“Dad, can I have another burger?” Silas asked Justin as he finished up the last bit of the grilling.

Justin turned to answer his son to find him standing without his shirt on. “Lose something there, buddy?”

“It’s hot,” Silas told him.

“Yeah, it’s hot,” Nash said, joining him, holding his plate out and also missing his top.

“Have you two been hanging out with Uncle Michael while I’ve been grilling?” Justin smirked. 

The boys both giggled as Michael approached in only his shorts and flip flops. “I would have thought you were rich enough to air condition the outdoors,” Michael joked.

Justin laughed and wiped the sweat off his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. “Thanks for watching them. You know how we get.”

“It’s all good. Figured eat then they can get back to their video game, if that’s cool?”

“Yeah, we’re letting them stay up til 9 so that works,” Justin confirmed and gave Michael a slap on the back of thanks.

JC and Colleen sat on a lounger as Colleen bounced Phin gently on her lap. Phin laughed as every so often Colleen bounced him super high. JC watched the scene and smiled. “You’re really great at this,” he observed.

“Yeah, well, it’s easy when all you have to do is play with them. If he poops, I’m handing him off.”

“Do you…I mean, if he was our kid…?” JC didn’t know how to explain how his heart was feeling but watching Colleen play with Phin suddenly made him want to brooch the conversation.

Colleen could tell where JC was going. “I’ve never been like, yearning my whole life to be a mom but I certainly would be beyond happy to have a kid one day. I guess I’m saying I’d be elated if it happened but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if it didn’t, if that makes sense.”

“It does…” JC considered her answer. “It’s not that I didn’t want to but I just didn’t want to have a kid with someone that I wouldn’t be there for. Like, if you’re gonna be a parent, you gotta put the kid first and foremost.”

“Were you afraid with your career, you couldn’t do that?” Colleen questioned him.

“If it happened, I would have adjusted. I guess I mean it’s a two person job. Yes, I know lots of amazing single parents, I just…I’d want the person I’m having the kid with to share all of it with.”

“You don’t want to have a kid until you know your relationship is stable,” Colleen surmised. “I think that’s certainly reasonable.”

“Yeah and…the last time…it wasn’t for the right reasons. I mean, I know it wasn’t planned but then when we did plan…” JC trailed off, watching Phin smile as he took in all the surrounding action as best he could.

Colleen put her hand on JC’s knee. “JC, you have time to think about it and figure it out.”

“But you don’t,” JC replied solemnly.

“I still got time, don’t let that stress you out,” she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “In the meantime, I think you should put in the practice.”

“We already got caught once today,” JC gave a small laugh.

“Not what I meant,” Colleen said and handed over Phin to JC. “Somebody needs a diaper change,” Colleen said as she got up and left JC to his own devices.

“Colleen!” Chris yelled over as he saw her get up. “Come here, we need you to settle a debate.”

Colleen strode over to Chris, Karly, Lance and Joey. “Dare I even ask?” she laughed.

“It’s not dirty, calm down,” he told her. “What makes a horror movie scary, in your opinion?”

Colleen considered the question. “I think how close to real it could be. I mean, The Exorcist is certainly scary but I’m not actually worried that could happen to me.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Lance exclaimed. “Horror is more fun than scary most times but I refuse to mess with those home invasion movies.”

“See, I figured you’d hate all those Paranormal Activity movies since you’re so into ghosts and shit,” Joey commented.

“Oh no, ghosts are real. I just do my best not to piss them off,” Lance responded.

“So what’s your favorite scary movie?” Chris asked Colleen in a voice reminiscent of Ghostface from Scream.

“Misery is a classic but I’d say Ma is probably the best recent movie I’ve seen that’s really gotten to me.”

“Not Get Out?” Justin asks with a sly smile, walking up to join the group for the conversation.

“Get Out was a great story but it stopped being scary to me once they got to the brain transplant part,” Colleen simply stated, knowing what Justin was doing. “Just became unrealistic at that point but still was a fantastic movie.”

“How about you?” Joey turned to Justin. 

“I saw When A Stranger Calls when I was a kid and it fucked with me for some reason. They did a remake like mid 2000s that I stupidly thought would be a good idea to watch. Now that I have kids, I won’t go near anything like that.”

“So sounds like the majority doesn’t like anything that fucks with your mind then,” Chris summarized.

“Well, not in a bad way, at least,” Justin chuckled at his own joke. Colleen shot him a look but Justin egged her on by putting his index finger in her face and spinning it around repeatedly. Colleen quickly slapped his hand and Justin full on laughed.

“Whatever you’re doing, stop it,” JC told him, returning with Phin.

“Hey, where’d you take my kid?” Justin wondered and took Phin in his arms as his youngest reached out to him.

“To change his diaper,” JC told him.

“You know how to do that?” Joey asked in disbelief.

“Yes, I know how to do that,” JC scoffed. “Autumn taught me. Just because it’s a skill I don’t use often doesn’t mean I don’t have it.”

“That could apply to so many things with you,” Lance gently teased.

“Dad! Dad!” Silas came running over. “Uncle Michael said when we were done eating we could play Legos and Nash and I are done eating so can we go play now?” he jumped up and down excitedly. 

“Ok ok,” Justin laughed, “but you have to help me clean up some things first…both of you.” Justin saw Nash creeping over as well. Everyone pitched in to clean up most of the food and the trash. “Looks good to me,” Justin finally said as the boys cheered and ran toward the house. “Put on some shirts. The air conditioning is on,” Justin yelled after them.

“Awww, but dad,” Michael jokingly whined as he went to take Phin from Justin. “I’ll make sure they do,” Michael assured him.

“Actually, Phin’s gonna need to go down shortly. I can take him. You’ve got your hands full.”

“Nope, we got him,” Karly interjected with Colleen close behind. “Gives you guys time to talk and us to talk about you.”

Justin laughed and passed Phin over to Karly. “Thanks, I think?” 

The ladies headed in the house to find Michael trying to settle the boys down, chasing them both with a shirt in each hand. “A future look at the Bass-Turchin household,” Colleen joked. Silas came running at her to avoid Michael and she quickly grabbed him under the arms so he had to raise them. Michael pounced and got a shirt on him then Colleen deposited him onto the couch.

“One down and one to…go…” Michael said, quickly looking around the room and trying not to panic when he saw no sign of Nash. Karly cleared her throat and pointed at the couch as they saw a leg disappear underneath. Michael breathed a sigh of relief as the ladies proceeded up to Phin’s room. They soon heard the squeal of Nash’s laughter and assumed Michael had “found” him.

“Those two are so screwed,” Karly laughed as they entered Phin’s room. 

“I don’t even know how I’d handle one, two at the same time seems like just asking to have a constant headache for the rest of your life,” Colleen joked, going to Phin’s dresser and finding a cute set of camo pajamas with dinosaurs hidden in them.

“JC was certainly looking at you like he’d want to try to handle it,” Karly gently prodded.

“Yeah,” Colleen breathed and shook her head. “Not the best timing to have that conversation but glad it’s at least starting to happen.”

“So?”

“I told him generally where I stood on it. If it happens, that’s great and if it doesn’t, it’s cool. I don’t want to put any pressure on him.”

“Is that really how you feel though?” Karly asked, getting Phin out of his dirty clothes.

“It truly is. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a relationship long enough to even consider kids and now…I’m older, I get it. It’s not out of the question but I know the statistics. I’ve made peace with that.”

“JC has never been anti-kid, he just never seemed in a hurry. The way he was watching you tonight though…”

“Yeah, I…I don’t know. We’ll hit a year of dating in a couple weeks. A year…seems insane to think about.”

“That’s a pretty big deal,” Karly told her. “If you make it that long, makes you start thinking about all the anniversaries and milestones to come.”

“I know, it just…I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. Everything already feels too good to be true, it’s like I don’t want to spoil that.”

“It’s ok to live in the moment but also think about the future. When your dreams for the future take away from your enjoyment of the present, that’s when you should be concerned.”

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Colleen smiled, handing over Phin’s pajamas.

“For now, just know if you guys do have kids, JC’s diaper game is solid,” Karly pointed out as she stood Phin up on the changing table. “He was smart enough to put him in the overnight diapers.”

“Or that’s all he could find,” Colleen joked and helped get Phin ready for bed.

“I still can’t believe you fucked that stewardess,” Chris laughed heartily. “Every time I think of that, it gets funnier.”

“I did what I had to do,” Lance replied coolly. “She was generally attractive and you guys would have known something was up if I didn’t.” 

“Again, you could have just handed her off to me and I would have covered for you,” Joey stated.

“You had your hands full, as I recall,” Lance joked.

“I know how to juggle,” Joey shot back. “Wouldn’t have been my first threesome, wouldn’t have been my last.”

“Jesus, Joey,” Justin snickered. “Sex shouldn’t require multitasking.”

“You’re just jealous cuz you never had one,” Joey teased.

“Most people haven’t had threesomes, Joey,” Justin informed him.

“Ummmm,” JC sheepishly raised his hand.

“You aren’t most people,” Justin laughed. Lance and Chris exchanged a look then both raised their hands. Justin swallowed a swig of his beer hard. “No way.”

“My partying days in Orlando could get out of control some nights,” Chris admitted.

“I did a lot of stupid shit in the years in between the band ending and my public coming out…I also did a lot of fun shit,” Lance told them with a smile.

“I think you’re the only one that hasn’t slept with a porn star either,” Joey said to Justin, “though that’s probably for the better.”

Justin looked around at the guys. Joey, JC and Chris he knew but Lance? “Told you, lots of fun stupid shit,” Lance confirmed.

Justin sighed. “This is what I’ve been getting at guys, I feel like I missed out on all the fun stupid shit.”

“Do I really need to run down a list of gorgeous, famous women you’ve slept with to make you feel better?” Chris asked him.

“It’s not about who I slept with but what we were doing. I can’t exactly have a threesome now?”

Justin lamented.

“Is that something you even really want to do?” Lance questioned.

“I mean, not that specifically…or maybe. I don’t know, I just keep feeling like I missed out on lots of stuff,” Justin tried to explain.

“Sounds like a mid-life crisis to me,” Joey commented.

“Maybe it is,” Justin answered honestly, “but, it’s not like I lost interest in my wife. She lost interest in me.”

“Hard to believe this is the same woman that dumped Captain America for a chance with you,” Joey chuckled as he sipped his Jack and Coke.

“She didn’t know he was gonna become Captain America. If she had, she might have stuck around,” Lance commented then concentrated on his drink as he could feel Justin glaring at him.

Justin glanced inside to see Silas engrossed in his video game with Nash and decided to ask the question he needed the answer to, even though he knew he wasn’t going to like it. “Did I make a mistake marrying Jess?”

A chorus of “no”s came quickly from his friends and Justin sighed. “Guys, I’m serious. Please?” The four others looked at each other, trying to mentally decide what exactly to share.

“Mistake is definitely not the word to use. You got two beautiful boys who would not be who they are if it weren’t for Jess,” Chris started.

“So what is the word to use?” Justin questioned. 

“I don’t know,” Lance told him, “but I’ve known Jessie even longer than you. I have no doubt she loves you but…” Lance drew in a deep breath, knowing he was about to light the long fuse on an eventual bomb. “I think somewhere it switched to being more enamored with being Justin Timberlake’s wife.”

“What does that mean?” Justin asked.

“It means I’ve never met your kids in person until today,” Joey said matter of factly. “It means we weren’t invited to your wedding.”

“Joey, we’ve been over this,” Justin reminded him.

“I know we have and I’m past being mad about it but you can never convince me it was your decision. She’s completely supportive of your career and I’m honestly happy you have someone in your corner like that but when’s the last time you did something for fun that wasn’t a calculated career move?”

“I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Justin said.

“He means, when’s the last time you could be just Justin instead of Justin Timberlake?” Lance cut in. 

Justin blinked rapidly at his friend. “Wha…what?” he asked, truly not understanding what they were asking him.

“Why couldn’t you ride in the car with us, J?” JC finally spoke up. Justin whirled around to meet JC’s sad eyes. “To the star ceremony. Why couldn’t you ride with us?”

“I mean, it was just logistics. My mom was there and…”

“Our moms were there too. All of them,” JC stated. “We made arrangements for them. Why couldn’t you do the same? That day was about us and you…I don’t doubt a word of what you said but your actions spoke differently.”

Justin looked at his band mate dumbfounded, “I didn’t…I didn’t know it meant that much to you.”

“I didn’t either until later. I’m not mad, I’m just…we truly do all understand you are still living this superstar life that the rest of us haven’t had in a long time. We get your insane schedule and your commitments and your work ethic plus the need to unwind and have family time. No one is resentful of that because we remember the stress of it. At the same time, we’re still your friends and…”

“Which is exactly why I invited you all over today,” Justin stated, working hard not to get offended.

“When Jess isn’t here,” Joey pointed out.

“That’s just timing,” Justin reminded him. “When are all five of us ever in the same place? It’s beyond rare and only if we plan to be, like now for the recording sessions.”

“How does Jess feel about us all working together again?” Chris asked him.

Justin took a hard swig of his beer. “It’s, um, it’s a touchy subject. She’s not mad at it but she just wants me to finish out my solo album first.”

“And then promote it and then tour, right?” Lance questioned.

“Yeah, well, I mean, obviously,” Justin countered. “That’s kind of how it flows, you know.”

“So put us back on the shelf for another two years, basically,” JC said.

Now Justin was getting angry. “I really don’t think you’re the one who gets to make that comment.”

JC finished the last of his wine slushee and against his better judgment, got up and went for another one. “I’m aware I have been the hold up in all of this but I’m also kind of over this narrative that it’s one hundred percent my fault.”

Justin’s anger subsided as confusion once again became his predominant emotion. “C, I’m truly not trying to be a dick here but…yes, I have a crazy schedule and I haven’t prioritized the band in a very long time but why would I when you kept saying you didn’t want to do anything? I know I have my own career but so do the rest of us. I never said no.”

“I know that but…” JC was finding it hard to find the right words. “Sometimes it feels like there’s you and then there’s the four of us.”

“Sometimes it feels like it’s just three of us,” Lance somberly added. JC looked at Lance and hung his head. He was trying to be honest but also knew how hypocritical it was. “We’re getting off topic,” Lance spoke again after a moment, “not that we should continue with the original topic either.”

“No, no this is good,” Justin persevered, having another gulp of his beer. “I need to…I need to hear this.”

“You don’t,” Chris told him. “Only you can decide what you want and what you don’t. All we want is for you to be happy, whatever that looks like.” The other three friends nodded in agreement.

“Why’d you date her in the first place?” Joey asked.

“She was so into me,” Justin confessed with a smile, remembering their first few months together. “Cameron and I had literally just broken up and she was so assertive and fun. She had established her movie career at that point and I was still feeling my way through it. She was a tremendous help in finding the right vehicles to make me a better actor.”

“If she’s the one that suggested The Love Guru to you, that actually is grounds for divorce,” Joey quipped.

Justin ignored him and continued. “My family loved her, which was a welcome change from Cameron. She was the “fun” girlfriend, Jess was the serious one, the one to build a future with, a family.”

“That’s what you did,” Lance reminded him. 

“Right but…I feel like we grew apart instead of together as we got older. It was my schedule with her schedule then she slowed down working once Silas was born. She transitioned to producing and she’s great at it.”

“So is the problem just the sex?” Joey wondered.

“It’s the whole relationship. I thought it was just not having sex but I’m starting to realize we stopped making time for just the two of us a long time ago. Even if the kids aren’t there, it’s never just us alone.”

“When is the last time you two had sex?” Chris questioned.

“I don’t know exactly but I know it’s only been twice since Phin was born,” Justin replied.

“That explains a hell of a lot,” Joey shook his head. “I’m gonna lay off the digs at you for a while. I only meant it as a joke that your wife wasn’t sucking your dick, I didn’t realize she actually wasn’t.”

“You really don’t like her, do you?” Justin looked at Joey, almost as if he was truly realizing it for the first time.

“I don’t know her!” Joey protested. “We see her once a year, if that, for our Christmas call. She never bothered to get to know us and acts like we’re your dumb frat brothers who she begrudgingly has to put up with from time to time. If she makes you happy, then I got no problem but if she doesn’t, then…” Joey took a long sip of his drink, stopping himself from saying something he’d regret.

“Then what?” Justin prodded him.

“Don’t,” Lance cautioned them both.

Justin wanted the truth and Joey was going to give it to him. “Sometimes I feel like she was more in love with the idea of you than actually with you. I’m sure she does love you and you love her, otherwise you wouldn’t be working so hard to fix this but on some level…you were a prize to be won. She became Mrs. Justin Timberlake, she had your kids. At this point, even if you did divorce, she still has you forever.”

All Justin could do was stare at Joey, his mouth open in shock. He looked between the other three men, who were all actively avoiding his gaze. No one spoke up or defended; Justin knew they all felt the same way. “Why didn’t any of you ever say this?”

“We aren’t in your marriage,” Chris told him gently. “I stand by what I said before: we just want you to be happy.”

“I agree with Joey that there has to truly be love between you two if you both are willing to work this out,” Lance told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you did grow apart, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find your way back to each other.”

Justin turned to JC. “What’s your take?” 

“I’ve drank too much to share,” JC bowed out. 

“Isn’t that when people are supposed to share?” Justin goaded him on. “Unfiltered and all that?”

“Still sober enough to know it’s a bad idea,” JC responded.

“Let me guess: I’ve been added to the list of examples why you won’t get married.”

“Justin, let’s not do this,” JC tried to calm him down.

“No, let’s,” Justin proceeded. “I’ve always trusted your guys’ opinions so I want to hear it.” Justin downed the last of his beer and set it down hard.

JC stared at Justin but knew he wouldn’t back down. The same stubborn 14 year old looked back at him. “I’ve never had a problem with Jess, she’s always been nice to me when I see her but Joey has a point.”

“Which is?” Justin asked.

“Look inside,” JC pointed towards the window. Silas and Nash were still playing their game and showing Michael different moves while Karly and Colleen chatted on the adjacent couch. “All our significant others get along and have become friends. Jess never even tried.”

Justin knew that. It had been an ongoing fight for years, yet he still felt the need to defend his wife. “I mean, what’s she supposed to talk about? It’s not twenty years ago where they could all gossip about us?”

“Well, it kind of is,” Joey said. “Izzy used to love chatting with Michael and Karly and ragging on me. I had hoped she’d still keep in contact with them after we broke up but it’s waned off, so I hear.”

“Colleen has found it immeasurably helpful in trying to navigate dating a sort of public figure,” JC added.

“Jess already is a public figure. She was famous before we even met so…” Justin started to explain.

“You can be famous and still be a star fucker,” Joey cut in.

Justin was drunker than he realized as his fist only grazed Joey’s jaw. Chris and Lance were instantly on Justin while JC placed himself between him and Joey. “You ok?” JC asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah, not a direct hit. I probably deserved that one,” Joey said, moving his mouth to see if there was any damage.

“Don’t talk about my wife like that!” Justin yelled. 

“I’m sorry,” Joey responded. “I should have phrased it better.”

“You shouldn’t have phrased it at all because you’re wrong, you’re all wrong,” Justin continued to shout. “That’s not who she is. That’s not what happened.”

“Ok Justin,” Chris spoke. “That’s not what happened. Joey was out of line and apologized. Let’s let it go.”

Justin shook off Lance and Chris as he glared past JC at Joey. “I love my wife.”

“I never said you didn’t,” Joey answered.

“Just because you couldn’t fix your marriage doesn’t mean I can’t fix mine,” Justin intentionally stated.

“You’re right,” Joey swallowed hard, letting Justin get in that barb since he had set him off in the first place.

“I don’t run away when shit gets hard. I put the work in, I make it right. I don’t give up. I’m not JC!” Justin pointed at his band mate in question.

JC’s eyes grew dark as Lance tried to defuse the situation. “Ok, let’s not drag other people into this.”

Justin turned to JC, his anger at Joey’s words coming out at the other man. “How you gonna fuck this one up, huh? You gonna cheat again when it gets too tough? Or because you're scared that it’s actually good? Jesus, you fucking idiot, you hit the jackpot with Colleen and you let all of your old shit eat at you so that you’ll never fully commit to anyone. She deserves better than that and you know it and I’ll bet she only puts up with it cuz you’re you.” Justin looked in the house again. “Who’s the star fucker now?”

Chris, Joey and Lance were stunned by Justin’s words and had no idea what to say. They knew him well enough to know he was simply deflecting from Joey’s comments but it was still a nasty comparison to make.

JC slowly walked up to Justin, Joey close behind him in case he decided to take a swing as well. “Wow, who would have ever thought THE Justin Timberlake would be jealous of a has been like me?” JC seethed.

“You chose to give up!” Justin yelled. “I tried to help. We all tried to help. The only person who’s gotten through to you is that woman in there and you’ll eventually give up with her too because that’s what you do.”

“You can’t wait to swoop right in, huh?” JC stated.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Justin asked him.

JC got right in Justin’s face. “You think I don’t see it? The way you look at her and flirt with her. She doesn’t but I do. Why Justin? Cuz you actually like her? Because you see us happy and you're not? Because you know what turns her on or you think she can give you the sex you’ve been missing? You knew damn well what you were doing when you ran upstairs at my house and saw her naked. Enough of a mental image for the spank bank for you?”

Justin was speechless at what JC was accusing him of. Why was JC mad when he’d done exactly what he’d asked him to do? He talked to Colleen about all his underlying shit with Piper. They got along, they were friendly. When had this suddenly become a problem?