-11-

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Lance asked, looking back and forth between Gabriel and Jasmine.

“No, it’s fine,” Jasmine replied, waving her hand in the air, a bright smile on her face. “Gabe’s going to show me the sights.”

“She hasn’t been to LA as often as I have, so I said I’d show her around,” Gabriel explained, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. “We’re going to swing by JC’s real quick, and then head over to City Walk and The Grove and wherever else we can get in a day.”

He lifted his hand and scratched the tip of his nose. Lance watched his eyes shift to the right, looking past him and turned his head in time to see Annaleigh rub at the side of her nose before quickly cupping a hand around her mouth, letting out a loud cough. Lance’s eyes only rolled halfway, glancing upwards, as he let out a breath through his nose.

Oh yeah. He knew what she was doing.

“Ooh, I want to go to the Hollywood sign, too,” Jasmine said, turning to face Gabriel. She gave him her toothy smile and placed a hand on his arm. “I heard the view is really beautiful up there. Maybe we can get some food and have a picnic.” Her lips slid back over her teeth in a peaceful smile before she used the top row to drag her bottom lip into her mouth. Lifting her eyebrows, her eyes sparkling, she shifted to stand on the balls of her feet.

Gabriel let out a short, breathy chuckle. “Sure,” he replied, bowing his head slightly before lifting his head to look at her, returning her smile.

Lance pulled his lips backwards, trying not to give away his smile. He had seen that look thousands of times from thousands of girls, in many cities. But, he knew Jasmine. That boy had no idea what he was getting himself into. Once she set her sights on a guy, she really hooked her nails into him. At least until she found out he wasn’t right for her, or she got bored, whichever came first. Just like Annaleigh, though, she was getting to the point to where she was ready to settle down and get married and she had set her sights on Gabriel.

“Well, we don’t want to be late for the fight,” Annaleigh said with a chipper tone, clapping her hands together. She reached into her pocket for her wallet before opening it, pulling out a couple of bills. “Get me a new recording mic while you’re in town?”

“Sure,” Gabriel replied, reaching for the money. Annaleigh pulled it away from him, over her head. Given his height, that wasn’t much of a challenge for him and he easily reached over and plucked the papered money out of her hands.

“I want the change back this time,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Last I checked, baby sister,” Gabriel said, pocketing the money, “you’re the one who never gives change back.” Annaleigh made a face at him and he just grinned. “Have a good time.” He then turned towards his car and pulled open the passenger seat.

“Thaaaank you,” Jasmine cooed as she climbed into the car.

“Have fun,” Gabriel said, lifting his hand in a wave before walking around the front of the car, pulling open the driver’s side door.

“You, too,” Lance replied.

“Not too much fun,” Darren muttered as he backed away from the car as it started up. Gabriel honked the horn twice before removing the parking break, backing out of the driveway, and heading down the street. As soon as the car disappeared from view, Lance burst out laughing. “What?”

“Not too much fun,” Lance repeated, deepening his already deeper voice. “Come on, man. They’re young and in love.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder before removing his keys from his jeans pocket. “Alright, let’s go.” He stopped and turned towards Michael who had basically been silent since breakfast. “Um…do you want…shotgun or something?”

“Uhhh,” Michael held out the word before shaking his head slightly. “No, that’s ok. I don’t want to put anyone out.”

“Suit yourself,” Lance replied, stepping around him, pulling open the driver’s side door. He climbed in and slammed the door shut behind him. Pressing his foot firmly on the brake pedal, he buckled himself up and slid his keys into the ignition. The car shook slightly as it roared to life.

“Am I the only one that didn’t even have an idea about those two?” Darren asked as he got into the passenger seat.

“In a word: yes,” Lance replied, reaching up to adjust the rearview mirror. He dropped his hand back into his seat and watched Michael’s reflection as he pulled his seatbelt across his chest. It pulled his shirt taut even more so than it already was. Lance could see the muscles in his chest move under his shirt as he settled into his seat.

“Come on, D, he’s my brother,” Annaleigh said, leaning forward in her seat, grasping the back of his.

“Half-brother,” Darren corrected.

“Whatever,” Annaleigh replied with a roll of her eyes. “You like him. He’s good for her and ya know it. You don’ think he’s gotten on my case ‘bout my bein’ sweet on you a while back?” She made a clicking sound with her tongue and settled back in her seat. Lance watched her roll her eyes. “All brothers are the same.”

Lance’s eyes shifted back to Michael as he started to talk. “Hey, as a brother, and a twin to my sister for that matter, it’s important for us to keep an eye out for you guys,” Michael said, holding a finger in the air. Annaleigh hiked an eyebrow before leaning towards him, snapping her jaws shut around the air near his finger. Michael let out a laugh as he pulled his hand back before sliding his thing fingers through his curly hair. “I’m younger than my sister, and I’m sure she hated me for it. But, if you knew her, you knew she was a handful as a kid.”

“Hmmm, sounds like someone else I know.” Darren jabbed Lance’s shoulder with his index finger and Lance slapped his hand away before looking back into the rearview mirror. He locked eyes with Michael who smiled, closing his eye in a quick wink.

Caught.

Lance immediately shifted his gaze from the rearview mirror, feeling himself suddenly burn beneath his shirt collar. Clearing his throat he turned up the volume on the radio, released the parking break, and backed his car out of the driveway. With his other hand, he turned on the air conditioning and angled a vent to hit him directly in the face. And he kept it on for the duration of the car ride, looking in the rearview mirror only when absolutely necessary.

*_*_*

Lance winced as a loud cheer went up in their section of the crowd as one of the two fighters in the giant ring in front of them was thrown over the other’s shoulders and slammed onto the ground. “I thought you said you weren’t allowed to do throws in fights,” he shouted over the loud noise into Annaleigh’s ear.

“And Steel Wool is down with a throw by Hammer Claw!” The announcer in the ring shouted into his microphone.

Another swell of cheers hit the air, battling against boos and jeers. The area was dimly lit, packed with people. Lance wrinkled his nose as soon as he stepped into the building. The smell of popcorn, hot dogs, stale sweat, rubber and old gym socks hit his nose with a pungent smell. By now, he had gotten used to it, as his attention was mainly on the fight but partially on ignoring the person who kept kicking the back of his seat in excitement.

“This is a different style of fighting,” Annaleigh shouted back. She lifted a finger and indicated the shirtless guy with the black gloves, shorts, and boots. “He’s doing takedowns and head butts, too.”

“Which I’m sure the ladies here are gettin’ a big kick out,” Darren added, lifting his cup of soda to his mouth, biting down on the straw. He lifted his hand, eyebrows shooting up as if to say “See what I mean?” when shrieks hit the air as “Steel Wool” marched around the ring, swinging his arm and rotating his shoulders, his muscles flexing as he did so.

“All ya have to do is bulk up and walk around shirtless and you could get any filly you wanted ta bat an eyelash in your direction,” Annaleigh said with a sweet smile. Darren let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Are they always like?” Michael asked from Lance’s other side. Lance let out a laugh before turning in his seat, angling his body in Michael’s direction.

“It’s how they flirt,” Lance replied and Michael slowly nodded his head, a knowing smile on his face. “Neither of them have the balls to just do anything about it despite my pushing.” He let out a sigh through his nose. “He’s been patient, but she hasn’t had the best luck with relationships.”

“Does it have to do with that Wade guy that came to the party?” Michael asked. Lance felt his eyebrows narrow. Michael shrugged his shoulders.”You guys got tense when his name was mentioned and she seemed to be the only one to defend her.” His lips twitched slightly. “My sister went through a bad relationship a little ways back. She’s better now, but I know what it looks like to beat yourself up.”

Lance felt himself staring at Michael and blinked, shifting his gaze away from him. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Lance replied.

“It’s ok,” Michael replied, waving his hand in the air. “Like I said, it was a little while ago and she’s doing much better now.”

“Making jewelry, right?” Lance asked. Michael’s eyes widened slightly as if he was surprised that Lance had remembered what he said.

“Uh, yeah,” Michael replied. He then reached under the collar of his shirt and pulled at the cord chain around his neck. It glinted against the light and Lance dropped his gaze to the compass that dangled at the end. “She made this for me.”

“A compass?” Lance asked, looking back up at him.

“So I’ll know that I have some sense of direction in my life,” Michael replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “That’s what she told me, anyway. I think it was supposed to be a joke or an insult or something, knowing her, but it’s helped.” He then tucked the necklace back into his shirt. “So why this? What got you interested in fighting?”

“Not fighting, self defense,” Lance replied, scratching the side of his jaw. He bowed his head, pressing his lips together and twisting his mouth to the side. “I got jumped when I got back to Mississippi. I know home isn’t a place that’s so welcome to people like me, but I just needed to get away from everything out here for a little while. I wanted to learn how to take care of myself and—“

“And show everyone that people like us aren’t going to just sit back and be pushed around or be called every name under the sun?” Michael finished for him. He stuck his bottom lip out slightly, eyebrows lifting, as he nodded his head. “Makes sense.”

“I…you said ‘us’,” Lance said, blinking rapidly.

“Yeah,” Michael replied with a small grin. He lifted an eyebrow as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?” His smile got wider and a dimple appeared in his cheek. “You really didn’t know?” He chuckled. “That’s funny, most people tell me they can tell just by looking at me.”

“…Sorry,” Lance replied. He bowed his head, scratching the back of his neck. He regretted saying that as soon as it came out of his mouth, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He was suddenly aware of how close they were sitting. The heat of Michael’s arm pressed against his, their kneecaps made the hair on his arms stand on end.

“It’s ok,” Michael replied with a laugh, putting his hands up in the air. He slumped in his seat just slightly. “I’m not offended.”

“So if your career as a model is dependent on your looks, why do some of your friends fight?” Lance asked, changing the subject, shifting his attention back to the two men fighting in the ring.

“We all like doing different things,” Michael replied. “They like to fight and I like to paint.”

“Well, you’re really good at painting, “ Lance replied. He realized with a start how insulting that could have sounded and quickly tried to explain. “At modeling too, I guess. I mean, I don’t think I’ve seen you in anything. But...but, you have to be good to have it as a job. Right?” Stop talking, Lance. You’re making it worse. “And be good looking, I suppose. Not that you’re not! Er, not that I don’t think you aren’t, uh—“ Ok, now it’s worse.

Michael peered over at him, a smile of amusement on his face. A smile that suddenly made Lance annoyed. He was 27 years old and the man turned him into a rambling, self-aware teenager all over again. And how? With a simple smile and his calm and laid back attitude. Lance curled his hand into a fist and pressed down on his thigh. Surely he’d learned how to keep his composure around…a very good looking guy.

He was saved from having to answer when a loud ding split the air and spectators jumped to their feet, applauding and cheering as the referee lifted the hand of Hammer Claw into the air, declaring him the winner.

“Anybody hungry?” Michael asked as he got to his feet, turning towards the group. “About ten minutes until the next fight starts up.”

“I could go for some nachos,” Annaleigh said as she pushed herself to her feet. “I have to go to the bathroom, anyway.” She reached for her wallet and Lance grabbed her arm.

“I got it,” he said.

“No, no, I’ll get it,” Michael replied. “It’s the least I could do for inviting me.”

“You got us the tickets, it’s ok,” Lance said. He placed a hand on his shoulder and quickly removed it as if he had gotten burned. He might as well have. As soon as his hand made contact with Michael’s shoulder, he felt a spark shoot through his hand, leaving a hot trail as it traveled through his body. “D, you coming?”

“Sure,” Darren replied, stretching his arms in front of him. He lifted his cup and shook it, the ice rattling around inside. “I need a refill anyway.”

Michael led the way out of the stands and in the direction of the food line, carefully stepping around those in their aisle. “So you two seem to be hitting it off,” Annaleigh said with a bright smile, looking up at him. She was practically skipping and humming.

“You know, I wondered how quickly Gabe and Jazzy decided to go sightseeing today,” Lance mused aloud. “Probably faster with the money you gave him.”

“Hey, I really need a new recording mic, buddy,” Annaleigh said, gently slapping the back of her hand against his chest.

“You’re getting to be as bad as Jazzy,” Lance commented. “And as obvious.” Annaleigh just let out an evil giggle before increasing her speed to catch up with Michael. He sensed Darren on his other side. “If only she could use her matchmaking skills to realize you two are perfect for each other.”

“Like I said, she’s goin’ ta have to make the first move this time,” Darren said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve been waitin’ this long, what’s a little while longer.”

“You’re too nice sometimes, Dare,” Lance said, with a shake of his head.

“I’m Southern, ya can’ fault me for that,” Darren replied with a grin. He reached out a hand and shoved Lance’s shoulder. Lance felt himself collide with someone and he quickly blurted out an, “Sorry, man.”

“Hey, no problem,” the man Lance bumped into said as he gently grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. “You alright?” Lance gave a nod of his head. “I’m Rick.” He held his hand out towards him.

“Lance,” Lance replied, taking Rick’s hand, shaking it. “This is my friend, Darren.” Darren lifted his hand in a wave before shaking Rick’s hand. “And this…” Lance trailed off, spotting the area that Michael and Annaleigh were just standing in now empty. He craned his neck and spotted them in the food line. He faced Rick again and saw that the man was staring hard at him, his eyes narrowed. “Um…”

“Lance Bass, right?” Rick asked and Lance slowly nodded his head. “The gay guy?” Lance stopped himself from rolling his eyes, but felt his jaw tighten. Rick let out a deep chuckle, his mustache and beard spreading with his smile to reveal slightly yellowed teeth. He lifted his hand and rubbed at his short spiky hair. His brown eyes glowed. “Never thought I’d see someone like you out here.”

Lance let out a short laugh. He didn’t know whether or not to be offended. It was one thing to be seen as the former boy band member (of which he preferred to call them a music group), but to think just because he was in a boy band he couldn’t go see a fight from time to time went over his head. He was just like anybody else, doing a job to get by, keeping his family and himself financially supported. The only difference was that people knew his name..and just about everything else about him through various interviews.

“Yeah, well, I’ve gotten interested in it lately,” Lance said, giving a shrug of his shoulders. “My friend Anna’s been teaching me.” Rick’s eyebrows twitched.

“Well, I know a couple of places for some other fights if you’re interested in seeing what else the city’s got going on,” Rick said as he reached into his back pocket. “Interested in fighting yourself? Need a couple more to keep it going regularly.”

Lance felt Darren hit the back of his arm and he turned to see his friend, peering over at Rick. He shook his head just slightly. So slightly Lance barely saw it. “Ah, I’m not sure,” Lance replied. Rick held a stack of business cards in his hand before he held it out towards Lance. “Haven’t been training that long.”

“If you want to get some pointers,” Rick said, with a shrug holding the card out to him. Lance glanced down at the card and Rick shook it just slightly. Lance let out a sigh before taking the card, shoving it into his pocket. “Or don’t come, that’s fine, too. All I’m saying is if you ever want a real fight, come to this address. We’ll sort you out.”

“Is this legal?” Darren asked, tilting his head to the side. “These fights.”

“Well—“

“You guys better hurry up or we’ll be stuck in line when the next fight starts,” Annaleigh said as she and Michael rejoined them. She glanced over at Rick and gave a quick nod of her head in greeting.

“Hey.” Rick snapped his fingers pointing in Annaleigh’s direction. She lifted an eyebrow as she dunked a chip into the cheesy sauce in the plastic container in her hands. “You’re that Annaleigh chick that bearded for him; the chick with the famous music dad who had an affair. I know you.”

Annaleigh’s nostrils flared just slightly before relaxing, She slowly looked him up and down before shifting her gaze over to Lance. He watched as the corner of her lips twitched. “You’re the dude who can’ grow one to so he has ta prove his masculinity by talkin’ down to others. I think you’re overcompensatin’.” She tilted her head to the side glancing around him before shifting her gaze back to her eyes. “Lack of a girl? Or…somethin’?”

Annaleigh slowly smiled, one which Lance could easily depict as a warning sign. Southern girls never fought with their fists (that’s not to say that Annaleigh didn’t have that training now) but chose to fight with their words. You’d be insulted up and down before realizing it; her words would be coated with a sticky sweet smile.

Lance quickly turned a snort of laughter into a cough as he watched Annaleigh hold out the plastic container towards the older man. He blinked rapidly, eyebrows knitting together as he let the words sink in. Darren had balled his hand into a fist and pressed it tightly against his mouth. The corners of his lips were pulled taught, trying not to giveaway his smile. Michael’s eyes were wide as he looked back and forth between Rick and Annaleigh, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Annaleigh lifted both her eyebrows, holding the tray out towards her, shaking it slightly when he didn’t immediately reach out to take it. “Lance is one of my best friends and I love him.” She put as much emphasis on “best friend” as she could and Lance felt his smile widen. “I don’t care who he decides to be with but I’m always happy when we we’re together whether we’re involved or just friends. He’s a great guy and an even greater friend and that’s all that matters.”

Her words suddenly took on a steely tone. “Though I’m sure I don’ need to explain that to someone like you, I’m sure you’re not a pinhead like your physique suggests.” She slid a cheese covered chip into her mouth and loudly bit down on it before shaking the container again. “Nacho?”

Michael burst out laughing shortly followed by Darren and then Lance. Rick’s eyes darkened. He twisted his mouth to the side before slowly swiveling his head towards Lance. He ran a hand down his face, letting out a breath of air before asking, “Did you enlist this wench into fighting your fights before or after she drove you into the arms of a man?”

A gasp when Annaleigh shoved her tray of nachos into Darren’s chest with so much force, he was surprised Darren was able to draw in breath. “I didn’ make him gay,” she snapped, eyes ablaze. She stomped her foot on the ground before crossing her arms over her chest. “And I’m not a wench!” Annaleigh spun on her heels and stormed through the crowd.

Michael pressed his lips together before he clasped his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels a few times. He made a popping sound with his lips. “I think she’s mad,” Michael spoke up after a moment of silence.

“…It’s kind of true,” Darren said, lifting a hand to scratch the back of his neck.

“Uh…I don’t think she got that,” Lance said. He didn’t even get his full sentence out before Darren talked over him with an annoyed “Shut up, man.” Lance put his hands up defensively, taking a step back from his friend. Darren let out a sigh and moved through the crowd to find her. “Dude, leave her alone. It’s obviously me you have a problem with.”

“Lance. just ignore him,” Michael said, grabbing his elbow. Lance planted his feet firmly in the ground, bending to the side when he was pulled. “Come on, let’s go.” Lance brushed his hand away.

“Listen to your boyfriend, Lance,” Rick said, a smug smile coming to his face. He lifted his hands and flapped his hands in the air as if he was shooing him away. “Just walk away. It’ll do you well to learn when to pick a fight.”

“Yeah?” Lance asked. His fingernails pressed painfully into his skin from how they were curled. He pressed his hands to his sides and felt the outer edge of the business card Rick had given him poke through his jeans and into the side of his hand.

If you ever want a real fight, come to this address. We’ll sort you out.

“Well, I’m picking this one,” Lance replied before swinging his arm up, popping his fist forward. Rick’s head snapped to the side from the force and seconds later, he was on the ground, cupping a hand around his cheek. A groan rumbled in the back of his throat as white hot pain shot to his knuckles.

As screams and gasps of shock hit the air, Lance shook out his hand. Michael was saying something to him, but he couldn’t focus his mind on what he was saying. “That’s for calling her a wench, pinhead,” Lance said through clenched teeth. He glanced down at his knuckles and saw the skin ripped slightly, blood rushing to the surface. Damn it.

The breath is in his mouth escaped in a rush as he let out a low “oof” when Rick’s shoulder collided with his stomach. Lance felt himself tip backwards, as his chest bent forward. His head bounced against the floor a second after his body did.

Annaleigh tried to slow her march, but her anger surged her forward. She wanted to throttle that guy, but knew nothing good would come from it. Her fight training was about self-defense, not about showing who had the bigger balls.

Darren fell into step beside her, catching his breath. He held the nacho container out towards her. Annaleigh grabbed it so forcefully, some chips spilled over the sides, only to be trodden on by her unwavering gait. “You’re not a wench,” Darren said to her, lifting a hand to brush his hair off of his forehead.

Annaleigh let out a short laugh. ‘’Oh, I know that,” she replied with a brief shake of her head. “I was doin’ that guy a favor by not making him snack on his teeth.” She tossed her nacho container into the nearest trashcan she passed before clapping her hands together, trying to wipe off the salt crystals stuck to her fingers. She was in no mood to eat. Her stomach was churning anyway.

She had no idea how to break her news of moving back home to Lance. Normally it wouldn’t be a problem; her bluntness was something that he had complimented her on numerous times. She just didn’t want him to be out in California all alone. She wouldn’t have even have partially moved out to Los Angeles in the first place if he hadn’t practically begged her to do so. Not that it would’ve taken much more than a bat of his eyelashes or just a pleading look from his green eyes; she was already sold on the idea.

What with *NSYNC ending and the boys going their separate ways, Lance decided to stay in Los Angeles to continue work and she sure as shootin’ wasn’t quick to go back to Mississippi. She felt like her career in the music industry had just started. After a quick trip home, she packed up some of her belongings and moved westward much to her father’s reservations.

“Are you sure this is what you really want?” Ryan asked as he matched a pile of socks for his daughter. Annaleigh let out a huff of air as she snapped the shirt she held in her hands. “California is really different compared ta Mississippi.”

“I’ve only been livin’ out there for the past couple years, dad,” Annaleigh replied, folding the shirt and setting it down into her suitcase. “I think I know tha differences by now.” She looked up at him. “Yes, this is what I want. You know that.”

“But, this is the first time you’re living out there without a job waitin’ for you. I jus’ don’t want you to forget where you came from, Sweet-Pea,” Ryan said, reaching up a hand to run his fingers through his hair.

“You’ve been tellin’ me that since Lance first went out to Orlando, daddy,” Annaleigh said with a sigh. She put her face into her hands for a moment before brushing sliding them back, brushing her hair back behind her ears. “Now I understand why, but you don’t have ta keep sayin’ it. You don’ have ta worry.”

“As long as you’re still my daughter, I’m goin’ ta worry,” Ryan replied, one side of his mouth pulling upwards into a half smile. He slowly blinked, peering over at her. “Especially after what happened with that Robson fella.”

“Daaad,” Annaleigh groaned. “Did ya have to bring that up?” She scratched the back of her neck. “Any louder and it’ll be all over Clinton in half a second. I don’t need that.” She shook her head back and forth. “Not again.” Ryan opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, his eyebrows shooting up, before he relaxed his facial expression. Annaleigh felt her shoulders slump. She was a real jerk. “Daddy, I’m sorry. I didn’ mean it.”

“Yes, you did,” Ryan replied quietly, making a clicking sound with his tongue. He put his hands up defensively before leaning forward in his seat to rest his elbows on his knees. “But, that’s ok. I know I’m not one ta really preach this to you given my choices, but runnin’ from your problems doesn’ fix anything. I’ve stayed around despite the townsfolk still talkin’ ‘bout my affair and my refusing to pay child support to Elizabeth and Gabe. I know they talk ‘bout you and your mother, and I may not fully understand what you’re goin’ through, but I don’ want you to think that Clinton can’t be a home for you anymore.”

“Daddy, I love it here,” Annaleigh explained, stopping what she was doing to walk around her bed to sit in front of him, jostling the pile of socks. “Clinton will always be my home and always be the place I want to come back to. Just not now.”

“For a place you love so much you sure do want to leave in a hurry,” Ryan commented, settling back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

At 44 years old, he was still as handsome as he was on his old album covers. With his dark hair and piercing green eyes sat accompanied with his almost arrogant smile, he was considered a real catch. So much so that he had landed as number ten on the 25 Most Crushable Men Under 25 list back in the day. She was partially surprised that she didn’t have any lady callers on his doorstep but given how small the town was, she understood at the same time. They would all know about his failed marriage, they were probably hesitant to be involved with him.

“I just want to take this music thing as far as I can, that’s all,” Annaleigh replied, reaching out a hand to place it on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Ryan flipped his hand over and enclosed his long fingers around her hand, his rough, warm palm pressing against hers. “I want you to be proud of what I can do.”

“Sweetie, I’d be proud no matter what you decide to do,” Ryan replied, his eyebrows lowering into a look of confusion, hurt flashing through his eyes. “Do you know how proud I was to know you wanted ta make music? Do you know how proud I was when you spoke up in divorce court and told the judge whether you wanted ta stay with your mother or myself instead of being told where you’d end up? Do you know how proud I am of the woman you’ve become despite how rough your life has been?”

“Daddy,” Annaleigh said with a sigh, spotting the emotion in his eyes.

“I’ve always been proud of you, Annaleigh Carr, damn proud,” Ryan explained. He blinked his eyes once, twice, three times before swallowing thickly. “I don’ want you to forget it and I don’ want you to forget what Clinton means to you the longer you’re in LA.” Annaleigh opened her mouth and Ryan put a hand in the air, stopping her in her tracks. “I’m not sayin’ that it’s going ta happen to you. I just want you to understand that happened to me; I felt invincible out on the road and I let the rock star life really get to my head. And I want you to understand that I’m most proud is that you’re still the same girl I’ve raised and watched grow up despite everything. I’m happy to know that Lance and those boys have kept a good head on their shoulders and helped you as well.”

“Dad,” Annaleigh said, peering over at her father.

“Yes?” Ryan asked.

“I’m goin’ ta miss you, too,” Annaleigh replied, giving him a soft smile. Ryan’s lips pulled back into a smile as a chuckle rumbled in his throat. He then leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

“Come back and visit, Sweet Pea. An old man like me gets pretty lonely at times,” Ryan said as he pulled back, his smile disappearing slightly. “You’ll always have a place here whenever you feel the need to come home.”

“I know, Daddy.”

Annaleigh was happy to know that she still had a place back at home, but things were different now. Gabriel had moved into her home to get to know his father more while Elizabeth moved into an apartment in town. Both Annaleigh and Gabriel would take turns flying back and forth from California to Mississippi to work on their music together all the while she helped JC and Justin with their albums.

With Ryan and Elizabeth now interested in seeing each other, surely they didn’t want their kids still living in the house like a built in family. Heck, she wasn’t sure she really wanted to see that they were interested in dating each other. She was happy her father wasn’t feeling so lonely anymore, and she thought Elizabeth was really nice, but she was still the reason why her parents split up. It was just going to take some time to get used to.

The past six years was nothing to sneeze at.

“Somethin’s bothering you and I know it’s not ‘cause of what that moron said to you,” Darren said to her, grasping her arm to stop her from continuing forward. Annaleigh lifted her gaze towards the ceiling as she turned to face him, lips pressed together, pursed just slightly. “I know you, Ace, you barely bat an eyelash if someone calls you names before you take ‘em down.” He paused for a moment before reaching up a hand to massage his shoulder. “An’ I know that first hand.” Annaleigh couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “So, what’s going on?”

Annaleigh let out a sigh, scratching the back of her neck. “I talked ta Wade and he helped me realize some things,” she explained. Darren lifted his eyebrows, angling his head forward slightly, silently urging her to continue. “I’ve decided that I’m going to move back home but I don’t know how to tell Lance.”

“I…what’d he say to make you decide that?” Darren asked after a moment of silence. He cleared his throat, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Not that I’m not happy or anythin’.”

“He just helped me realize that I can reach my goals back home,” Annaleigh replied, waving her hand in the air. “That’s all. Don’t make it a big deal. I know you’re not fond of the guy, but he’s really changed.”

A look of annoyance briefly crossed over his face before it disappeared and was replaced with curiosity. “Ok, so why is it hard for you to tell Lance?” Darren asked.

“He’s always had someone out here to live with,” Annaleigh explained. “If it wasn’t *NSYNC, then it was Jake and then us after Jake moved out. I don’t want him to be lonely.” And yet you’re doing a pretty good job at making sure you stay that way, Annaleigh. Annaleigh mentally shook the owner of the small annoyingly smug voice away. “I’m worried about him.”

Darren squinted his eyes slightly. “That’s not the only thing,” he said to her. “What’s going on?”

“Dad and Elizabeth are interested in seeing each other, ok?” Annaleigh replied. She watched as Darren’s eyes widened. “Yeah, dating. She, dad, and mom told us when they took us out to lunch. Mom seemed to be ok with it.”

“And you’re not,” Darren replied as more of a statement than a question. He lifted a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You met her six years ago, Annaleigh. I think that’s enough time to forgive her for what happened years before you were born. You can only punish them for so long.”

“I’m not punishing them,” Annaleigh protested. Darren hiked an eyebrow. “I’m not.” I’m punishing myself. She nearly flinched when the words smacked into the front of her skull with full force before blinking with neon lights. There was no way to ignore that as it pulsated between an electric blue and lime green light in her face.

“Look, you have your whole life to freak out about it or accept it or do whatever, just don’t do it in front of him,” Darren said. He quickly corrected himself. “Them. Don’t do it in front of them. Gabe, too. He’s had things harder in some cases then you. He only grew up knowing that he had a sister—“

“Half-sister,” Annaleigh corrected him.

“Whatever,” Darren huffed, throwing his hands into the air. He sucked in a deep breath of air through his nose before letting it out, dropping his shoulders from their positions by his ears. “He grew up knowing he had a sister that most likely didn’t know a thing about him, and knowing that he had a dad that didn’t want anything to do with him and despite that, he still tried to find you. If he and Elizabeth can be on good terms with not only your dad, but your mom considering what went on between the three of them, then you can work things out with Elizabeth.”

Annaleigh opened and closed her mouth trying to form an answer. Her mouth moved faster than her thoughts and managed to get out a, “That’s not…but you…you don’t…” before sticking out her bottom lip in a pout. “You’re so annoyin’, you know that?” He was right. She knew he was right

“Nah, you just hate bein’ wrong,” Darren replied, relaxing into a grin, his dimples appearing in his cheeks, causing an ache to form in the middle of Annaleigh’s stomach. He lifted a hand and placed it on top of her head, the heat permeating her scalp, burning the tips of her ears, forming a ball of heat in her chest as it made its way down to the tips of her toes. She made a face when he started to muss her hair.

“Hey!”  Annaleigh slapped his hand away, her upper lip curling before she stuck her tongue out at him. Stop it, Anna. Can’t you have one conversation with the guy without turning into a kid again? That was going to make what she asked next a whole lot harder. “Look, when I get home, could I stay with you at your place?”

Darren eyes widened slightly before they relaxed and he turned his head to the side, peering at her. “You really don’t think you can stay in the same house with her around, do you?” he asked. Annaleigh put her hands up defensively.

“Hey, you said not to show how weirded out I am about this in front of them,” she replied.

“…That’s why you crashed at my place last time isn’t it?” Darren asked, snapping his fingers as the realization hit him. “Because Elizabeth was at your place.” Annaleigh just pressed her lips together, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Alright, alright. I’ll let you stay at my place.” He lifted his index finger. “On one condition.”

“Which is?” Annaleigh asked, her eyebrows shooting upwards before a curious look crossed her face.

“Help me at school with my kids’ show choir show and I’ll let you live in my apartment,” Darren replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “At least until you’re ready to either get your own place or you go back home.”

“I’ll make sure I don’t make things uncomfortable for you and any girl you wanna bring back to your place,” Annaleigh commented, curling her lips into a teasing smile. “Just put a sock on the door and we’ll be fine.”

Darren’s lips twitched as he held his hand out towards her. “Deal?”

“Y’know, one of the last times I was makin’ a deal with you, Jazzy and I got sick by the creek stinking of cigarette smoke,” Annaleigh asked, reaching up a hand to scratch at her eyebrow.

“You were the one who insisted you knew how to smoke, that wasn’ my fault,” Darren replied, arching an eyebrow. “Besides, I took care of y’all and you did end up holdin’ your end of the deal.”

“Two weeks without Jazz and I followin’ you and Lance around everywhere,” Annaleigh said with a sigh, shaking her head back and forth before she gave him a charming smile. “How did y’all survive?”

“Somehow we managed,” Darren replied, matching her smile with his own. “So we have a deal? A place to live in return for helping me at school?”

“Deal,” Annaleigh said, slapping her palm into his, shaking his hand. “You’re getting the better end of the stick, though: someone to cook and clean for ya and I have to spend a couple hours a day with teenagers again. I got enough of that when living with Justin, JC, Lance, Chris, and Joey.”

“I’m worth it,” Darren replied, bending at the waist just slightly in a bow. He then straightened and offered her his arm. “Can we go back now?”

“Can we get some more nachos first?” Annaleigh asked, placing her hands on her stomach. She interlocked her fingers, using the palm of her hands to rub small circles as it growled. “I didn’t get the chance eat mine before I lost my appetite just looking at that guy.”

Darren let out a bark of laughter. “You haven’t called me in a while,” he pointed out to her, one half of his lips pulling back into a lazy grin. “I should be jealous.” He slowly shook his head back and forth, chuckling. “If anyone’s ever told ya that you’ve changed, Anal-Lee, they didn’ know ya as a kid.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment, Chippendale?” Annaleigh asked, narrowing her eyes just slightly, her eyebrows tipping upwards. She reached out her hand and clapped him on the arm before hooking hers through his. “No need to be jealous. But, I will let you buy me more food.”

“Oh, goody,” Darren said, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Instead of nachos, though, could we get—“ He didn’t finish his sentence as a man in a security uniform crashed into his side, shouting into the speaker box on his shoulder.  Two more security guards rushed past on either side of them. He tripped over his feet, colliding with Annaleigh.

His shoulder felt like a brick wall ramming into her side. A gasp barely slipped past her lips before she felt herself falling. She felt Darren tighten the muscles in his arm before feeling his other hand tightly grasping her right bicep. And then she was pulled up against his chest, her head bouncing slightly against the broad stretch of muscle across his chest.

“You ok?”

She closed her eyes as his scent overloaded his sense. He wasn’t one to wear cologne or body spray or anything with a very noticeable smell or at least she was pretty sure he didn’t. He always just smelled…clean. Annaleigh felt herself stroking the soft cotton of his shirt with the pads of his fingers when he gently shook her, instantly snapping her back to reality.

Oh, my god. Feeling her face burn, Annaleigh took a large step back from Darren. “Mmhmm. Yeah, I’m good,” she replied. Was that her voice sounding all high pitched? She loudly cleared her throat before stepping forward to land a punch on his arm. “Thanks.”

“Surrre,” Darren replied, holding out the word, slowly nodding. He nodded his head in the direction the security guards took off in. “Wonder what their problem is.”

Annaleigh gave a shrug of her shoulders. She reached her hands up to adjust her ponytail, using her arms to hide her burning cheeks. They had to have gone through pink, bypassed red, and were no purple. “I think I heard them say something about a fight before you crashed into me after stumbling over your big feet.”

Darren hiked an eyebrow. “If that’s how you’re gonna thank me, sweetheart, I guess I should say ‘you’re welcome’.” He then blinked, shaking his head from one side to the other in quick succession. “Wait,” he said to her, “did you say ‘fight’?”

“Yeah…why?” Annaleigh didn’t need to finish her sentence to understand what he was implying. She locked eyes with him for a split second before the two of them went running off in the direction they had come from shouting “Excuse me” and “Sorry” as they pushed people aside, clearing a path for them

They came back to the area where they had left Michael and Lance to find Lance pinning Rick to the ground, trying to land a punch on him. They were both red in the face, breathing heavily between shouts at each other. Two security guards were trying to keep the crowd back and one was helping Michael to try and pull Lance and Rick away from each other.

“Lance, knock it off,” Darren shouted, rushing forward to help.

“Darren!” Annaleigh watched as Michael and Darren grabbed Lance’s shoulders, trying to pull him off of Rick. She joined the two men and tried to stop her friend from fighting. His body was slicked with sweat, making it hard for any of them to get a good grip on him. “Lance stop.”

“You didn’t hear what he said,” Lance said through clenched teeth, kicking his feet towards Rick. Rick let out a loud swear before managing to untangle himself from the security guard that held him.

Ducking his head, Rick drove his shoulder into Lance’s stomach, knocking them all over. The sound of skin hitting skin hit the air, surrounded by the cacophony of shouts from the spectators, shouts from those on the floor, whistles from the security guards, the music playing through the speakers, and the cheers from the other fights going on in the building.

Darren sudden turned his face towards the ground, grabbing at his eye, teeth clenched in pain. Annaleigh didn’t know what Rick had said to cause his lips to pull back into a sinister grin, but one minute she was struggling to get Lance to her feet and in the second she had single handedly hauled Rick to his feet. She clasped her hands together down at her side before spinning on her heels, swinging her hands up and across his jaw like a bat, knocking him over.

“Hey, that’s enough.” A hand tightly gripped Annaleigh’s arm, pulling her back. Hot breath hit the back of her neck. “Knock it off.”

The fighting quickly ended after that as a swarm of security suddenly came out of nowhere, hauling all  of the fighters to their feet. “Now we’re going to get you checked out by medical aid and then we’re going to have a nice little chat.”

“Uh, this guy might need a hospital.”

Annaleigh looked over at Lance and felt her jaw drop when she saw how pale he was. He was breathing heavily, looking as if he was doing his best to keep his head up. His eyelids were droopy and it looked as if it was taking all of his energy to keep them open. “Lance?” Annaleigh asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” Lance wheezed. Then his eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out.