“Come on, Mel,” AJ yelled, pulling her to him in a hug. “Let's go back to the hotel and finish this party with a bang.” AJ's drunk gaze fell on her and he smiled. He loved being with her, she made him laugh and never failed to be the one who made things seem right. A best friend that was sometimes more in certain situations. Never sexual, but there had been kissing. She was a good kisser, he'd found out.
“Alex, you need to be done. You've had a lot. More than usual,” Melissa said as they made their way out of the club, the music going to a dull thump-thump as the door closed. “I have a headache and just want to go to bed.”
“I'll go to bed with you,” AJ said with a smile, getting into the cab, feeling tipsy and really good. “We can play army. I can lay there and you can blow the hell out of me.”
Melissa rolled her eyes and looked at him. The drinking had gotten steadily worse. The more he drank the more forceful he became with his sexual innuendos and possessive. “I won't be around next week, AJ.”
“Where you going? I'll be back in L.A at the end of the week,” he said, frowning at her when the cab stopped.
They got out and made their way into the hotel with little fanfare. Melissa sat down on the bed and watched AJ move around and get the bottle of Jack Daniels out and pour a shot. A functioning drunk was what he was becoming. “I'm going to Miami to see the last show on this leg of the Celebrity tour,” she said softly. “I haven't gotten to talk to Joey and want to see him and the rest of the guys.”
“So you're leaving me for that fat bastard?” AJ said, licking his lips and taking another shot that he'd poured himself. AJ didn't dislike the other man, but he figured if he was stupid enough to let Melissa go, then he deserved whatever he got. He'd been the one there to listen to her talk about Joey and had tried to not be jealous, but he was.
“I hate it when you're like this, Aje.” Melissa pushed herself off the bed. “I'm not leaving you. And Joey's not what you called him.”
“Yes. He is.”
“You're an asshole, AJ,” she went to gather up her purse, intending to get herself a room on the same floor the rest of the Backstreet Boys were on. She'd flown into Dallas earlier in the day to catch the show and spend time with AJ since he'd called, all but begging. Now Melissa wished she'd have just stayed in Los Angeles. “You're drinking way too much and making me feel like you just wanted me here as your personal punching bag.”
“So what? You came didn't you? I need you here...” AJ turned and pulled Melissa into his embrace. He frowned when she didn't return his hug. He glared at the tears running down her face. “What are you crying for?”
“Because you're letting that damn stuff ruin your life. You were barely functioning on stage tonight! I came to see a show and I got cheated on part of it because you weren't at your best--” Melissa was in shock when AJ grabbed her mouth, squishing her lips together so she couldn't speak.
“I am always at my best and those people got a damn good show tonight! Just because you're still in mourning over your a guy who fucking dumped you for the girl he knocked up. Then he drops you like a bad habit. And you want to go see how he's doing? He's probably got three or four different girls on him right now!” AJ let her mouth go and his mouth twitched when she glared at him. He wanted a fight. He wanted someone to feel like he did on the inside. Lost. Empty. Hurting.
“So what if he does. At least he's not a lousy drunk!” Melissa yelled and before she knew what happened, she saw AJ's fist ball up and come at her. The punch to her lip stunned her, but his fist connected again to her cheek and she put her hands up to defend herself.
“Fucking bitch! How dare you call me that!” AJ roared, backing her to the bed, his body leaning on hers as she bent backward on the bed.
“Get off me, AJ!” Melissa yelled fighting to get away, neither of them hearing the door open until Kevin was pulling AJ off of her.
“We could hear the yelling from down the hall,” he said as Brian followed. “Alex, stop!” Kevin tightened his grip on the smaller man until AJ just stood there. “God you smell like booze,” his green eyes went to Melissa's face. Her eyes was swelling shut and her cheek was bruised good.
“What happened?” Brian asked softly, pulling her up from the bed. He wasn't able to look at AJ just yet, not quite believing their loveable friend was acting like this. He'd only seen the angry outburst a couple of times when AJ was stressed, but never laid a hand on anyone, especially a woman. It was worse than the rest of them had thought.
“She wouldn't shut the fuck up about Fatone idiot,” AJ snarked, trying to get away from Kevin. “Told me she was leaving to go see those fuckups next week.”
“What is she? I don't see anything saying she's your property, Bone. She's allowed to go where she wants.”
“Then who's going to take care of me?” AJ asked Brian loudly, still angry. “Who the hell cares...” AJ shook his head, still clearly drunk. “Just let her go. She's just like all the other groupies. I was good til something better came along.”
Melissa couldn't believe what she was hearing. AJ had been a friend. A close friend and now he was talking to her like she was just a piece of trash. “I'm your friend, AJ,” she swallowed and gingerly touched her face. “But this changes things...” she took a long breath and smiled at Brian. “Tell..Tell Nicky C and Howie I had to leave early, okay?” Then Melissa's eyes met Kevin's and her eyes watered some. “I need to talk to you, Kev.”
“Bri, stay here with the dumbass,” Kevin let AJ go, who shoved him away and went to sit on the couch and light a cigarette. He watched as the blonde girl gathered up her purse and suitcase that hadn't even been opened. They walked into the hallway and down to his room and he was glad that it was quiet.
“I'm not pressing charges on one condition, Kevin. AJ needs help. Professional help-rehab. I love him, he's a wonderful person when he's not drinking,” Melissa said, turning around to study her face in the mirror. It looked bad. “I never thought I'd let someone hit me. I didn't do anything to him, Kev.”
“I know, sweetheart. And you've...” Kevin's words fell off for a moment. “You've stuck with him longer than we all thought. I know you two weren't dating, but you were good for him. You put up with his shit. But this is too much, even for us to handle,” he went to the bathroom and came back out with a wet washcloth with ice in it from the ice bucket. “We've got a big mess to fix,” he said with a sigh, accepting a hug from Melissa. Kevin looked down at her and felt bad he wasn't more worried about Melissa, but he'd had no idea AJ was so bad. “Did you see this coming?”
“Honestly, no. You all knew he was drinking and nothing was ever this...bad,” Melissa let him go and stepped back. “I am not going to the media, but if my family asks, I am telling them the truth. I just want AJ to get the help he needs. If he doesn't want to go, Kev... I'm not going to enable him to hit someone else. He can sober up in jail.”
Kevin fought back tears. He could see her point and at the same time, AJ was like a brother to him. “Let's just pray he does the right thing, then. Are you sure you don't need anything, hon?” he asked again, watching her wince putting the ice pack back on her face.
“No. Go be with AJ..I will call the hotel from my cell phone and get a room down the hall...I'll be fine.” Melissa gave him a watery smile, watching him leave. She felt tears run down her face as the door shut softly. Her phone buzzed and she looked at it, groaning. Lance would decide to call her in the middle of the night.
*^*^*^*^*^
“Hey,” Lance said, a good buzz going on as he laid in his hotel room. He and Chris had went out to dance and have a good time. For once, he and his sister were in the same time zone and he hadn't talked to her in a few days.
“Hi, Lance. How are you?” Melissa questioned, knowing she couldn't hide the fact she was crying. Even if she did, her brother would get it out of her.
“I'm good. You sound like you're either sick or crying. Everything okay?”
“Ummm,” Melissa took a breath and closed her eyes. “No. Not really. And before I tell you anything, you have to promise you won't talk until I'm done.”
“I don't like the sound of this, Mel.” Lance sat up a little straighter in bed, hearing her cry harder. “Melly, you're killing me. Is something wrong? Are you in trouble?” He listened as the story spilled out, keeping quiet even though he was pissed, his fist automatically balling up at the thought of a man hitting a woman.
“So you're not pressing charges as long as he goes to rehab?” he questioned again, running a hand through his hair. “What does it look like?” he questioned, praying it wasn't as bad as he thought.
“I'll send you a picture when I get off here. I need to get a room and move my stuff out of Kevin's room. I love you, Lance. Don't tell anyone. Especially Joey...” her voice trailed off.
Lance closed his eyes and swallowed hard. It wasn't like he hadn't kept a secret before. It was just the magnitude of what he wasn't telling. He didn't care what the media might say, even though they would blow it up into something bigger than it was. The rag magazines would say that AJ was a woman beater or that his sister let herself get beaten up. He wasn't going to tell because he knew what his best friend would do. Joey would be on the next flight to wherever they were and AJ would find himself in the hospital. Despite the fact they hadn't talked in a few months, Joey would gladly go to to jail for someone touching Melissa in less than a loving manner. “I won't tell. Just promise me you aren't going to be around him anymore.”
“I'm not. He has to get help...And I'll be in Florida next week for a few days.”
“Don't change the subject,” Lance told her, leaning back on the pillows. “Can you cover it up with make up?”
“Maybe in a few days...right now I look like I got in a boxing ring with Floyd Money Mayweather,” Melissa told him. “I'm begging you don't tell anyone, Lance.”
“I'm not saying a word, sis. As much as I might want to, I'm keeping my mouth shut. For AJ's sake as much as yours. Joey would be on the first plane there if he knew. I don't think it would help us any to have a member of NSYNC in jail.”
“I've been to jail.”
Lance smirked and shook his head at her. “Go take care of yourself. Call me if you need me. I love you, Melissa Nicole.”
“Love you too James Lance.”
Lance let her go and sat there and stared at the television. It made him angry that AJ had that bad of a drinking problem and no one saw it. Or either they did and ignored it. The thought crossed his mind for a moment that maybe he did it when no one was there so they didn't know how much the man had drank. In any case, no one should be hitting his sister. Or any woman for that matter, but as her brother he was overly protective. And some son of a bitch laid hands on her. He wiped a tear and thought of her begging him not to tell anyone. He'd promised and at the same time, he hated himself for it. If he was ready to go break AJ's neck, Joey would go completely off. His phone chimed and he looked at the picture Melissa sent. The only thing that kept him from calling his father was Melissa's voice coming to his head once more. She had made a promise to him as well, to stay away from AJ. So they both had to trust one another to do what they said. Even if he hated it.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The NSYNC entourage rolled down the highway to Atlanta and the next show before they were in Florida and the end of this leg of the tour. At this point, all five members of NSYNC were ready for a break. It never showed during the shows. They still gave everything they had for their fans, but much of the giddiness of starting a tour had waned. In the dressing room earlier that evening, Rachel had observed that 3/5 of NSYNC seemed preoccupied. She could speak for sure on JC, who was still digesting the news of his impending fatherhood. Joey and Lance she couldn't say, and Chris and Justin had both given the three of them a hard time until they snapped out of their moods somewhat; enough to laugh and cut up during dinner from catering and hacky sack.
Now she and JC were on the bus in the front with JC scribbling down something in his notebook. She was in a pair of soft cotton capris and an NSYNC t-shirt, loving that all of the guys roamed the buses in t-shirts and shorts, relaxed. JC was in some sweatpants and a University of Maryland t-shirt, his hair still damp from the shower and curled up some around his ears. “C?” she said, watching him write.
“Yep?” he asked, holding a finger up, marking something out and writing something beside it. JC put his pencil down and looked at her. “Need something?” he asked, looking concerned.
“No. I'm fine...I just..I want to tell Lance. We've waited all day,” she said, knowing Lance was in the back watching television.
“Alright,” JC took her hand and squeezed it, following Rachel to the back. He swallowed hard, praying the other man would take the news alright and not hate either one of them.
“Hey,” Lance looked up from his phone and smiled at Josh and Rachel as they sat down on the couch. He was in the recliner. “I didn't figure I'd see either one of you tonight,” he gave them a smirk.
Rachel gave a small chuckle and squeezed JC's hand tight. “We need to talk to you, Lance. It's important.”
Lance raised an eyebrow and closed his phone, sitting up a little straighter. “Is something wrong?” he asked, concerned. He'd had his mind on his sister that day, relieved when she texted him saying she was back in Los Angeles with just a few hiccups in travel and media and that she'd be off the next month since the club was closed for vacation. He'd asked her to go to Orlando, but she said she'd just see him when she got to Miami for the last show. His green eyes traveled from Rachel over to JC, waiting for one of them to speak.
“I...I mean, JC and I..we're having a baby.” Rachel felt like it was telling JC all over again as she looked at Lance. She quickly wiped a tear and continued. “We..we weren't trying for me to get pregnant, Lance. And I know I'm supposed to be your cover...I..I'm sorry.”
Lance sat there for a few moments, letting the words run through his brain until they straightened out until they made sense. He looked at them both and saw that Rachel was squeezing JC's hand so hard his fingers were a red color. “Rachel..let go of JC's hand before you break his fingers,” he moved to sit beside her. He wanted to be mad. To tell her she was ruining what they had, that she'd promised him to be his 'cover' until the tour ended. Except when his mouth opened, none of that came out. “I love you, Rachel. And when I told you that you could be with JC, it was with a hope that the two of you would be a couple. And you've had to hide that.” Lance gave her a smile and looked at JC before studying Rachel's face once more. “I'm breaking up with you, Rach. You are still one of my best friends that I've had-the best female friend. But I can't ask you to keep pretending to love me for appearances.”
Rachel hugged Lance long and hard, her tears soaking his shirt. JC didn't say anything, he just patted her back comfortingly and Lance just held her. She was scared for Lance, not wanting him to be hurt. She pulled away from him finally to see that he had unshed tears. “You and Josh suck at being mad at someone. You should be mad at me,” her lip quivered and he became blurry again.
Lance chuckled and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm not mad. Just...surprised. What am I supposed to say, Rach? How can I be mad at a baby? Isn't that what happens when you have sex? I highly doubt either of you planned for it to happen, seeing how Joshua over there has looked like someone made him eat liver and onions all day. His mind's not been here. Joey hasn't noticed cause he's going through enough shit. I only noticed since Chris was the one barking orders and not JC,” he confessed, pushing back the thoughts of his sister. This was a lot on his plate and he could either get pissed off or he could deal with it. “Please tell me you're taking care of her, Chasez, or I will dump your body out the back of the bus.” Lance's tone held no teasing to it and his gaze hardened at the slightly older man.
“We're planning on getting engaged or married..whichever one Rachel is more comfortable with before the baby's born. I'd prefer married, but it's up to her,” JC told Lance. “I'm not leaving her. I'm taking care of her, Lance. You don't have to worry about that. We love each other.”
Lance nodded and then looked at Rachel, his features softening. “He treats you bad, makes you cry, doesn't buy you five gallons of ice cream and rub your feet, you call me.”
“What about you?” Rachel asked softly, winding her fingers through Lance's. “You can't tell me this doesn't bother you. I mean, what are you going to do?”
Lance shrugged, looking down. “Not sure yet. It's hard to be out when I have four other guys to think about. I've not told anyone in so long about being gay, it just seems better to keep lying about it until the tour is over. It's not like I can't be single.”
“It's not fair to you, man,” JC spoke up, studying his friend. Lance was like his brother and he wanted him happy. “I'm just telling you this..if you wanted to come out, we'd support you. All of us. You deserve to have someone love you. A man of your dreams.”
Lance gave JC a smile and his heart swelled at the words. “I know..and I'll find my Prince Charming one of these days,” he let out a sigh. “Right now there's enough media shit with Joey, and when they get wind of this, no matter if it's a couple weeks or months or whatever, it will be insane. I am not adding to it with an announcement that I'm gay. I think it would be the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. I will be alright and deal with it all.” He accepted hugs from both Rachel and JC, kissing Rachel on the lips chastely. “It will be hard not to pull you to me,” he told her, giving her a grin.
“I know,” Rachel told him, scooting back to lounge in JC's arms after she let Lance go so he could sit back. “I guess all that's left now is telling the guys and management and our families. Well, your sister knows.”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Of course she does. You two should be conjoined twins with the way you can't keep something from one another.” He knew his sister hadn't told Rachel what had happened and he himself wasn't spilling the beans on that.
“We don't tell each other everything. There are some things about Joey I told her I never wanted to know,” Rachel informed him, laughing when Lance blush and JC turned red. “And I never want to hear stories either. I hear enough from Melissa about the tour bus back in the day and it gives me nightmares.”
Lance laughed. “Joey's done better since then. At least all the porn is put up now and not just laying out. Was embarrassing as Hell to have my Dad find a movie shoved in the cabinet with the chips. Joey grabbed it and goes 'Oh, I've been looking for that, thanks Jim.' I could have killed him.”
“What happened after that?” Rachel asked, knowing Melissa had come on that tour as well.
“He made sure my sister was sleeping in a separate bunk away from Joey. Of course Mel never listened and she'd climb into Joey's bunk since he kept it minus fifteen in there. She'd get under the covers and cuddle up to him and he'd wake up bitching that her hair tickled his nose.”
JC snorted and shook his head. “He was as happy as a cock in a henhouse. I never heard any complaints.”
Rachel got quiet for a few moments. “You think they'll get back together?” she asked both men. “I mean, none of this happened like we had it planned out when we were younger,” her mouth twitched into a small smile as they gave her a look. “We're girls. And as best friends, we wanted to get married and have kids that grew up together and were best friends.”
“I think if my sister will come home from Cali, that will help. She's still in love with Joey. There's still time for all the marriage and kids stuff. You just got a jump on it all. You alright?” Lance asked as he watched Rachel get still.
JC looked concerned when Rachel didn't move and then suddenly jumped up and ran for the bathroom. “Need help?” he called to her as the door shut.
“Got someone helping already,” Rachel yelled back behind the closed bathroom door as she leaned over the toilet. The nausea had come on suddenly and she hated it. She was ready for this to be done. Seven more weeks was typically when morning sickness ended, at the three month mark. “Come on, kid, work with me,” she muttered, putting a hand on her stomach.
JC looked at Lance. They could hear Rachel a little and he hated the thought of her being sick. “You sure you're alright?” he questioned the blonde man who was watching him.
“I'm okay, JC. You look like you're about to wig out. Women have been having babies for a long time, man. The morning sickness will go away. Or night sickness...” Lance's voice trailed off and he sighed. “I think this news calls for a good stiff drink,” he announced, getting up and coming back a few minutes later with two shot glasses and some vodka.
“To you and Rachel,” he said, pouring them both a shot.
“To you finding the man of your dreams.”
Neither one of them heard Rachel come back, looking at them taking a second shot. “I hate you both,” she muttered. It wasn't that she wanted to drink, but it was just the principle of the matter.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Part 2 of this chapter. Enjoy!!
Story Tags: joey
