Chris laughed, tossing some popcorn in his mouth. He and the guys were sprawled out in JC's living room. They had all just returned from having a long weekend home with their families for the Thanksgiving holiday. Before they had gone their separate ways, they had agreed to get back together Sunday night to allow them a night together to relax before they went to work finishing up their album No Strings Attached.

They were watching an action movie, but the plot was barely there and the things the protagonist was doing seemed to grow more and more ridiculous as the movie went on. None of them wanted to turn it off though, wanting to see just how it ended and how crazy it got in the meantime. If anything they were having even more fun making fun of it and laughing at the ridiculous dialogue and story.

"And you say my movies suck," JC said. He was lying on his stomach on the floor in front of the couch. "This is awful!"

"At least it's entertaining," Joey replied.

JC twisted his body just enough so he could look towards the couch where Joey was sitting. "And mine aren't?"

"Your movies are always deep and thought provoking. They give me a headache. But this," Joey nodded towards the TV, "it's got real action that moves the plot forward. And there's no thinking involved."

"What plot?" JC asked.

At the same time, Justin said to Joey, "When do you ever do any thinking?"

Chris cackled, and the others all joined in while Joey let out an indignant "Hey!" even though he wasn't really offended. They were all feeling light and carefree, which was more than they could've said a week ago. This time last week they'd still been in the midst of the lawsuit and stressing about the court's decision. Then on Wednesday the judge had ruled in their favor, and all of the stress they'd been feeling had instantly disappeared. The crushing weight had lifted and they all could breathe easier knowing they could truly move on and finish up the album they'd been working on.

"I feel bad for Penny. You probably force her to watch all those artsy movies," Joey said. JC stilled, and Chris frowned. Because JC was facing the TV he couldn't see his face, but he didn't like the way he'd just tensed.

But he seemed to be the only one that had noticed because then Lance replied, "She probably likes them."

JC turned his head again to look over at the armchair where Lance was sitting with his feet propped up on an ottoman. Any earlier tension seemed to be gone, and Chris wondered if maybe he'd imagined it.

"So, what? You don't like my movies either?" JC asked. "You always told me you did. Unless you were lying."

"No, I do like them," Lance said. "But I am happy you have someone else to share them with."

Joey and Justin laughed. "There you go, Jace," Justin said. "You'll have to invite Penny over for a movie night so you can get one more movie in before we finish up the album."

There was no denying it this time. Chris watched as JC's back and shoulders stiffened, and he couldn't seem to turn his head back to the TV quick enough, like he didn't want any of them to catch the look on his face. Something was definitely up.

"How are you and Penny doing? Did you end up going to her parents over the weekend?" Chris asked. JC had mentioned to them a couple weeks ago that he'd been thinking about spending at least a day or two of the holiday weekend with Penny and her family.

The others all focused their attention on JC, abandoning the movie in favor of hearing his answer. Chris could tell by the genuine interest on their faces that they hadn't heard anything about Penny lately either. Honestly Chris couldn't even remember the last time JC had said anything about his girlfriend.

"No, I didn't," JC said. He was still laying on his stomach, his eyes glued to the TV. He was silently telling them he didn't want to talk about it, but they weren't about to let this go.

Justin frowned. "Why not? The last time we talked it sounded like you were about to buy the tickets to Phoenix."

JC sighed loudly, pushing himself up to sitting position and spinning around so he was facing them. He looked as annoyed as he sounded. "Well it would've been pretty inappropriate since we broke up."

Chris's jaw dropped, and he saw the others had similar looks of surprise. Penny was a sweet girl who was a freelance photographer which allowed her to work from almost anywhere. Something that often gave her the opportunity to meet up with them while they were on tour. They'd all liked her from day one, and she and JC had seemed great together. It made no sense.

Justin was the first one to find his voice. "What? Why? You guys were perfect for each other!"

JC rolled his eyes. "We'd only been going out for four months. There's no way you could've known that."

"It's the longest you've gone out with anyone in years."

To most people that would've sounded ridiculous, but Chris knew it was true. In the four years he'd known JC, he'd never once seen him in a relationship that lasted as long as the one with Penny. That wasn't to say he didn't date because obviously JC did, but for one reason or another the girls never stuck around. Penny had been different and yet...she was gone too. Though, it was hard to say how many of the girls had left on their own and how many had been pushed away.

"Who broke up with who?" Joey asked.

JC was sitting with his knees bent and his arms crossed, resting on top of them. He wasn't looking at any of them, but his eyes were narrowed and his jaw was set. It didn't matter that JC didn't want to talk to them about this. The end of a relationship was a big change, and one that they should've been clued into before now. Not so much because they were nosy, but because they were best friends and were supposed to share all of their big life events with each other. The fact that JC hadn't was a red flag, signaling that something was wrong.

It was clear JC didn't want to answer Joey's question, but they all just stared at him expectantly. Finally, he snapped, "What does it matter?"

Joey and Justin exchanged knowing glances and said in unison, "You broke up with her."

JC growled and jumped to his feet, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "And what?" he demanded. "I'm not allowed to break up with someone if I want to?"

Chris thought about standing up so he could look JC in the eye without craning his neck, but he remained on the couch. Getting to his feet would look like a combative move to JC, and the last thing he wanted was for them to start fighting. This was supposed to be a fun night for the five of them to relax and hang out before they went back into the studio.

"Of course you are," Chris said to JC, his hands out in a placating manner. He glanced at the guys before looking back at JC. "We're just concerned. Things seemed to be going great between you and Penny."

JC glared down at him. "You don't know everything. You have no idea what things were like behind closed doors."

Chris shook his head. "I don't buy that. We shared suites and even when we didn't, you know hotel walls aren't that thick." He leveled JC with a serious gaze. "Things were going well with you and Penny. So what happened?"

"It's none of your business."

The words were said coldly, and there was a look in JC's eyes that Chris couldn't remember seeing before. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. But Lance seemed to be intimated by it because he shifted uncomfortably in his chair before he started speaking.

"Maybe he's right," Lance said, looking at them. "If he wanted to tell us what happened, he would've. And he obviously doesn't so..."

"No," Justin said, shaking his head. He looked up at JC, meeting his eyes. "You were the happiest with her out of all the girls you've dated. Happier than you've been in a long time, and then you just throw it away? I don't think so."

JC clenched his hands tighter, and Chris could see the way his muscles stiffened in his arms and shoulders. He was going to be hurting later if he didn't relax and loosen his grip. "If you know me so well then you must know why I broke up with her," JC replied. "So let's hear it."

All eyes went to Justin. Chris had to admit he was curious if Justin had a theory behind the breakup. After all, he was the one JC was closest to. Maybe JC had said something to him about Penny that gave him some insight into the situation the rest of them hadn't had. But even if JC hadn't said anything, the two of them were as close as they were for a reason. Half the time it almost seemed like they could reach each other's minds.

JC nodded, like he'd expected that Justin had been talking out of his ass. But before he could say anything, Justin spoke.

"Because you're scared." Justin stood up so he was eye to eye with JC. "You were falling in love with her and you didn't know how to handle it. So you did what you always do, you ran."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," JC said, his words firm and his body trembling from anger. But Chris could hear the slight stutter in JC's words. Justin apparently wasn't so far off the mark.

"Oh please," Justin said, rolling his eyes. "I've seen you do this too many times. Usually you do it as soon as you feel like there's even a chance you could feel anything for them. But with Penny it took you by surprise."

"What are you so afraid of, JC?" Joey asked, obviously believing what Justin was saying was true.

"Nothing!" JC shouted. "The reasons I broke up with her are mine, and I don't have to share them with you. But it certainly wasn't because I was afraid to love her."

"Deny it all you want, but she is not the first girl you've done this to," Justin said.

JC glared at him. "Name one."

"Oh I can name more than just one." Justin lifted a hand in the air and started counting fingers as he listed girls JC had previously dated. "Diana, Ali, Sarah-"

"Sarah cheated on me," JC interrupted. "And Ali was just in it for the sex. Not every girl that didn't work out was my fault."

Justin held up his hands. "I didn't say it was. I just hate to think you pulled away from Penny because of a few bad experiences."

JC laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I can't imagine why I wouldn't want to have my heart broken again."

"Maybe you were hurt by Sarah cheating and some of the other crappy things that happened, but I think it was mostly self-inflicted. You did things to drive each of them away," Justin said. "It just so happens that in Sarah's case it drove her into the arms of another man."

JC's face darkened, and it looked like he was ready to take a swing at Justin. Chris quickly jumped off the couch, placing himself between the two of them. He was pretty sure that JC would never actually hit Justin, but he didn't want to take any chances. Not now with how pissed JC looked.

The tension in the air was thick, and the only sound that could be heard in the room was of explosions and sirens as a chase scene happened in the movie. It was hard to believe they'd gotten to this point just from ripping on movies. Chris had no idea how to diffuse the situation any more than he already had. He was about to suggest they all just go to bed and sleep off the fight when the doorbell rang.

That seemed to break the spell as JC finally unclenched and looked away from Justin. He stepped around Chris and went over to the front door. Joey and Lance turned their eyes back to the movie, seeming to want to try to pretend things hadn't just escalated like they had. Justin sighed heavily and collapsed back on the couch, and Chris put a hand on his shoulder.

JC and Justin had had a lot of fights over the years, but this one had struck a nerve a bit harder than most. For JC especially. Chris knew Justin had only said what he had because he was truly worried about JC, but it was also apparent that he recognized he hadn't gone about telling JC in the right way.

"Are you JC Chasez?"

Chris turned his head to the door, brow furrowed. It was getting late. Who could possibly be at the door? He'd just assumed it was Johnny coming to rain on their parade and tell them he'd gotten that radio interview scheduled for tomorrow morning after all.

Chris heard JC confirm his identity, and he'd just taken a step towards the door to see who was on the other side when the person said, "You're under arrest."

"What?" JC gaped, and all of their heads snapped over to the door. He stepped back in surprise and the door opened further revealing two police officers. The shorter of the two reached for JC, and Chris was over to JC in a couple quick strides, pulling him away from the police.

"What the hell is this about?" Chris demanded, pushing JC behind him. He knew without looking that the others were standing there too.

"Mr. Chasez is being extradited to California for the murder of Marc Trujillo," the other officer said.

"Murder?!" they all chorused, JC included.

"I didn't kill anyone," JC denied.

"You can argue that when you get to LA. Right now, we're taking you in," the shorter cop said, reaching for JC again. Chris moved so he was in his way, glaring at the man.

"There's no way I'm letting you take him. He didn't do anything wrong," Chris said.

The taller cop who had been standing in the doorway, stepped further into the room. "Then we'll have you arrested for interfering with arrest."

Chris crossed his arms, more than ready to accept that outcome. He would do whatever he had to in order to keep JC safe, but he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. And then JC's quiet voice, which sounded loud in the nearly silent room.

"It's okay, Chris."

JC seemed relatively calm, but Chris could see the fear in his eyes. He was doing his best to keep it together, and it was clear by the look on his face that the last thing he needed was to worry about Chris. One of them being arrested was more than enough. More than any of them could handle.

"But you didn't murder anyone," Justin protested before Chris could.

JC nodded, looking back at Justin. "Something that will all get cleared up, I promise."

The shorter cop stepped forward, and this time Chris allowed him to step around him so he could grab JC's arm. Though it took everything he had in him to let the man do it. It was especially hard to watch the cop force JC to turn around so he could grab his other arm, cuffing them together behind his back.

"We'll call Johnny and a lawyer and meet you down there," Lance said.

JC gave a weak smile that was meant to be reassuring but that fell flat. The guys moved closer to the Chris as they watched the cops lead JC out the front door and into the police car that was parked at the end of the driveway. They didn't look away until the car was out of sight and even then they stood there in shock, all of them thinking the same thing.

What the hell just happened?

******************

Up until now, JC had only been in the back of a police car once before. It had been when he was eight years old back when he lived in Bowie. He was friends with a kid whose dad was a cop, and on Simon's birthday that year his dad had given them rides in the police car and had shown them around the station. It seemed silly now, but that was back when all the neighborhood boys would play cops and robbers. To an eight year old riding in a cop car had been a pretty cool experience, but now as a twenty-three year old man it was humiliating and scary.

The two cops riding up front didn't say anything to him and barely said anything to each other, leaving the car in silence for the majority of the ride. JC didn't even bother to insist his innocence or ask for more details about what evidence had been gathered to warrant his arrest. There was no point because they wouldn't believe anything he said, and after everything they'd just gone through with the lawsuit, he knew better than to say anything without a lawyer present.

JC shifted in the seat, uncomfortable from his arms being cuffed behind his back and the metal wrapped tightly around his wrists. Moving didn't alleviate any of the strain on his muscles though. If anything, it just chaffed his wrists as the handcuffs dug into the sensitive skin even more.

Despite where he was and what he was facing, his mind kept going back to Penny. He blamed the guys because after all, they were the ones that'd kept pushing and picking at something he'd have much rather left alone. He'd broken up with her a couple days before the judge had made his decision in the lawsuit and since then he'd spent time pushing away all thoughts of her. Only to have them hit him like a tidal wave now that the guys had forced open the latch that had held back his memories of their time together.

Rather than thinking about the breakup, all his mind seemed to conjure up was the day that they'd met. The day had started like any other, and it hadn't seemed like anything special was going to happen. Though, that was the whole point of hindsight. You didn't know what a big moment it was until later when the following course of events played out and allowed you perspective.

They had been in New York City, and they'd somehow managed to get an afternoon off. Joey had spent the time with his family with Lance tagging along, while Justin and Chris had stayed behind in the hotel wanting to just lay about. The tour was exhausting all of them, but JC hadn't been in the mood to lay around. It wasn't often they had time to kill in NYC and he wanted to make the most of it, especially since the last time they were there he hadn't gotten to hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It had been easy to spend a couple hours in there, and when JC left he'd only seen a third of the museum. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to spend any more time there. Though, that didn't stop him from walking through Central Park rather than hailing a cab right outside of the museum.

He'd been taking his time even though in the back of his mind he knew he'd have to head back to the venue for sound check soon. It was when he'd come through Strawberry Fields - the part of the park dedicated to John Lennon - that his day had taken a turn.

Even though he was on the path, he could see the street corner that led directly into Strawberry Fields where there was always a crowd of people. Most were just waiting at the cross section for the light to change, but others were huddled around a stand selling various Beatles and John Lennon merchandise. There was a young woman who'd maneuvered her way through the crowd, turning her body sideways as she did in order to fit between those who refused to listen to her polite attempts to clear a path. As she did so, JC saw a bag slip from her shoulders and fall on the pavement.

Before he could think about what he was doing, he was jogging forward and he swiped it from the pavement before anyone else could pick it up. Then he ran after the girl yelling, "Excuse me, miss?"

It took a couple times yelling for her before she seemed to realize that he was trying to get her attention. At the same time she spun to face him, JC saw the look on her face that said she'd finally realized she'd lost her bag. Then he saw the camera in her hands and there were butterflies in his stomach. Of course he had to run into paparazzi; there were no afternoons off for celebrities.

"You dropped this," JC said, handing her what he now realized was a camera bag. All he wanted was to get as far away as possible, already regretting coming out. It was a bad idea considering how they were becoming easier to spot the more famous they became. They dealt with the press enough; he didn't want to do it on his afternoon off.

She gave him a friendly smile. "Thanks."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, and JC was about to take a step back to leave when she spoke again. "I'm a freelance photographer, and I promise there's nothing in my assignment about getting pictures of celebrities," she said, her smile seeming to get bigger.

He had a feeling she could sense his unease, and he berated himself for being so transparent. Even if she was telling the truth and not paparazzi, he wasn't supposed to let his true feelings show. It was something that had been drilled into their heads enough the last few years.

"Sorry. You just caught me off guard," he said, forcing himself to smile. If Lou caught wind of this, he would get hell for not trying to portray himself - and by extension the group - in the best light. "I'm JC."

She laughed, but it wasn't in a mean way. It was like she knew he was uncomfortable and trying not to make him feel like the idiot he knew he was being. "I'm Penny. Penny Sampson."

A car horn loudly blew nearby, and JC turned his head towards the intersection. He could barely see it now, but it was a stark reminder that he had a busy life he had to get back to. Central Park was huge, and it often felt like its own separate world where you could just laze about by the lake or stroll through the zoo. Unfortunately, he didn't have time for any of those things; he had to get back to the hotel because they were due at sound check in about an hour.

JC turned back towards Penny to say goodbye, and before he could do anything to stop it, there was a telltale flash followed by a shutter noise. He looked at her with a frown. "I thought you weren't paparazzi."

"I'm not," she said. "I told you my assignment has nothing to do with celebrities. I'm photographing butterflies and one flew right past your head. I can't help it if attractive men are in my shot."

JC felt the tips of his ears burn with embarrassment, but he couldn't deny the pleasure he felt at her words. He'd spent a lot of years in an awkward phase, feeling less like the teen idol he was supposed to be and more like the dorky kid he'd always seen himself as. But lately it'd seemed he was finally merging the two - that he had finally found a hairstyle that suited him and helped him look more the part without feeling like he was trying too hard.

"I don't know how attractive I am in that shot. I probably have a terrible look on my face," he said.

"Maybe you just can't see what the rest of the world does," she said.

"I guess I'll have to wait for it to show up in a magazine before I see it?"

She shook her head. "I'm not going to sell it. But," she reached into her purse and pulled out a small card to hand to him, "if you are interested, give me a call."

He looked down at her business card, seeing her name and a couple of phone numbers listed. When he looked up, she was already walking away. He watched her leave, feeling a bit dumbfounded. Then she turned around and gave him a sweet smile, and he felt something loosen in his chest as his lips curled upward.

She'd been the first girl he'd allowed himself to be comfortable with in a long time. It didn't happen right away of course, but he'd actually gotten to a place where he thought he could trust her which was more than he could say about the last how many women he'd dated. She had been good for him, and they had been good together. He'd known that, and it'd actually made him regret breaking things off with her. But each time, he'd forced those feelings away. He'd done the right thing.

The car came to a stop, and JC realized they were outside of the police station. The cop that was seated in front of him got out and then opened JC's door, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him out of the car. JC didn't put up a fight or resist in any way. Doing so would be pointless and would only get him in more trouble.

JC was led through the side entrance and stopped at a desk where another cop was seated. Not a word passed between the two cops, both of them knowing what their jobs were. The cop at the desk was Jefferson as JC read from his nametag, and he got to his feet coming around so he could pat JC down while the other cop remained where he was with a firm grip on JC's arm. As if he was going to try anything.

Once the men seemed satisfied that he was unarmed, Jefferson said, "Put him in the last cell at the end of the hall. I want to keep some distance between him and the drunk and disorderly we had brought in."

"Will do, Rick," the man next to JC said.

JC was nudged forward and he walked, the cop keeping hold of his arm. They walked down a long hallway with the last half filled with six cells. Only one was occupied and JC assumed he was the man that Jefferson had referred to. The man didn't even look up as they walked past, seeming to be passed out on the small cot. From there, it wasn't much further until they reached the end of the hall and the last cell.

The cop unlocked the cell first, sliding the heavy door open. Then he located another key, this one to free JC from the cuffs around his wrists. There was an audible click, and the relief was instantaneous. JC stepped into the cell, rubbing gingerly at his chaffed wrists.

"You'll get your phone call in a half hour. I have to process some paperwork first, okay?" the cop said.

JC turned around and faced him, nodding. He wasn't concerned. Anyone he would've called already knew about him being arrested. Well, except his parents. But he would rather not tell them in the hopes he could get this resolved quickly and not have to worry them for nothing.

The cop slid the door home and quickly locked it. He then walked off without another word, but that was fine by JC. What little sense of calm he'd had seemed to have wore off the second the cell door was slammed shut, and he didn't want anyone to see him lose it.

JC turned around to face the interior of the cell, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. It made his chest feel tighter, which didn't make it any easier to breathe or his heart beat any slower, but in a way he felt like it was the only thing holding him together. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he would go to jail, and his environment just heightened his stress.

There was a twin sized cot on the one wall, chained and bolted so it couldn't be ripped away. There was a toilet in the far corner, and JC didn't have to get any closer to see how dirty it was. Even from where he was standing he could see the brown spots where either it had rusted or...well, JC didn't want to think about that. It was all a reminder that he didn't belong here.

He was breathing too quick, and he was beginning to feel lightheaded. He needed to sit down, but everything seemed so dirty that he didn't want to touch anything. But he knew if he didn't he would end up on the ground and probably with a head wound, which would just make him more susceptible to catching something. So he took the lesser of two evils and carefully lowered himself onto the cot. Though, he sat on the edge of it so as little of himself was touching it as possible.

JC prayed that the guys showed up soon with Johnny and a lawyer and that maybe, just maybe, this was all a misunderstanding and he could go home. But deep down he knew that wasn't going to happen. He may not have killed anyone, but he wasn't exactly innocent either.

He'd made a lot of mistakes in LA the year after the Mickey Mouse Club ended, and it seemed as if his biggest one had finally caught up to him.