Drama, drama, drama. I know, Piper shouldn’t have freaked out so bad because Justin laid a big one on her. But then again, she was so afraid of losing his friendship, that she didn’t want anything to come in between, even if it was the man himself.

Unfortunately, by having that mindset, she ended up pushing him away when she really shouldn’t have. But I guess that was really her mistake to make.

It’s just too bad that things started spiraling out of control at that point. At least in Piper’s point of view they did. She was on the outs with Justin, Andrew was in a coma, and she was thousands of miles away from home. Talk about being adrift all alone in an empty sea.

Never fear, though, Justin got his chance to play out the hero. It wasn’t exactly how he had imagined winning Piper’s heart (for he was quite sure that he was suddenly feeling more than friendship towards her), but it did the trick.

But I’ll stop now before I give anything else away. I know I have a tendency to run at the mouth, but this time, mums the word. You just have to sit back and let the story unfold.

One Day Later – Michigan

“Piper, wake up,” Genevieve quietly murmured as she tried to shake the younger woman awake.

“Already?” Piper moaned, trying to burying herself deeper into the covers to try and avoid the dawning of the new day.

“Yeah. We should get going soon so we can get back to your house as soon as possible,” Genevieve continued as she left Piper’s side to finish packing her bag.

“Okay, I’m up. Let me grab a quick shower before we get on the road; I’m not prepared to get us killed by falling asleep at the wheel,” Piper announced, sitting up in bed and groaning at the clock that cruelly read six thirty in the morning. They had gotten roughly three hours of sleep, not enough to sustain them for the rest of the day.

Yesterday, Piper had managed to make it to JC and Genevieve’s house before succumbing to the tears that had threatened to fall the whole way back. The couple had been so understanding. Genevieve had let her cry in her arms, and JC had immediately booked the first available flight he could find for the two women. Piper knew she’d be eternally grateful for their kindness.

Two hours later and they were on a ten o’clock flight back to Detroit, landing at the ungodly hour of 2:45 and therefore opting to stay at the airport hotel. They had very few hours of sleep, but there was no sense in driving straight home and running the risk of getting in an accident. That was definitely the last thing Piper wanted to happen.

“Have you talked to Justin yet?” Genevieve suddenly questioned, startling Piper out of her sleepy daze. The younger woman frowned.

“No. He’s already called another three times, but I just let them all go to voicemail,” Piper revealed, sighing, “I’m just not ready to talk to him.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly happened?” the elder questioned, taking a seat on the bed next to her friend, “I’m not trying to pry or anything, but I do have experience in this sort of thing.” Piper laughed.

“Well, I guess I should start off by saying that I’m beginning to find Justin attractive,” Piper admitted, blushing.

“Nothing wrong with that, he’s a pretty fine specimen of a man,” Genevieve commented, wiggling her eyebrows. Piper giggled. “Not that I would trade JC for him. No way in hell.”

“Well, I think…ugh, I don’t know!” Piper exclaimed, throwing herself back down on the bed.

“It helps if you talk about it,” Genevieve reminded her, “Not trying to push or anything, but you’ll feel better once you throw it all on the table.”

“I know,” Piper said, sighing as she sat up and looked her friend straight in the eye, “I think I’m falling for him.”

“I know.”

“You know? How do you know?” the younger woman cried, shocked and a little embarrassed, “Am I that easy to read?”

“No, I’ve just had a lot of cases like your’s,” Genevieve stated.

“Hey now, don’t go all professional on me,” Piper teased, “I don’t have the money to pay.”

“This one’s on me,” Genevieve responded, putting a comforting arm around Piper’s shoulders, “Now you want to tell me more?” Piper bit her lip.

“Okay. I guess it all started back when Justin came to visit me at school…” she began.

That fateful night, when Justin had come running to her for comfort and to tell his tale of woe, Piper felt the friendship barrier start to break. She had tried to fight it, but there was no denying that her handsome friend was beginning to steal her heart right from underneath her nose.

When she had discovered the nightmare his life had suddenly become, the protective side of her had reared its ugly head. She had seriously wanted to hunt down Cameron and murder her for the hurt and sadness she had caused. Of course, she had reined in the urge, turning her attention, instead, to being the best friend he needed at the moment.

It wasn’t easy. Every grateful look, every wink, every little nudge, every accidental contact had her senses reeling and her heart playing along to Cupid’s rhapsody. Not a great situation to be in.

He was in no position to be getting involved with another woman; he was going to be getting married, going to be a daddy. There was no way she was going to come in the middle of that whirlwind of trouble.

And of course, she had her self-esteem issues. She had been on the chubby side when she was younger and had endured merciless teasing from her peers. Not much of a confidence booster for somebody who was shy to the point of being mute.

But she had overcome that odd. She had worked long hours in the gym and had consultations with a nutritionist; it was a tough obstacle, but her determination had never wavered. She succeeded in breaking out of that annoyingly shy, conservative shell.

Then was thrown right back into it when Andrew had cheated on her with a tall, leggy blonde who could easily pass for a model. That whole situation brought back all the insecurities and made her doubt herself once again. Justin, therefore, had been a blessing in disguise. He had gone on and on about she had been his saving grace, never realizing that he had been her’s as well.

She had been happy with their friendship at first; happy with all the teasing, all the sarcastic barbs that they traded. The conversations she had with him were stimulating and he always managed to find a way to bring out the thrill in any situation. She loved all of that.

Eventually, though, she had begun to realize the cute little things he did. The way he loved to walk around in nothing but a pair of baggy sweatpants. How his eyes crinkled up whenever he laughed. His shoe fetish that rivaled Virginia’s. All these things made her see him in a new light.

And that new light was dangerous. That was what had her reeling from the innocent kiss Justin had bestowed upon her. He had unknowingly ignited new feelings in her, feelings that could be the downfall of their friendship.

That was the last thing she wanted. She valued Justin’s friendship like she did Virginia and Rae’s. There was no way in hell she was going to make the biggest mistake of her life and lose him forever. No, she’d fight tooth and nail before she admitted her true feelings.

“That’s pretty much the gist of things. I just don’t know how to tell Justin,” Piper concluded, biting her lip in frustration.

“Are you sure Justin doesn’t feel that way about you?” Genevieve prompted, her tone relaying the fact that she was being completely serious.

“I don’t think…”

“You don’t think so?” Genevieve questioned, eyebrows raised, “So you don’t actually know what’s going on in that brain of his?”

“Well…no,” Piper reluctantly admitted, scrunching up her brow in thought, “But the second I pushed him away, he was apologizing for kissing me like that. That doesn’t exactly scream attraction.”

“Maybe he’s just as scared as you to admit the truth,” Genevieve softly whispered.

Same Day – California

“Justin, you need to stay here,” JC demanded, following the taller man around his room as he haphazardly threw clothes into a duffel bag, “Genevieve’s with her, so she’ll be fine.”

“Fuck off JC,” Justin growled, zipping the bag up and throwing it over his shoulder, “I’m going whether you like it or not. There’s no way in hell that I’m letting her get away from me that easily.”

“Justin, she’s coming back you know,” JC gently stated, tagging along as Justin headed out of his room and headed down the stairs.

“How do you know?” Justin practically yelled, yanking his keys from the counter as he walked by.

“I…uh…well…”

“That’s what I thought,” the younger man sneered, “I’m going to Michigan and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Piper said she needed some time away from you,” JC argued, “Are you sure you want to make her angrier by showing up unannounced? She’s having a hard enough time as it is.”

“I don’t care,” Justin stubbornly stated, frowning, “She left without giving me a chance to fix things between us, so therefore, I’m going after her. I can’t let our relationship stand this way.”

“Why don’t you just wait until she gets back?” JC prodded, curious.

“Because I don’t want to.” Utter silence.

“Justin, why are you so upset?” JC softly stated as he crossed his arms over his chest and gazed warily at his friend. Justin looked surprised.

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Justin retorted, striding for the front door in an effort to leave and end the current conversation. He wasn’t all that comfortable with where it was going.

“So you’re just going to kick me out without so much as an answer to that?” JC demanded, reluctantly following the younger man out of the house, “Is there something you’re not telling me J?”

“No,” Justin snapped, annoyed.

“You sure?”

“Yep,” came the terse reply. JC knew there was no sense trying to get anything out of his friend when he was in such a terrible mood.

“Fine, I’ll see you in a few days then,” JC spat before he jumped into his truck and was gone. Justin sighed as he stared after the fast-disappearing car. Just great. He didn’t need to be on the outs with JC, not when he was already in that same precarious position with Piper.

Piper. He still wasn’t too sure what to think about her. The entire situation had been totally misconstrued, and he knew it was his entire fault. If he hadn’t stupidly gone and kissed her, he’d by her side this very instant. Instead, he had a major headache from all the ways he thought of apologizing to Piper.

Would you look at her
She looks at me
She's got me thinking about her constantly

He didn’t want to lose her friendship, no indeed. He wanted that about as much as he wanted JC to be gay…which was absolutely no way in hell. Things had just happened so fast, what with Cameron’s confession and trip to the hospital, Andrew’s accident, and the kiss he had shared with Piper. He was a guy, he could only take so much at once.

Thankfully, everything with Cameron had worked out. The marriage had been called off, which was the right thing to do, and Justin had promised to help her with her problems. They had decided to remain friends.

She had given him some suggestions on how to win Piper over, but somehow flowers, chocolates, cards, or any other little gift didn’t seem like the right thing for her. No, Piper was unique, so he’d have to find a unique way to apologize. Something that would tell her that their friendship meant the world to him.

After all, she was the one person who had stuck by him through the crazy obstacle course his life had suddenly become in the past few months. Hell, she had taken him in and listened to him spill his guts at 2:30 in the morning. That definitely spelled true friend.

But how to show her that?

She was the one to hold me
The night
The sky fell down
And what was I thinking when
The world didn't end
Why didn't I know what I know now?

“There hasn’t been any change in the past three days,” Virginia tearfully whispered as she and Piper stepped apart.

“What have the doctors said?” Piper demanded, squeezing her friend’s hands in comfort.

“That it’s all up to him when he wakes up,” Virginia explained, sniffling, “He hit his head pretty hard on the pavement when his motorcycle skidded.” Piper sharply sucked in her breath.

“Can I go see him?” she finally asked, quickly glancing at Genevieve, who stood mutely to the side.

“Rebecca’s in with him now, but if you want to, you can,” Virginia got out.

“Rebecca?”

“His new girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Piper managed, feeling like she had been punched in the gut. So she was going to come face to face with the model look-alike Andrew had cheated on her with. Just great. Well, she could be a mature adult.

“I’ll go in with you,” Genevieve volunteered as Virginia’s mother came walking up, “Why don’t you two go get some coffee and I’ll be by in a bit to talk with you.”

“Okay,” Virginia agreed, sending Genevieve a grateful smile, “Thanks for coming with Piper.”

“My pleasure,” Genevieve responded before Virginia was whisked away to the cafeteria by her mother; the therapist turned her attention to Piper, “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah,” the younger woman replied in a small voice. Genevieve put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Piper managed a wan smile for the comforting gesture.

The two of them hesitantly entered the room and their attention immediately centered on the figure in the bed. Andrew’s face was pale against the sheets, his head swathed in bandages so that his normally shiny dark hair was veiled from site. Machines beeped, buzzers sounded, things dripped…and Piper thought she was going to faint.

“Piper?” a small feminine voice suddenly questioned. Shaking out of her daze, Piper turned her attention to the tall blonde. Rebecca.

“Yeah?”

“I’m Rebecca,” the young woman got out, lip trembling, “I know this is kind of awkward, but I’m really glad you came.”

“I couldn’t stay away,” Piper revealed, then turned to Genevieve, “This is my friend Genevieve, she’s a therapist and she’s going to try to help as best she can.”

“Aren’t you JC Chasez’s girlfriend?” Rebecca questioned.

“Yeah,” Genevieve responded, a little uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny she got from the tall blonde.

“So how is Andrew doing?” Piper asked, changing the subject.

“Okay, I guess,” Rebecca whispered as the tears began to well up in her eyes. She shocked both Genevieve and Piper when she came forward to give Piper a hug.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” Piper soothed as the blonde began to cry, “It’s alright, just let it all out.” Standing to the side, Genevieve was impressed with Piper’s ability to handle the situation. Especially when she was near breaking point herself.

“Thank you,” Rebecca softly stated as she pulled away, a blush staining her cheeks, “You must hate me for stealing Andrew away from you.”

“To be honest, I’m kind of glad you did. I met somebody else, and if it wasn’t for you, it probably wouldn’t have happened,” Piper admitted. Genevieve’s jaw dropped.

“Oh,” Rebecca said, biting her lip and not knowing what else to say, “Well I think I’m going to go join Virginia and Mrs. Harwood for a cup of coffee.”

“I’ll be there as well,” Genevieve piped up, quickly following Rebecca out. Piper was alone with Andrew.

Putting on a brave face, she turned back towards the bed and tried not to cringe. The figure in the bed didn’t look all that much like Andrew what with all the bandages and scrapes. She knew in her heart that he’d be lucky if he survived.

Apparently, as Virginia had told her, Andrew had been on his way home from work, riding his motorcycle in the rain. He had hit a rather wet spot of pavement, fishtailed, and hit gravel. His bike turned sideways, and dragging Andrew with it, crashed into a tree. The doctors had said it was a miracle that the young man had survived at all.

Piper knew, that by now, she could forgive and forget all of Andrew’s wrongdoings. If he survived. But she could never forgive herself if she didn’t get to talk to him and put things to rest between them.

Sighing, she quickly took a seat in a chair next to the bed and hesitantly took a hold of her ex-boyfriend’s hand. She gave it a light squeeze as tears began to cloud her vision.

“I’m sorry,” she brokenly whispered before finally giving into her tears.

The sobs wracked her petite body, tearing apart her heart and soul. She cried for Andrew; he would never be the same after this, no matter if he lived or died. She cried for Virginia, who was close to a mental breakdown. She cried for herself, for all the heartbreak she had endured, all the stress she had been put through the past few months. And she cried for Justin, cried for his absence.

All of a sudden, she felt a pair of strong arms go around her waist and drag her to her feet. She didn’t protest. The familiar cologne hit her nostrils about the same time he began to talk and she thought she was going to lose it all over again.

“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” Justin soothed, running a hand through her hair as she buried her face in his chest and bawled, “Everything is going to be alright, I’m here now.”

“Justin…” she murmured as the anger and confusion from the past two days fell away and she was left raw, “Justin.”

They stood there, protector and protected once again; the roles may have been switched, but the connection was no different. They fit together perfectly, though that was the last thought on both of their minds.

“Are you okay?” Justin murmured a few moments later as Piper began to pull out of his embrace.

“I dunno,” she softly responded, staring at the ground as if contemplating the question. Justin tilted her chin up so that she was forced to look them in the eye.

“I’m here,” he seriously began, “Whenever you need me. Whatever you need me for. I’ll be by your side until you get sick of me and throw me out by the ear.” Piper managed a half-hearted laugh.

“Thank you,” she told him as he dropped his fingers. He was shocked when she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He felt his heart strings stir in a beautiful melody.

“Piper…” he began.

BEEP……BEEP………BEEP

“What’s that?” Piper cried, wrenching free of Justin’s embrace and turning to the hospital bed. Andrew was wailing around in the bed, seemingly having what Piper thought was a seizure.

“Go get the doctor, now!” Justin yelled as he tried to restrain the flailing young man, frowning when Piper hesitated, “Go!!”

Piper returned seconds later, a doctor and two nurses in tow. The two were immediately shoved out of the room and the door slammed in their faces. Piper collapsed into a chair as Justin began to pace. Genevieve, Rebecca, Virginia, and her parents appeared out of nowhere seconds later after hearing the commotion and demanded an explanation.

If Genevieve was shocked to see the pop star, she didn’t comment. Instead, she turned her attention to calming down Andrew’s parents, sister and girlfriend. She was going to have her hands full until the doctor could get out here to tell them what was going on.

And Justin’s attention was focused solely on Piper anyway. He sat next to the young woman, his arm wrapped around her shoulders to comfort her, trying to get her to talk.

One of the nurses popped out of the room a moment later, but she didn’t say anything to the group and just hurried on her way. She was back in a few moments, however, a distressed look on her face, and reentered the room. None of them tried to stop her.

Minutes passed. They all stood silent, too worried, too highly strung along to attempt a normal conversation. Even if they had been able to, somebody would have ended up crying anyway. No, the silence was better.

“Are you all here for Andrew Harwood?” the doctor suddenly asked as he emerged from the hospital room.

“Yes all of us. Now, what’s going on doctor? Is he going to be okay?” Miranda Harwood demanded as she and her husband stepped forward. Ed Harwood squeezed his wife’s shoulders reassuringly as she began to tremble.

“Well, I have good news and bad news,” the doctor, whose nametag read ‘Dr. Nick Bachelor’, began, “The good news is, your son is awake. The bad news is that he needs a blood transfusion and unfortunately, due to the rarity of his blood type, we don’t have any blood on hand.”

“But we don’t match his blood type,” Ed Harwood growled as his wife paled, “He’s AB negative and my wife and I are both A positive. Virginia there is B positive.”

“Rebecca? Piper?” Miranda desperately cried. Both women shook their heads in the negative, crushing the elder’s hopes.

“I have AB negative,” Justin suddenly spoke up, Piper looked at him in surprise, “I’ll give blood.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Harwood, this is my good friend Justin Timberlake,” Piper began.

“Nice to meet you son. Are you sure that you want to do this?” Ed questioned, stepping forward to shake the pop star’s hands, “If I understand correctly, you and my son got into a fight on Piper’s birthday.”

“That may be true, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him die,” Justin quietly stated, “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing that I could have saved his life.”

“Thank you,” Miranda brokenly whispered, hugging the young man with all her might.

“If you’ll follow me Mr. Timberlake, we’ll get all your paperwork filled out and begin the blood transfusion immediately,” Dr. Bachelor spoke up.

“Okay,” Justin agreed, pulling out of Mrs. Harwood’s embrace and beginning to follow after the doctor.

“Justin?” Piper suddenly spoke up, laying a hand on his arm; he looked at her in surprise.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she murmured, hugging him close and inhaling his scent as if to commit it to memory.

“Anything for you,” he responded, smiling as he tapped her on the nose and pulled out of the embrace.

And with that, Justin was forgiven. Piper knew it was a very unconventional way for him to apologize (and that he definitely hadn’t planned it that way), but it worked.

He was her savior this time. The night in shining armor who was going to give a blood transfusion to her ex-boyfriend.