I have to meet up with some guys to discuss a new project. Not sure when I’ll be home, so house is yours, JC texted Allyson as she was packing to spend the weekend in LA.

OK. I’ll see you when you get home, she sent back.

Allyson picked up ingredients for tacos on her way out of town and spent the evening watching one of the many Harry Potter marathons on ABC Family. Why was there a Harry Potter marathon in August? Who knew, but she loved it nonetheless.

The third movie was just ending as JC walked into the door.

“Hey, babe,” she yelled to the front door as she turned to see JC walking through the entryway.

“Hey, baby. What’chu doin?” he said, feeling good about how things had gone earlier in the day.

“Just in time for the second half of the Harry Potter marathon,” she said, sitting up on the couch.

“Another marathon?” he laughed.

“I know, but it never gets old.”

“I love you,” he chuckled as he bent over the back of the couch to give Allyson a quick kiss. “It smells amazing, by the way. Did you cook?”

“Sort of. I picked up things for tacos. It’s all in the fridge if you want.”

“Mmmm I might. We had snacks, but no real dinner. But I’m gonna shower first.”

“OK. I’ll be here with Dan Radcliffe.”

As JC finished a bite of fajita chicken tacos, he looked up at Allyson. “Mm before I forget, Justin is performing at the VMAs in a couple weeks and getting this big award, basically like the golden Moonman. He’s invited the rest of the guys to be his guests and said we could each bring a plus one, so I figured you should be my first ask.”

“Good call,” she laughed. “And yeah, that sounds amazing! How long should I request off?”

“Maybe a few days, Thursday through Monday, maybe?”

“I’ll put in the request first thing Monday morning.

JC just smiled back at her. What he hadn’t said was that this project he had been working on was coded “String Quartet” and was the surprise of the year, if not the decade. JC and the guys were not just Justin’s invited guests at the show, but would be joining him onstage for a short medley.

Two weeks later, JC and Allyson were in first class of a plane headed from LAX to JFK, their bags packed with clothes fit for the VMAs. Cool, yet classy. They would be arriving late Thursday night with Friday to do their thing before a dress rehearsal Saturday and the show Sunday.

JC looked at his phone as they waited for their bags at baggage claim.

Plus ones can come to rehearsal, but they cannot tell a soul, Justin texted the *NSYNC boys’ group chat.

“Justin invited us all out to his rehearsal Saturday,” JC conveyed to Allyson. “Do you want to come?”

“Of course!”

“OK,” he laughed at how quickly she answered. “We’ll need to be there at noon, so tomorrow might be our only real day to explore.”

“I’ve been to New York enough. It’s fine,” she laughed.

“That’s true.”

They spent Friday exploring new sites throughout the city and visiting their favorite restaurants, and woke up Saturday excited to see Justin’s closed rehearsal. JC put on the black hoodie Justin had sent all of the guys to wear, while Allyson grabbed a San Diego Zoo branded T-shirt she’d brought.

JC accompanied Allyson to the viewing area and told her he wanted to go say hi to Justin and asked her to stay put and that he’d be “right back.”

About 30 minutes later, Allyson heard, “String Quartet. We’re ready for String Quartet,” over the PA system.

String quartet, she thought and looked around to the other spouses sitting near her. Everyone looked just as puzzled.

Then, like phoenixes rising up again, there was JC, alongside Lance, Joey and Chris, rising from under the stage to join Justin.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” she screamed to everyone and no one at the same time.

She was sitting close enough to see JC wink at her as she shook her head in disbelief.

The rehearsal was flawless. It was as if no time had passed at all.

The smile had not faded from Allyson’s face when JC came back out.

“So how was that?” JC asked as he snaked his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

“That was unbelievable,” she smiled. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this was the project you were working on.”

“We were sworn to secrecy,” he said, as Allyson kissed him on his now-pouted lips.

“You know everyone’s gonna die tomorrow, right?”

“It’s just a one-time deal. We’re honoring this guy,” he said, pointing to Justin as the Memphis boy walked out to the group.

“Y’all, this is going to be nuts,” Justin said. “I’m so glad they let me do this. I wanted us to have more time, but the producers made me shorten it for time. I pushed back and tried to make them understand that y’all are the reason I’m getting this at all, but they wouldn’t back down.”

“Man, you deserve it, and thanks for sharing your moment with us. You’ve taken this solo gig to new heights,” JC said, slapping Justin on the shoulder.

“I think I’m done for the day. Do y’all want to just hang out a bit?” Justin asked the group with his arm wrapped around his wife, Jessica.

Eight heads nodded back to him. “Come on, I know a place.”

The group of 10 grabbed dinner and spent a few hours at Justin’s New York apartment, just catching up.

“When’s the last time we’ve done this?” Lance asked the group.

“It’s been a few years,” Chris said.

“This is nice,” Joey leaned back on the couch.

“Yeah it is good to be together without the risk of cameras or anything,” Justin said.

“Oh I was talking about your couch,” Joey quipped, rubbing the back of the leather couch, making the room erupt with laughter.

“Shut up, Joe!” Lance threw a pillow across the couch at him.

“Do not start a pillow fight in here,” Jessica said, pointing her finger at Joey before he had time to retaliate.

“Ugh, yes ma’am,” Joey said, putting the pillow down.

“Thank you.”

Allyson left the group to find the bathroom, and JC took it as the perfect opportunity to let the rest of the group in on a secret of his own.

“Before she comes back,” he said, lowering his voice as everyone leaned in to hear better and because it seemed like the right thing to do, “I need to run something past y’all. So I have been working up the courage to do this, and tomorrow after the show or at least after our performance feels right.”

“No way!” Lance said. “Is the bachelor himself looking to settle down?”

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Chris said.

JC looked at Justin, who hadn’t said anything. “I don’t want to take away from your moment. “You tell me no, and I’ll do it another time.”

“Do you have the ring with you?” Justin asked.

“Yeah. I’ve been carrying it with me on every trip, thinking maybe it’ll be the right moment, but it’s never felt right. This feels right.”

“Do it, man!” Justin smiled. “That’s an amazing moment. After the performance, I think we’re supposed to do photos and shit; you know the media circus, but maybe that will give her time to get backstage. Do you want me to see if there’ll be a photographer who can be ready to capture it?”

“Do you think they’d do that?” he asked

“Doesn’t hurt to ask. I’ll see if Kevin is working the show for Getty. He’d definitely be down.”

“Oh if Kevin’s working the show, that would be great.”

A quick text message later and Justin had confirmed Kevin was working the VMAs and would be assigned to the guys, so he would be capturing everything anyway.

 About that time, Allyson rejoined the group in the living room.

“What’re we talking about?” she asked as she sat on JC’s lap.

“Just how exciting it is to be together like this,” he grinned and winked at the others as Allyson sat down and turned her face away from JC and toward the rest of the group.

Everyone slept well, but JC was a bundle of nerves as he got ready Sunday morning before having to go to their last rehearsal.

“What’s up, Josh? You seem tense,” Allyson asked as she walked back into the bedroom area of their suite.

“I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous,” he turned to face her.

“Nervous? JC Chasez nervous?” she said in a joking tone.

“Yes!” he said seriously. “This is the first time we’ve performed together on any awards show in like 10 years. What if they don’t like us anymore? What if our time is done? What if this is a bad idea? What if,” he continued until Allyson shushed him.

“What if this is the perfect way to remind everyone of how great y’all are? What if this is the exact thing the world needs? What if this is the best idea any of y’all has had in the last decade?” she said with a smile. “Josh, you should’ve seen the excitement of everyone in that room at rehearsals. Everyone was going nuts, even the MTV people who knew it was happening were screaming when y’all actually came up onto the stage.”

“But,” he started.

“But nothing,” she stopped him and kissed him softly. “Enjoy this. Don’t think about what has happened or what could happen, just what is happening. And we’ll all be enjoying the hell out of it too.”

He wrapped his arms around Allyson, linking his fingers together in the middle of her back. “You’re amazing, did you know that?”

“I’m just giving you facts. You get so into your head sometimes,” she smiled as she touched her index finger to his temple.

“But it was exactly what I needed to hear.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, Allie.”

“I love you too. Now finish up, so I can get ready,” she laughed as she headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to do my makeup, while you’re finishing up. Do you mind if I use one of your extra button downs?”

“Have at it. You know where they are.”

As Allyson closed the bathroom door behind her, JC looked back at the dresser in front of him and grabbed a small burgundy box he had buried in his socks and basketball shorts in his suitcase.

While he was nervous about the performance, what he was more nervous about was what he was going to ask Allyson after the performance. He took another deep breath and stuck the box in his jeans pocket and finished buttoning up his red plaid shirt. His show outfit was already at the Barclays Center.

“Hey, babe,” he knocked on the bathroom door. “I’m going to head on out. Justin said the car should be here around 3, and y’all will stop by and pick up Michael on the way to the venue.”

She opened the door, revealing an almost-complete makeup look as she stood there in nothing but the white button down she had selected.

“Damn! You should not have opened that door,” he said, looking her up and down, sucking in his bottom lip.

She blushed and laughed. “Go! You’re going to be late,” she said as she kissed him softly but with just a bit of pressure to make him want more. “I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

“I can’t wait to see you in that dress!”

That dress was a floor-length spaghetti strap emerald green A-line dress with a thigh-high slit up her left leg and beading details on top. With her makeup complete, she unbuttoned the shirt and slipped into the dress, putting her shoulders through the straps. She struggled a little getting the zipper past the beads, but she made it work. Thankfully her arms were just long enough.

About 20 minutes later, as she was securing the strap of her heels, the hotel room phone rang. “Hello?” she answered.

It was Chris’ wife, Karly. “The car will be here in 10 minutes. Meet us downstairs in 5.”

“I’ll see you in a few.”

Jessica walked the red carpet with Justin, but the car was picking up Allyson, Karly and Joey’s daughter Briahna who would be attending as his plus one. They were then picking Michael up at the apartment he and Lance still rented in Manhattan on their way to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

All the women complimented each other and Michael joined in the fun once he arrived.

“Are y’all excited?” Michael asked.

“I can’t wait to hear what the audience sounds like when they appear!” Allyson said.

“It’s going to erupt,” Karly chimed in.

Briahna, who was only 13, sat back and took in the experience.

“Josh was so anxious today when he was getting ready. He’s so nervous.”

“Chris was nervous too. They want it to be perfect.”

Just then Allyson’s phone buzzed with a text from JC. Hey babe everything work with the car?

Backstage at the Barclays Center, JC was sitting on the couch as Chris came up, “Ooooo who’s that?” he asked sarcastically, as he leaned on top of JC, pushing him over to where he was halfway laying down on the couch. Chris laid his head on JC’s shoulder as he jokingly looked at the phone in JC’s hands as Allyson replied back.

Great! We’re just saying how excited we are for tonite

“Shut up, dude!” JC laughed. “Oh!” he let out as Joey piled on top of Chris. “Joe, come on man! Will y’all get off me and let me text my girl?”

“Fine,” Chris groaned as he and Joey sat up. “And you better get used to saying fiancée. They love it when you use that!”

“Well she has to say yes first,” JC laughed nervously.

“It’ll be fine, bud,” Chris said reassuringly as he slapped JC’s thigh. “We’re gonna do a hacky and start getting ready soon.”

“I’ll be right there.” He finished up his reply to Allyson. 1/2 Good. We’re about to get ready, but meet us backstage after Justin’s done. 2/2 We’ll have to do press, but will be back right after.

We’ll be there waiting :)

:)

With a hacky finally complete, the guys finished getting ready as the girls arrived at the show. They did not walk the red carpet, but instead simply walked into the venue and found their seats where a VMA-sponsored goodie bag was waiting for them.

Nine minutes into the performance, the strings of “Pusher Love Girl” played, just as rehearsed, and Justin adlibbed, “You asked for it,” which was true. Everyone had been asking for it all over the internet. Then, the sound of the harmonies of “Gone” reverberated through the arena as four figures appeared from underneath the stage. There they were, *NSYNC together again. Allyson was seated next to Karly, and grabbed her hands as they gasped at seeing their men on stage looking so dapper in their black and white outfits.

They looked around in awe as everyone around them, understandably, went nuts as *NSYNC together again began their all-too-short medley of “Girlfriend” and “Bye, Bye, Bye.”

Just as soon as it happened, it was over, and the guys descended again, each of them giving little signals to their guests – a wink, a point, a wave – as Justin finished his performance and continued to accept his Moonman.

“Dude, nice adlib,” Joey gave JC a slap on the back.
“I couldn’t help it, man. Being up there with you guys again, seeing my girl there, knowing what I’m about to do, seeing Justin do his thing, I just had to let it out.”

“That was amazing,” Chris said. “I do these little shows, but, you know, I forgot how much I missed being up there with you guys.”

“There’s something kind of magical about it,” Joey added.

“It’s unlike anything else, that’s for sure,” Lance said. 

As they continued talking, JC, Lance, Chris and Joey all headed to the backstage media area to watch what they could of the rest of Justin’s performance and his acceptance speech.

On the monitors backstage, they watched as Justin accepted the Video Vanguard Award from Jimmy Fallon. “I don’t deserve this award, but I’m not gonna give it back,” he said from the stage. “I’m taking this home. Every video director that I had the fortune of working with, I owe this award to you. My manager, Johnny, my folks, but most of all, half of the Moonmen that I’ve ever won, I won with those four guys right there. So above all else, I’m gonna share this - we can keep it at my house - but I’m gonna share this with them. This is truly an honor. Thank you so much.”

“You hear that? He likes us; he really likes us!” Chris joked.

“That was sweet,” JC said, smiling.

A few minutes later, Justin walked backstage to join the guys, who greeted him with a group hug.

“Nice speech, man,” JC said.

“I meant every word,” Justin smiled at his best friends.

“Including that it has to stay at your house?” Joey asked with a laugh.

“Yes, even that. I’ll share it with y’all, but it’s still got my name on it.”

“I’m gonna steal it,” Lance loudly whispers to Joey with a laugh.

“Is it too late to change my speech?” Justin joked. “I’m just playin’,” as he hugged Lance.

“We’re ready for you in the interview room,” an MTV assistant said to the guys before saying into her headset, “String Quartet entering the Lion’s Den.”

“They still call it the Lion’s Den?” JC whispered to Lance.

“I guess some things never change.”

As soon as they were visible, cameras started flashing and the press began yelling questions and directions at the men. “Over here!” “Justin! Straight down the middle!” “To your right!” “How does it feel?” “Will we have a reunion tour?” “Are you getting back together for good?”

Justin laughed as the guys nodded for him to answer. “There’s no conversations happening just yet, but we’ve always said never say never. Nothing is off the table. It felt great to be up there with my brothers again. We’re just enjoying tonight.”

After five minutes of intensity, they walked to the other side of the room and exited to the backstage area where their partners were waiting.

“I liked your little ‘Baby, baby, baby’ at the end,” Allyson whispered as she gave JC a hug and a kiss.

“That was for you,” he said with a smile.

Kevin Winter, longtime Getty Images photographer who had photographed *NSYNC at every stage of their career since they hit the U.S. market in 1998, had followed the guys out of the room. “Nice job, fellas. Took me back to 2001. Let’s get some photos out here without the yelling.”

“Yeah, man,” Justin said to Kevin before turning his attention to the four guys around him. “It did feel good.”

They were being goofy taking pictures as their plus-ones were escorted to the area.

“Let’s get some photos of everyone,” Kevin suggested waving in the guests. JC and Justin had both told him of JC’s plan, but the general assignment was “follow JC’s lead.” Not the best game plan, but Kevin was there to capture the moment as it happened and everyone just knew to stay out of the way of his lens.

They took a few photos, and Kevin said, “Oh I love this one,” as he moved to the side a little. His comment prompted most of the group to gather around behind Kevin, except Allyson who watched with a smile as everyone clamored to see the picture. Lance and Michael had also stepped off to the side to see what they knew was about to happen.

“Ah, JC, what are you doing dude?” Chris laughed.

Allyson looked up and laughed before turning around to face JC as Kevin quickly moved into position with the camera back up to his eye. “What did you…” her question trailed off as her eyes landed upon JC getting down on one knee, his hand pulling out the small burgundy box he had moved to his jacket pocket. “Oh my God! Josh!” Allyson said as her hands moved to cover her mouth in shock.

“Allie, ever since we met, it has been instant. It has always been easy, even when it shouldn’t have been. It has always felt right, even when facing difficult situations. I know you will always have my back, and I hope you know I will always have yours. You are my sun on a cloudy day, and my calm when a storm is swirling around me or in me. You are my home, my comfort, my peace. I’ve had this moment in my head for some time, and I’ve been so excited and nervous to finally ask, Allyson Stewart, will you marry me?”

By this point, everyone had tears in their eyes, and Allyson’s hands had not moved from her mouth. JC knelt there terrified as Allyson took a moment to let what was happening sink in. Then, he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her nod her head, “Yes! Of course!” She bent down and grabbed JC’s face in her hands and kissed him hard. “Of course!”

Kevin got the preparation, the reaction, the acceptance and the kiss before everyone crowded around the newly engaged couple, congratulating them both and admiring Allyson’s new piece of jewelry.

JC had picked the perfect ring for Allyson’s delicate finger. Twisting bands of gold and diamonds supported a single round diamond that sparkled in the light.

Allyson could not stop herself from glancing down at her new ring. When they returned to their suite, JC caught Allyson just staring at the ring. He chuckled a little, catching her attention and making her turn her attention from the ring to JC. “We’re engaged!” she said, holding up her hand, so the ring faced him as her mouth was wide open.

“We are,” he said as he moved closer to where she was sitting on the bed. “You’re my fiancée. I’m your fiancé.”

“I get to be Mrs. Allie Chasez! I didn’t know MASH could actually come true.”

“Oh God! You actually played that game?” he threw his head back laughing.

“Uh yeah! Everyone did. My three guys were always you, Josh Hartnett and Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“Well I’m glad I made the cut and that you got me in real life,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist as he sat down next to her.

“Real life beats MASH any day of the week,” she smiled as she turned to kiss him.

He kissed back on her. “I’m gonna prove that to you every day.”

“Have you told anyone yet?” she asked.

“Well your parents and sister know, but not besides that. I haven’t told my folks yet. I just haven’t had time. You know, been busy with this little show,” he laughed.

She joined his laughter, “OK fine. Let’s call them now,” she said, before realizing the time. “Wait, no, it’s 11. Maybe not. Tomorrow going to the airport? I want to tell everyone!”

“I love that you’re as excited as I am, but let’s do it once we get home Monday. It’ll be 8 here by the time we get back to LA.”

“OK,” she smiled. “Well, then go get ready for bed. It’s been a long day.”

With one final stolen kiss, JC went off to the bathroom, and he couldn’t help but drop his head and laugh silently to himself when he looked at himself in the mirror. I’m engaged, he thought, still trying to wrap his mind around it.

At the same time, Allyson was looking down at her ring, smiling to herself thinking the exact same thought.

As JC climbed into bed, he simply wrapped one arm around Allyson and pulled her into him. “So does this mean I can do this forever?”

“Mhmm,” she said, as she felt JC’s lips on her neck. She turned around as the kisses migrated to her lips. “Forever and ever.” She reached her hands up to stroke his face during a break in the kissing. “I’m so happy.”

“Me too. That’s why I was so nervous yesterday getting ready.”

She laughed and buried her head in his bare chest. “I thought it was strange for you to be that nervous about the performance.”

“I was nervous for the performance, but, yeah, everything you saw yesterday was because of this,” he said with a chuckle as he reached down and interlaced his fingers with hers, letting the ring sparkle. 

“I don’t know what you were nervous about.”

“Are you kidding me? I could only hope you would say yes.”

“Of course I said yes, and I would say yes a thousand times over,” she said, continuing the kisses.

“I don’t know that I have ever felt this happy in my life.”

They just laid next to each other, talking low and kissing for the next few hours before they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

The next morning, their alarms went off at 9, so they could meet Justin at his apartment for brunch before everyone headed back home after a whirlwind weekend.

Monday morning, as soon as they got settled back in California, they pulled up their computers and started calling people via Skype to tell them the good news and show off the ring. Shannon might have given the best reaction, screaming at a decibel that put the wine glasses in her apartment at risk.