Chapter Four 

"I spy..."

"Shut up Chris." Three voices rang out in harmony.

"Well that was uncalled for," Chris said and started tapping his fingers against the side of his shoe. He was just about to open his mouth and voice the fact that he had to use the bathroom when the lights flickered. Cheers rose up from the people around them as emergency lights kicked on, flooding the room with a dim glow.

"Hallelujah!" Justin exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.

"About time," Joey stood, grimacing as his knees cracked. He stretched, loosening up the muscles in his back before he held out his hand, helping Melissa to her feet.

"I think my butt's asleep," Melissa rubbed her hip.

"I'll wake it up," Joey murmured in her ear, placing his hands on her hips as he stood behind her.

"Down boy," Melissa said, swatting his hands away. "We need to find JC and Rachel."

"Where should we start looking?" Justin asked, half listening as a hotel employee spoke about how the storm knocked out the power in the city and crews were out working to restore it. The electric company hoped to have to lights back on in the next couple of hours. The backup generator was finally working allowing all emergency lights to work. The elevators were still down and would be done until the power was back on. To get to their rooms they had to use the stairs.

"We are working diligently to free the guests that have been trapped in the elevators as fast as we can..."

"My guess," Joey mused. "Is we should start with the elevators. I doubt Rachel would have ran out into the storm."

"How romantic would that have been?" Melissa daydreamed as she walked with the group from the ballroom toward the elevators. "Being outside in the rain listening to the main you love --"

"Plead for his life," Chris cut in.

"As he's crawling on his hands and knees," Justin added.

"Through puddles; the rocks cutting into his knees and the palms of his hands," Lance joined.

"Oh yeah, very romantic Mel," Joey teased.

"You guys all suck. Each and every last one of you," Melissa huffed. "I don't know why I hang out with y'all."

"Cause you love my big, hairy butt."

"That must be it," Melissa said as they came up to the elevators. A hotel employee was perched outside the doors, turning people away.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, Gentlemen; the elevators are out of service until the power comes back on," he said apologetic.

"We're actually looking for our friends. We lost them before the power went out and believe they might have been on the elevator going back to their room," Lance explained.

"They just couldn't wait, ya know," Joey grinned at the employee, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Stop that!" Melissa smacked her boyfriend in the stomach. "You'll have it spread all over the tabloids..."

"What? That JC and Rachel have sex?" Joey asked rubbing his stomach. Melissa hit hard. "I think they probably already know that by now."

"Don't mind him, Mel;" Justin said. "He just wants to win the bet."

"Damn right I do. That's an extra hundred and fifty!"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "You're a dumbass."

"Anyway," Lance rolled his eyes. "Do you know who is stuck in the elevators? We really need to find them?"

The hotel employee's eyes widen as he stared at the four men in front of him. "Oh man. You're friend wouldn't have happened to be chasing after a blonde in a blue dress?"

"Yes!" Justin nodded his head. "You seen them?"

The employee nodded his head. "A few minutes before the power went out. They came into the lobby; the blonde first. She was running toward the elevators. A few seconds later your friend came out. He was frantic, looking around. I took pity on him and pointed him in the girl's direction. I didn't even... when the power went out there was so much confusion, I had forgotten all about them." He turned to look at the closed set of doors behind him. In all there were four elevators in the small hallway. "I don't know which one they were on, or if they made it to their floor. But these three elevators are stuck," he pointed to the two in front of him and the one behind him to his left. The third, eight and twelfth floor. If your friends didn't make it off before the power went, they'd be on one of those floors. I'm sorry that I don't know which one they got in to."

"Don't worry about it," Justin said. "You've already helped us a lot." He turned to look at his friends. "Should we each take a floor?"

"I'll take the third," Chris volunteered. "My ass is not walking up twelve flights of stairs. No way."

"You're gonna have to," Lance said. "Our rooms are on the fourteenth floor." He grinned hearing the older man curse.

"Let's just stick together," Melissa said. "We'll go to the third floor, then eighth then twelfth. If they are stuck in one of those, we'll wait until they get them out and then go to our rooms."

"If they aren't in one of them?"

"Then we go to their room and hope they are in there."

*~*

When the elevator doors opened, JC and Rachel were met with five pairs of expectant eyes.

"No bloodshed?" Chris said peering hesitantly into the car. He looked at the floor and at the walls; even the ceiling got a look over. "Sort of disappointed."

"You expecting some?" JC stared at his friend, keeping his hand on Rachel's waist keeping her at his side.

"Not really," Chris shrugged. "Though I was hoping you'd be sporting a shiner. That's the least Rachel could have done."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Chris," Rachel said dryly. "No bloodshed. I didn't even slap him."

"Pity," Justin shook his head, a teasing glint in his blue eyes. "That would have been your chance to get all your aggression out."

"Knowing C, he would have stood there and let you."

"I wouldn't go that far," JC broke in; though it was probably true to some extent. He would have let Rachel work out her anger to a point. He was glad the power went out it definitely changed the course of their night. It certainly expedited their making up.

"Judging from the fact there is no bloodshed, JC's free of bruises -"

"That we can see," Joey interrupted Lance. "Rachel's smart. She'd know to hit where the bruises wouldn't be seen."

Lance rolled his eyes. "And the fact that they are standing with each other; you worked everything out?"

Rachel tilted her head up catching JC's gaze; his blue eyes sparkling. She slightly turned toward him wrapping her arm around his back, hugging him to her. They didn't say a word, just stared at each other.

"Oh God," Chris groaned. "They are back to that disgustingly happy bullshit. I'm gonna be sick." He turned around and pretending to puke, leaning a forearm against the wall.

"Knock it off," Justin shoved Chris playfully. "You know the world can't function if these two aren't together. Rivers start flowing backward. The sun rises in the west..."

"You're such a moron," Melissa rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "Sometimes I think I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Hey!" Rachel said drawing her eyes away from JC to stare at her best friend. "I take offense to that!"

"Well... surrounded by mostly idiots," Melissa amended.

"Thanks," Rachel frowned. "I think."

"Oh you know I love you!" Melissa pulled Rachel away from JC and into a hug. "How are you really? Ready to go kick that bitch's ass for pawing your man? Cause all you gotta do is say the word Rach and I'll be there with a shovel, tarp and an alibi."

"I'm not gonna need an alibi," Rachel chuckled. "She's not going to tear us apart," with those words her eyes met JC's and they shared a look. Her thumb rubbed the back of the ring on her finger. When the emergency lights had kicked on, she had been able to stare at the beautiful diamond JC had placed on her finger in the darkness.

"You need to do something about her JC," Lance said seriously. "She's gonna keep showing up like this and it's gonna get worse and worse."

"She's unstable, C," Joey spoke. "It all seems pretty harmless now but she won't always been harmless. She's gonna escalate and someone's gonna get hurt."

"And since she's in love with you, you know the person who's gonna get hurt," Chris said solemnly.

At Chris's words the group sobered. They all knew stories like this never got better. There were harmless stalkers that would show up where they were and snap pictures of them. Then there were stalkers who knew no personal boundaries; who thought one of the guys belonged to them.

"We'll have a group meeting tomorrow," JC said, taking Rachel's hand in his and pulled her back to him. When he threaded their fingers he felt the bite of the metal pressing against his finger. It was welcoming. He still couldn't believe Rachel still said yes after everything that had happened.

"We'll get Johnny there and Lonnie," Justin named off the rest of their security detail.

"Someone's letting her in to these events JC," Lance explained seeing JC's confused face. "We think one of the guys is doing it."

JC hated to think that a member of their own security team (the guys hired to keep them safe) was knowingly letting a woman who wanted cause problems between he and Rachel. What Chris said was true. He didn't fear for his safety. Beth wanted him, that was no question, but there was one person standing between her and that goal: Rachel. He squeezed Rachel's hand again before dropping it and wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her tightly to his side. Before long Beth would realize these little games she was playing was going to work and she would start resorting to something bigger, with drastic consequences. That scared him. "If one of them is letting her into these events, he's done." He wasn't playing around. Luckily the rest of the guys agreed with him.

"So you guys are good?" Joey asked looking at JC and Rachel. It was a useless question; anyone could see just how good Rachel and JC were.

"We're good," Rachel said with a smile, tightening her hand on JC's waist. She caught JC's gaze and saw the approval. "More than good," she looked at their friends gathered in front of them. "Great actually." She held up her left hand revealing the ring on her finger.

Melissa was the first to react; shrieking and pulling her friend into a choking hug. "He still went through with it! I was worried the night had been ruined and he'd wait another five years before proposing."

"You knew he was proposing?" Rachel pulled back looking at her friend. She noticed the guys weren't surprised either. They were all happy, laughing and joking with JC as they offered congratulations, but not surprised. "You all knew."

"Justin opened his big mouth," Chris grinned, pulling Rachel into a hug. "Congratulations."

"Thanks for stealing my thunder man," JC joked as he shook Justin's hand before pulling him into a one-armed hug.

"I didn't mean too! Honest!" Justin said quickly. "It just came out."

"How about we take this to our rooms where we empty out the mini bar in JC's room and celebrate?" Joey grinned.

"Shit," JC laughed. "I'm getting married; you know damn well I can't afford that shit now."

"Right," Joey laughed. He clapped JC on the back and nudged him toward the stairwell door. "We'll empty out Justin's."

"What? Why am I the one footing the bill now?"

"Because you're the baby and you do as we say." Chris grabbed Justin in a headlock and pulled him through the door to the stairs, giving him a noogie the whole time.

"Stop it you freak!" Justin said finally able to remove himself from Chris's clutches. He rubbed his hair, hoping to get it settled back down.

"Now you've done it," Lance laughed watching Justin as they started up the stairs. Luckily Rachel and JC had been trapped on the twelfth floor and their rooms were only on the fourteenth so they didn't have very many floors to climb. "I know how to settle this."

"How's that?" Rachel asked grabbing the front of her dress with one hand. She pulled it up so she could climb the stairs without stepping on the fabric. She felt JC behind her, his hand on the small of her back, waiting just in case she missed a step. She loved him.

"Whoever lost the bet pilfers up their mini bar contents."

"Bet?" JC asked, knowing he hadn't been a part of any bet between the guys. "What bet?"

"Yeah Joey," Melissa smirked. "What bet?"

"We bet on whether or not you guys had sex in the elevator...if that's where you guys were because we didn't know." Joey said as they opened the door and exited the stairwell on the fourteenth floor.

"You what!" Rachel shrieked.

"It was Joey's idea," Justin said quickly seeing JC's glare. "And for the record I said no."

"Same." Lance grinned.

"Definite no," Melissa told Rachel.

Rachel and JC turned their hard gazes on the two friends who had stayed silent.

Joey started fidgeting under his friend's glare.

"You're in trouble," Chris sing-songed.

"You said yes too, Fucker." Joey gave Chris a little shove.

"I can't believe you made that bet," JC said as they broke off to their rooms.

Joey shrugged as he pulled keycard out of his wallet. "I bet on everything. As Chris had said, I hoped you guys were having a better time than we were. And what better way than having sex in an elevator when the security cameras didn't work?"

"Not helping," Melissa told Joey. When Joey got their door open, she gave him a shove inside. "Before he can stick his foot any further down his mouth." She grinned over her shoulder at them and gave them a small wave before the door shut.

"Fuck," Justin spat. "He didn't give us his fifty bucks! That fucker!"

"Maybe you should tell JC and Rachel what the other bet was," Chris grinned swiping his key card in his door. When the light flashed green he pushed it open but stayed in the hallway.

"What bet was that?" JC asked looking a Justin.

"I'll get that money later," Justin grinned and quickly went into his room.

"Pussy," Chris laughed, but he didn't bother to reveal the bet either and slipped into his room.

Rachel and JC turned their gaze to the only remaining member left. They stared at him expectantly.

"Since I didn't put my hat into this bet," Lance grinned more than willing to tell his friends. "Joey wondered if in the case you guys did break up and Joshel was no more, who would take your place?"

"There was never a chance of us breaking up," Rachel said looking at Lance.

"Take our place how?" JC asked slowly.

Lance grinned and opened his door. "Let's just say Justin put fifty down on Justel. Night," he waved and let the door close behind him leaving Rachel and JC in the hallway by themselves.

"I outta kick his ass," JC said shaking his head. "Justel."

"Never in a million years." Rachel said firmly, following JC into their room. When the door clicked shut she leaned back against it and quickly removed the high heels from her feet letting them drop to the floor. She sank her feet into the carpet happy to be out of the heels letting her eyes fall shut. She felt JC close to her and she opened her eyes meeting his blue ones. She wrapped her arms around JC's neck; his hands settled at her waist. "Should we tell them?"

JC grinned and stepped forward; he placed a leg between Rachel's bringing their bodies closer. "And give Joey and Chris the satisfaction of being right?" He brushed his lips against hers, smiling when she tried to deepen the kiss.

"We're not celebrating tonight, are we?" Rachel whispered, moaning softly as JC placed kisses on her neck.

"Oh yeah," JC said bringing his lips back to Rachel's. He teased them once more, his smile growing at the impatient noise she made. "But this is a private celebration."

"You know how you said I was the only girl you planned on kissing for the rest of your life?" She heard JC's hum in answer as he nuzzled the side of her head. She shivered feeling his breath over her ear. "You better put that statement into motion right now or else --"

JC swallowed the rest of her words when he closed his lips over hers. In the back of his mind he made sure to remember to collect the fifty from Justin. There was zero chance of Justel happening.

Joshel was just fine.