joey started. "You know, when we make it to the next town."

Joey knew he was making a lot of assumptions with that simple statement, but damn it, he refused to think anything other than they would make it to that town and JC would survive. He did know how JC felt though, and he was ready for him to snap that he wouldn't be back to retrieve her body because he would be dead himself. What he didn't expect was JC to get angry at the insinuation that he cared what happened to her.

"I don't give a shit. She can stay here and rot for all I care."

Joey exchanged a concerned look with Chris over JC's head. This kind of bitterness and callousness wasn't something they saw from JC. Chris took a tentative step forward. "JC..."

"You guys don't get it," JC cut him off, glancing at both of them. "She was an awful person. I'm not going to say she deserved what happened to her, but...I don't feel bad that she's gone either."

Joey wanted to press the issue, but before he could, Lance and Justin returned announcing that the house was locked. They had tried the front door and the back door with no luck. But they had also peered into some of the ground floor windows and discovered that Chris was probably right - the sparse furnishings pointed towards it being nearly abandoned.

"What's going on here?" Justin asked after Lance was done explaining, glancing at each of them suspiciously. "Are we still leaving?"

"Yes," JC said, firmly. And that was the end of that, any talk of Sabrina was officially dropped.

Without another word, the five of them slowly made their way down the long driveway that led to the road. Lance led the way, and Justin fell to the back to walk in step with JC. Joey watched Chris hobble for a few paces before he stepped forward and moved in right next to him, throwing Chris's arm over his shoulder and forcing him to accept the help. It was slow going, but at least they were moving. All that mattered was getting as far away from that place as possible and finding someone who could help them. And in time.

Joey forced that thought away. It might be true, but he couldn't afford to think about the fact that JC was dying and had a limited amount of time before the poison completely shut down every one of his organs. They were going to get JC help before that could happen. They just had to.

It took at least ten minutes to reach the end of the driveway, and they paused briefly trying to get their bearings.

"Which way?" Lance asked.

"Left," JC said.

Joey turned his head, about to ask how JC knew when he remembered that JC had driven here of his own freewill earlier that day.

"Are you sure?" Justin asked.

"It's the way I came," JC replied.

"Yeah, but what if there's a town closer to the right?"

Chris removed his arm from Joey's shoulder and stepped away, turning around so he could face JC and Justin. "And what if it takes us further out into the desert?" he countered. "I'm with JC. Let's just go back the way we came."

Justin looked like he wanted to protest further, and Joey could understand where he was coming from. Given their situation, they didn't want to pick the wrong direction and later find out that if they'd gone the other way it could've made a difference. But regardless, they pressed on, making a left and following the road to hopefully the nearest town.

They walked in silence, the three of them at the front glancing over their shoulders periodically at JC and Justin. JC was still moving of his own accord and had shrugged off Justin's attempts to help once already. Though, he was looking more unsteady on his feet with each glance Joey gave him, and it made him wonder how long JC would last before he either accepted help or just refused to go any farther.

Joey didn't know how much time had passed when he finally got his answer; all he heard was a scraping noise and Justin's alarmed shout. He and Chris turned on the spot just in time to see JC fall on his hands and knees.

"What happened?" Lance asked, having stopped and coming up behind Joey and Chris to see what was going on.

"He tripped," Justin said, crouching next to JC. He put a gentle hand on his back. "C'mon, C. Let me help, huh?"

Even though Justin hadn't elaborated on how JC had tripped, Joey knew that JC had done so over his own feet. It wasn't a hard thing to imagine given the unsteady way he'd been walking, and the fact that it'd been getting worse and worse the further they walked.

JC shrugged off Justin's hand and slowly straightened so he was sitting up, resting on his knees. "No, it's fine."

"It most certainly is not fine!" Justin objected. "From the day all this shit started, you've been pushing us away and refusing to let us help you. But you have no choice now. Your body is giving out on you, and not even your stubbornness can keep you going anymore. So just take my hand damn it and let me help you walk out of here."

But Justin didn't even offer his hand to JC, rather he just grabbed onto JC's bicep and started pulling the older man to his feet. At least until JC yanked his arm out of Justin's grasp, wincing as he did so.

"No," JC said. "I'm not going with you. I'm done."

"JC..." Lance started. There was a look of hesitation on his face, like he wasn't sure what to say. What he settled for was, "You don't mean that."

JC nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. I can't..." He paused, closing his eyes and clenching his hands into fists. "I physically can't keep going. My body it's...I can't."

Joey took a closer look at JC and frowned. Their faces were red from the heat and exertion of walking, it having been hours since they'd last eaten or drank anything. But JC...while, his cheeks were tinged pink from the sun, his skin was pale and his lips were cracking and turning white around the edges. Joey could only imagine it was a symptom of the poison because while he was thirsty, none of them were dehydrated enough to be in a similar state.

"So let me help," Justin said, trying to be soft and understanding, but Joey could still hear the frustration he was biting back.

Justin reached out again, but JC jerked away. "No!" he said. He didn't glare up at Justin, but his determined expression made it clear he wasn't going to be swayed. "I'm not going to be responsible for slowing you down even more."

"And what does that say about me?" Chris demanded. "How is Justin helping you like Joey's been helping me any different?"

This time JC did glare, his steely blue eyes locked on Chris as he exclaimed, "Because you're not a dead man walking!"

Joey's stomach dropped, and the expression on Lance's face told him he'd had a similar experience. Justin looked like he was on the verge of tears, though he was desperately trying to rein in his emotions. Chris though, he didn't need a second to respond. Worlds came to him without a moment's hesitation.

"You honestly think we're going to just leave you here? Let you die on the side of the road? Alone?"

Something caught Joey's attention out of the corner of his eye, diverting his attention from the growing tension between his friends. He turned his head fully expecting to just see a bird flying by or even nothing at all - that he'd just imagined something to distract him from the painful conversation taking place. But surprisingly, it was none of those things. There was a car coming down the road, getting closer to them by the second.

"Guys..." Joey said, trying to get their attention while not wanting to remove his gaze from the vehicle coming their way. Friend or foe? It was hard to say, and he wanted some input on what they should do. Not that they could really go anywhere if it was Tommie or any of his henchmen given that they were in the middle of the desert with not so much as a bush near them. Still, they could at least be prepared to put up a fight if it came to that.

But they didn't hear him. JC just responded to Chris saying, "It's not about that. It's about getting you guys out of here and to help."

"You think you're doing the noble thing, but you're not. If the roles were reversed, you would expect us to fight it. But here you are ready to give up. You're a hypocrite."

The car was nearly upon them, and Joey's apprehension grew as he realized the large SUV was slowing down as it approached them. "Guys!" he snapped, his voice taking on a tone he almost never used. One that told them to shut up and listen, and thankfully they did.

Chris and Lance turned expectantly towards the road and the vehicle, while JC finally allowed Justin to help him to his feet. He was wobbly, and Justin wrapped an arm around his shoulders. It looked casual enough, but Joey could tell the grip was as much about protecting JC as it was for support.

The SUV slowed to a stop in front of them, and they all tensed as the passenger window was powered down. It looked very much like the SUVs Tommie's henchmen had driven, so Joey was surprised and a bit relieved to find that the man driving the car was Lonnie.

"Thank God," Lonnie said, sounding just as relieved. "Hop in."

Joey took a step forward, but was quickly halted by Chris's arm across his chest. He shot him a weird look, and Chris just looked exasperated that he had to explain himself.

"He was in on this whole thing, remember?" Chris hissed. "We can't trust him."

"Yes, we can."

They both spun on their heel to look at JC. He was leaning heavily into Justin, but his face held a stubbornness that said he was right and they ought to listen to him. It was a look they were used to seeing from him, but Joey could tell Chris wasn't swayed by it. So he said the one thing he was sure would convince Chris they had to do this - that there were no other options.

"Are you sure enough to bet JC's life on it?"

It was a low blow because Joey knew even before he asked the question that Chris would do whatever if it would somehow ensure JC would survive, but this was serious. JC was clearly at the end of his rope, the amount of time he had left still undetermined but growing rapidly shorter the more they walked. Given how bad JC looked, Joey was certain JC wouldn't make it to the next town. If they themselves even made it that far.

Chris sighed, but he gave in, his shoulders slumping. Lance and Justin took that as the cue and together worked to help JC into the SUV. Joey tried to stop Chris from hopping into the passenger seat next to Lonnie, but Chris just elbowed him out of the way and jumped in. He understood that Chris wanted to protect them, but Joey wasn't so sure they needed protecting from Lonnie. JC didn't seem to think so - even in spite of Lonnie being an accomplice in the kidnapping of him and Chris from their hotel. And if JC wasn't worried, why should they?

"Pretty convenient you showed up when you did," Chris said as soon as they were all in the vehicle and Lonnie put the car into motion again. "You taking us back to Tommie?"

"I'm taking you to the hospital. That's clearly where you need to be," Lonnie replied.

"Where Tommie and his henchmen will be?" Chris pressed.

"Chris," Joey cut in. It maybe wasn't a completely ridiculous question, but it felt like it.

Lonnie gave a long sigh and glanced sideways at Chris. "Look, I know you don't trust me right now. But you have to know that stuff Tommie said about me being compromised? It's true. I may have started out working for him, but I couldn't do anything to hurt you boys."

"And yet...you're the reason all this happened." Chris gestured to the backseat where JC was propped up in between Lance and Justin as well at his leg.

"Chris," JC moaned. "Lay off."

JC looked like he was either on the verge of passing out or falling asleep. Neither would surprise Joey given what JC's body was currently fighting and his usual penchant for falling asleep in cars or on the bus. Still, it was enough to make his gut clench with uncertainty and lean forward to ask Lonnie how far the nearest hospital was.

"Not far," was Lonnie's response and he put his foot down harder on the gas. The SUV wasn't moving at an unreasonable speed, but it was hopefully enough to get them to the hospital in time.

Justin shifted, trying to find a comfortable position in the hard hospital chair that was growing increasingly more uncomfortable by the minute. All he'd basically done since they got to the hospital was sit, and he was tired of it. Not that there was anything he could've done for either JC or Chris, but damn it, he wasn't good at just sitting around when his friends were hurt.

The second Lonnie had pulled the SUV in front of the ER, there had been a flurry of activity. Justin had been the one to jump out first, barely waiting for Lonnie to put the car into park. Then he'd reached back inside for JC, and Lance had helped maneuver him out of the vehicle given that JC was barely lucid at that point. As JC slid out of the SUV, Justin took on the majority of his weight and slung JC's right arm over his shoulders while carefully stepping out of the way so Joey could get out.

"I'm going to get some help," Lance had said, rushing towards the automatic doors.

Chris had been already halfway out of the vehicle when Joey had hopped out and come around to the passenger seat. Joey had forced Chris to allow him to help ease out his injured leg, much to Chris's annoyance. And then Lance had returned with two orderlies, each pushing a wheelchair. JC and Chris had been carefully helped into them, and that was where they'd been split up. Joey had gone with Chris, while Justin and Lance had stayed with JC, doing their best to answer questions about what'd happened.

Together, he and Lance had done their best to leave out the specifics of their ordeal and just focus on how JC had come to be poisoned. The doctor had probed deeper, trying to determine as much about the poison as she could so she could determine if an antidote existed. Justin had felt the pressure, but unfortunately neither he or Lance knew much about the poison that JC had ingested. They'd answered the doctor's questions as best as they could, all the while terrified that it wouldn't be enough. That it'd be deemed there was no antidote for the poison.

The doctor had decided to try a general antidote - one that worked on a multitude of different poisons. It'd been a shot in the dark, and they'd feared the worst. But thankfully, it'd worked.

JC had awoken already after several hours of sleeping, and they'd all felt a bit of relief when he'd opened his eyes. Or at least, Justin and Joey had since Lance had been sitting in a separate room where Chris was recovering. There had been panic in JC's eyes and voice, his thoughts going to Chris's wellbeing and then to fear of Tommie coming after them. Joey had tried to reassure JC, but ultimately JC's body was so weak that he'd given into the pull of sleep even though Justin knew JC was still worrying.

After JC had fallen asleep, Joey had gone back to Chris's room to check on him and Lance. The three of them had been on a continuous rotation between the two rooms, taking turns dealing with the quiet stillness of JC's room and the frustration in Chris's room as they all had to fight with him to stay put and rest. Even though it was clear he was in pain, Chris kept trying to get out of bed to check on JC. Or hunting down Lonnie and laying into the bodyguard for his role in their kidnapping. So far they'd been able to keep Chris in bed, but Justin didn't know how long they'd be able to keep it up.

Justin hadn't realized he'd spaced out until he heard an increase in the beeps that monitored JC's pulse. It was a subtle change, but it was enough for Justin to know that JC was awake. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes, sitting up straight in his chair before dropping his hand to look at JC.

JC's eyes were still closed, and Justin watched him for a long moment. His breathing seemed even, but Justin had spent the last couple hours watching him sleep so he could tell that his breathing wasn't as deep as it'd been before. Evidence of which not only in the breaths that fogged up the oxygen mask, but in those steady beeps as well.

"I know you're awake," Justin said.

There was a large puff of air as JC sighed before he opened his eyes. "Maybe I was trying to go back to sleep," he said, his voice muffled by the mask.

Justin gave a little sigh of his own and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he kept his eyes fixed on JC. "Or maybe you were hoping I was on the verge of falling asleep. So you could be left alone with your worry."

JC averted his eyes, looking to something on the other side of the room. "Well, you do need sleep."

"Maybe," Justin agreed. Honestly, he was exhausted, but he also knew JC was using it as an excuse. Something he was beyond tired of. "Or maybe I need you to stop keeping things from me."

That got JC to look at him again. "Justin..."

"I don't need you to protect me, JC. And anyway, I know you're still worried about Tommie." Justin paused. "Right?"

Justin held JC's gaze, daring him to lie to his face. He could tell that JC was thinking about it, and he raised an eyebrow to make it clear that there was no way he would accept anything but the truth. Finally, after a few long seconds, JC tore his oxygen mask off and glared at Justin.

"Yes, okay," he snapped. "But what do you expect? We had a deal, and me living wasn't part of it. So he's coming to finish the job."

Justin frowned. He wanted to say something about JC removing the oxygen mask, but it was more important to respond to what he'd said. "That's not going to happen."

"If it doesn't, then that means Tommie considers our deal is off and he'll come after you," JC replied. "All four of you."

"I don't think so," Justin said, shaking his head. "Not with our bodyguards and the police stationed in the hall."

JC's face that had been flushed with anger went white as he froze. "The police?"

"Yeah, they got called in when the doctor saw Chris's wound. Gunshot wounds get reported," Justin explained, his frown deepening. He didn't understand why the mere mention of the police had made JC react so strongly.

"Justin," JC started, his voice sounding pained, "Tommie's got the police working for him."

"JC, no-" Justin began to protest, confident JC's paranoia was getting the better of him. JC interrupted him before he could finish.

"The undercover cop that was supposed to be backup when I went to see Tommie? He works for him, and who knows how many others do too."

Justin started, his gaze automatically going to the closed door. Even though he couldn't see into the hallway, he could picture the two police officers that were stationed there - one outside of JC's room and one outside of Chris's. The thought that they might be in cahoots with Tommie was one that gave him chills and made him better understand JC's fear, but he quickly remembered they weren't the only ones out there.

"Maybe they're working for Tommie, maybe they're not," Justin said. "But you're forgetting about our bodyguards. No way are they going to let anything happen to us."

It was something Justin still believed even in spite of Lonnie's apparent involvement in JC's kidnapping and supplying him to Tommie. Justin didn't know how to feel about the fact that Lonnie had been sent to them by Tommie to spy on JC and keep an eye on them, but what he did know was that Lonnie had essentially saved JC and Chris by coming back for them. To Justin, it was evidence that Lonnie truly did care about them and didn't want anything to happen to them. A feeling he knew the other bodyguards shared, especially in light of what'd happened.

"They're here?" JC asked, frowning. "I thought we were keeping everyone away, trying to keep this all quiet..."

Justin let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, secrecy goes out the window when NSYNC shows up at the ER with two members on the verge of death."

He'd exaggerated Chris's injuries, but JC knew what he'd meant. Justin was worried that the mention of JC's near death experience would trigger some strong emotion. But in typical JC fashion, his biggest concern was about their media perception.

A look of dread spread across JC's face. "How bad is it?"

Justin wanted to tell JC not to worry about it, but it was too late for that. And anyway, having him worry about the media fallout of everything was better than him worrying about Tommie's return.

"Leaving the hospital is pretty tough right now. There are reporters and fans camped outside. Johnny's here; he gave a statement a while ago."

"What'd he say?"

"That we'd come to LA to meet with a producer for the new album, and we'd ended up getting carjacked on our way back to the airport. We were then taken to a remote location where things went bad, and the carjackers left us, running scared."

Justin watched JC process all that. He'd simplified Johnny's statement quite a bit, but he'd hit on the high points. It had been Chris's idea to expand on the carjacking story (because that was basically what'd happened to Justin, Lance, and Joey), leaving any mention of the LA gangs out of it. And looking at JC now, Justin could tell that Chris had made the right call. He could see the panic and fear building in JC's eyes, and he knew without a doubt JC's thoughts had turned back to Tommie and any potential retaliation. So he tried to redirect JC before he could enter full panic mode.

"We called your parents beforehand. You know, so they didn't have to hear about it from the media," Justin said. "They really wanted to come, but we managed to talk them out of it. Though, I would expect a call from them."

JC nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me if they're at my house by the time we get home."

"Penny might be too."

There was a brief second of confusion before JC's expression morphed into one of anger, having understood what Justin wasn't saying. "You called her?" he demanded.

"She deserves to know. She cares about you."

JC glared at him. "Not anymore. Not since I broke up with her."

"You're wrong, C," Justin said, shaking his head. JC opened his mouth, but Justin didn't let him get a word out, already knowing what he was going to say. "You can argue with me all you want, but I talked to her. She didn't sound mad. If anything, she sounded...sad, and worried about you."

Justin watched JC, waiting for a reaction. Though, he didn't get much of one. JC looked away, not saying a word. The look on his face though told Justin he didn't believe him.

"JC, what happened between you guys?"

JC sighed, something between aggravation and exhaustion. "This again. You're still harping on this even after everything that happened?"

"I'm asking because of what happened," Justin said. "It's obvious Sabrina messed you up, but now maybe you can move on. You can be with someone that really loves you."

"And you think that's Penny," JC replied, no question in his voice. "She probably hates me."

"I don't think so. But tell me what happened. Make me understand."

JC shook his head, looking down at the thin sheet that'd pooled in his lap. Justin thought for sure he was going to blow him off again, refusing to talk about his relationships as always. But after a long moment, JC began to speak. His voice was soft and quiet as he finally opened up about his breakup with Penny.

"It was a couple days before the judge made his decision. We were just hanging out..."

JC was lying on the couch with Penny, his left arm draped over her as they lazily watched TV. He was completely exhausted and on the verge of sleep. There had been so many meetings with lawyers in addition to the time they'd spent in court. Not to mention none of them had been sleeping much, too worried about the judge's impending decision and what it would mean for their career.

Originally, he and Penny were supposed to have gone out, but she'd taken one look at his face when he'd arrived at her apartment and announced they were staying in. JC had felt kind of bad about ruining a night out for her, but he'd also felt relief. The last thing he'd wanted in that moment was to go out, but he would've if she hadn't insisted on staying in just to make her happy. And if he'd any doubts that she wasn't regretting her decision, they disappeared when he heard her sigh contently and felt her body relax even more against his.

"I love you," she said, breaking their companionable silence and jerking him to a more alert state.

The words were said softly, but in the relative quiet of the living room, it'd felt like she'd shouted them. His heart stopped, and his stomach dropped. He wanted to believe that she was just saying that, that she didn't truly mean what she'd said. But even without being able to see her face, he'd heard the sincerity and truthfulness in her voice.

"What?" JC struggled to sit up, pulling his right arm out from under them both and using it as leverage to push himself upright. Penny sat up too, and they'd ended up sitting next to each other on the couch, angled slightly towards each other. "You don't know what you're saying. It's too soon."

"Too soon?" she repeated. "You're meeting my parents in a few days. You can't put a timeframe on these kinds of things, JC."

"And I suppose you want me to say it back."

"Only if you want to," Penny said, and JC could tell that she truly meant it. "I just couldn't keep going on with this without telling you how I feel."

Truthfully, they'd been dancing around this for a while. There had been several moments - private, tender ones both in and out of the bedroom - where it'd seemed to be leading to a deep expression of feelings. There'd almost been a tension in the air as the unsaid words lingered between them, waiting for one of them to be brave enough to voice those three little words. But JC had always steered them out of those moments, once going as far as cutting her off and abruptly changing the subject. So even though he'd known this was coming, her words had still managed to take him by surprise.

"Why? What is it you want?" JC asked, unable to believe that she could truly love him. Not when he'd been doing everything he could to sabotage her from saying so before, and she knew it.

"Nothing," Penny said. Her eyes were open and expressive. "Just you. Just your love."

JC shook his head. "Bull. Love doesn't really exist. It feels real in the beginning, but it's just something people tell each other to get the other make sacrifices for them."

She stared at him, like she couldn't reconcile the man in front of her with the one she'd believe him to be in her head. "You don't really believe that."

"I do," he said with no hesitation. He looked her in the eye. "And I don't love you."

Penny frowned. "But I thought-"

"You thought wrong," JC interrupted her. Even though he didn't know exactly what she was going to say, he'd had a pretty good idea she was going to cite several moments exchanged between them where she'd seen love in his eyes. He enjoyed spending time with her, but love...that wasn't something he was willing to let himself experience again.

For the first time, her soft, gentle expression hardened and she glared at him. "No, I didn't. I know what I saw and what I felt. If you're not man enough to own up to it, that's not my fault."

"You saw what you wanted to see," JC shot back. "Just like the photos you take, you focus on what you want and block everything else out. It paints a pretty picture, but it's not real."

She turned on the spot, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm not the only one guilty of not seeing the whole picture. The world isn't as dark as you think it is, and it's no wonder you're so unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy," JC denied, though it was a blatant lie. In that moment he'd felt the furthest thing from happy. He then added sarcastically, "But thanks for that stunning insight."

She shook her head. "I don't know what your problem is, but if you want to go back to being miserable and living a lie that's fine by me. But you're not dragging me down with you."

"Fine by me."

Without another word, JC walked out of her apartment. He paused for a moment on the other side of her door, wondering if he was truly doing the right thing. But the feeling passed, previous experience reminding him he was better off, and he left.

Justin sat in silence, watching JC as he'd finished. During the entire recount of the breakup, JC hadn't once looked at him. It wasn't unusual since JC often couldn't look them in the eye when they'd finally broken him into confessing something he'd kept under close wraps, but his discomfort seemed greater than normal. There was something more to it. Then it hit Justin.

Regret.

It wasn't something Justin was used to seeing from JC, but now that he'd put a name to it, it seemed quite obvious. And he'd realized he'd been seeing it a lot the last few days from JC. Every time Sabrina's name was even mentioned, JC's shoulders would slump forward a bit and the light in his eyes would dim. And he'd had the same reaction every time they'd try to bring up Penny.

"She hates me, J," JC said, finally looking at Justin like he'd given up on getting any kind of response out of him. "Even if I wanted to get back together, she wouldn't go for it."

"Do you want to get back together?"

JC shrugged, but Justin saw right through the nonchalance he was trying to project. Just like Justin had guessed a few nights ago - the night all this had started - JC had broken up with Penny, scared of his feelings and running from them rather than facing them. It was a typical scenario for him, and Justin hadn't always been able to understand it (though he'd recognized JC had been in some bad relationships). After hearing about Sabrina and having several encounters with her, he finally got why JC had never been able to make a relationship stick. A habit Justin wanted him to break.

"JC, you gotta at least talk to her. You won't know what she'd say unless you do." Justin paused. "And you can't keep running from relationships forever."

"The hell I can't," JC snapped, his anger rising up once more. "I-"

But JC couldn't get another word out as a coughing fit took over. It lasted several seconds, and as Justin listened to the effort it took for JC to draw air into his lungs, he realized what an idiot he was. JC had discarded his oxygen mask minutes ago, and Justin had let him go on about Tommie and Penny, doing all the talking. Something that he was obviously paying for now.

Justin first handed JC a cup of water, allowing him to wet his dry, overtaxed throat. Once JC'd had his fill of water and the coughing had finally abated, Justin reached out and slipped the oxygen mask back over his face. JC glared at him and lifted a hand to remove it, but Justin grabbed his arm, forcing him to lower it back to the bed.

JC shot Justin another annoyed look, but he didn't try to remove the mask again. Instead, he tried to pick up where they'd left off. "Who says I have to be with someone? I can be one of those people that's single forever and happy like that."

Justin frowned. He wasn't convinced people like that actually existed - people who never got married or ended up in a stable relationship, but if they did, he couldn't picture JC being one of them. JC loved his solitude, yes, but he was also a caretaker. Justin couldn't imagine him with no one to look out for and take care of, unless he got some pets. He got an image then of JC holed up in his house with dozens of cats, a permanent wardrobe of sweats and cat hair everywhere, and he shuddered.

Justin opened his mouth to respond to what JC said, but he stopped when he saw JC struggling to keep his eyes open. It'd seemed their conversation had taken a lot of him, and again Justin felt like an idiot. The guys were going to kill him for pushing JC to talk when he was still recovering, the antidote still hard at work at ridding every last trace of the poison out of his body.

"Get some sleep, JC," Justin said. "Nothing needs to be decided right now."

JC looked like he was going to argue, but he literally couldn't keep his eyes open. No doubt the steady flow of oxygen helping with that, especially given how weak JC was. So it only took a few seconds for JC to fall back asleep.

Justin sat back in his chair. He wanted to kick his legs out in front of him and try to get some sleep himself, but he wouldn't dare. Not after JC further explained his fears about Tommie coming for him and possibly having the police on his side. Maybe JC was right and it wasn't over, but he'd be damned if he'd let anything happen to him.

******************

Chris was sitting up in his hospital bed, picking at the breakfast an orderly had brought for him when a new nurse walked into the room. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry - it was just the food was horrible and he was holding out hope he'd be released soon so he could get a real meal. Though, each time he'd asked the doctor he hadn't gotten much of an answer.

"Good morning," the nurse said, chipper and more vibrant than him or Lance who was quietly reading the morning paper next to his bed. She stopped at the foot of his bed and picked up his chart, flipping through a few pages. "How are we doing today?"

"I'm okay, but I'd be a lot better if you could tell me when I'm getting out of this joint," Chris said.

The nurse looked up at him, shaking her head slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that. Sorry. The doctor should be in within the next couple hours though."

Chris groaned internally. If he had to sit in this room for another couple hours secluded from the rest of his friends, he was going to lose his mind. "Well, do you think you could put me in my friend's room then?" Chris jerked his thumb over his shoulder, knowing from what Lance had told him that JC's room was just on the other side of his.

There was a moment of uncertainty in the nurse's face, and Chris decided to pull out something most would have trouble saying no to. "Please. I just want to see for myself that he's okay."

The woman who'd been on nightshift had been ornery and hadn't taken well to his request to be moved into JC's room. This nurse though, her face softened at his plea and it made her look younger. Though, she had to be only in her fifties if he had to guess.

"Let me check, but I'm sure we can make that happen," she said, giving him a smile.

Chris thanked her, and after she'd left the room, Lance shook his head from behind his paper. "You're impossible."

It took about fifteen minutes, but finally the nurse came back in. "We got the okay," she said, brightly.

Chris grinned, thanking her again. Lance got up, relinquishing his paper in favor of helping the nurse with whatever she needed in order to help move Chris to JC's room. He ended up wheeling the IV for the nurse as the two of them maneuvered his bed out into the hall.

"Causing trouble, Kirkpatrick?" Mike asked from his stationed spot outside of Chris's room as Chris was wheeled by in his bed.

Chris laughed. "Always."

His good humor didn't last though. As soon as he crossed the threshold into JC's hospital room, he started in surprise. Standing at the foot of JC's bed, talking quietly to Justin and Joey was Lonnie.

It didn't take long for Chris's surprise to morph into anger.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. He hadn't seen Lonnie since he'd dropped them in front of the ER yesterday. "Haven't you been fired yet?"

That was what Chris had assumed would happen when Lance had mentioned that Johnny was talking to Lonnie. In his eyes, Lonnie was compromised and so naturally Chris had figured that meant the end of his career as one of their bodyguards. He'd been counting on never seeing the man again, and yet here he was.

"Chris!" Justin hissed.

Lance sighed heavily next to Chris as he pushed the IV pole beside the bed. The cheery, motherly nurse was no longer smiling and quickly went about making sure he was situated in the bed. Then he excused herself, leaving the room and pulling the door shut behind her.

"What? He helped kidnap JC! No way should he keep his job after that."

"Chris, please," Lance said, his voice quite lower than Chris's. "You're going to wake JC."

Chris glanced towards the bed and saw JC shift in his sleep, his brow furrowed. Though, he couldn't tell if it was from pain and general soreness or if his loud voice had in fact started to rouse JC from sleep. He did lower his voice, though it didn't lack any of the earlier agitation.

"Just leave," Chris said to Lonnie. "I don't even know why you're here."

Lonnie frowned. "I wanted to check on him," he said, nodding his head towards JC. "On all of you."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Like you even care."

Lance and Justin had identical looks of disbelief and Joey looked just as ready to reprimand him as they did. Though, a much quieter voice spoke before they could. Someone who made the entire room freeze.

"Leave him alone, Chris," JC said, his voice groggy from sleep. The oxygen mask he'd been wearing most of yesterday was now gone - a sure sign he was on the mend.

"C'mon, JC," Chris replied in a voice that said ‘are-you-serious?'. "He's a large part of why this happened. He's working for Tommie."

JC shook his head minutely. "No he isn't. Not anymore," he said, looking at Lonnie and their eyes met. "Maybe not for a long time."

"I'm not," Lonnie agreed. "I may have been placed with you guys to keep an eye on JC and report back to Tommie, but he was right." He glanced at the rest of them, his gaze lingering on Chris. "I became soft. I came to care for the five of you, and I still do."

"So what happened yesterday?" Joey asked.

Lonnie turned sad, regretful eyes to JC. "I didn't want to do it, but I also knew Tommie would just send someone else if I said no. I thought if I was there, I could control the situation and keep things from getting too bad."

"I'm not mad," JC said softly. "I know you did what you could."

Chris scoffed. "Oh come on."

Lonnie turned, glaring at Chris. It was the first bit of irritation he'd shown since Chris had come in and immediately started on him. "You four didn't make things any easier. I'd told you to stay in Orlando, but none of you could be bothered to listen to me."

Justin's mouth dropped open a bit in surprise, and Chris had to admit he was feeling some of that himself. He wasn't sure it changed his opinion of Lonnie though. If anything, it just reinforced the role Lonnie had played in this whole thing. Though, he could see that Lonnie wasn't unaffected by what'd been asked of him.

"You came through in the end when it mattered," JC reminded quietly.

Lonnie looked at him, and the two of them locked gazes for a long moment. The room was silent, but Chris could swear they were having some kind of exchange using just their eyes. It was something he was used to seeing JC do with Justin, but it'd seemed it wasn't exclusive to just him. After several seconds, Lonnie gave JC a small smile and gave his calf a gentle squeeze before heading for the door.

They watched him go, but JC made him stop just before he could walk out into the hall. "Lonnie," he started, "if you hear from Tommie...tell him I want to meet."

"JC!" Justin objected.

Lonnie frowned a bit, but if he had any objections, he didn't voice them. Instead, he promised he would and then disappeared into the hall, the door closing behind him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chris demanded. "It's over."

JC shook his head. "It might not be. And if it's not, I'm not bringing this back to Orlando with us."

Chris sat back against the bed with a harsh exhale. "God, you're paranoid."

JC turned his head to glare at him. "Oh really? I think I'm being smart because every time I let my guard down thinking it was over, something came up and proved it wasn't."

"And is anything going to bring you closure?" Chris challenged. "Will you ever truly believe it's over?"

"Yes," JC said with a short nod. "Sabrina's dead, and Tommie...that's why I want to meet with him. He'll either say it's over, or..."

JC trailed off like he was unable to finish the thought, but Joey did it for him. "He'll kill you," he said sadly with concern written all over his face.

"Are you really willing to take that chance?" Lance asked.

JC gave a little shrug. "Either way, it would finally be over."

Chris saw right through the forced nonchalance, and he wasn't the only one. Justin objected, "For you maybe."

"Justin..." JC started, but Justin cut him off.

"No, damn it. You don't get to take that tone with me. You've kept us in the dark and you've tried to do things on your own, and look where it got you!" Justin gestured to the room they were sitting in, his annoyance clear. But then he took a breath and when he leaned forward in his chair to look JC in the eye, his eyes and voice were soft. "If Tommie was going to come, it would've happened by now. So please, leave it alone."

There was a long pause, all of their eyes fixed on JC as they waited for his response. Chris thought for sure JC would never agree because they all knew how stubborn he was, but he hoped that Justin got through to him. For all of their sakes. Because even though it seemed unlikely Tommie would do anything to the rest of them again, there was no way any of them would be okay with JC dying.

"Okay," JC agreed at last.

Chris raised an eyebrow, unsure if JC was sincere or just trying to appease Justin so he'd settle down. He hoped it was the former because he didn't like the idea of JC seeking out Tommie when it was over. Mostly, he just hoped both he and JC would be released soon so they could get home and put this all behind them.

JC sat on the hospital bed, his legs hanging over the side. Lance was sitting next to the bed, quietly waiting for the others to return. Or the nurse to bring JC's discharge papers. Whatever came first.

After two whole days, both he and Chris were being released from the hospital. Currently, Chris was being instructed on how to operate the crutches he would have to use to keep the weight off his leg as it healed from the gunshot wound. Joey and Justin had gone with him under the guise of wanting to hear exactly what the doctor said about any limitations Chris would have in the coming weeks, but JC knew they'd really gone for a change of scenery.

Joey, Justin, and Lance had spent almost all of the last two days in the hospital with him and Chris. When they did leave, they did it in shifts so they could shower and try to grab a couple hours of sleep at the hotel. Though, they usually ended up falling asleep in the uncomfortable chairs situated in the room. So while he and Chris may be the ones just getting out of the hospital, JC was sure the others didn't look much better than them.

As had been the norm the last two days, they had refused to leave him alone. He suspected that was why Lance had stayed behind with him. Despite knowing this, it didn't make the silence in the room uncomfortable. Honestly, JC was happy for the quiet as it helped soothed his nerves and help him to focus on mentally preparing himself for their long trip back to Orlando.

Lance and Joey had checked them out of the hotel earlier that morning, having rounded up the small amount of stuff they'd all brought with them. After JC and Chris were discharged, they would be heading straight for the airport. It'd been agreed upon that leaving as soon as the doctors gave the okay was best given the lingering, albeit thinned out, media presence. Not to mention the general need to put this whole thing behind them.

Lance's phone rang, cutting through the quiet. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the display. "It's Johnny," he said, already rising from his chair. It was hospital policy that you couldn't use your cell phone in the patient rooms. He stood, staring at JC for a moment. "Will you be okay if I step out for a minute?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," JC said. He refrained from reminding him of their bodyguards that were still stationed throughout the hospital, including outside the door. That'd only been part of Lance's question.

Lance gave a little nod and stepped outside. JC heard his quiet footsteps move further away, growing softer with distance until he couldn't hear them any longer. With Lance gone, JC let his shoulders slump forward as he sighed heavily.

Even though the doctors had reassured them all that every trace of the poison was gone, JC was still feeling the effects from the whole ordeal. He hadn't done much but sleep the last two days - even in spite of his worry - and yet he was still exhausted. He also felt weak and shaky. Though, he did his best to hide it all from the guys as he was tired of them worrying about him.

"Looks like you're luckier than my brother was."

JC froze, though his heart began pounding painfully against his chest. He jumped off the bed, and his legs nearly buckled beneath him from the sudden weight. But he forced himself to remain upright and turned to the door where Tommie stood.

"You don't look too surprised to see me," Tommie said, stepping further into the room and pushing the door shut behind him.

"I'm not," JC said. He swallowed roughly, trying to force back his nerves. As much as he'd expected this moment to happen, it was another thing actually being face to face with the man that'd tried to kill him just a couple days ago. "I know you're here to kill me. To finish what you started."

Tommie quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Why else would you be here?" JC asked.

"You wanted a meeting with me, didn't you?"

JC started a bit at that. "Yeah, but..."

His voice trailed off, not brave enough to vocalize the thoughts running through his head. I didn't think you would actually come. I told Lonnie I'd changed my mind. Now that you're here, I'm realizing what an idiot I was to want this.

Tommie moved closer, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked. JC tensed, trying to prepare himself for the worst but not knowing what to expect. To his surprise, Tommie walked right past him and stopped in front of the window, looking out through the narrow slats in the blinds.

"I'm not here to kill you," Tommie said at last.

JC stared at him in surprise and more than a little disbelief. Nothing about Tommie had made him think there was a merciful side to the man. It was largely why he hadn't been able to relax the last couple days. And now he was supposed to believe that the very man that had poisoned him just days ago no longer wanted him dead?

Tommie turned from the window to smirk at him. "It's shocking I know, but you could at least say thank you. I didn't go out of my way to come here and talk to myself."

Even though JC could tell the gang leader was amused, he could also hear the truth in his words. Whatever his reason for coming, he didn't want to piss the man off and make him change his mind. So JC shook himself and took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves.

"I-I don't understand," JC said.

"I don't exactly understand it myself," Tommie admitted. "I don't usually let people off the hook, especially when they make a deal with me. But you surprised me."

JC frowned. He couldn't think of a single thing he had done that could've surprised the gang leader. Other than surviving the poison, which really wasn't a credit to him at all. That was more on the guys refusing to leave him behind, and Lonnie showing up to save the day. "I did?"

"You gave up your life for your friends and their guaranteed safety," Tommie said. He looked away from JC, shaking his head. "Even though Marc was my step-brother, I loved him. I took him under my wing and looked out for him. But I never..." Tommie paused and then looked JC in the eye as he finished, "If it had come down to my life or his...I'd let him die, and I wouldn't have had a second thought about it."

JC blinked, surprised by the confession but even more so by the glimmer of respect he caught in Tommie's eye. He didn't know why Tommie was telling him all this; he was still waiting for the man to whip out a gun and just shoot him. But he knew he couldn't remain silent - once again, he needed to come up with something to say so as not to piss Tommie off.

"And I would do it again," JC said.

"For a pop star, you're brave," Tommie replied. "Foolish, but brave."

Once again, JC was flummoxed and didn't know how to respond. This conversation hadn't gone at all like he'd thought. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought Tommie would just let it go and leave him alone. Yet, that appeared to be exactly what was happening as Tommie started walking to the door, seeming content to leave their conversation there.

"That's it?" JC asked.

Tommie paused, glancing at him. "That's it."

"But I thought you wanted revenge. For Marc," JC said, the words pouring out of his mouth before he could stop them. His mind screamed at him, demanding to know what the hell he was doing. He cursed himself for not keeping his big mouth shut, but it was too late and all he could do was wait for Tommie's response.

There was a pause before Tommie spoke. "I already did." JC frowned, thinking about how he'd been willing to kill him just a couple days ago even though he'd sworn that Marc's death was solely Sabrina's fault. Tommie noticed and continued, "What I told Sabrina was true. I'd had her followed shortly after Marc died and within a year had found out she'd been the one to kill him. Originally I'd thought she'd had help or was motivated to do it because of her relationship with you."

"I never would've asked her to kill someone just to be with me," JC said. "I'd actually tried to break it off with her when she'd told me about Marc, that she wasn't divorced yet. But she'd made me believe the paperwork was in process and it wouldn't be long. It wasn't until I saw what she'd done to Marc that I'd realized how much she'd been manipulating me."

Tommie let out a humorless chuckle. "She was such a bitch, wasn't she?"

JC gave a little nod. It was a sentiment he agreed wholeheartedly with, and yet, everything in him battled against those feelings. As a kid he'd overheard his parents saying that you didn't speak ill of the dead, and he could hear their voices now playing in his head. Though, he honestly couldn't think of a single good thing about Sabrina.

Tommie glanced at his watch. "I have to get going. Enjoy your life." JC watched as he turned and walked to the door only to pause just before opening it. Tommie looked over his shoulder at him. "Oh and JC? I don't want to see you or your friends caught up in any of my business again. Because if I see you again I might not be so generous."

"Believe me, you won't have to worry about that," JC promised.

Tommie just gave him a nod and then disappeared out the door. JC sighed in relief, sitting heavily on the bed as his shaky limbs felt incapable of holding him up any longer. He didn't get any time to recover though because as soon as Tommie walked out the door, his friends rushed into the room.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Chris demanded. "What the hell did he say to you?"

"It's over."

JC thought the simple statement would suffice, but Chris was still caught up in his anger and it kept him from hearing the truth JC said. "It never should've happened to begin with, but you need to tell us what he said."

"He's not going to kill any of us," JC said, looking Chris in the eye. Then he glanced at each of the other guys, making sure they all understood him. He repeated, "It's over."

"Are you sure?" Justin asked.

JC couldn't help but laugh. All the guys had done the last couple days was try to convince him that it was over, that Tommie wouldn't come after him. Now he here was finally agreeing with them, saying it was over and they were having trouble believing it.

"If Tommie wanted me dead, I don't think we'd be having this conversation right now."

"What did he say exactly?" Lance asked.

JC could hear the words that Lance didn't say - the ones that they were all thinking. How do you know he won't change his mind? It was a fair question, but it reminded JC that none of them had truly believed it was over; they'd just wanted him to let it go. Otherwise, they wouldn't be asking all these questions now.

"He got his revenge for Marc by killing Sabrina," JC said. "So he said as long as we don't interfere with any of his business again, he'd leave us alone."

Chris crossed his arms over his chest. "And you trust some gang leader to keep his word?"

JC paused, unsure how to answer. Trust was a funny thing, and he wasn't sure he could say with absolute certainty Tommie would keep his word. But at the same time, he didn't see the point in Tommie letting him go now only to kill him later.

He didn't have to try to vocalize any of these thoughts though because Lonnie's voice cut into the room. "I'll be making sure he does."

They all looked at him, JC twisting his body on the bed so he could see Lonnie standing just inside the room.

"How?" Joey asked.

"I'll be staying here," Lonnie said. "I'm rejoining Tommie's crew."

They all looked at him in surprise. Chris had already been questioning Lonnie's allegiance to them, but with this sudden announcement, JC feared the others were second guessing Lonnie as well.

"You don't have to," Lance objected.

"Yes, I do. Besides, it'll be better this way. I'm not wanted here anymore." Lonnie looked at Chris, who had been the most vocal about him leaving.

Chris sighed, his arms unfolding and his posture loosening. "You don't have to do this." He glanced at JC and then looked back at Lonnie, "JC still trusts you."

"But you don't," Lonnie said, his eyes still fixed on Chris. He then continued before anyone could say anything. "It's okay. You're not the only one, and this way...well, it's like I'm still keeping an eye out for you boys."

JC got off the bed, Joey and Justin stepping out of his way so he could move around the bed and face Lonnie. "You don't have to do this, Lonnie."

"I know," Lonnie said, nodding. "I want to though. Let me protect you the way I should've before."

JC stared at Lonnie, frowning. He hated that Lonnie felt this was the best option for him - that he felt it would be impossible to stay with them. Not that he blamed the guys exactly - he was sure he would feel differently if he hadn't been manipulated by Sabrina into being someone he wasn't. He could see the guilt JC felt reflected back at him in Lonnie's eyes, and he understood this was Lonnie's way of redeeming himself for his role in the whole thing. So while he may not like Lonnie's decision, he understood it.

"Keep in touch," JC said. Then he stepped forward and hugged Lonnie. As he often did, he seemed to draw strength from the larger man. Though, he hoped that his hug had helped to ease some of the guilt Lonnie had been feeling since the kidnapping.

"I will," Lonnie promised.

JC stepped away, allowing the others to say their goodbyes. They all hugged Lonnie - except Chris. Though, Chris did shake his hand and offered him a nod of understanding. He may not have forgiven Lonnie completely, but it seemed like he'd begun to recognize the hard position he'd been put in.

As JC watched Lonnie leave, he couldn't help the small bit of jealousy that began to creep up in him. Lonnie had managed to find a way to make up for what he'd done - or at least an honest attempt at it. But JC had no clue how to do the same. He'd been lying to the guys for years - even longer than Lonnie had lied to them - and this whole situation was his fault. He had no idea how to make it right.

The nurse came in then, carrying his discharge papers and interrupting his thoughts. He barely listened as she went through home care, signing his name on all the lines she indicated. All his mind kept going back to was the same thought. How the hell would he make this up to them?

He had no ideas, and he worried that there was nothing he could do. Even worse was the thought that they wouldn't accept any attempt to make things right. JC was certain they had realized he wasn't the man or the friend they'd thought he was, and it was something that just made him feel even more guilty. It also made him realize just how much Sabrina had taken from him, and how fast she'd sunk her claws into him after they'd met.

The memory of the first time he'd met Sabrina was one JC had been fighting revisiting the last couple days in the hospital, particularly when he'd close his eyes and see her dead body. But he'd pushed any of those thoughts away, refusing to let them come to the surface. He continued to do it now as he allowed the guys to lead him out of the hospital, but once he was seated in the waiting car and they were on the way to the airport, he finally lost control of it.

JC was sitting on the ground, his back resting against the brick wall behind him. The sun was shining down as it did nearly every day in LA, and he reached a hand up to wipe sweat from his brow. He desperately wanted to rip off the long sleeved, white button down shirt he was wearing along with his black slacks and trade them for shorts and a t-shirt. But of course, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. He was only halfway through his shift and had just been asked to stay on until closing - an additional five hours.

His stomach growled loudly, but like most days, he ignored it. Even though he worked at a restaurant, he never ate there on his lunch or dinner breaks. He couldn't afford it, even with the slight discount that employees received. And every day he thought about quitting and becoming a waiter at the diner that was closer his small apartment. He'd thought he would make better money at a more expensive restaurant, more likely to get better tips. Some people did give him a generous tip, but most seemed to give him the bare minimum no matter how good his service was. On occasion he even got stiffed and when this happened he couldn't help the bitter thought "And that's why the rich stay rich" from crossing his mind.

The only thing that kept him from quitting was that it was so close to the few different clubs he performed in as often as he could. It usually only amounted to maybe once a week, but the close proximity made it easier for him to just go straight there from work. Something he would surely be doing tonight. The restaurant closed at ten, and he was due onstage at a nearby club at 10:20. It would give him just enough time to change in his car and walk over.

JC sighed at the thought. He loved to sing, but when he worked extra long shifts he usually lacked energy to do anything. Something he fixed by going home and making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But since he was scheduled to sing that meant he wouldn't get home until at least one in the morning. He didn't know how he was going to make it through the day without eating, especially since the slice of toast he'd eaten this morning had burned off hours ago.

He sipped the free glass of water he always got on his breaks, watching people go by. From where he was sitting along the side of the building, he was able to see everyone as they walked by. Most people ignored him completely, and he didn't bother to even try to offer a smile or make eye contact with anyone. The restaurant was just on the edge of Beverly Hills, which meant he wasn't anywhere close to meeting the social status of the majority of the people who roamed the neighborhood.

There was a tall, thin girl pacing anxiously nearby that caught his attention. She kept stopping every so often, peering up and down the street. She was obviously looking for someone, and considering she was standing in front of the restaurant's main door, she was meeting someone for lunch. Someone who was running late apparently. Or was a no-show. JC couldn't believe such a pretty girl would get stood up, but it was certainly looking like that was the case.

She turned and their eyes met for a second before he quickly looked away, embarrassed that she had caught him. He hadn't meant to stare; what would start as a quick glance would morph into an unfocused look as his thoughts drifted and carried him away. Often he wasn't truly seeing anything, but he knew to other people it seemed like he was staring.

JC was in the middle of drinking more water when he heard footsteps come towards him before stopping just next to him and a smooth female voice said, "Excuse me."

JC looked up and nearly choked on his water. The girl he had been observing had come over, and he felt his stomach churn. Oh god. She had come over to bitch him out about staring at her, hadn't she? He tried to head her off by saying, "Look, I'm sorry I-"

"Sorry for what?" she asked, cutting him off. "I came over to ask if you wanted to eat lunch with me."

JC stared at her, brow furrowed. "What?"

"I know it's probably a foreign concept to you considering how skinny you are, but see, lunch is one of the three meals people eat in the course of a day. Usually between the hours of eleven and two." Her tone was light and teasing, and he couldn't help the blush that appeared on his cheeks. She smiled down at him. "And I'm inviting you to eat with me."

"Why?"

JC knew he sounded like a moron, but he couldn't figure this woman out. Why on earth would she approach someone she didn't know - had never even met before - and invite them to eat with her? People didn't do that. Certainly not people in LA anyway.

"Is it really that much of a hardship to eat with a pretty girl?" She didn't wait for an answer as she said, "My friend was supposed to meet me, but it looks like she stood me up. And I hate to eat alone."

JC still couldn't figure her out. Most people if they were stood up would just go home or pick somewhere else to eat, some place that wouldn't judge you for eating alone. They wouldn't walk over to a stranger and invite them to eat with them. But that was exactly what she'd done, and she seemed to be waiting quite impatiently for his answer.

"Well, I am on break, but it'll be over soon. I don't know how much time-"

JC didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying as she grabbed onto his arm and yanked him to his feet. All the while she said, "Well, c'mon then. My reservation has been ready and we're wasting time."

The first couple of steps she was practically dragging him towards the entrance, but he quickly got his feet under him so he was walking just behind her. She didn't release his hand though. She checked in with the hostess, who JC knew to be Kayla. She raised an eyebrow at him but otherwise didn't say anything, just led them to a small table towards the back of the restaurant.

As soon as they sat down and they gave their drink orders to the waiter (Eric - a guy JC didn't get along with particularly well), she started talking. "Thanks for joining me. My name's Sabrina."

JC gave her a tentative smile. He was still trying to figure her out. It wasn't that he hadn't met any nice people since he moved to LA, but they certainly weren't the norm. Not in this neighborhood. "JC."

"JC," she repeated. He thought she was going to ask him how he got the name because most people did, but she accepted it without question. She smiled at him. "So, JC, what's good here?"

JC's mind blanked. He of course couldn't offer any personal recommendations since he'd never eaten any of the food, but he had seemed to have forgotten all the specials he'd had memorized at the beginning of his shift. "I don't know."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? You work here and you've never eaten the food?"

"No," JC said, looking down at the menu in his hands. He could feel her knowing gaze on him, and he felt his cheeks warm with embarrassment again. This had been a terrible idea. He should've ripped his arm out of her grasp and finished the rest of his break behind the building.

"Well, we'll just have to try a little bit of everything then, won't we?"

JC continued to look at the menu, pretending he was perusing the selections. "I was actually just going to get a side salad," he murmured. He didn't have a ton of cash on him, and that was basically all he could afford. No way did he have the money to try several things off the menu, even if they split the bill.

"JC." JC refused to look up, sure she had him all figured out and was pitying him - or judging him. He was thinking he should just excuse himself and bow out before this got any worse when she grabbed his arm. Her touch made him jump, and it was only when he raised his eyes to look at her that she spoke again. "I asked you to lunch, so I'm not going to make you pay. Your company will be enough payment for me."

Eric returned then, and she removed her hand from his arm, leaning back in her chair. Before JC could say anything, she rattled off a whole list of dishes. It ended up being a couple different appetizers and two entrees with sides that came with salad and a loaf of bread. Once Eric scribbled the order down on his pad and walked away with the menus, JC looked back at Sabrina with a frown.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I didn't want to eat alone." She looked him in the eye. "And because I can tell there's something different about you. You're special."

"How can you tell? You don't even know me," JC said.

"Not yet," she replied. JC started at her boldness, and she just smiled at him. He'd figured this was just a pity thing, but those two words seemed to indicate otherwise. Nothing about this woman was making sense to him.

"You sound pretty sure of yourself."

"Oh I am. I know what I want, and I always get what I want," she said with a saucy grin.

They'd talked a bit, sharing a couple of appetizers and eating their salad. It'd taken everything in him not to wolf down the food as hungry as he'd been, and he hadn't even gotten to eat the whole meal with her. He'd been just about finished with his salad when he'd looked up and saw his boss peeking out of the kitchen doors, his firm gaze telling JC that his break was up and he needed to get back to work pronto. So JC had apologized to Sabrina and offered to pay at least something, but she'd waved him off.

He'd left the table with great reluctance and had immediately jumped back into waiting on tables after clocking back in. It'd been harder than he'd thought it would be as he'd been distracted with her sitting there eating the rest of the meal by herself, especially since he passed the table every time he went into the kitchen for something. She caught his eye each time he passed and offered him a small smile, which he genuinely returned. They hadn't talked about much during the small amount of time they'd had, but it was enough to allow him to lower his walls. At least a little.

It was when he was in the middle of taking an order that he'd heard her scream. He'd looked up as other customers looked her way, while Eric rushed over to her table asking what the problem was. She'd said she found a roach in her food, relayed her outrage, and insisted she wasn't paying for the meal. Something that JC's boss was called over to approve, and she'd walked out without paying a cent.

From day one Sabrina had known how to manipulate him - and other people - to get what she wanted. Even if he hadn't realized it at the time. It wasn't until they'd been together for a while that he'd put together what she'd done the day they'd met. It was a trick she pulled in a couple restaurants they'd eaten at, slipping a dead bug into her food when no one was looking. One that he'd despised and had been incapable of stopping her from doing.

Looking back, JC wasn't sure how he'd allowed himself to be so weak with her - to allow her to convince him that the stunts they'd pulled weren't wrong. She'd had a rationale for everything, and some part of him had wanted the city and its awful citizens to pay for how badly he was often treated. He'd allowed her to turn him into someone he wasn't.

Since then, JC had done his best to put everything behind him while never forgetting how easily he'd been manipulated. He'd spent the last few years perfecting keeping a watchful eye on the people around them while also appearing like he was too tired to pay attention. His moral compass was in tact again, and he'd tried to make up for all the wrong he'd done with Sabrina since then.

He just didn't know if it was enough.

JC glanced at his friends, each of whom were quiet like they were wrapped up in their own thoughts. He hadn't been straight with them and had hidden a big piece of himself from them. Something he wasn't sure they would forgive. How could they when he'd deceived them for so long?

It was a question he couldn't answer, but one that he needed to know. He had to finally take responsibility for everything that'd happened and give them the choice of whether they wanted to still be friends with him or not. And JC was more than a little afraid of what their answer would be.

Lance rubbed at his forehead, trying to will away the headache that was growing in intensity. The ride to the airport had been silent, and then when they'd arrived, the five of them had allowed their bodyguards to escort them through checking in, security, and arriving at their gate. Johnny had even pulled some strings ahead of time to allow them to have the first class lounge at the gate to themselves so they could relax before the flight without dealing with fans. Something that turned out to be a total blessing.

LAX was one of the busiest airports in the country, and it was definitely living up to that today. The large crowd level made it that much harder for the five of them to navigate their way through the airport unnoticed. Their bodyguards had turned away numerous fans who'd tried to approach them throughout their journey to the gate. Normally they would stop and say hi, maybe sign a few things, but none of them were feeling up to it. So it was a relief when they'd arrived at the first class lounge and could hide away from prying eyes.

While the pressure was relieved for the moment, the tension hadn't lessened. The five of them hadn't talked since what'd happened back at the hospital. JC had barely glanced at any of them since then, and there was a lot unsaid between them. Though, Lance didn't know where to start or what to say.

Chris didn't seem to have that problem because as soon as they were all settled, he cleared his throat. "JC..." he started, but JC didn't even let him get another word out.

"I'm sorry." JC lifted his head, looking each of them in the eye for the first time since they'd left the hospital. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

The four of them looked at each other. "We know," Lance said. "We don't blame you."

"Why not?" JC said. "What happened is my fault. If I'd never gotten involved with Sabrina. If I'd never left when she killed Marc. If I'd never let her blackmail me..."

"JC," Chris said sharply. A tone used to get their attention. "We're not playing the ‘what if' game. It won't change anything."

"And we don't need you to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong," Justin added.

JC fixed him with a disbelieving look. "I lied to you guys for years. Don't tell me you're not mad about that because you already made that perfectly clear earlier."

Lance glanced at Justin, remembering the couple times he'd snapped at JC for keeping them all in the dark. Justin seemed to remember too because he sighed in frustration.

"I know what I said, but I also know you were trying to protect us," Justin said. "That's who you are, and you don't have to apologize for that."

JC made a face. "A lot of good it did."

"JC, please don't do this," Joey said. "There's enough to deal with without you feeling guilty."

"I can't help it." JC looked down at his lap, picking at a hangnail. "None of this would've happened if it wasn't for me. I should've told you guys the second Sabrina showed up and started blackmailing me. Hell, I should've said something back when we first started." He paused, frowning to himself. "You had a right to know I was a criminal."

"You are not a criminal," Justin denied vehemently.

"Maybe I don't have a record, but..."

"That's enough, JC," Chris cut in, his voice as firm as his expression. "Justin's right; you're not a criminal. You had no need to tell us legally speaking. But as your friends and band mates, we deserved to know."

JC raised his head, looking at Chris annoyed. "I already said-"

Chris held up a hand, cutting JC off and continuing on as if he hadn't interrupted. "Not because you think it would've changed our minds about having you in the band. You should've told us so we could've been there to help you through it - to help you stop living a lie."

"I'm not proud of what I did," JC said, glancing at each of them. "Even when I wasn't actively lying, I kept you all at an arm's length. I never wanted to let anyone close enough to see the real me."

"JC, we know the real you," Justin replied.

"You think you do, but-"

"But nothing," Joey cut him off. "Justin's right. Maybe you were able to keep a few secrets, but you can't tell us that we don't know who you really are. Not with how much we've been through and the close quarters."

JC frowned, lowering his gaze to his lap as he shook his head. He obviously didn't agree with Joey and Justin, and he seemed distressed that they weren't getting it. Lance felt as strongly as Joey and Justin that they did know the "real" JC, but he was curious what specifically made JC think that wasn't true.

"JC," Lance started, "tell us. Why do you think we don't know you as well as we think? Give us an example."

JC sighed, shifting in his seat. He quickly gave up on finding a more comfortable position, and he looked at them. "The sleeping everywhere thing. I wasn't always asleep. Sometimes I just pretended to be so there wouldn't be an opportunity for you to ask questions."

"We already knew that," Chris said, waving his hand dismissively. "Nobody sleeps that much - even with our crazy schedule. Not unless they're depressed." He paused and then added, "And you're not exactly a pro at faking it."

JC stared as the three of them all nodded, backing up Chris's statement. He looked surprised like it had never crossed his mind that they'd caught on to what he was doing. After all, it was something he'd been doing for years.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" JC asked.

"We agreed we would if it ever became an issue, but it didn't," Chris said. "You never shut us out completely, and we figured whatever was going on you'd talk to us eventually."

JC shook his head. "You're giving me a lot of credit. You still don't know the things I did..."

Justin rolled his eyes, and Chris muttered, "not this again".

"JC, I know exactly who you are," Justin said. "I don't care what you did with Sabrina. I knew you before that, so don't you think if you were a completely different person after LA I would've said something?"

"That's because I realized what a mistake I made and swore to myself I wouldn't ever let anything like that happen again."

"If you can recognize it was a mistake, then why are you so insistent that we don't know you?"

"Because it's part of who I am!" JC exclaimed, his agitation allowing his voice to rise in volume. Though, it was still rather subdued - aware of their public location as usual.

"No, it's part of who you were," Chris corrected. "People change, and like you said, you learned from any mistakes you made with Sabrina. We know exactly who you are. You need to accept that it's true."

"And you mean to tell me you don't think any different of me since learning about everything with Sabrina?"

"No," Joey said, speaking for all of them. "We don't. You're our friend and band mate, and nothing you did with some psycho chick is going to change that."

JC's eyes filled with tears, and Lance could tell by the rough way he swallowed that he was choking back a sob. The strong show of emotion would've concerned him if he wasn't able to see the relief in JC's posture and his face. JC did his best to maintain his grip on them, but when Justin wrapped an arm around him, he lost the battle.

It was indicative of how much JC had been holding back from not only them but himself. Lance had known from the beginning of this whole situation that JC hadn't been allowing himself to fully deal with everything, no doubt trying to be strong and act in control for their sake. But now that the danger had passed and they'd reassured him that it hadn't tarnished their opinion of him, he seemed able to finally let go of everything he'd been holding inside.

Finally, it felt like they could finally leave everything that'd happened behind and head back to Orlando without having anything hanging over their heads.

******************

JC pulled into his driveway and let out a sigh of relief. It felt good to be home, even though the last time he'd been was when this whole mess had started. After he shut off his car, he allowed himself a moment to just sit there. Part of it was to summon the energy to walk up his driveway and into the house, but the other part was reveling in being far away from LA.

When JC finally pushed himself out of the car, he grabbed his bag out of the trunk before slowly making his way up the driveway. His intention was to fall into bed the second he walked inside and dropped his stuff, but all that went out the window when he saw Penny sitting on the front step. She got to her feet as he approached.

He couldn't help frowning at the sight of her. She looked as beautiful as ever, though she was just wearing jeans and a blue sweater that brought out her eyes and highlighted her blonde hair. He'd missed her a lot during the last few days, but he didn't realize how much until this moment with her standing in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" JC asked, leaving a couple feet between them as he stopped in front of Penny. Given what he'd said to her, he'd imagined he'd never hear from her again. Back at the hospital, Justin had thought her showing up was a possibility, but JC'd had no such delusions. Then it hit him. "Justin called you again, didn't he?"

"Chris did," Penny said, giving a little shrug.

JC gave a sigh of aggravation, annoyed the guys couldn't mind their own business. Though, it made sense now why none of the guys had insisted on going home with him. He'd expected them to not want to let him out of their sight - not so soon since leaving LA and before his parents were in town. None of them had though, and now he knew why.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "You can go if you want."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be," Penny replied. She took a tentative step forward. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

JC stared at her for a moment. All he could see was sincerity in her eyes, and he couldn't even see any sign that she was holding a grudge against him for their breakup. As usual, she was behaving in a way he never expected was a possibility. It was another reminder that not all girls were like Sabrina.

"You want to come in?" JC offered.

She gave him a small smile and nodded.

He moved past her to the door, fumbling with the keys for a brief moment before he found the right one to unlock it. As he stepped inside, his eyes automatically swept through the room looking for anything out of place. Though, it was a pointless action this time as things weren't going to look right given the abrupt way he'd left the last time he was home.

The guys had done just enough after he'd been arrested, obvious from the TV remote placed on top of the coffee table and the big bowl of popcorn gone. The couch cushions though were smushed and pillows thrown haphazardly on it with a blanket slung casually over the arm. It was still hard to believe it'd just been a few days ago the five of them had been here, relaxing and catching up with each other before the police had come knocking and everything had gone to hell.

"Everything okay?" Penny asked from behind him. He startled a little and turned to see her shut the front door.

"Yeah." JC stepped further into the living room and let his bag drop from his shoulder to the floor next to the couch. He turned to face her and found he didn't know what to say.

Penny, for having taken the initiative to come here, didn't seem to know how to proceed either. They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, neither of them speaking.

"You want something to drink?" JC asked finally. He was stalling, but he was truly thrown for a loop here. He'd never prepared what he would say to her because he'd never expected to see her again.

"Okay."

JC gave a nod and led the way to the kitchen. He grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with five ice cubes before pouring a can of Coke in. The finishing touch was a straw. He set the drink on the island in front of where Penny was standing, and it was only then it'd hit him what he'd just done. Without thinking, he'd fixed her a drink just the way she liked it - and he hadn't even asked her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and he reached out for the glass, but she intercepted him, putting a hand on his arm.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," Penny said, her green eyes soft. "I'm not mad at you, JC."

JC pulled his arm away, straightening up and stepping back so as to put some distance between them. "Funny, but that's not how I remember us leaving things."

Penny sighed. "I was mad in the moment. I don't hang onto anger, JC. I was more upset that we'd fought than anything, and that we'd allowed it to break us up."

"I'm sorry for what I said." JC paused. He lowered his head, staring down at his shoes for a long moment as he tried to get his thoughts in order. Then he took a deep breath and forced himself to look at her as he said, "And I'm sorry I'm not the man you need me to be."

"Who says you're not?"

"Penny..." JC shook his head. "Don't do that. Don't say things just to make me feel like less of an ass."

"I'm not." She moved around the island, stopping so she was standing right in front of him. Though, she didn't invade his personal space. "You're not the bad guy you think you are. There's nothing wrong with you."

JC let out a short, dry laugh. "There's plenty wrong with me."

His mind automatically flashed through moments he and Sabrina had shared together the first time he'd ended up in LA, but it didn't stop there. He saw flashes of every time he'd closed himself off or distanced himself from his family, the guys, girlfriends. Ever since he'd left Sabrina behind in LA after Marc's murder, he'd done whatever he could to keep everyone at arm's length.

"I push away everyone that cares about me," he said.

"If you don't like it, then change it."

"I don't know how."

"Well," Penny pushed away from the island and moved closer, "this is a good start."

JC look down at her, frowning. "But this wasn't my idea. Justin and Chris were the ones who called you."

"But you didn't kick me out," she said. "That's something."

"I owed you an apology." He took a breath, trying to swallow back his nerves. "And an explanation."

JC closed his eyes. How much was he supposed to tell her? All of it was the best answer if he was looking to be completely honest with her - something she deserved from him. He was worried that unloading everything on her at once though would make her realize she was in over her head and send her running. And even if he couldn't admit it to the guys, he wanted to avoid that if at all possible.

A hand on his shoulder forced JC to open his eyes. Penny was staring at him with soft, understanding eyes and the corners of her mouth turned down. "You don't have to."

Unlike most girls JC had dated that'd said a similar phrase, she was completely genuine. There was no underlying tone to guilt him into talking before he was ready or a fake show of understanding. It was something he'd seen a lot with Penny, even if it'd taken him this long to realize it.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Ever since he'd broken up with Penny, he'd battled with himself on whether he'd done the right thing or not. He'd tried hard to convince himself that he had, that she had deeper feelings than him and would've just pushed those onto him the longer they were together. Then he'd been arrested and extradited to California, and throughout the whole ordeal the one constant his mind kept coming back to was her. They may not have been together all that long, but he'd come to rely on her support and gentle strength. And he hadn't had it because he'd pushed her away.

JC was certain he didn't deserve her. She could do so much better than him - find someone who didn't have commitment issues and wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt. He had no delusions that they would end up back together, but he had to tell her what went wrong and make her understand it wasn't her fault.

"I want to," JC said at last, looking her in the eye. "I want to explain what happened between us."

"Okay."

Penny took his hand and gently led him to the kitchen table where they sat across from each other. JC appreciated how kind she was being about this, but it just made him feel even worse about what'd happened and the things he'd said the last time they were together. He lowered his eyes, feeling undeserving of such warmth and understanding.

"You were right," he started. "Everything you said about me that night was dead on. I do tend to see the worst in people, and before this week, I'd forgotten why."

JC paused. He didn't know how much to tell Penny about Sabrina and everything that'd happened. She deserved to have the real story and not the one they'd fabricated for the press about a car jacking. But at the same time, he didn't want her running off and sharing the real story with people.

He sighed quietly to himself, having just proved his point exactly. His trust issues ran deep, and it wasn't her fault. If he had any chance of having a relationship - or at least being friends - with her he needed to tell her the truth. He couldn't let his fear hold him back any longer.

"When I was in LA after MMC, I met this girl - Sabrina. She was a few years older than me, and she..." JC was going to say that Sabrina had been nice to him, but that hadn't been the reality of the situation. Something he'd only realized later after he'd left her behind in LA and thought back over the several months they were together. He shook his head and forced himself to continue on. "I wasn't quite ready to give up on LA, but I was getting there. Then I met Sabrina and it felt like finally something was going right."

JC lifted his head to chance a look at Penny and found her looking back at him, her attention fixed solely on him. She didn't make any attempt to say anything or interrupt him; she just waited patiently for him to continue.

"She was demanding and kind of brash, but she could also be sweet when she wanted to," JC said. "She encouraged me to go after every audition I found, and she got so frustrated with the odd jobs I worked saying that I was wasting time that was better spent on music."

"I probably would've acted the same way," Penny put in gently. "You're passionate about music, and I can't see you doing anything else."

"Yeah, but I didn't realize until later she wanted me to succeed not so much for myself but for her. She wanted someone who would take care of her - that would make her rich without her having to do anything." JC paused. "As little money as I had when I met her, she got me to buy things for her. I even paid her rent once or twice."

When JC looked at Penny this time, he saw that she was frowning and there was a hint of anger in her eyes. It was a look he knew he would've seen from his parents back then had he told them all this when he'd returned from LA. Hell, it seemed likely he would still see it from them when they came into town within the next couple days because there was no doubt they'd want a full explanation.

Penny didn't say anything though, and JC forced himself to continue.

"I never thought much of it though. She had this way of turning things around and they never seemed all that bad. It wasn't until I left LA I'd realized how much she'd manipulated me into doing whatever she wanted."

"So she's the reason you don't trust women."

"It's not just women," JC objected. "I realized over the last few days that I don't even trust the guys or my family as much as they want me to. I'd never told anyone about my big secret. Something that came back to haunt me this week."

Penny frowned. "Was she part of the car jacking in LA?"

"No," JC said. Then he winced and corrected himself. "Kind of. Not in the way you're thinking though. She..."

He hesitated. Here was where he was supposed to reveal the whole truth of what'd happened back in LA, which meant explaining how he'd allowed himself to get in such a situation to begin with. The guys had taken everything he'd told them about his time with Sabrina pretty well considering and while Penny had been quiet and gentle so far, JC knew he couldn't expect that same calmness when murder was involved. The fact that he was terrified of her reaction made him all the more aware that his feelings for her were true and not something he wanted to go away - something that also made it that much harder for him to speak.

"You don't have to tell me," Penny said, breaking through the quiet breathing he was doing trying to get his nerves under control.

JC shook his head. "No. I want to. You deserve to know. I just need a minute. I need-"

He cut himself off, unable to vocalize his many thoughts that ran through his head quicker than he could latch onto them. It was a common affliction for him. Either he couldn't give voice to anything going on in his head, or he rambled, spewing out every single thought before he lost them.

"JC, stop. You don't have to do this. I don't need to know."

"But-"

"JC," Penny interrupted, reaching her hand across the table and taking hold of his. "I appreciate you want to tell me, but I don't need to know. Not right now. I already understand what you're saying without hearing what happened this week."

JC frowned at her. "You do?"

"I could tell from the first day I met you that you'd been hurt. Something had happened to make you have your guard up." She paused. "I figured you'd had your heart broken before, and I'd told myself I wasn't going to push you. That's why I'm so mad at myself."

"Why?" JC asked, still not getting it. As far as he was concerned, nothing about their breakup had been her fault.

Penny looked him in the eye. "By telling you how I felt when I knew you weren't ready to hear it, I did exactly what I said I wouldn't do. And it pushed you away."

JC stared into her green eyes, hating the guilt and regret he saw there. Even more, he hated that he was the cause of it. That she had somehow convinced herself that what'd happened between them was her fault when the blame actually rested squarely on his shoulders.

Without thinking, he released her hand and stood up, coming around the table and crouching in front of her chair. JC put a hand on her knee, waiting for her to look at him.

"Penny, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one that screwed up. We had something great, and I ruined it."

Penny started to object, but JC put a finger to her lips, shaking his head.

"I did," he said, removing his hand and pushing himself to his feet. He knew he should look her in the eyes for what he was about to say, but he couldn't. He stepped away from the table, turning to look out at the backyard through the sliding glass doors. "Every time things got good in a relationship, that was when something bad happened and it always felt like the rug got pulled out from under me. In a way, I think a small part of me was relieved we had that fight. It let me end things before that could happen."

JC stopped, trying to figure out what to say next. His back was to Penny so he couldn't see her face, but she didn't say anything either, like she could sense that he wasn't done. He shook his head, mad that he couldn't get his thoughts straight and just talk to her. That was when it hit him. This conversation was painful because he was carefully trying to construct every sentence, scared of what she would think of him if he told her every single thought and feeling he had. Except that was exactly what she deserved to hear - what she needed to hear if they even had a chance at having even any kind of friendship.

JC took a calming breath and for the first time, let Penny hear exactly the thoughts that were running through his mind.

"You made me feel things I hadn't felt in a long time," he said. "Sabrina may have done the most damage, but each failed relationship afterwards added another wall around my heart." He paused, forcing himself to take another breath in attempt to calm his rapidly beating heart. "But you...you never stopped surprising me. From day one you knew me better than I knew myself, and you stirred feelings in me I'd long since believed were dead."

JC glanced over his shoulder to see how Penny was handling his raw honesty, and she met his gaze, smiling softly with tears building in her eyes. He should've been able to say this to her face, but he was afraid that he would stop talking if he looked at her. So he turned back towards the yard and continued on.

"That day at your place, you were right. The things you felt, I felt them too. I still do. I just...I couldn't give words to them because I was afraid of what would happen if I did. Then I lost you anyway." JC shook his head. "I've wondered every day since then what would've happened if I'd just told you."

There was a hand on his shoulder, and JC turned, startled. He hadn't even heard Penny get up and come over, but she was standing in front of him looking both hopeful and encouraging.

"So tell me now," she said.

JC swallowed nervously, but he gently took her hands in his. "Penny, what we had was special. I hadn't realized until we broke up that I'd not only lost my girlfriend, but one of my best friends. And all because I couldn't say..." He stopped. What he was about to do was huge - he hadn't told another girl this in years, but what he said right here would decide what happened next. And he was done running from his feelings. So he locked eyes with Penny, inhaled, and said, "I love you."

Penny smiled at him. "There. Was that so hard?" she asked, pulling one of her hands out of his grasp to rest on the side of his face.

"Actually-"

But JC didn't get to finish what he was going to say as she pulled him in for a kiss. It wasn't a chaste one like he might've expected, but rather one that, for it's tenderness, belied none of the passion. He felt the love she had for him even before she pulled away and said, "I love you too."

"Are you sure?" JC couldn't help but ask. "I know a lot's happened, and I wouldn't blame you if-"

Penny put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. You're not making me do or say anything I don't want to." A small smile hovered around her lips, and she added, "I know you're afraid to let your feelings show, but it's time to let go."

This time JC swept her up in his arms and kissed her passionately, caught up in the feelings that he'd been suppressing the last week. He wanted to show her how much he'd truly missed her and cared for her. It lasted for several seconds with Penny responding in kind, and it was only when they'd begun to break apart that her words caught up to him.

"You did not just quote Backstreet Boys lyrics to me," JC said, narrowing his eyes playfully.

Penny just giggled, and JC felt his heart flutter. It was the same feeling he'd gotten the first time they'd done karaoke together and she'd pulled him onstage - the moment he'd realized he was falling in love with her. Even if he hadn't allowed himself to see it at the time.

JC gave a playful growl and pulled her in for yet another kiss. They'd always had fun quoting and singing lyrics at each other, and the Backstreet Boys song I'll Never Break Your Heart had always been one they'd loved to poke fun at. It was a sweet song, but they'd always cracked up at the intro. Now though, JC couldn't help thinking how fitting it was for them.

No, Penny wouldn't break his heart. She wasn't like any of the girls he'd dated before, and if one good thing came from the last few days in LA and seeing Sabrina again was that truth had been reinforced. Unlike Sabrina, Penny made him a better person and always seemed to know just what he needed. She took care of him in a way no one else had, and he was done denying what a good fit they were.

JC knew there would be an incoming call from the one of the guys by morning to check on him, and he knew they would rejoice in the news and rub it in his face that they'd been right. And JC would give them his heartfelt thanks. Not only for pushing him and orchestrating a meeting with Penny, but for sticking by his side through everything.

For the first time in years, JC felt free, no longer weighed down by the secrets and the stress of Sabrina's blackmail. Finally he could close the door on his past in LA and instead focus on his future. One that looked even brighter now, and one that he was thrilled to be heading into with the guys and Penny by his side.