Chapter Three

"No. absolutely not." Lance shook his head.

"You got fifty on no?" Joey asked with a skeptical glance in Lance's general direction. The room was still dark the emergency lights yet to kick on. Without the air conditioner the room grew hot and stuffy quick. He had lost his jacket a long time ago and unbuttoned his cuffs and pushed his sleeves up. It brought little relief.

"Oh yeah," Lance told his best friend, stretching his legs out in front of him. When they realized it was going to take awhile to get the power back on, the group decided to sit right where they stood. He would have liked a wall to lean back on.

"Oh well, your money," Joey shrugged. "Bambina?"

"I'm with Lance. No way."

"What!" Joey exclaimed. "Come on. How could you possible say that?"

"Simple." Melissa shrugged. "Rachel's my best friend. I know her. She will not have sex in an elevator."

"You underestimate the power of JC. He can be persuasive."

"Just what has JC persuaded you to do?" Melissa looked at her boyfriend. "Has he persuaded you to have sex in an elevator?"

Joey choked. "No. Chris?"

"No JC hasn't persuaded me to have sex in an elevator either." Chris says calmly. "And I'm gonna put fifty on yes. Why? Because I sure as hell hope he's having a helluva lot better time then we are. At least one of us is getting some."

"Justin?"

"No Dawg." Justin spoke up. "No way. Rachel's a good girl and JC's a private person. They won't do that."

"So three nays and two yays," Joey says. "If the rolls were reversed and me and Mel were in there what would you guys bet?"

"Sucker's bet man." Chuckles came from their circle.

"You guys would be doing it in a heart beat."

"Without a doubt."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence guys," Melissa blushed.

"Are you kidding, you guys can't keep your hands off each other. The two of you alone in a dark elevator and no security cameras?" Justin said. "You'd be naked in a heartbeat."

"Joey's screams would be heard throughout the place." Chris added.

"I'm not a screamer." Joey told them causing them all to break out into laughter. "What?'

"Seriously Dawg, you out scream the heavy metal songs I put on to drown your ass out."

"Lies. All lies."

"Damn," Justin cursed as he glanced at his phone to check the time. He hadn't messed with it trying to preserve the battery.

"What's up?" Lance asked staring at Justin whose face was lit up by the backlight on his phone.

"Brit just text. Said lots of reports just popped up all over the Net about the demise of Joshel."

Lance scoffed and rolled his eyes. He gazed the shadows in the room. "Bunch of vultures.

"Bunch of bullshit," Justin spat. "I don't know how she keeps showing up everywhere. How's she getting past security?"

"Ten to one she's sleeping with someone on our security team." Joey said pulling out his own phone to look at his messages. He gritted his teeth seeing one asking for Rachel's phone number. He sent a not-so-nice reply.

"What is it with you and betting?" Chris asked deciding that since everyone else was looking at their phones, to pull his out as well. "My mom says she can't believe JC and Rachel broke up." He sent a reply stating that it was untrue. As he pressed send, he hoped that was true. But the five of them really had no idea.

"Do you guys think this will break them up?" Melissa asked softly. She laid her head on Joey's shoulder and threaded her arm through his. "I don't like to think that something like this could ruin a five year relationship, especially since we know the type of woman Beth is."

"Don't worry Bambina," Joey pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "This won't break them up. It will take a lot more than this to come between them."

"I'm with Joey," Lance said snapping his phone shut. Rumors always brought people out of the woodwork, especially ones you haven't spoken too in a long time. He answered his sister's text; everyone else was just looking for inside information. "It will take a lot to come between them, if it's even possible."

"JC might be groveling for a bit, but I don't think this will be an issue. You know how disgustingly in love they are. It's sickening to watch." Chris spoke and the guys knew he was teasing. They teased JC and Rachel every chance they got. But they were jealous of what they had found with each other. How even in this crazy mess they were able to find their other half and make it work when they didn't know which end was up sometimes.

"Bigger issue is how Beth keeps turning up and being able to pull this shit." Justin said. "This will probably open up JC and Rachel's eyes that this is a problem that's only going to get worse. Of course Beth made a mistake tonight, she showed her hand. They know what she's doing and now it's not going to work."

"True, Rachel and JC will know what to look for now and when Beth pulls something again, it won't create this big of a spectacle."

The group fell silent as they each thought about their friends. Even though they all were ninety-nine percent sure this wouldn't come between Rachel and JC there was still an inkling in the back of their minds that this could end their relationship. They weren't sure how to handle that if it happened. How could they help their friends recover from the end of a five year relationship and one that was as close as theirs? Whose side would they be on? How could they handle being friends with both parties?

"In the event of a Joshel split," Joey said, breaking the silent. "Who is next? Lancel, Justel, Rachtopher or -"

"Finish that and you're a dead man," Melissa told him.

Silence reigned in their group again.

"Fifty on Justel."

*~*~*~*

The sobs had faded away in the elevator; all that was left were soft hiccupping breathes. Neither person spoke. They just held each other in the silence. JC continued to stroke her hair. His head rested against hers; savoring holding her. He released a small sigh hoping the fact that she was still in his arms was a good sign.

Rachel's eyes slid shut as she listened to his heart beat beneath her ear. While she was crying her arms had snaked around his waist. She pressed her palms into his back, holding him close. His arms tightened around her and she felt his lips brush the top of her head. She released a sigh, sinking deeper into JC.

"I knew I loved you when we returned from Europe and you met us at the airport with a cooler full of the foods we had missed," a smile played at his lips as he remembered.

"But that was months before you told me!" Rachel picked her head up to stare at him. The darkness made it impossible to make out his features.

JC smiled and reached a hand up, tentatively feeling for her face. His fingers brushed against her cheek and he pushed the tendrils of her hair behind her ear. "I know. But I didn't want to say it too soon and scare you away."

Rachel fell silent, laying her head back down on JC's chest, a smile on her face. "Melissa thought I was crazy," she said after awhile breaking the silence again. "Searching Orlando for all the things you had mentioned on the phone and in your letters that you missed, that the guys missed. And Chris had some pretty weird things."

"To be honest, he really didn't like those things," JC chuckled. "He just tried to think of the weirdest things possible.

Rachel's laughter echoed off the walls, warming JC's heart. "That ass. I should of known. Was there anything he liked?"

"The fact that you remembered everything he said and searched for it all," JC said truthfully. "We all did."

"I'm glad. After that I felt bad if I showed up empty handed. I spoiled you guys. But I wanted to do something since you said that no one ever met you at the airport before. I wasn't sure you'd be happy to see me."

"Not happy?" JC repeated. "I was ecstatic coming down the terminal seeing you standing there. It was seeing you there waiting for me when I realized that I loved you."

"You should have told me," Rachel said, groping for his hand in the dark. She clasped his hand, entwining their fingers. "I thought I knew then too," she said softly. "But... I mean we hadn't been dating for very long and most of that time our relationship boiled down to letters and phone calls at odd hours."

"After all the rushing around we did, I looked forward to being able to call you no matter how tired I was."

Rachel giggled, "Explains the few times you fell asleep on the phone with me."

JC blushed and for once was thankful of the darkness. "Like you never did that to me."

A matching blush crept up Rachel's neck as JC turned the tables on her. "Not my fault."

"You falling asleep is not your fault?"

"No, it's yours." Rachel grinned.

"How in the world do you figure?"

"You forgot the time difference and called me. It was two in the morning, JC."

"If I remember correctly," JC said in her ear, grinning when he felt her shiver. "I more than made up for that.''

"Five months later," Rachel tilted her head when JC started nuzzling her ear.

"I didn't know there was a statue of limitations on apologizing," he ran his nose over the shell of her ear, his breath whispering across her skin. "I did apologize; a ridiculous amount of times when I called you that night."

"Mmm, you did." She sighed closing her eyes. Pictures from earlier flashed in her mind and she froze.

"Rachel?" JC questioned, pulling his head back. He damned the darkness now for not being able to read her face.

"You were kissing her JC."

"No," JC said firmly. He dropped her hand so he could cradle her face with both of his. He turned her face toward him, wishing her could stare into her eyes. "Believe me. I was not kissing her."

"I believed that you would never do that to me. That I wouldn't have to worry about something like this."

"And you don't. You don't." He repeated. "You can still believe that. I would never cheat on you. I would never kiss someone else. Even think about kissing or being with someone other than you." His voice lowered. "I love you Rachel. I believe that you are my other half; the person that I am meant to spend the rest of my life with. I am so ridiculously in love with you it's insane. If I keep going, I think I'm gonna break out into song."

Rachel giggled softly. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that sounded mysteriously close to a proposal."

JC's breath caught. His heart pounded and the skin on his thigh where the ring pressed against felt hot. Could it really be that easy? He dropped his hand and reached into his pocket. He curled his hand around the ring and pulled it out. Blood roared in his ears. He clasped her left hand with his right, his thumb brushed over the naked fingers. Maneuvering his left arm from around Rachel, he gripped the ring in his finger tips. He held his breath as he slowly slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

Rachel gasped, her head dropped to the darkness in front of her where their hands were. ‘Was that...' she mind screamed. She raised her head to meet his eyes and cursed the darkness again when she was met with black. There was an added weight to her finger and with her thumb she was able to brush the underside of a ring nestled amongst her fingers. Tears threatened. "JC..."

Hearing the questioning tone scared him. He wanted to take back the seconds and never produce the ring. He wanted to laugh off her proposal inquiry. He could face thousands of fans on stage and answer the toughest questions during an interview but facing the one woman he loved with everything he had, who held the power to destroy him, left him scared.

His timing stunk. Before tonight, he would have bet everything he had, she'd say yes. But after the incident with Beth, he should have shelved the proposal until he was sure he had gotten back into Rachel's good graces. Sure they shared a good moment earlier, but that didn't mean things were truly okay in their relationship.

But it was out there. He couldn't take it back or laugh it off. The only thing he could do was to go on and hope that she gave the answer he so desperately wanted. He tightened his hold on her hands. His heart lodged in his throat.

"I was gonna do this tonight," he started. He heard her swift intake of breath. "I had everything planned but then...Beth happened. And then we got stuck in here. I've carried this ring for a couple months now waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask you."

The tears that threatened to fall earlier, rolled down Rachel's cheeks as she listened to JC's beautiful words. He had a ring, he planned to propose. How she wished she could see the ring. She knew it had to be beautiful; gorgeous and something she would have picked out. It would be something she loved. When she dropped his hands, his words faltered. She cupped his face. Using her hands as a guide she found his lips with hers.

JC's eyes closed and he wrapped his arms around Rachel, pulling her tighter to him. He felt her tears splash onto his cheeks. His mouth moved gently against hers, trying to show all the love he felt for her.

Rachel placed her forehead against his. Her hands still cradled his face and her thumbs caressed his cheeks, still smooth from an evening shave he did as he was getting ready for tonight. "Ask me," she whispered.

The hand that held a grip on his heart loosened. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Rachel breathed pressing her lips to his again. "Yes, JC. Yes." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck as she held him tightly.

‘Thank you,' JC's mind shouted in relief as he held his fiancée in his arms. ‘Fiancée!' "Really?" He couldn't help but asking.

"Really," Rachel chuckled lifting her head. "JC, I love you." She actually felt him relax as tension left his body. "You don't doubt that do you?"

JC shook his head. "No, but I was worried... I don't think I've ever seen you that mad."

"JC, I don't think you noticed, which is surprising if you didn't, but if she was any closer, she would have been inside you." Rachel said dryly. "That didn't want to make me do cartwheels down the hallway or anything."

JC chuckled. "You do know that she was kissing me right? I wasn't kissing her. I didn't know she was there until it was too late."

"I know," Rachel sighed and she realized it was true. After the initial anger had faded, she wasn't as mad about it anymore. It was still upsetting which she told him.

"You couldn't have relayed that piece of information? I was sitting here thinking for sure we were done and trying to think of what I could do or say to change your mind."

"Did you come up with anything good?"

"Well I'm not gonna tell you that," JC poked her side, causing her to squirm against the tickles. "I'm gonna save it for another time when I mess up."

"You planning on messing up?"

"Never. I don't like it when you're mad at me," JC said solemnly.

"I don't like being mad at you." Rachel brushed her lips against his. "No more kissing anyone else."

A grin grew on JC's face. "You're the only girl I plan on kissing for the rest of my life." He threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her back to his lips.