FBI? What the heck was the FBI doing at the hotel? "Are you sure it's the FBI, Ron?" Amanda asked him on her cell as she wandered in a daze through the department store, Terra walking a good three feet in front of her.

"Positive. They're flashing their badges all over the place and they've brought all of the staff in for questioning," Ron explained.

Now Amanda was thoroughly confused. In the fours days that she had been gone her father had not called her once. It really frustrated her that she had to get all of her information from the staff instead of him. Even though she knew she could always count on Ron, but it just didn't make any sense that her father was keeping her out of the loop. Or did it?

"This doesn't make any sense," Amanda remarked with frustration.

"I'm not sure exactly why..." Ron's words faded as Amanda suddenly caught whiff of a hauntingly familiar scent. She stopped dead in her tracks and took in a deep breath. She had been trying so hard not to think of JC, and with all that was going on at the hotel it hadn't been as difficult as she'd thought, but that aroma brought a fist full of memories to her head.

Slowly she turned just in time to catch a suited man walk by, the scent of his cologne unmistakably the same as JC's. She couldn't help but think that cologne should be deemed illegal--but damn it smelled wonderful.

"Amanda? You there?" Ron called to her through the phone.

"Yeah, I'm here," she sighed, "sorry. I got sidetracked for a second."

"Anyway, no one's seen your father since right after you left. It's like he just disappeared. We're all beginning to wonder if he's what they're looking for."

"But why? He hasn't done anything."

"That you know of Amanda. You hardly talk to the man. How could you know if he was involved in something that might draw the attention of the FBI?"

Amanda wasn't quite sure how to answer that as she took two steps out of the clothing rack she had nearly wandered into. Suddenly she was beginning to wonder if Ron was right. What if the FBI was looking for her Dad?

"Like what?" she asked, almost bumping into a woman walking behind her. She smiled apologetically at the mother of two and turned quickly to catch up with Terra.

"I don't know, Amanda. But I sure as hell want to find out. If he loses the hotel, all of our jobs could be in jeopardy. I've been at this place my whole damned life, I don't want to look for something else now. I'm too old to start a new job."

Amanda could sense Ron's uneasiness. "Don't worry, Ron. I'll make sure you're taken care of."

"Amanda, you don't even know if you're gonna be taken care of."

Ron's words rung like a bell in her ears. After finishing up her unsettling conversation with the hotel's head security man, Amanda met up with Terra at the make-up counter. Her mind was a hundred miles away as her cousin purchased the few items she had came to pick up. She just didn't understand how her father could put so many people in such a vulnerable position? What if he really was in trouble? She shunned the thought, praying to God it wasn't true.

The two of them finally made way out of the department store and headed onto the street, where they were in search of the next shop. Although, shopping was about the last thing Amanda felt like doing. For some reason, Terra had it set in her mind that it was just what Amanda needed.

What she really needed was for her life to be back to normal. She'd love to just rewind the clock back about two weeks, before Mr. Chasez had ever stepped into her uneventful life and before all of this mystery had began with her father and the hotel.

Unfortunately, that was impossible.

As they strolled past the music store, Amanda nearly died as she noticed the gigantic-sized picture of *NSYNC, JC standing front and center and looking straight at her. Even in print those eyes seemed to penetrate straight to her soul. Her heart broke in two just from the sight of him. Her entire ordeal would be so much better if she just had his support. Why did she have to get so upset at him just because of that stupid phone call?

She'd known about his girlfriend all along. She'd known it before she made the decision to sleep with him. How was it fair to get so upset afterward? She didn't blame him for not putting up a fight. She didn't deserve one.

"Manda, come on. Don't even look at it." Her cousin ushered her past the store, gripping onto her arm and pulling her down the street.

"ONE LITTLE, TWO little, three little *NSYNC billboards," Chris made up his own words to Three Little Indians as half of the group rode back to the hotel after rehearsal. JC tried his best to ignore the man, but unfortunately he was sitting right next to him. "Look!" Chris exclaimed. "That's number four! You'd think we're famous or something!"

"Chris, shut up," JC huffed, smacking his friend in the shoulder while glancing out the window at billboard number four. "Jesus! It's her!" JC couldn't believe his eyes. Was that Amanda on the street? He pressed both of his palms to the cold window and stared hard out the window, in shock that of all places she was actually in New York and walking down the street. "It's Amanda!"

His friends just burst into laughter. "You are so losing it man, its not even funny," Justin smirked.

Chris on the other hand, was so amused he could barely speak. "You're kidding, right? There's only like a million people on the street. But no! Wait! There she is!" he shouted. "Oops, wrong girl," he added with a tease.

"I swear to God it's her." JC was insistent. "Can we pull over please?" He asked the driver.

"No. We're not pulling over," Mike answered sternly from the front seat. "Get over it, man. It's not her."

JC stared out the window, she had vanished into the crowd of people. If it was her, she was gone now. He took in a heavy breath and slouched into his seat, a deep sadness filling his heart and soul. The last four days had been the most discouraging days he had ever experienced. He just didn't understand where she had disappeared to and why she wouldn't return his calls.

"Cheer up, buddy," Chris said quietly, patting JC comfortingly on the shoulder.

"I'm sure she'll call. She'd be stupid not to."

"Thanks," JC grinned appreciatively in response. His friends might have enjoyed teasing him, but it was nice to know that when it came right down to it, they were all standing strong beside him.

That night at the hotel, JC lounged in his room thinking of nothing but thoughts of Amanda. He had replayed their intimate weekend together so many times in his head that it was almost worn out. He was dying to make new memories with her, but he was beginning to feel like that would never happen.

Sometimes, if he closed his eyes tight enough, he could still feel her laying in his arms. His arms had never ached to hold somebody so badly, not until now.

Never would he have predicted feeling so strongly. Never would he have imagined that she could have gotten underneath his skin so deep. But she had and hardly a minute went by when he didn't feel like kicking himself in the ass for treating her the way he did.

He shouldn't have been so cold. He shouldn't have held back. He shouldn't have bitten his tongue when he wanted to proclaim his love for her. He should have told her how he really felt. He should have professed his feelings for her when the time was right, now he didn't have any time at all.

And he was kicking himself in the ass again and again and again, with every single thought and regret.

Then it hit him. If she really was staying in New York, well, then she'd have to be staying at a hotel. He'd call every single one until he found her. With a sudden spark of hope, he pulled the phone book out of the drawer and started thumbing through the pages.

Unfortunately it would only take him the rest of the night to call them all, but it would be worth it if he found Amanda.

He picked up the receiver to dial, but first went to grab the remote control to switch off the TV. His thumb was half way pressing down the power button when Amanda's picture appeared on the news program he had been watching. Quickly he dropped the phone and turned up the volume.

With wide eyes he watched, listening as the newscaster announced that the daughter of business mogul Jonathan Ballard had been missing for four days.

Missing?

"What do you mean she's missing?" he shouted at the television. "Missing like kidnapped?"

Immediately JC stood and began pacing across the floor once the segment was over. "She's missing?" he repeated to himself. "How can she be missing? This doesn't make any sense. She's here. In New York. I saw her today!"

Too worked up to sit down, but too frustrated to do anything, he kept pacing. Finally, after taking in deep breaths, he calmed down and decided that he was calling her hotel one more time and this time he was going to get some answers.
He glanced at the clock noticing it was nearly eight p.m., which meant it wasn't even five on the west coast. He picked up his cell and speed dialed the hotel, but this time instead of asking for Amanda, he asked for the retail store where her friend Marcy worked. Maybe she would give him some answers.

When he finally got an answer at the store, he had to really concentrate to stay calm. "Yes, may I speak with Marcy please?" he asked politely.

"This is her," she said with a bit of confusion.

"Marcy. It's JC Chasez. Don't hang up on me, please."

"Mr. Chasez? Why would I hang up on you?" she remarked professionally.

"Just call me JC, please," he told her, still trying really hard to stay calm. "I need to talk to you about Amanda."

"Are you there with her?" she asked curiously. "I have something I need to tell her."

Now he was really confused. "No, I'm not with her," he answered with a little irritation. "I haven't talked to her since last weekend."

"Oh. I figured you had."

"Look, what's this about her being missing? I just saw it on the news. Do you know where she is?"

"Missing? She's not missing. She's in New York, at her fathers apartment. What do you mean you saw it on the news?" she paused briefly and then came back on the line, "look, I have to go" and with that he got the dial tone in his ear.

JC hung up the receiver, his mind spinning with confusion. Why did the news report that she was missing? Why was Marcy so strange on the phone and how come she thought Amanda was with him? Something really weird was going on and he was bound to figure it out. Now he was beginning to wonder if Amanda really was in trouble.

AFTER A FULL DAY of shopping Amanda was pooped. She had just finished eating her dinner when there was an unexpected knock on the door. "Oh jeez," she said to herself, "it never fails. As soon as you go to sit down somebody knocks at the door."

Checking the peep hole first, she found two suited men standing in the hallway. Immediately she knew. Her stomach pushed up her throat as she unlocked the door with nervousness. She wasn't sure why she was nervous, but suddenly she was.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her voice a little shaky.

"Amanda Ballard? I'm Agent Barnes and this is Agent Miller. We're with the FBI and we'd like to ask you a few questions." The dark haired man on the left announced as both men showed her their badges.

"Yes, of course," Amanda cooperated, opening the door completely and letting them inside.

The two men followed her to the living room, where they all took a seat and

Amanda tried her best not to panic.

"This is about my father, isn't it?" she asked nervously, unable to hold back.

"Have you seen your father?" Agent Miller asked, sitting on the sofa across from her next to Agent Barnes. Agent Miller was a middle aged man with reddish colored hair and a clean shave. Although he didn't look at her threateningly, there was something about the crispness of his eyes that made Amanda weary.

"Not since he told me to leave."

"Your father asked you to come here?" Agent Barnes asked, leaning forward a bit and resting his elbows on top of his knees.

"Yes, on Sunday when I got home he told me I had to go to New York. That there were some problems with the business and that I had to leave right away and to not ask any questions."

Amanda watched as Agent Miller opened up a manila envelope and pulled out a few black and white photos. "I want you to look at these pictures and tell me if you recognize any of these men," he told her.

Amanda took the pictures and took a good look at the first one, her heart thumping inside of her chest. She shook her head slowly as she thumbed to the next one, not recognizing the man from the first.

"This man," she said, pointing to the scruffy looking gentleman in the picture, "he's stayed at the hotel. I don't know his name, but I know I've seen him there before."

"What about the next one? Have you seen him?" Agent Barnes asked.

Amanda flipped to the next picture and looked at it inquiringly. "No, I don't think so."

"But the second one? You're for sure?" Agent Miller asked questionably.

"Yes," she answered, returning the three photos to him. "Who are these men? And what does my father have to do with all this?"

"Ms. Ballard, we believe that these three men and your father are in some sort of business together--illegal business. Until we know more, we can't get into too much detail with you. Besides, it's for your own safety that you don't know too much." Agent Barnes explained.

"Illegal business? I don't understand. I mean, what-- how could he? Wait, you don't think I'm a part of this, do you?" She asked curiously, suddenly realizing that she worked for her father. For all she knew, she could be under investigation as well.

"If that were the case we'd be arresting you right now."

"How come you haven't arrested my father?"

"As soon as we find him we will," Agent Miller explained as he rose to his feet, Agent Barnes following his partner's lead.

"But I don't understand," Amanda gasped, standing up as well.

"We'll be in contact with you," Agent Barnes told her as the two men walked towards the door. "The best thing you can do is just stay here and keep a low profile." He handed her his business card and reached for the door handle. "Call us right away if you hear from your father."

"It's very important that you do, Ms. Ballard. If we find out that he does contact you and you don't tell us, you could be arrested as well." Agent Miller added.
Amanda just stood there in shock as the two men walked out the front door.

Tears brimmed her eyes as she shut and locked the door tight. Her whole world was crumbling right out from under her and there was nothing she could do about it.

(c) 2001 BrandyRae