N SYNC, the biggest pop group of this century, announced this week that they were back in the studio recording their fourth album!  The five guys, who made history in 2000 when their album "No Strings Attached" broke records by selling 1.1 million copies in a single day, surprised audience members at the Ellen Degeneres Show yesterday.  Amid the excited screams of the girls in the audience that can still be heard, one question stands out among all others.  How is the paternity suit that group member, Justin Timberlake, is involved in going to affect the reunion we've all been waiting for?  And, is the world really ready for another Timberlake?

~~~~~~

"What are you doing here?"

Aubrey looked up from the text she had been sending Justin and met Nikki's icy glare.  "Waiting for Justin." She replied, looking back at her phone.  Nikki sat down in the chair next to her and Aubrey fought the urge to get up and walk away.  Sitting there next to Nikki made Aubrey uncomfortable but, Justin had made her promise him she would be here today when the results from the paternity test were read.  Luckily, she had been able to take a half-day at work--not knowing how long this whole thing was going to take--and, as Nikki shifted beside her, Aubrey wished she'd just stayed out in her car until Justin had arrived.

Where are you?

Aubrey sent the text she had been writing to Justin and waited for his reply. 

"So tell me something." Nikki said and Aubrey turned hesitantly to look at her.  "Is he really sleeping with you?" Nikki narrowed her eyes.  "I thought you were just his dog walker."

"Why would Justin Timberlake be sleeping with his dog walker?" Aubrey replied under her breath as she once again turned away from Nikki.  "That's about as believable as him wanting to sleep with you."

Nikki let out a one syllable laugh and Aubrey turned to look at her again.  "Whether he wanted to or not," Nikki said placing a hand on her rounded belly as she leaned back in her chair.  "He did."  She reached over and placed her hand on Aubrey's arm.  "Why don't you leave him to me?" She continued patronizingly.  "After all I'm the one having his baby.  Not you."

Aubrey struggled to keep Nikki from seeing how deeply her words cut.  She clenched her jaw and fought to keep a straight face, refusing to let the girl think she'd won.  Shrugging off Nikki's hand, Aubrey placed her hand on the arms of the chair she was sitting in and stood up.  She turned to look at Nikki.  "That hasn't been proven yet." Aubrey said as she squared her shoulders and turned to leave, resolving to just wait outside for Justin to arrive.   

"Did he tell you he loved you or some shit like that?" Nikki asked the venom in her voice obvious.  Aubrey turned to look at the girl, but remained silent.  "He told me he loved me, too." Nikki continued.  "And look where it got me." She pointed at her extended middle.

Yeah. Aubrey thought longingly as she looked where Nikki was pointing.  Look where it got you. 

"I never said that."

Both girls turned to look at Justin--Aubrey effectively startled from her train of thought.  It was no good wishing for what she knew she could never have.

"Hi, baby!" Nikki gushed, the poison leaving her green eyes as she suddenly became the picture of sweetness.  She stepped towards Justin, latching onto his arm.  Aubrey watched as Justin shrugged out of Nikki's grasp, looking at her in disgust. 

"I never said that, Nikki." He told the girl.  "I never said that I loved you."

"Justin." Nikki pouted.  "Why are you doing this?  I thought we had something special."

"What you and I had, Nikki, was a mistake." Justin replied, reaching for and grabbing Aubrey's hand.  Aubrey looked up at him, meeting his blue eyes.  Her heart skipped as he gave her hand a squeeze.  She loved the way he could affect her so easily with just a look or a simple touch.  "And when this is all over," Justin continued as he looked at Nikki.  "I'll be expecting an apology." He turned and Aubrey followed him as he moved to leave.

"An apology?" Nikki sputtered and Justin stopped.  "If anyone should be apologizing it should be you!"

Aubrey looked over her shoulder at Nikki, then up at Justin, gauging his reaction to the other girl.  His jaw was clenched tightly as his chest rose and fell sharply.  Aubrey knew he was fighting to keep his anger under control and not completely lose here in the middle of the lobby where everyone could see. 

"You really want her?" Nikki continued desperately.  "You really want someone like her on your arm at your next premier or awards show when you could have me?" 

Justin looked down at Aubrey as he let go of her hand.  Draping his arm around Aubrey's shoulders he drew her close and pressed his lips against hers.  Aubrey was surprised at the depth of emotion that was conveyed in that brief kiss and when Justin pulled back he ran the back of one hand across her cheek.  He looked at her for a moment--the unmistakable love portrayed in his blue eyes making Aubrey's knees feel a bit weak--before turning to face Nikki once again.

"Yes." Justin said simply, nodding once.  "I want her." 

If looks could kill, Aubrey knew she'd be dead from the daggers Nikki was shooting at her with her green eyes.  Aubrey leaned closer to Justin, grabbing a hold of his hand--instinctively seeking his protection.  "And now that we've got that settled," Justin continued as he laced his fingers with Aubrey's.  "Let's go get everything else figured out so we can all move on with our lives."   

~~~~~~

Justin could feel Nikki's heated stare fixed at the back of his head as he turned and led Aubrey toward the elevators. He tightened his fingers in hers as he reached out with his other hand and pushed the button to call the elevator with his finger.  He fought to diffuse the anger that was coursing through him at seeing Nikki again.  He took several deep breaths.  A small voice in the back of his head told him he needed to let the anger go.  If Nikki was going to be the mother of his child he needed to accept that she was going to be a part of his life now.  He needed to learn to live with the fact or the anger was going to eat him alive.     

"Are you okay?" Aubrey asked, placing her free hand on his arm.  Justin turned to look at her. 

"I should be asking you that question." He replied, evading her question.  "I'm sorry I wasn't here and you had to deal with..." he looked over his shoulder briefly than back at Aubrey.  "Her." He finished.

"It's okay." Aubrey said.  "I can take care of myself."  She grinned up at him.  "I was just about to lay into her when you showed up."

"Oh yeah?" Justin asked with a chuckle as he pulled Aubrey into the elevator with him. 

"Yep." She nodded as he let go of her hand.

"What were you going to tell her?" He asked as he leaned back against one of the walls and put his hands on Aubrey's hips--drawing her towards him.  She put her arms around his waist as she tucked her head beneath his chin.  Justin put his arms around her, hugging her close and inhaling her calming presence.

"That your mine." She told him.  "And to back off."

Justin chuckled and tightened his arms around Aubrey.  "Were you going to go all Xena on her?" He asked.

"You know it." Aubrey replied looking up at him with a smile as her hands moved down to rest on his hips.  "I gotta earn the nickname, after all."

Justin laughed.  "I love you." He told her.  He lifted one hand and brushed his thumb across her cheek.  "Thanks for being here today."

Aubrey just smiled as she hooked her fingers in his belt loops and tugged on him slightly as she went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.  Justin placed his hands on either side of her face as he leaned forward, deepening the kiss--completely forgetting they were in an elevator. 

Until he heard somebody clear their throat. 

~~~~~~

Aubrey pulled away from Justin in surprise, her cheeks warming in embarrassment as she met the gaze of the man now standing in front of them. 

"Hey Richard." Justin greeted the man non-chalantly with a grin as he straightened and stood tall next to her-draping his arm around Aubrey's shoulders. 

"Please," the man said.  "Don't let me stop you."

"Nah, we're good." Justin answered, looking down at Aubrey.  "We can finish later in a less...public place."  Aubrey poked Justin in the side with her elbow and looked up at him in warning but he just laughed as he looked at her.  "Relax." He told her as they finally stepped off the elevator.  "Richard's been my lawyer for years.  He won't tell anyone you were trying to seduce me in the elevator."

"I was not trying to seduce you." Aubrey replied, laughing in spite of her embarrassment.

"You weren't?" Justin asked as they continued walking down the hallway, following his lawyer. 

"No." She shook her head.

"Hmmm..." He mused as he pursed his lips in thought. "I could have sworn..."

"When I decide to seduce you, Justin Timberlake," Aubrey told him.  "You'll know it."

Justin stopped walking and looked down at her, his eyes sparkling mischievously and his lips twitching as he fought to keep a straight face.  "Is that a threat?" He asked, lifting one brow.

"It's a promise." She told him. 

"Girl..." he all but growled as he leaned towards her, and Aubrey's stomach quivered at the sound.

"All I need is five minutes." Richard interjected before Justin's lips could touch hers and Justin let out a frustrated sigh as he looked over at the man.  "Five minutes." Richard repeated.  "Then you two can go at each other all you want."

"Do you have good news for me--us," Justin corrected as he looked at Aubrey.  "Do you have good news for us, Richard?" He asked.

"You know I can't say anything until everyone involved is present, Justin." Richard said as he stopped in front of one door and opened it.  "After you." He said, gesturing into the room.  Aubrey watched as Justin took a deep breath and squared his shoulders then, with a sigh of resignation, walked into the room to face his future.

~~~~~~

"Justin Randall Timberlake..."Richard paused and everyone in the room held their breath.  Justin's grip on Aubrey's hand tightened and her heart began fluttering nervously in her chest.  Aubrey looked across the table at Nikki, wondering how she was going to handle the girl's constant presence in her life if the test proved positive.  But she didn't have to wonder for long.

"Is not the biological father of Nicole Ashley Wilson's child." Justin's lawyer concluded and Justin collapsed back in his chair in relief, his blue eyes turning to look at Aubrey and she smiled at him.    

"What?!" Nikki exclaimed as she leaned across the table.  Aubrey and Justin both looked at her.  "No!  You...you're wrong.  He..." she pointed an accusatory finger at Justin.  "He's the father.  I know he is.  Somebody messed up."

"Miss Wilson," Richard began patiently as Nikki's lawyer placed his hand on her arm and drew her back in her seat.  "I have the results right here in my hand." Richard waved the paper he was holding.  "They were mailed to me yesterday and nobody has tampered with them.  The test conclusively proves that my client did not father your child."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Nikki replied in exasperation as she looked to her lawyer for an answer.  The other attorney just shrugged his shoulders and Aubrey felt herself actually starting to feel sorry for Nikki. 

"Apologize." Justin said and Aubrey nudged him.  "What?" He asked, looking at her in question. 

Aubrey shook her head slightly.  Nikki may have been horrible to her downstairs--and put Justin through hell the last couple months with her claims of paternity--but what had been good news for Aubrey and Justin was bad news for her.  Aubrey knew what it felt like to have the rug yanked out from under you and be taken by surprise and Justin didn't need to make Nikki feel even worse than she was feeling right now.  She watched as Richard pulled a few documents from his briefcase--Justin and Nikki both signing that they had been present for, and informed of, the results of the paternity test. 

As everyone left the room Aubrey found herself wondering what was going to happen to the baby.  She'd gotten used to the idea that there was going to be a child in Justin's life and, as she watched Nikki walk away, she felt a sense of longing for the child that wasn't even hers to begin with. 

"Are you okay?" Justin asked bringing her back to reality.

"Yeah." Aubrey nodded as she looked up at him and smiled, pushing away the thoughts running through her head.  She wrapped her arms around Justin's neck and pressed her lips against his--wanting to concentrate on spending as much time with Justin as she could before all the frenzy surrounding the N SYNC reunion got in the way.  The paternity suit had been hanging over their relationship for a while--casting a shadow of uncertainty over everything-and now that that cloud was gone Aubrey wanted to soak up as much sun as she could. 

She had found a man who loved her completely and whom she loved just as deeply in return and she was determined to enjoy every second she had with him.  She knew it was going to be tough--adjusting to everything that went along with him being on tour--but she wasn't worried.  They had gone through a lot this last year to get to where they were today and if the storms they'd weathered hadn't ripped them apart already, nothing would. 

Justin pulled back and placed his hands on either side of her face as he gazed down at her--his eyes full of love and desire.  He pressed his lips to Aubrey's forehead then leaned his forehead against the spot he'd just kissed.  Aubrey wrapped her hands around his wrists as he brushed his nose against hers. 

"I love you." He said softly and she smiled.  "Let's get out of here."

Aubrey placed her hand in his and followed him out of the room--excited to see where life would take them next.