Shadow was only few blocks away from the hotel so the guys went back to their rooms to shower after the show. They rolled up to the nightclub afterward to a seemingly endless line of fans hoping to get into the place. Bouncers from the club played backup to their security, and *NSYNC, along with Johnny, was ushered through open doors. Though the place looked relatively small on the outside, it was quite spacious inside. They were led through the center of the main part of the club, flanked by security.

The lights in the club were low, accented by occasional bursts of bright colored strobes and the guys couldn't see much. Still, they made an effort to look in every direction and smile and wave to the screaming mass of people surrounding them. They were led to a staircase at the back of the club, where two more of Shadow's bouncers stepped aside to let them ascend.

The VIP section was essentially a balcony that extended around the peripheral  walls; the entire main floor could be seen from the top. One side housed the section's full-service bar, while the opposite side was the dance floor. The middle section was filled with plush couches and loveseats, done in shades of crimson and cream. Black accent tables were scattered between the seats, directly under crystal chandeliers.

The entire entourage stopped as a blonde man in jeans and a sports coat pulled Johnny to the side and began whispering in his ear. While they waited, JC glanced around the space squinting, looking for Casey. He knew she'd come straight to the club from the Rosemont, so she had to be around somewhere. Compared to the crowd downstairs, the VIP area was pretty sparsely populated. But in the relative dark, and without his glasses, he couldn't really see anyone but the people standing right near him. He was still looking around when he felt someone nudge him.

"Did you hear any of that, ‘C?" Chris was looking at him expectantly.

JC smiled slightly and shook his head. "No."

Chris chuckled and inclined his head slightly across the room. "She's over there. By the bar."

JC narrowed his eyes and could just make her out, standing several inches shorter than the group of people she was surrounded by. "Thanks."

"Now that the important stuff's taken care of," Chris snickered, "you should probably know that the guy that Johnny was talking to is the guy who manages this place. He's gonna introduce us from up here, and we're gonna wave to all of the people down there." He pointed to people gathered on the dancefloor below them.

As if on cue, another employee handed the manager a microphone. He gestured toward *NSYNC, waving them closer, and the screams from the crowd increased to near deafening levels.  

***

"Oh, there he is!" Amber pointed to the tall, thin young man slowly approaching the bar. "You made it! Casey, this is my friend Chuck. Chuck, meet Casey Whitaker."

Casey smiled at the tall, thin young man. With his tattoos and multiple facial piercings, he looked to be completely out of his element in that evening's crowd.

"Nice to meet you." She held out her hand in his direction.

Chuck blinked a couple of times, face flushed, before seeming to notice that Casey was holding out her hand.

She laughed as he shook her hand, still staring at her slack-jawed. He was nervous meeting her, which she found rather charming and a little unexpected. Despite the fact that she'd spent part of her afternoon signing autographs for people, she still didn't think of herself as a celebrity. Particularly not in a building with *NSYNC.

"I...um...you, too," he mumbled.

Amber snorted. "You still didn't believe me, did you?"

Still smiling, Casey's forehead wrinkled in confusion as she looked over at her friend. "Believe you about what?"

"N-no," Chuck stuttered, eyes darting back and forth from Casey to the floor. "I believed you. I just mean it's like...real. That I know someone who's actually friends with a celebrity." His face flushed as the words came out.

"If you want to meet some real celebrities, I'll introduce you to those guys over there." She nodded to the side of the room where Justin and Chris were talking with a small group of people. "I could tell as soon as they came in; the volume went up forty decibels. And it's like that. All. The. Time."  

"What happens all the time?" someone interrupted, coming up behind Casey.

She and Amber turned to see Joey and Lance. "Your fans lose their shit when you walk into a room." She snickered. "Lance, Joey, this is Chuck. Chuck, meet Lance and Joey of *NSYNC."

"Nice to meet you," Chuck said, shaking each man's hand in turn.

"Let me guess," Joey began with a mock serious expression on his face. "You must be here to see Casey tonight."

Chuck snorted. "Uh...yeah. No offense."

"None taken," Lance laughed. "You never know, but you don't exactly look like an *NSYNC fan."

"What are you drinking tonight, Chuck?" Casey cut in with a laugh.

He shook his head. "I'm not. I really just came to meet you. I open the store tomorrow so I need to head home."

"Already? You just got here."

He smiled. "This, uh, isn't really my speed."

The group laughed and Casey nodded. "Well, it was nice to meet you." She shook his hand again.

"Pleasure was all mine," he affirmed. "Um...do you think it would be OK if I took a picture with you before I leave?" The blush crept back to his face and Casey grinned.

"Of course it would be," she agreed enthusiastically.

He handed his camera over to Amber and stood next to Casey. Casey wrapped her arm around his waist and he grinned in surprise. Just as quickly, he put his arm around her shoulder.

"All right, say cheese on the count of three," Amber said. She counted off and snapped the picture.

Chuck said goodbye to everyone and headed back out through the door to the main part of the club.

"Great show tonight, Case," Lance said with a nod. "I was able to catch part of it. Excited to be back home?"

"I was nervous as hell to be back home. But things went well, I think," she answered.

Joey nodded as he stood next to Amber. "Oh, yeah, Case, your energy onstage tonight was...well, it rivaled JC. And that's saying a lot."

She snickered. "Speaking of JC...where is he?"

"Um," Joey began, "I think he--"

"Wait, why are you looking for JC?" Amber's eyes narrowed on Casey. "You and JC don't talk."

Casey's eyes closed. Dammit. She'd already done two lemon drop shots, and what with the excitement of the show, and the boosted bass in the club seeming to pump through her veins, she was feeling good. Maybe a little too good. And extremely loose-lipped, apparently. JC was a subject she was planning on having with Amber in private. Not in the midst of the loud, crowded club.

"I, um...we actually do talk. Now. JC and I have kind of been...seeing each other."

She blew out a noisy breath and met her friend's eyes. Since the cat had inched its way out of the bag, there was no time like the present. And maybe Amber would take it well.

"Seeing each other," Amber repeated softly. "Since when?"

"It's been a couple of months," Casey mumbled.

Amber's smile was quick and hard. "After hating him for a couple of months, now you've been seeing him. For a couple of months. Just like that."

A headache formed behind her eyes, and Casey massaged her temples. Maybe not. She groaned. "I never hated him, Amber. You know that."

"I'm going to go find JC," Joey interrupted. When his comment seemed to go ignored by both young women, he made eye contact with Lance.

"I'll help you," Lance put in. "Good to see you Amber." Both men walked off, still unnoticed by the two women.

"That's just great, Case." Amber nodded her head quickly, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You've been seeing JC for months and I'm just now hearing about it? Were you going to say anything about it ever?"

Casey rolled her eyes. "Of course I was going to tell you, Amber. I--"

"When, Casey?" Amber glared down at her, anger radiating out of her. "When were you going to tell me? Because in the past couple of months I've talked to you several times and you haven't once mentioned the fact that you're," she made air quotes with her fingers, "seeing JC. And what the hell does that mean anyway? Because you've been seeing him daily for months now. So I'm assuming you mean you're fucking him."

"Dammit, Amber! Could you keep it down?" Amber's voice had steadily risen on the last sentence she was all but screaming. Casey glanced around in embarrassment, seeing that a few people had clearly heard the exchange.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about JC, OK? But I'm not going to fight with you about this. Not here, and especially not tonight. Now isn't the time--"

"Oh, yeah, that's right, Casey. It's not the time because you say it's not the time and you're the--"

"Ladies, you may want to bring it down a notch. You have an audience." Though neither Casey nor Amber had noticed, Joey had returned to where they were standing, with JC coming up next to him.

"Hi, Amber." JC looked between her and Casey quizzically. "What's going on?"

Amber's eyes left Casey's face and traveled to JC's. "So I hear you and Casey are on better terms now?" Her smirk was devoid of any good humor.

JC glanced at Casey and nodded slowly. "Um, yeah. You could say that."

Amber's smile dropped from her face as she looked back at Casey. "You're such a hypocrite."

"A hypocrite?" Casey sputtered. "How am I a hypocrite?"

"Case," JC, interjected, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should wait ‘til--"

"No." She shook her head emphatically. "I want to know how I'm a hypocrite."

JC and Joey exchanged a look as Amber laughed bitterly. "Never mind. You don't get it and I'm not going to explain it to you." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Joey. "I'll meet you back at the hotel. I don't want to be here anymore."

Casey's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Wait a minute. You...and Joey...? That's why you were at the hotel earlier?"

Amber rolled her eyes viciously. "Yeah, Casey. Me and Joey. And I don't give a damn what you have to say about it."

"Come on, Amber," Joey began, grabbing her arm. "You should--"

"What the entire hell, Amber?" Casey threw up her hands in exasperation. "You're angry with me because I didn't tell you about JC--yet--and you're...doing whatever it is you're doing with Joey and I know nothing about it. But I'm the hypocrite?"

"You don't get it, Casey." Amber's eyes were cloudy as she shook her head sadly. "But you're right; here isn't the place to talk about it and now isn't the time." She looked at Joey again. "I'll see you later." With that, she turned and walked away.

"Sorry," he mumbled, shrugging in discomfort before following off after Amber.

"What...just happened?" JC said, turning to Casey after watching Amber and Joey leave.

She rolled her eyes. "Fuck if I know. But I need a drink."

***

JC stood back and watched Casey. She was maybe drinking a little too much; by his count this was tequila number three, and she'd all but slammed back two rum and colas before that. And he thought he'd seen her do at least a couple of jello shots when the waitress walked by with a tray. To the casual observer, she looked like a young woman enjoying herself. But he was observing her more than casually.

Beyond the little bit that he'd heard, he still had no clue what exactly had happened with Amber. But she was fine, so she said; she was always fine, so he'd noticed.

"Body shots!" she yelled suddenly.

JC shook his head slightly and headed over to her. "I think body shots aren't such a good idea tonight, Case," he said, taking her upraised arm with a smile.

"Yeah, I think it's time to get her back to the hotel," Lance laughed.

"And I think...I need...another shot," Casey managed with much effort.

JC slipped his arm around her waist. "I think you've had enough," he snickered. He looked slightly behind her and nodded as he caught Eric's eye.

"Awww," she pouted, leaning heavily into JC's arm. "You're no fun, JC."

"And you're drunk, Casey."

She huffed for a moment before brightening. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed.

JC looked down at her quickly. "What's wrong?"

"Our names...totally rhyme!" She looked at him wide-eyed, blinking slowly.

JC snorted. "Yeah, definitely time to get you to bed.

She was still leaning on him heavily as staying upright was clearly a feat, and still laughing over rhyming names. "Tequila makes me horny. So if you wanna get some tonight I'm totally a sure thing." It was intended as a whisper, but in her inebriated state she was nowhere near quiet.

JC blushed and Eric stepped in grabbed her. "All right, Case, let's go." The big man all but carried her out.

***

"Come on, ‘C" Casey wiggled suggestively in his lap. "You know you want it just as much as I do." She giggled as she felt his physical response to her movement. "Told ya."

He cracked a smile and rubbed his hands up and down her back, leaning his head back as she kissed his neck.

"Hmmm, maybe. But you're drunk." He gently pulled her hands from around him.

Casey frowned. "I'm not...that drunk, JC," she said sharply.

"Tell you what, I'm going to go hop in the shower and if you're still 'not that drunk' when I get out, I'm all yours." He kissed her quickly on the forehead.

She sighed and slid off his lap. "Fine. I'll be waiting."

Yeah, right. He smiled as he made his way into the bathroom. He was willing to put money on Casey being asleep by the time he got back to the room. And he wouldn't blame her. Under the best of circumstances, the day had been long and tiring. Add into a surprise visit from her ex-boyfriend and a fight with her best friend not to mention all of the liquor she'd consumed, and she had to be beyond exhausted.

JC peeled his clothes off, turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature until it was just shy of scalding. After stepping inside the steam-filled stall, he closed his eyes and placed his hands on the wall, letting the water run from the top of his head and down his back and shoulders. The water eased his muscles and his mind wandered.

Tony had shown up at her signing and that was unbelievable. After everything happened, JC was amazed that the guy would have the balls to show his face anywhere near her. And that line of thought led him to the next logical thing: what the hell had happened in that hotel room? Other than insisting that it wasn't that bad, she refused to discuss it. She did that a lot, he was noticing. When things good to uncomfortable, she shut down...or distracted herself. And that, he knew without a shadow of a doubt, was exactly what the blow job had been about.

He grabbed the bar of soap and began lathering up, still deep in thought. Their talk was good, earlier. Everything he'd said was true; he liked her and while the circumstances of traveling across the country kept them together, it made perfect sense to just...enjoy it. He'd told her to stop worrying and let things happen. But as much as he liked her, and as much as he thought she liked him too, maybe he was just another distraction.

Casey's...she's not as together as she likes everyone to think she is. But maybe she doesn't have it as much together as you think she does. Justin's and Lance's words looped in his head. Being with Casey was proving to be complicated. Maybe too complicated. Especially for a guy who didn't, under ordinary circumstances, do complicated.

He rinsed off and shampooed his hair. He wasn't ready, or willing, to cut things off with her. Of that much he was positive. And that worried him because he was also positive that the feelings he had for her were moving from like into something...also complicated. And maybe it would be a good thing to take his own advice, and let things play out. But there was that small voice from earlier, whispering again, that maybe she'd hurt him. And the sudden realization that she even had the power to do that...well, that was terrifying.

After getting all of the shampoo out of his hair, JC turned off the shower.

***

The shower stopped and Casey turned over onto her stomach, sliding one hand under the pillow. The roaring in her head had diminished to a dull ache, but she was thirsty. She also didn't feel like getting out the bed. She'd stripped out of everything but her panties and was feeling quite cozy beneath the heavy covers of the hotel bed.

The concert, her first at a major arena at home, had gone spectacularly well and she was looking forward to tomorrow's. It had been wonderful spending most of the day with her mother and brother, and seeing extended family and old friends come to support her; she was trying to focus on all of the good. But the rest of the day... Between Tony showing up in the afternoon and the ridiculous fight with Amber, she was exhausted.

The door to the bathroom opened, casting a wedge of golden light over the bed. She turned over to see JC. He stood over the threshold between the bathroom and the door, hair damp and messy. Wearing a pair of slate colored boxer briefs and nothing else, he grinned at her. He was beautiful.

"You're awake." He turned off the bathroom light and climbed into bed next to her. "I didn't think you would be."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well, if you'd taken anymore time in there I wouldn't have been. But I'm thirsty and I may as well brush my teeth while I'm up." She pushed the blankets down and eased herself into a sitting position and for a moment, the room swam before her eyes and she swayed.

"I think I had too much to drink tonight," she whispered with a groan.

JC snorted. "You think?"

She massaged her temple for a moment, hunched over. The bed shifted beside her and then she felt JC warm against her back, leaning close to her.

"You OK? I'll get the water. Do you want some crackers or something?"

She reached up and touched the hand that he lay gently on her shoulder. "You're sweet. Especially considering how obnoxious I was." She grimaced, remembering the last thing she'd said before Eric practically carried her out of the club. "But I'm good. My stomach's fine; my vision's just a little...blurry." She stood up slowly and very carefully stepped her way into the bathroom.

With the door closed behind her in the room, she couldn't help but frown at her own reflection in the mirror. Her makeup wasn't terrible, other than her mascara having smeared a little bit. But her eyes were bloodshot and tired, and her hair was an untameable, frizzy mess. She grabbed her face wash from the toiletry bag on the counter and scrubbed her face. Her face was now clean, but her eyes still looked the same. She fleetingly wondered if Eloise would have anything for that tomorrow. Once her teeth were brushed she wet her hands again and smoothed water through her hair, not enough to saturate it, but just enough to make it easier to pull up into a bun. She'd deal with the detangling process tomorrow after a shower.

She exited the bathroom to find JC under the covers with the overhead light already off, and a bottle of water on the bedside table. After taking a few swigs, she slid in next to him and he immediately moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her midsection. They'd fallen into a very particular sleeping pattern and she liked it.

"Thank you for the water," she said softly. "Hey, you said you were all mine if I was still awake when you got out of the shower. Did you forget that?"

"Mmm," he murmured. "I remember. But you're gonna have to work for it because I'm already like, eighty-three percent asleep."

She smiled but didn't reply. A few moments of silence went by before she spoke again. "JC?" Casey's voice cut through the darkness tentatively. "Are you awake?"

His reply was in the form of an indistinct grunt. Casey squeezed his hand, which was against her stomach. "C." When he didn't reply she tried again. "Jaaay-seeee..." she sing-songed. "I know you're not asleep yet."

"Then why'd you ask?" he dead-panned, scooting one of his legs further between her two.

"I was kind of wondering something," she began, ignoring his sarcasm. "Like, there's something I want to ask you, but I have to preface it by saying that you don't have to, OK? Like, I want you to and all, but if you don't want to, I will totally understand and--"

"Casey, normally I'm a fan of your midnight rambling--"

"It's after midnight and I don't ramble," she huffed. "Usually."

He wrapped his arm tighter around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Fine. After midnight jaunts into philosophical--"

"JC," she whined.

"Get to the point, babe. I'm about to pass out on you."

"What are you doing tomorrow? I mean before the show? Do you have, like, press stuff?"

"I have," he began, yawning loudly, "nothing before the show. And I plan on enjoying it by sleeping. For as long as humanly possibly."

"JC," she whined, "don't be boring."

"You know just how boring I'm not," he muttered under his breath.

"I just...would you want to have brunch with me and my family tomorrow? I mean, like I said before...you don't have to if you don't want to. And if it's too weird, or too soon, or too whatever, like, I totally get it. But my mom asked tonight and then I figured that--"

"Casey!" he cut in sharply.

She let out her breath in a whoosh and closed her eyes. "Yes?" she said in a small voice.

JC scooted down until his lips were right next to her ear. "I would absolutely love to come to brunch with you and your family tomorrow. But only if you absolutely shut up right now."

She relaxed against him and smiled in the dark. "Ok, cool."

"Just...don't make it too early, OK?"

She grinned and closed her eyes. "I have a radio thing, so after that."

He nuzzled down until his nose was right up against the back her neck, where he planted a kiss. "Goodnight, Casey."

"‘Night, JC."