When the plane landed in LA, JC had been nudged awake by Joey. Less than halfway through the flight he'd been unable to fight off his exhaustion and had fallen asleep against Joey's shoulder. The undercover cop had stepped out into the aisle first, leading the way off the plane while Lonnie and Mike brought up the rear.

They hadn't been able to make it through the airport without being spotted, and JC and Joey had stopped to sign a few autographs for the small group of fans that had surrounded them. More seemed to keep coming, but Mike and Lonnie turned people away, saying they had to leave now. All the while the undercover cop had stepped back and had looked quite relieved when the girls were gone, allowing them to continue on their way. JC and Joey had exchanged small smiles at Lonnie and Mike, knowing that the cop had realized allowing the bodyguards to come along and keeping JC out of handcuffs had truly made the whole thing go much smoother.

From there they hadn't encountered any other issues as they made it out of the airport and to the SUV that had been parked, waiting for them. As soon as they'd gotten in the car, JC's stomach had begun to twist and churn. The feeling got worse the further away from the airport they drove, so that when they pulled around to back entrance of the police station, he felt like he was going to puke.

Joey put a reassuring hand on his knee, squeezing gently. That was all he was able to do though because then the doors opened, and JC was being led into the police station by the cop with everyone else following behind them. And unlike when he'd been hauled into the police station in Orlando the night before, they didn't stop at all as the cop led him straight to a small interrogation room where another cop was waiting for him. Todd, JC's lawyer, was also waiting.

Behind JC, no one seemed to be stopping Joey and Mike from entering the room. JC turned and gave Mike a pleading look, and Mike immediately turned to Joey quietly telling him they should wait outside. Relief flooding JC's body, even as he felt a bit of guilt for still keeping Joey out of it when he'd made the trek to LA with him. It wasn't enough to make him change his mind though. The less the guys knew, the better.

JC turned his attention to Lonnie, but before he could even say a single word, Lonnie cut him off. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, kid. So you might as well save it," Lonnie said.

JC sighed, frowning. Though, he knew there was no sense in fighting him on it. Lonnie would never say anything to anyone, the guys included. It wouldn't stop him from seeing him differently once he heard the truth of everything, but JC could only hope that Lonnie would at least be able to understand why he'd done what he had.

Across the room, the new cop introduced himself to JC's escort. "Detective Luke Hansen. Thanks for bringing him."

The undercover cop assured him it was no problem and produced a folder he'd been carrying, asking Hansen to sign a couple documents so he could be on his way. JC tuned them out, taking a seat next to his lawyer at the table feeling weary...and more than a little nervous.

"Any problems at the airport?" Todd asked quietly, angling his body towards him. JC shook his head, and Todd looked relieved. "Good. Now hopefully we can this straightened out and be on our way back to Orlando by this evening."

JC could tell the lawyer wasn't just saying that, and it made him feel better knowing Todd truly believed he hadn't killed anyone. Now all he had to do was convince this LA cop, Hansen, that he was innocent. Something that in theory was simple enough, but JC had a feeling that it wasn't going to be that easy.

"So Mr. Chasez," Hansen began, moving to sit down across from JC at the table. The undercover cop was gone, so he now had the LA cop's full attention. "As you can imagine we have a few questions about what happened to Marc Trujilo."

Todd quickly cut in. "I want it on the record that even though you demanded Mr. Chasez be extradited, he voluntarily waved the extradition trial in favor of clearing this up as quick as possible."

Hansen gave a little nod, looking briefly from Todd to JC. "We do appreciate that. Most people drag their feet and delay the process."

If JC hadn't been a celebrity he probably would've done the same thing because the last thing he wanted was to face his past. But as it was, he couldn't afford the bad press that would come out if any of this was leaked. That was really the only reason he was doing this, but if doing this made the cop think he was more genuine with wanting to help then it certainly didn't hurt.

The cop cleared his throat. "Let's go ahead and get started." He paused and looked over at Lonnie. "If you could step outside-"

"I'm not going anywhere," Lonnie said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm here for JC's protection."

JC looked back at the cop and saw the way his eyebrows shot up at that. Hansen leveled a serious gaze at Lonnie. "I can assure you he's perfectly safe here."

"I'm not saying you'll do something to step over the line," Lonnie said. "But I'm his bodyguard and where he goes, I go. So I'll be staying here up against the wall. You won't even notice me."

Hansen still didn't look happy, but he let it go. He shifted some of the papers sitting in front of him, like he was buying himself a second or two to get his thoughts in order. Finally, he put the papers down and looked JC in the eye.

"Let's start with something easy. How did you know Marc Trujillo?"

JC opened his mouth to speak, but Todd quickly jumped in. "Wait a minute," he said. "Because he waived the extradition hearing, he hasn't learned what evidence you have against him to even warrant this discussion. Let's start there."

The cop reached for the manila envelope at the end of the table. He opened it and dumped out the contents as he said, "His fingerprints were on this."

JC's eyes fell on the objected contained in a sealed plastic baggie. It was a small, blue pocket knife. The object was so non-descript that at first glance it didn't seem like much. But JC recognized it immediately. Sabrina had given it to him.

"That bitch," JC breathed. There was no doubt in his mind where the police had gotten the pocket knife. Something he was even more sure of with what the cop said next.

"This is the murder weapon."

"What?" JC exclaimed.

"JC," Todd said sharply his tone indicating he'd been trying to reign JC's reaction in as soon as he'd realized JC had recognized the object.

JC knew Todd wanted him to shut up, but he had to explain. "The pocket knife is mine, but I didn't kill Marc. And he wasn't stabbed."

Todd shot him a dirty look and this time JC backed down, sitting back in his seat. The cop had raised his eyebrows and his gaze was piercing.

"That's not what was found at autopsy. He was stabbed in his neck."

JC opened his mouth to insist that he didn't do it, but Todd quickly cut in before he could get a word out. "Just because my client's prints are on it doesn't mean he did it."

"Doesn't mean he's innocent either," the cop countered. "And clearly he knows part of the story he's not sharing."

"Because you didn't ask. You just started attacking my client," Todd said.

Hansen sat back in his chair, like he was trying to look less intimidating and threatening. "Attacking? I was just telling him what we found. We're just having a conversation here."

JC nearly scoffed, but managed to hold it in. It wasn't quite that simple and casual as the cop was making it out to be. He had already been arrested, a suspect in a murder investigation. And clearly the cop believed that he had done it. Something he hoped to change his mind about.

"I'll tell you what happened," JC said. "Or at least what I think happened."

Todd leaned in, speaking softly in his ear. "Are you sure about this? I know you want to clear your name, but you haven't even told me all the details. There could be something damning in your story."

JC wasn't sure how that was possible. Once he told the truth about what had happened that day, it had to prove to the cop that he hadn't been the one to kill Marc. This was way past due anyway.

"It's okay," JC told him, trying to sound more confident than he felt. Even though he hoped it would clear up the question about him being the murder, he knew there was a good chance he would face repercussions for leaving LA without reporting it.

"I was dating Sabrina Morton at the time, and she was separated from her husband," he started, turning his attention back to the cop. Though, he couldn't bear to keep eye contact with him so he focused on a spot on the wall over the man's shoulder as his mind took him back to that day.

JC pulled up in front of a house with Spanish architecture that was fairly common for the LA area. He parked in the street and turned the car off, peering at the house through the windshield. He had never known anything about Sabrina's soon-to-be-ex-husband, and sitting here looking at the house they had shared together gave him the smallest glimpse as to what their life together might have been like.

The house appeared to be solidly built with white concrete, though it was more of a dingy gray from the dirt and smog of LA. The roof was low pitched, and it looked like a couple of shingles were missing. Not something that was a huge problem here given that it hardly rained in LA, but it was a clear sign the house had seen better days. Really, the entire neighborhood had - it was in as rough shape as the house. Something that put JC on edge, knowing they weren't exactly in the best part of town.

"C'mon," Sabrina said, tugging on his arm before releasing him so she could get out of the car.

JC took a deep breath and glanced in his side mirror to make sure no one was driving down the street. Seeing that the road was clear, he opened his door and stepped out. The neighborhood looked even worse now that he wasn't seeing it through the small windows of his jeep.

Sabrina was walking up the driveway, and JC shut the car door, jogging lightly to catch up to her. He slowed when he fell in step next to her. Much to his surprise, she didn't go to the front door. Instead, she walked through the grass around to the back door where she knelt down and pulled a small kit out of her purse. JC's brow furrowed, but he realized quickly what she was doing. It wasn't the first lock he'd watch her pick, but he didn't get why she was breaking into her own house.

"Why don't you just use your key?" he asked.

"Because he changed the locks on me." She shook her head and grumbled something to herself, but JC could easily imagine the kinds of things she was saying.

Even though he didn't know much about Marc, her ex, she had said enough for him to get the idea of what their relationship had been like. They had married right out of high school when she was only seventeen. She had been head over heels for him - or so she had thought. Once they were married and forced out into the real world, the crazy love they'd felt for each other had worn off real fast.

JC glanced around, looking around for any signs that they had drawn the attention of any of the neighbors. "You sure we won't get in trouble for this?"

Sabrina glanced over her shoulder with an annoyed look. "Until the divorce is finalized, it's still my house too."

She turned back to the door and fiddled with the lock for another second before they heard the telltale click. She straightened, putting the tools back in her purse. JC was going to follow her inside, but she put a hand on his chest and frowned at him.

"Maybe you should wait out here. Keep watch."

"For what?" JC asked, but she already had disappeared into the house leaving him standing on the patio.

JC sighed and sat on the concrete step, staring out into the small backyard. Sabrina had asked him to bring her to the house because she wanted to get some stuff that belonged to her. He wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't gotten it all already since she'd had her own apartment for months now, but he didn't question her. She had her reasons. It had seemed like she had left her things behind because she was hoping she could reconcile things with Marc, but now the fact that she was ready to take them back, it made him think she was finally ready to move on. With him.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but a middle aged woman came out of the house on the right and looked at him with narrowed eyes. He froze and she seemed to stare at him for the longest minute of his life, like she was wondering what he was doing there and trying to think if she'd ever seen him before. The only thing he had working in his favor was that he wasn't doing anything, but obviously even just sitting there was suspicious enough. Still, he was trying to play it cool like he was just a friend of Marc's and so he slowly stood up and went inside. It didn't matter that Sabrina had wanted him to wait outside; he couldn't do it any longer without drawing more attention from the neighbor.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the house compared to the bright sunshine he'd stepped out of, but when they did he saw he was standing in a small kitchen. He wasn't sure how big the house was or where Sabrina would even be. And more than anything he didn't want to come up behind her and surprise her.

"Sabrina?" he called out, hoping for some kind of sign as to where she was.

There was a loud thud, and it sounded like it'd come from the other side of the house. Cautiously, JC walked further into the house, moving towards the noise he'd heard. It wasn't until he came across a door that was partially opened that he stopped. He got the feeling whatever had made the noise was in the room beyond, and he slowly pushed the door the rest of the way open. With the door no longer obstructing his view, his eyes focused in on the scene in front of him and he felt his blood run cold.

On the floor was a guy that JC didn't recognize but who he could only assume was Marc. Sitting on the edge of the desk looking very nonchalant was Sabrina. He looked at her, panic quickly rising as if to compensate for her lack of reaction as he demanded, "What the hell happened?"

JC didn't even wait for an answer as he kneeled next to Marc, intending on checking for a pulse and seeing if he could help in any way before calling 911. But just as he reached his arm out, it was intercepted. He looked up at Sabrina who shook her head.

"It's too late."

Nothing about her expression spoke of regret or fear or the need to do the right thing. She was calm - too calm, and JC knew the truth about what'd happened, even if he was having trouble vocalizing it.

"But...you..." He shook his head, unable to believe how things had turned. She had killed her ex. There was no weapon in sight and there was no blood as far as he could see. That seemed to only leave one thing. Poison. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" Sabrina hopped down from the desk, and JC scrambled to his feet, feeling oddly vulnerable with her above him. She reached out and threaded her fingers through his hair as she pulled him close. "I can have everything I want now."

In that moment everything just clicked into place. She clearly been planning for this for a while, and last six months they were together ran through his mind. Everything he'd done with her, the things she'd gotten him to do, the way she'd made him feel. It all came to a head, and he decided he couldn't do it. He couldn't be with her if this was what it entailed.

"Not everything," JC said, pulling away from her. She looked at him surprised, and he forced himself to get the rest of the words out before he lost his nerve. "I'm sorry, but this is too much. I can't be with you."

And without another word, he fled. He ran out the front door and jumped into his jeep, driving off without any hesitation.

"We didn't find any evidence of poisoning," Hansen said once JC finished.

"That doesn't mean Mr. Chasez is lying," Todd replied. "His account tells you that you're looking at the wrong person. You should be speaking to Ms. Morton."

"We have spoken to her." Hansen looked from Todd to JC. "She told us a much different version to the story. One where you broke in and got into a fight with Marc. She was upstairs and heard the yelling. When she came down she found you were gone and Marc with a stab wound in the neck."

JC opened his mouth to protest, but Todd put a hand on his arm, signaling for him to keep quiet. His lawyer looked at the cop and said with a frown, "Given that this investigation is only happening now tells me that this evidence only just came to light. Something that seems awful convenient, along with Ms. Morton's story."

"She says she was afraid to report it, fearing for her own safety," Hansen said. "And up until two days ago we didn't have the murder weapon. It was dropped off at the station anonymously."

JC snorted. Anonymously. Yeah right. Sabrina had obviously dropped it off, intending for this whole set of events to take place. But why? He couldn't keep paying her the blackmail money if he went to jail, especially since it would destroy his career. It made no sense, but he knew she had to have a reason. She always did.

Todd looked over at JC. "Can you explain the pocketknife?"

JC gave a little sigh, shifting in his seat. "She gave it to me as a gift on our six month anniversary. I didn't ever use it though. I had no reason to. I'm a musician and not exactly the camping type."

"That explains my client's prints on the knife," Todd said to Hansen. "Again, I have to say you look closer at Ms. Morton. She's clearly the killer, and my client should be released."

"We will bring Ms. Morton back in for questioning, but Mr. Chasez will remain in police custody." JC bowed his head, doing his best to keep his breathing even though it was quite difficult with the painful way his chest seized at Hansen's words. "We have a case of he said, she said and until we know for sure who's telling the truth he will stay here."

"Then you should extend the same condition to Ms. Morton."

Hansen shook his head. "Besides Mr. Chasez's testimony, there is nothing linking her to the crime. We can't arrest her."

JC knew he should've been angry at the unfairness of the situation, but it didn't surprise him. Now that he had seen what the cops had on him, there was no doubt that this was a setup and not some misunderstanding like he'd originally hoped. And so it was no surprise that they had no plans on arresting her. He knew all too well how Sabrina could manipulate situations to get exactly what she wanted, and this time appeared to be no different.

Todd seemed to realize there was nothing else he could say at the moment that would convince the police to release him. Hansen looked towards the window and gestured for the officer standing outside the door to enter. As the cop entered, Todd had found something to say.

"What cell are you taking him to? I'm sure you've been informed on the nature of my client's celebrity status and how it's in your best interest to keep this all quiet."

Hansen nodded. "Yes, we heard. We're setting him up in one of the isolation cells."

There was something in the words isolation cell that had JC tense, and the look on Todd's face told him it was an appropriate reaction. "Is that necessary?" Todd demanded. "He's not at all dangerous, and he's been cooperating. Things that don't warrant being put in a small, windowless cell."

"Well, all the other cells are occupied. So unless Mr. Chasez decides to forego the need for anonymity then that's where we have to put him." Hansen looked at JC. "It's probably better that you're alone. I can only imagine what the others in lockup would do to a pretty boy like you."

JC could barely repress a shudder at the thought. It wasn't hard to imagine what someone would do to him. Even though he didn't consider himself completely innocent from what had happened during his time in LA, he doubted any of it was as severe as most of the people in the cells. The fact that he was a celebrity would just make it even worse.

Yes, maybe an isolation cell wouldn't be such a terrible thing after all.

JC looked over at Todd, glancing just briefly over his shoulder at Lonnie to make sure he knew he was included in this. "I'll be okay."

But once JC had been cuffed and led through the police station where he came face to face with the cell he'd be staying in, he felt panic rise up in his throat as he reconsidered that declaration.

The cell was much smaller than the one he'd spent the previous night in, and as Todd said, there wasn't a single window. In fact, there were no bars at all. Three cement walls and a metal door that only had a narrow slat, just slightly bigger than a mail slot that was built into some doors. As such, the lighting inside the cell was almost nonexistent. And there was only one thought that ran through his mind.

The next time JC saw Sabrina - because it would surely happen at some point - he was going to kill her.

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

Justin was pacing the length of the suite's living area that they had rented upon arriving in LA, and Lance was reading the newspaper, desperately trying to ignore him. Chris was sitting across the room at a small breakfast table, clutching a cup of coffee as if his life depended on it.

They'd landed at LAX about an hour ago, and ever since they'd gotten settled in the hotel Justin hadn't been able to sit still. If he wasn't pacing, he was moving around the room unnecessarily, unable to get into any one thing for more than ten minutes. Something that was driving Lance insane, but somehow he managed to keep hold of his emotions. Unlike Chris who was gritting his teeth as he watched Justin anxiously move back and forth through the room.

With a sudden growl, Chris jumped to his feet and latched onto Justin's arm, forcing him to stop his continuous pacing. "Would you freaking sit down?" he snapped.

Justin narrowed his eyes, wrenching his arm out of Chris's grip. "You can't tell me what to do."

Lance sighed, releasing the newspaper in favor of pinching the bridge of his nose. They all considered each other brothers and often fought like them, but normally they all knew when to back off. But things had been tense ever since they'd returned to JC's house without him, none of them getting much sleep.

"Guys..." Lance started in a warning tone, but Chris and Justin paid no attention to him.

"What the hell do you think pacing is going to do? It's not going to suddenly make him walk through that door," Chris said to Justin with clear aggravation.

"No, but at least you know I'm upset about what's happened. I can't say the same for you."

"What?" Chris moved so he was nose to nose with Justin, glaring fiercely at him even though he had to tilt his head up slightly. "How dare you you little shit-"

Lance leapt to his feet, quickly shoving his body between the two of them. It was rather hard given both of them were stronger than him, but he pushed on Justin's chest forcing him back while turning his body so they were at least a foot apart.

"That's enough," he said sharply, glaring at both Chris and Justin. Chris may have attacked first, but Justin hadn't helped things. And given that they'd barely survived the mounting tension the long flight from Orlando to LA had created, their fuses were much shorter. "We're all worried about JC."

Justin crossed his arms over his chest. "It doesn't feel like it," he muttered, looking at Chris with narrowed eyes.

The anger in Chris's eyes was intense, and Lance selfishly found himself happy he wasn't on the receiving end of it. "You think I liked seeing JC arrested? That I liked seeing the fear on his face?" Chris didn't bother to give Justin a chance to answer, the questions mostly rhetorical anyway. "I would have done anything to keep him from that. But at the same time, I don't think he's as innocent as you think he is."

"He didn't kill anyone!" Justin exclaimed. "And even if he's not so innocent, does he really deserve to be in jail?"

"It all depends on what he did."

Lance couldn't help turning to Chris with wide eyes. "What?"

Chris gave a heavy sigh, his anger deflating and leaving him looking exhausted. "I'm not saying JC is a bad guy or anything. But sometimes we make mistakes and we have to pay for them."

Justin stared at Chris, like he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Technically, Chris was right. If JC had done something wrong, he had to own up to it and face the consequences. Only they were talking about a crime and doing jail time. They were all in agreement that JC hadn't murdered anyone, but it was hard to imagine he'd done anything worthy of going to jail. Not because JC was perfect but because he was typically an all around nice guy who often went out of his way to be helpful.

"You don't even know what happened!" Justin objected at last.

"Neither do you," Chris snapped.

Justin glared at him, but sighed. "Fine," he relented. "I may not have all the details, but I know whatever happened wasn't his fault. He just got caught up with the wrong people."

Chris opened his mouth, but Lance cut in before he could get a word out. He knew the question Chris was going to ask because it was the same one he wanted an answer to, and, unlike Chris at the moment, he could ask in a less hostile way.

"How do you know?" Lance asked, looking at Justin curiously. Personally he'd never heard a word about JC's year in LA. All he'd ever known was what Justin had told him. That JC had gone to LA after the Mickey Mouse Club, but nothing came of it and he moved out to Memphis with Justin.

Justin sighed again, but this time his shoulders slumped forward and he looked completely exhausted like his anger had depleted what little energy he'd had left. "A couple weeks after JC got back from LA, this girl called looking for him."

Lance and Chris exchanged interested looks. "Girlfriend?" Lance asked.

Justin shrugged. "I didn't ask, and she didn't say. But she was looking for him, and I knew that whatever had happened in LA had been bad. That she was probably somehow involved, and I just..." Justin let out a breath and looked at them. "I paid her $200 to drop it and stop looking for him."

Chris's mouth dropped open in surprise, and Lance just stood there dumbfounded. He'd never thought that Justin had known more than he was letting on about JC's year in LA. And okay, it didn't sound like he knew anything. To pay someone off in exchange for them leaving JC alone...that was pretty extreme, and probably one of the most thoughtful things a friend could do.

"How did you get the money?" Lance asked. As young as Justin had been at the time, he couldn't imagine him having that much money on hand.

Justin rolled his eyes, like he thought the question was ridiculous. "My mom made me put everything I earned on the MMC into savings, but I still earned an allowance. I was saving up for a new game system, but..."

Justin ended it with a little shrug, like it was no big deal that he'd spent money he'd saved up for probably weeks on keeping someone from bothering JC. People thought because Justin was the baby of the group that he was selfish and spoiled, but the reality was, Justin was one of the least selfish people he knew. It was even more true when it came to his family and friends.

"So you never told JC about this girl calling?" Chris asked.

Justin shot him a look that clearly said why-the-hell-would-I-do-that. "You didn't see him when he got back from LA. He pretty much slept the whole first week and barely said anything to me or my mom. I think he was afraid we would force him to tell us what'd happened."

Justin's eyes were looking towards something across the room, but they had a glazed over quality that told Lance he was remembering that week. It made Lance frown, but Justin shook himself out of it rather quickly and looked back at him and Chris.

"That phone call came when he was finally getting back to normal," Justin said. "He wasn't holing himself up in his bedroom anymore, and he was finally starting to enjoy himself again. I wasn't going to mention anything that could send him back into the funk he'd been in."

Chris sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "You're a great friend, J. What you did for him was awesome. But you shouldn't have done it."

Justin frowned at him, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Why not?"

"Because if the cops find out about this they could argue that you were involved in covering up what happened."

Lance could swear his heart stopped. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. If JC was found guilty of something - possibly being involved in the murder - would the police really be able to say that Justin was an accomplice after the fact? He didn't want to believe it was true, but it didn't stop his heart from clenching in fear.

But Justin didn't seem as worried. "Please," he said, dismissively. "If they had something, I would've been arrested by now."

"You better hope it stays that way," Chris replied.

Justin seemed content to brush off Chris's concerns, moving across the room and turning on the TV. He threw himself onto the couch, looking much more exhausted like he'd finally worn himself down enough to sit still for a bit. But Lance exchanged a worried look with Chris.

There was obviously a lot to JC's year in LA. All they really knew was the murder accusation and now Justin's involvement in keeping some woman from LA at a distance. Somehow Lance knew that was only the tip of the iceberg. He just hoped that whatever else was revealed, they could handle it.