Rachel sat at the foot of JC's bed Saturday morning scrolling her phone listening to JC sing in the shower. He would sing a few lines then fall into ones filled with la's, da's, dee's, and dums. It brought a smile to her face. The fragrance from the products he was using floated out into the room. She breathed deeply letting the scents fill her.

The morning had gotten off to a late start. Wrapped in each others arms cocooned beneath warm blankets, they found it hard to leave her bed. Her mind had yelled out for coffee, but her heart had overruled. They laid in her bed, talking softly and trading kisses. Most of the condoms JC had pulled from the box were still attached to the strip. They hadn't come close to the lofty goals. Rachel had blamed the fact that she hadn't slept the night before and hadn't been sleeping well since Mississippi. The talking between them had grown shorter and the kisses longer. It wasn't long before JC had rolled over and taken her once more.

His phone had roused them again; vibrating incessantly in his pants pocket wadded up on her bedroom floor. It had been Heather. And Tyler. And Lance. McKenzie hadn't been kidding when she told them they were going to lunch. The messages had been teasing and borderline vulgar. It made Rachel hope Lance either deleted them or kept his phone from McKenzie if she felt the need to text JC. The last thing she needed was for her to read what Lance had sent. Ditching the brunch was out of the question since JC had ditched his family the night before. While she wanted to shut her bedroom door and lock out the world, she knew it wasn't possible. There had been a lot of regret on her part when she climbed from the bed to take a shower. So much so, when she turned to look at him at the bathroom door, she couldn't help but go back. She hit the bed and crawled on her hands and knees up the mattress and over him where he was waiting with a kiss and more.

That had led her rushing through her shower and getting ready while he had to explain to his family they would just meet them at the restaurant; to not wait for them. His house had been empty when they arrived. He went to his bedroom to shower and change. She followed unable to be away from him. Their relationship felt different today than it had before. Even before the break up and before Mississippi. It felt more real. More solid. Like before was just what could be. Today it was what they were. She couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift though it was still a couple weeks away.

‘Will you get off him already and get your asses here? We are starving!'

Rachel rolled her eyes as she read the text from Lance. ‘Go ahead and order. JC's almost done.'

‘I bet he is.' Lance replied with a winking emoji.

‘Before you even think about letting my daughter have your phone, you better delete any perverse, sexual undertone, and downright crass messages you sent me or JC.'

‘You're no fun.'

‘Give us 15 minutes.'

Rachel looked up when JC walked from his bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. She swallowed roughly and was tempted to text Lance back amending the time frame.

"Now that's a look that's gonna get me in to trouble," JC felt her look down deep. He had to force himself to move to his dresser and not toward her and his bed. He dropped the towel and pulled on his briefs. When he turned around he saw Rachel still looking at him. "You really gotta stop looking at me like that," he groaned.

"Sorry," Rachel grinned, not even remotely sorry at all. She tore her eyes away and looked down at her phone. If she continued looking at him, she knew they wouldn't make it to lunch.

‘How are you doing today?'

Rachel read the message from Melissa and grinned. Her friend had no idea what happened after she had left. ‘I am freaking amazing!'

‘How much wine have you had????'

Rachel snorted at Melissa's response. ‘I'm not drunk on wine. I'm drunk on looooove.'

‘That's it. I'm coming over.'

"What are you giggling about?"

"Melissa thinks I've gone off the deep end." Rachel looked up her breath catching in her throat when she saw him dressed in medium wash jeans, camel colored shoes, a plain dark grey t-shirt with an olive utility jacket. "And I may have..."

JC smirked as he put his watch on, looking at the time before he fastened it. They needed to hurry. "You ready?" He asked as he put on his cologne.

"Yeah." She pushed herself off the bed. "You look amazing. Smell great too." The shower products didn't compare to the scent of the cologne he had just put on. She imagined laying in his bed, with all the scents surrounding her, engulfing her.

"What did I tell you about looking at me like that?"

"Sorry."

"Yeah I don't think you're really all that sorry." JC grabbed his phone, wallet, and car keys from the top of his dresser. His wallet went in his back pocket, while he slid his phone into his front. With his keys in one hand, he placed the other on Rachel's back ushering her from the room.

Rachel climbed into the passenger seat in JC's car once they entered the garage and buckled her seat belt. Her phone vibrated in her hand as JC climbed in.

"Tell them we are on our way," JC rolled his eyes as he buckled in and started his car.

"It's not Lance," Rachel responded as JC backed out of the garage and pulled away from his house. "It's Melissa."

‘Where the hell are you? I'm in your house. Your car is here. You are not here.'

‘I'm not home.'

‘No shit!!'

"She's having a coronary because I'm not home."

"Did you have plans?"

"After yesterday she probably thinks I'm still drowning in tears." Rachel told JC as she typed out a text to Melissa. ‘I'm with JC. He came over last night after you left. We made up.'

"What happened yesterday before I came over?" He spared her a glance as he navigated the twists and turns of his road coming down out of the hills.

Before Rachel could respond, her phone went off. Melissa was calling. "Yes?"

"What do you mean you and JC made up? When? How? What the hell? I didn't leave until almost nine. Why didn't you call me!"

Melissa's voice was loud and Rachel would have been shocked if JC hadn't heard it word for word. "Which question do you want me to answer first?"

"I swear to God if you don't answer me right now..."

"JC and I made up. We're together." She cringed and pulled the phone away from her ear when Melissa shrieked. "Last night after you left. You have three kids, I don't have to explain how. I didn't call you because I was busy."

Melissa shrieked again. "Oh my God! Seriously! You and JC finally did the nasty? It's about fucking time! So what are you doing now? Are you still in bed? Lord knows I would be after wanting a man for fifteen years."

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "We're headed to Estrella for lunch with everyone."

"Everyone? I wasn't invited," Melissa said miffed. She pulled Rachel's front door close, making sure the door was locked and walked back to her vehicle in the driveway.

"Lance, Michael, Kenzi, JC's parents, his brother and sister, their spouses. I'd say you can come too, but we've already kept them waiting long enough. For you guys to drive from Calabasas."

"Yeah yeah," Melissa backed from Rachel's driveway and headed home. "I take it you're busy today then?"

"I don't know. We haven't gotten passed lunch. Why?"

"Briahna and Kenzi."

"Oh... yeah. We gotta do something. She spent the night at Lance's last night. I'll talk to her and let you know. See if we can't get them fixed before school on Monday."

"Great. I'm really happy for you Rachel."

"Thanks," Rachel smiled.

"Why don't you be my girlfriend I'll treat ya good..." Melissa sang loudly over the phone.

"Bye Mel," Rachel laughed as she ended the phone call. "McKenzie mention Briahna at all last night?"

"No," JC shook his head. The light turned green and he turned on to Sunset. The restaurant was just up ahead. "Why?"

"They apparently had a huge fight on Thursday at school. It was so bad McKenzie skipped track practice after school. They haven't made up yet."

"She didn't mention anything about it." JC pulled down a side street before the restaurant then turned across traffic entering a small parking lot near the rear. "Do you know what the fight was about?"

"Us I think." Rachel said as she climbed from the car and met JC at the back. They held hands and they walked through the parking lot toward the restaurant that Lance had part ownership.

"Us?" JC asked surprised. "Why would they be fighting about us?"

"I don't know."

"Hey! It's about time!" Lance called when he saw his sister and JC coming up. They were seated at the outside tables. The tables had been shoved together to accommodate them all.

"I said we'd be here in fifteen minutes. We made it in thirteen." They had to walk inside to get to the patio seating. On their way to the patio, they were stopped twice by someone who wanted a picture with JC.  When they finally got to the patio they were surrounded. McKenzie was the first to meet them.

"Mom!" McKenzie hugged her mother tightly.

"Kenzi," Rachel hugged her daughter just as tightly. "You were busy yesterday," she whispered softly so only McKenzie could hear.

McKenzie laughed, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She fought against the tears. She didn't want to start crying. Didn't want to bring lunch down. "I didn't want to ruin your dream again."

"You didn't ruin it the first time." Rachel told her and drew back. "It just changed in to something I didn't know I wanted."

McKenzie grinned and released her mom, turning her attention to JC. "I knew you could do it."

Her statement caused everyone to laugh. JC pulled her in to a hug. "Thanks for the confidence."

"You didn't need it," McKenzie shrugged as she pulled away. "I saw the sketchbooks in the attic."

JC opened his mouth to ask about the sketchbooks he keeps hearing about, but McKenzie spoke faster. "Uncle Lance and I brought you something for Monday." She ducked around the table and back to her seat where she grabbed the t-shirt laying over the arm of the chair

"I'm almost afraid to look at this," JC said as he accepted the blue shirt from McKenzie.

"Well, it's more from me. He just helped," McKenzie explained.

JC unfolded the shirt seeing it was the school shirt everyone had been wearing at the track meet on Wednesday. He grinned. "I love it," he said, pulling her into a one armed hugged.

"Look at the back," Lance grinned.

JC turned the shirt around and laughed. At the top across his shoulders was the name Bass. "You like that don't you?"

"I find it amusing," Lance chuckled.

"You would." JC laughed. "It's great Kenz. I can't wait to wear it Monday."

"Rachel!" Karen held out her arms and drew the woman into a hug. "It's so good to see you! It's been too long."

"It has," Rachel gave a soft laugh as she accepted Karen's hug. "I don't even remember the last time I saw you. Probably not since I moved back to Mississippi."

"At least that long," Karen said with a smile when she released her. "Kenzi is just an amazing girl."

Rachel's smile grew wider. "Thank you!"

"We've enjoyed hearing about her these last few weeks from JC. I hope you don't, I send her a friend request on Facebook."

"Oh no, that's fine. She'll accept it when she gets her phone privileges back tomorrow." Rachel moved down the line hugging Roy, then Heather. She met Heather's husband, Drew. Tyler was last and she gave him a huge grin. "Tyler..."

"Hey," Tyler hugged her. He had hung out with JC a lot during the group years. They had become friends, bonding over being siblings to famous boybanders.

"You haven't changed a bit." She grinned.

"That's a lie." Tyler laughed. "I've lost my hair. My pants are bigger now."

Rachel laughed and hugged him again. After he introduced her to his wife Sarah, they all took their seats.

"Can we order now? I'm starving!" McKenzie said sitting between JC and Lance.

"I told you guys not to wait for us. You could have ordered." Rachel spoke as she browsed the menu after giving her drink order to the waiter, who had been waiting patiently through the greetings.

"I tried. I was outvoted," McKenzie mumbled.

"JC says you guys are visiting for the week?" Rachel said once everyone had given their orders. "Do you have any plans?" Everyone started talking at once and she just laughed. Feeling a hand touch her thigh, she dropped her hand to cover it and met JC's gaze. His eyes were sparkling with happiness and laughter. She squeezed his hand and gave him a smile. With his hand still in hers, she turned her attention back to the table and let the conversation wash over her.

*~*

"I am so tired." McKenzie groaned as she fell face first on the living room couch.

"Probably from the pound of sugar you ate this afternoon," Rachel chuckled as she walked into the room after locking the front door. "I still can't believe you didn't blow chunks on Space Mountain after scarfing down all those pancakes."

After eating lunch there was much debate on what the plan of the day was. Rachel tried to excuse her and McKenzie from the plans not wanting to jump in on their family time. That didn't go over well with the entire Chasez clan. They were so affronted at her excluding herself and McKenzie as family, Rachel had spent ten minutes apologizing, much to the delight of Michael and Lance who had sat back laughing. Until they had been roped in as well.

Eventually it had boiled down to Universal and DisneyLand before McKenzie became the deciding factor. She had chosen DisneyLand. That had resulted in going back to JC's, where everyone changed into something more conducive to a day of walking the park. JC ditched his dressier shoes for a pair of converse. He had lent her a t-shirt to change in to. She had worn a silk button up collared shirt with a light white sweater over it and a jean jacket. The collared shirt and sweater went, but she put the jean jacket back over the t-shirt - white with a distressed Mickey Mouse. Appropriate. From JC's house they rearranged seating arrangements in the cars which was a production in and of itself. It finally worked out with Heather, Sarah, Karen and McKenzie in one car. Roy, Drew, and Tyler in the other rental. She and JC piled in with Lance and Michael.

"I can't believe you wimped out going on Space Mountain."

"I would have definitely blown chunks." Rachel laughed. "Why don't you go up to bed?" McKenzie had fallen asleep in the car on the way back to JC's from Disneyland. Lance and Michael had to leave early. That left her and JC squeezing into the other cars. She had been at the mercy of his mom and sister for the hour and a half car ride while he had gotten away free being in the ‘man car' as Heather had called it. When they arrived back at JC's everyone had been beat. There were quick goodbyes before JC had loaded her and McKenzie up in his car to take them home. McKenzie had fallen asleep then too; laid out across the backseat holding the stuffed Mickey Mouse JC had bought her.

"I'm too tired to move," McKenzie mumbled folding her arms underneath her.

Rachel knew exactly how her daughter felt. She didn't know how many miles they ended up walking all together, but her feet were killing her. The flats she wore weren't made for walking long distances, but she had been stuck. JC could lend her clothes. He couldn't lend her shoes. They had hit every attraction in the park staying until closing. Once the fireworks show over Cinderella's Castle was finished, they headed toward the exit with most of the crowd.

The crowd was dense and they all tried to stay together. JC had held her hand tightly in his, making sure she stayed close to his side. They both made sure McKenzie had stayed directly in front of them. It had them thinking they should have waited for the first rush to died down before making their way to the gate. The rush meant a jam packed parking lot as everyone tried to get to Interstate 5. Rachel had been a little disappointed that she and JC had been separated for the drive home. McKenzie had used her shoulder as a pillow. She had taken a selfie and sent it to JC who had responded with hearts and saying how he didn't mind that one as much as he did the one with Michael.

"Aren't you too old to be receiving stuffed animals as gifts?"

Rachel looked down to the stuffed animal in her hand. Ariel. Her favorite Disney princess. JC had ducked into a gift shop toward the end of the night before the fireworks were set to begin. When he caught back up with them, he had the Mickey Mouse for McKenzie and Ariel for her. She couldn't remember if she had ever told him Ariel was her favorite. She must have because he knew. She smiled. "Sweetie, make sure the man you want to marry buys you silly little gifts. Those are the ones that you treasure the most."

When she was finally able to rouse McKenzie from the couch and send her to bed, Rachel wasn't long behind her. The day had caught up with her in the drive back to her house from JC's. Leaving DisneyLand, the ride had been filled with conversation to keep her engaged. With JC though, it had been a comfortable silence. McKenzie had quickly fallen asleep. They held hands on the gear shift, listening to the radio softly playing. Exhaustion had been able to sneak in.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she sat on the bed and slid the flats off her feet. She groaned as she wiggled her toes. Vowing not to wear any shoes tomorrow, she stood up and unfastened the grey jeggings and pushed them down her legs. Stepping from them she slid the jean jacket down her arms and reached for the hem of her shirt before she stopped. Raising her head, she stared at the mirror on the antique vanity table. Mickey Mouse stared back at her. JC's shirt. The tops she wore to lunch were still laying on his bed. They had never even gone inside when they got back. Just crawled from one car and in to the next. Deciding to sleep in the t-shirt, she dumped the other clothes in the hamper and crawled in to bed. Turning the lamp off, she settled on the pillows and snuggled until the blankets.

JC.

She closed her eyes and breathed. Her bed smelled like JC. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around the pillow he had used and held it to her. For the millionth time in her life, she wished he was there for her to hold instead of a pillow. For the first time, however, her pillow smelled like him because he had been there. In her bed. For her to hold. She missed him. After one night her bed felt empty. She felt lonely. And again, she wished he was there with her.

Rolling over, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table. Pulling up her text messages she hesitated. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard. ‘To hell with it,' she thought and tapped the letters.

‘My bed feels empty without you. I miss you.'

After sending the text, Rachel browsed the photos on her phone. She had taken so many over the course the day from their lunch at Estrella to Disney. There were lots of silly photos of her with Heather and Sarah. They had become fast friends and had made plans to hangout later in the week. Just the three of them. There was a capture of Roy and Karen that she wanted to turn in to a painting for them. She made a mental note to find out their anniversary. There was also a photo of JC, Heather, and Tyler that she wanted to recreate. She couldn't even remember why they were standing together and where everyone else was. Tyler had been telling a story laughing just as much as JC and Heather. When she finished the recreations, they would make great Christmas gifts.

That made her pause. Christmas was eight months away and she was already thinking about gifts for JC's family. She needed slow her thoughts down. There was so much that could happen between now and the December holiday.

‘You don't know how much I wanted to stay.'

The text popped up and made her smile. ‘My bed smells like you.'

JC heard his phone vibrate in the cup holder as he neared his house. The drive back from Rachel's had been uneventful and quick thanks to the late hour. It had also been lonely and quiet. It was a different quiet than what had blanketed the car on the drive to Calabasas. He could feel both Rachel and McKenzie in his car; had a tangible link to Rachel as he held her hand. On the drive home there had been no link. The only presence in the car was his own. Even the radio couldn't drown out the loneliness.

He hit the button for his garage and slowed down. Since it was late, he left his car running and walked them to their door. He hugged a drowsy, half asleep McKenzie and kissed the top of her head while Rachel unlocked the door. When McKenzie filed in the house, he drew Rachel into his arms. It had taken everything he had to let her go; to send her off with a kiss. If it hadn't been for his family visiting, he could have stayed in Calabasas. Instead of hugs and kisses at the door, he would have followed them in. He could have kept them at his house after a long, tiring day at Disney. He wouldn't have had to make the long drive to Rachel's. McKenzie could have picked one of the guest bedrooms. Rachel would have been tucked into his bed, in his arms.

‘Least I'm not coming home to an empty house,' he thought as he closed the garage door. He grabbed his phone and climbed from his car. Inside, his mother had left a light on for him and he smiled. He didn't linger. He stayed long enough to make sure everything was locked and the alarm was on before he climbed the stairs. Feint snoring could be heard coming from the other bedroom that occupied the top floor with his own. Another smile graced his lips as he shook his head and made his way quickly down the hall. His father maintained for years he didn't snore. It had become a running joke.

He closed his bedroom door, the latch echoing softly into the night. Using the knowledge of living in the house for fourteen years, he walked across the dark bedroom snapping on the lamp next to his bed. When he turned around he saw the clothes laying across the foot of his bed. He had forgotten Rachel had even changed. Picking the tops up, he folded them neatly and placed them atop his dresser. His watch and wallet followed, as well as his car keys. He tossed the jacket he wore on the chair he had in his bedroom that was used more for catching clothes than it was for sitting and stripped down to his briefs.

After snapping the light off, he crawled beneath the blankets and picked up his phone and read the text. ‘I wish my bed smelled like you.'

‘I'll have to come and roll around in it.' 'Wait... that's not what I meant.'

JC grinned at the messages. ‘Are you blushing?'

‘You know I am.'

He did and he loved it.

‘When do your visitors leave?'

‘Saturday.'

‘You free on that Monday?'

‘Yes.'

‘Good. I drop McKenzie off at 7:30. I'll be at your house at 8:30. Leave your door unlocked and stay in bed.