Chapter 9

At the concert that night

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"NO WAY!" Meredith Screamed.

"YES WAY!"  Chris mocked her in a ditzy voice

"Are you serious?" She said totally shocked,

"Uh huh!" JC nodded his head.

"This is unbelievable.  OH this will be much better than sitting on a couch watching the real world marathon and eating cheez-its."

"You better think that we are better than that!" Joey put his hands on his hips.

"AHHH this is going to be so much fun. You guys better acknowledge my presence up there.  If you don't wave, well, you'll have hell to pay."

"YES MA'AM!" The *Nsync members saluted her

"Now go out there and find your seat.  See ya in about 10 minutes." Justin pointed to the door and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off.

She made her way out into the huge coliseum.  Girls were everywhere screaming.  It was amazing.  Meredith's eyes shined as she walked to her seat.  Her seat was front row center.

She was sitting by one of the Miracle Networks kids and her sister.  She smiled at the girl who was probably no more than 10 and the little girl smiled back.

"Are you an *Nsync fan?"  The little girl asked.

"Uh huh. I'm one of their biggest fans!" Meredith sat down in her seat while the girl remained standing.

"My name is Kerri.  This was my wish!  I even got meet and greet passes!" The little girl showed Meredith the pass hanging around her neck.

"Well I'm Meredith, and its really cool to meet you. What did you think of the guys when you met them?"

"They are really, really nice.  They took a whole lot of pictures with me and signed a lot of my stuff.  I even got their e-mail addresses.  Their REAL ones."

"Wow. That's really cool.  So, who's your favorite?"  Meredith asked her.

"Hmm, I love them all.  They are so nice.  Chris was really funny.  JC kept wanting to talk to me. He would never shut up.  Lance was extremely nice.  Joey kept flirting with my sister..." Kerri pointed to a girl beside her that looked about 20 and was really pretty.

"Figures, huh?" Meredith asked the girl and they both started giggling.  Then Kerri continued.

"But, I probably like Justin the best.  He was really nice to me.  He is really cute too."  The young girl smiled brightly sticking her tongue out between her teeth.  Meredith laughed.

"Yup, the boy sure is a cutie!" Meredith said dreamily.

"So, Mere, can I call you Mere...?"

"Of course, everyone else does."

"How did you get these good of seats?  Are you sick like me?"  This made Meredith's heart sink at Kerri's innocence. 

"Actually, I'm a good friend of the guys.  I'm their assistant."

"WOW THAT IS SOO COOL! Can I have your autograph?"

"Umm, I don't know why you would want it, but sure."  Meredith signed Kerri's Nsync T-shirt she had on.

"I like you Mere, you are really nice."  The girl looked at her shoulder where Meredith had signed her name.

"You know what Kerri, I like you too!" Meredith touched the girls nose and they both began to laugh.

Then the lights went out and the screams got deafening. Even though it was said to not stand on the seats, Meredith picked up Kerri who was extremely small for her age, probably due to her illness, and placed her on the chair.  The people behind them could see just fine.

Kerri and Meredith watched as the guys came down from the stage tied up like marionettes. Meredith had seen the show a million times.  But never had she been one of the fans.  She had never had a seat in the audience.  It was 10 times better than backstage.

During the show each guy waved, winked, or smiled in Meredith and Kerri's direction. And the two girls would just make faces back.

During a part of "It Make's me I'll", JC came over and shook their hands.  Meredith pretended to faint and it made him laugh and mess up his verse.  But nobody in the crowd, except Meredith seemed to notice. 

During "God must have spent..." Justin did his normal thing of teasing the crowd by taking FOREVER to finish the song.  Finally, he started walking towards them and locked eyes with Meredith.  Kerri nudged her and whispered, "He is staring at you..." 

"I know, Kerri. I know" Meredith dreamily spoke.  He then broke Meredith's stare and looked at Kerri who jumped up and down in excitement. Justin pointed to her and finished the song.  When he walked back he smiled and winked at Meredith.  She was in heaven.

"Meredith, Mere..." Kerri kept poking her trying to get her attention.

"Huh..." Meredith turned towards the girl with a dazed look.

"Umm, I think Justin likes you." Kerri said with her hands on her hips.

"Ya think so?  Hmm...Actually I was thinking he had a little thing for you, K-dawg."  Kerri smiled brightly and jumped up and down and squealed.

It was the end of the show and the guys had left the stage.  The annoying flash of lights and the name "Nsync" on the screen, started to get on Meredith's nerves as it kept going and going and going...

They had one more song to do, "Bye Bye Bye" But Meredith was in for a surprise.

The boys finally re-entered the stage followed by all of the crew, staff, help, management, techs, ect.  The whole N-crew was there.  Chris started to speak.

"You guys, since this is our last show, we had to give a shout out to all these people behind us."

Lance stepped in, "Everyone from our Management to our band, security to hair stylist.  These are the people behind the scenes."

JC spoke next, "Without them there would be no *Nsync. We want to thank them for making our "No strings attached" tour the BEST tour we have ever had!"

Then was Joey's turn, "We want to thank you guys for making *Nsync what it is today.  You guys give it up for the N-crew!"  The crowd went nuts and Meredith laughed at her friends and colleagues shocked and embarrassed faces on stage.  Nobody was expecting this.

Justin quieted the crowd and finally spoke, "We want to sing you guys a song that is one of my favorites. This is just a way for us to say thank you for all the hard work you do.  This goes out to everyone who has taken us to where we are today.  Even for those not on stage, like our sound and lighting crew, our little G, and of course you, our fans." 

The crowd went completely nuts but Meredith stood silenced by those last words.  G...that was her.  Finally the guys' accapella came through the speakers and Meredith had to sit down.  This was too much. They were singing "More than a feeling..."

She closed her eyes and swayed in her chair to JC's sweet voice

"I woke up this mornin and the sun was gone

Turned on some music to start my day

Lost in myself in the familiar song

Closed my eyes and I slipped away

Meredith stopped breathing as Justin's verse began.  She opened her eyes and a tear fell down her face as she watched him sing

When I'm tired and I think I'm cold

I hide in my music and forget the day

Dream of a girl that I use to know

Close my eyes and she slipped away

More than a feeling…

Justin stole glances at Meredith sitting down during the song.  He thought she might be sick or something, but then saw her smile and his heart melted away into bliss.  He thought to himself

-I deserve a cookie for picking out this song. -

Once the song was done JC said, "Let's give it up one more time for the N-crew.”

The crowd cheered once again and the crew left the stage. Meredith sat there crying.  They had never sounded so good before.  She loved them all.  Tomorrow was going to be a HARD day.  But she kept thinking about the fact that she would be back with them in a month or so.  Still, a month was a long time.

"Mere, why are you crying?"  Kerri asked her, curious like the little child she was.

"Oh, its nothing.  That song always gets to me."

By now they were already well into their "Bye, Bye, Bye" routine.  Before she knew it the lights were up and the crowd was gone.  The "No Strings Attached" tour was over.

The stage was already being torn down.  It was the last time that they would tear down that stage.  Kerri and her sister had already left and told Meredith goodbye, and the custodians and help were sweeping up the confetti.  Meredith was still planted in her seat. Finally Mike walked up to her.

"Good show huh?"

"I'm speechless, Mike.  Utterly speechless." She said staring at the stage being torn down.

"Come on G.  Everyone is wondering where you are backstage."

"Why?" Meredith stood up and jumped over the railing and began walking with Mike.

"Well, there is that huge party remember.  The ending of the tour thing. Everyone was just wondering where their favorite little intern is."

"Oh yeah, sorry my mind is still back in teenybopper land."

"I can tell." Mike chuckled.

"Hey, and I'm not an intern anymore, THANK YOU! I'm an assistant!" Meredith said kinda hurt.

Mike just laughed and they entered a huge room somewhere in the depths of the venue.  There was loud music playing, food, a dance floor, tables, and LOTS of people.

"Wow, these boys sure know who to throw a party, eh?" Meredith held Mike's hand as he pushed their way through people. Meredith followed Mike to a table with 6 chairs surrounded by hoards of people. Who ever was there, EVERYONE wanted to talk to

"EXCUSE ME!  COMING THROUGH! MOVE PLEASE!"  Mike yelled at the people blocking his path. Finally they had made their way to the table and Mike tapped Dre on the shoulder and he got up from the sixth seat at the table.  He had been saving it for someone. People tried to sit down in the chair but Mike blocked them. He then told the occupants of the table, "Special Delivery for *Nsync" He pulled Meredith, who's view was blocked by the crowd, but still had Mike's hand and pushed her in front of him and sat her in the only open chair at the table. 

"MEREDITH!!" JC threw his arms in the air

"G" Lance yelled

Chris screamed "MERE!"

Joey exclaimed "M&M!"

"ANGEL!" Justin said from beside her leaning over and kissing her temple.

"Uhh, hi guys!"  Meredith said sheepishly. "Whatsup?" They all started laughing at her nonchalant attitude. Soon everyone was engulfed in small talk.  The people that at one point were suffocating them had dispersed and the guys were able to breathe.

Justin turned to Meredith and spoke so only she could hear. "I saw you crying."

"Oh."  She blushed.

"I-er we, didn't mean for it to upset you."

“Oh it didn't.  It's just that song and the way yall sing it makes my eyes water."

Justin nodded and smiled boyishly. "Did you hear me give you a special shout out, little G?"

"Yes I did.  Thank you."  She smiled and gave in a sweet kiss on his cheek, before returning to the other people at the table.

All of a sudden the Thong Song came on and all five guys turned their grinning faces to the girl at their table.

"NO!" Meredith put her hands in front of her as to stop them.

"Come on!" JC yelled.

Joey whined "Puuuleeeease."

"Do it, do it." Chris teased banging his fist on the table

"Yall don't make her do it..." Lance tried but Justin smacked his head and looked at Meredith.

"The booty is about to be unleashed." Justin evilly grinned.

"No, the booty is not! I am NOT unleashing it!"

"Fine then, I'll just unleash it for you."  Justin grabbed her out of her seat and took her to the dance floor.  JC ran up to them. Lance sat at the table and his girlfriend, Leslie, took a seat beside him. 

"Looks like they worked it out." She said quietly in his ear.

"Yeah, I think they are making progress." Lance looked at his girlfriend and stole a quick kiss before striking up a conversation.

Chris had found Danielle, and had started to dance with her and Joey was surrounded on the dance floor by about 10 girls.

Justin and JC were in the middle of the dance floor sandwiching Meredith.  And she was enjoying every minute of it.  She was bumping and grinding with the two of them.  She looked up a JC who was in front of her and said, "Do you know how many girls would kill to be me, right now."  JC just smiled and continued dancing.  Justin put his hands on her hips and brought her as close to him as possible.  He whispered in her ear, "Do you know how many guys would kill to be ME, right now."  Meredith blushed and inhaled Justin's scent. Justin grinded against her backside as JC flowed like snake in front of her. The three were, well, dirty dancing.  The song ended and another started playing. It was disco music.  JC, Justin and Meredith looked at each other and broke out in the "Grease" dance that Meredith had taught them a few weeks before. 

The night continued on like this into the early hours of the morning.  Everyone was partying and having a great time.  They were trying to rid themselves of the reality that tomorrow would bring: Meredith was going home.

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The next day. At the airport, 11:00am

"So, we have the terminal marked off.  Only passengers and family members are allowed there.  I don't think the press has gotten a hold of us yet, so that's a good thing.  But to be safe we don't want you guys running off.  Stay right at the terminal until she boards the plane and then we have to leave.  Got it?"

"Thanks, Mike. We got it." Chris said.

"Please do not scream..." Joey groaned.

"I told you not to drink that much last night, Joe." Lance chuckled at his hungover friend.

"Man this sucks."  JC exhaled looking over to his younger friend beside him.

Justin had on a baseball hat and sunglasses.  He stared out the window focusing on nothing in particular.  JC nudged him.

"You going to be OK?"

"No." Justin mumbled as tear fell down his cheek.  He didn't move.  He just let the tear fall.  He didn't care who saw.  JC sighed and tried to relax in his seat knowing Justin didn't want to be bothered anymore.

In a matter of five minutes a white van with tinted windows pulled up at the drop off area of the Orlando International Airport.  Mike got out of the car and cleared the area.  He opened the door and out came Randy, Chris, Todd, Joey, Dre, JC, Lance, Lonnie, and Justin.  Mike led them through the airport as the guys subconsciously readjusted their hats and sunglasses.  They made their way through security check and into the terminal.  They got many weird stares but no one approached them, oddly enough. Finally they reached their destination and walked over to a girl slumped in a chair with sunglasses over her eyes and a baseball cap low on her forehead.  She looked like she was asleep.

Meredith wasn't asleep but stared out her sunglasses at the planes landing and taking off on the runaway outside.  Beside her sat Johnny and his wife Gina.  Johnny was on his cell phone as usual and Gina was patiently sitting. 

"Uh huh...OK...great..." Johnny said in the phone then shut it off.  "Well, they are here.  Mike said they just got done with security and are making their way here now. All right?"

Meredith didn't respond or move.  She just sat there like a zombie.  Sure she had partied most of the night and hardly had any sleep.  And even though she hadn't had a sip to drink, somebody that didn't know her probably would have sworn she was hung over. 

"Hidey ho, ranger Joe!" Chris said as the group of men approached them.

"Hey Chris, guys. Sleep well?" Johnny said with a chuckle.  Gina stood up and greeted the guys.  Meredith didn't move. 

"Hey M, What's shaken?" Chris asked as he plopped down beside her.  When she didn't move he turned to the group and whispered, "I think she is asleep." 

Just as he said that Meredith wrapped her arms around Chris's neck and held on to him for dear life. He was startled at first.  She just sighed against him and he put his arms around her. 

"Aww, come on M.  Don't get emotional on me." She didn't respond she just held him tighter.

He whispered, "Come on g, get up, some people are here to see you." He stood up and offered her his hands.  She took them and he pulled her up.  Chris put and arm around her shoulders and they walked over the group a few feet away.

"Look who I found." Chris stated.

"Hey girl, how ya feeling this morning?" Lonnie asked sweetly.

"Like shit." She said in a low voice.

Everyone glanced at each other; it was odd to hear her use language like that. Johnny stepped forward and said, "Meredith you'll need to board your plane soon.  I'm pretty sure you want to have time to say goodbye, so you might as well get started." He knew it wasn't what anyone wanted to hear, but it had to be said.

Meredith stepped up to Mike and just leaned on him. She placed her head on his massive chest and just leaned. Didn't even put her arms around him.  But he did. He wrapped her in a hug and rocked her back and forth.

"Bye girlie. I'm sure I'll see your sweet face soon enough."

"Bye Mike." She sighed.

She then went up and hugged Gina, Randy and Todd and said goodbye.

"Come ere booty..." Dre said. She wrapped her arms around him and said, "You'll always be my sexual chocolate."  With a weak smile she let go of him.

Next came Joey.

"Joshpinnnneee" she whined.

"Ahhh, nooooo, too loud." She laughed as he pulled her into a hug. 

"I told you not to drink." She said resting her head on his shoulder.

"Since when did I start listening to you." He chided.

"Good point." She managed a laugh and he squeezed her tighter.

"I'll miss you girl, you better call me!"

"Oh I will. I will. I love you Joey."

"I love you, too sweetheart." He kissed her cheek and she let go.

Then there was Lance.

He sighed and hugged her. "You can't leave, g.  You just cant."

"I know Lance, I don't want to. Hey, can I move in with you?" She joked.

"Fine with me." He said almost serious.

"Bye g, I love ya."

"I know, I love you too."

She let go of him and moved on to Chris.

"It's about time you get out of here.  You were starting to get on my nerves." Chris exclaimed. She put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth as to say something but didn't and just tackled him in a hug.

"I love you Chris. I always will."

"Love ya girlie, you best to stay crazy and if you don't call me, I'm coming after you."

Then there was Lonnie.

"Well, L-dawg. It's been real."

"Yeah.  You keep that strength of yours, ya hear?  Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't worth something.  You're a special girl M." Lonnie pulled her into a bear hug and whispered in her ear.

"Even though, you and him aren't together, Justin is lucky to have you.  We are all lucky to have you in ours lives G."

"I'm lucky just to be here in the presence with you guys.  But I don't want to have to start singing, 'she so lucky, she's a star...' so..." She laughed with him, "I'll miss you, buddy. Love you."

"I love you too M."

Next was JC.

"Hey C" She stepped up to him.  He didn't say anything but engulfed her into a hug.

"Don't go.  Please.  Say this is just a joke, a dream.  I'll wake up tomorrow and we will be back on the bus trying to get the guys to watch Star Wars. Say it. I need to hear that." JC begged a few tears escaping.  HE didn't think it would be this hard to let her go.  But they had been such good friends from the moment they met.  It would be hard not seeing each other.

"Josh, I wish I could.  But that's not the reality anymore."  She held on to him. "I'm calling you like, tonight, once I get in the house. Hehe."  She tried to laugh but this only made a tear fall down her cheek.  He wiped it away and she whispered, "I love you Josh"

"I love you too."

Johnny stood there waiting his turn.

"Whelp.  Here we are..." She sighed.

"Here we are." He repeated softly.  She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you Johnny. You gave me an opportunity of a lifetime.  This has changed me, for the better.  This has caused me to grow up, a lot.  I owe you my life for what you have done."

"Girl, it was nothing. You might not think your job was anything special, but you helped the guys out, more than you realize.  Sure, you did everything that needed to be done, but you gave them the one thing they've never had on the road before.  And that was someone to love.  You gave them something refreshing.  You helped them through the badtimes and you just made this tour a lot better by being there for them.  So Thank YOU for doing this.  And I'll see you in a month."  She pulled away and winked at him.

She looked around..Where was he?

"Umm, where's Justin?"  She asked almost frightened.  She hadn't seen him come in. Was he there? Everyone looked around surprised that he had disappeared. Finally, Mike spotted him.

"There he is." He pointed to a figure looking out the glass window.  His arms were stretched above him and his hands holding onto the large panes.  He leaned on his arms and just stared out through his sunglasses examining the plane that would take his girl away from him.

Meredith walked slowly to the figure by the window.  She was about 5 feet away when he spoke.

"I've never been good with goodbyes..."

He hadn't turned around or anything and Meredith was surprised he knew she was there.

"This isn't goodbye Justin, more like see ya later." Meredith tried to lighten the mood but it didn't work. When he didn't move or speak for another minute Meredith moved closer to him.

She came behind him and wrapped her arms around his stomach, leaning her head against his back.  He slowly turned in her arms and wrapped his muscular ones around her petite body.  She rested her head on his shoulder and he leaned down and rested the side of his face on the side of her head.  They stayed like that for about 5 minutes.

Finally, Justin lifted his head and she did the same. He noticed her sunglasses were still on and he pulled them above her eyes and rested them on her head, which was now free of the baseball cap.  When he did this the flood broke and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Don't do that, Meredith, please, don't cry." Justin pleaded as he held her tighter.

"I can't leave you."  She managed to get out. Finally her sobbing stopped and she looked up at him.

"Will you take off YOUR sunglasses for me?"  She whispered, "I want to look into your eyes."

For only going to be gone for a month, they were acting as if they would never see each other again.  But they were frightened.  Ever since Meredith had met Nsync she had spent practically every waking hour with them.  This change would be hard.

Justin nodded at her request and slowly pulled his sunglasses off.  As he did a tear fell from his eye and she leaned forward, stepped on her tiptoes, and kissed it away.  She looked into his blue eyes as they bore into her brown ones.  They could see each other's pain. Each other's hurt.  Each other's love.  They could see each other's souls.  The moment got intense so he cleared his throat trying to break the stare.

"Uhh I have something for you, but I don't want you to open it until you get on the plane."  He reached in his pocket and handed her a small wrapped box and an envelope.

"Thank you, Justin. For being there, for giving me a chance, for loving me, but most of all for saving me."  She looked down at the floor. "I...I...." 

He knew what she was trying to say and grinned. He pulled her into one final hug; "I love you too."

"You are my angel Justin, always and forever.  I love you. I love you."  He brought his face down towards hers and kissed her forehead, then her temple.  Moving to her cheek and finally her lips.  He lightly brushed them against hers, and everyone looking would have thought of it as just a friendly kiss.  But to the two that were actually kissing, it wasn't.  It meant so much more. He pulled away and smiled at her.

He clasped her hand and the walked back to the area where everyone was waiting. Johnny spoke.

"Mere, you have to go. They just called final boarding.  We thought we were going to have to go break you two apart."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear it."  She shyly smiled at Justin. And he just squeezed her hand.

"Well, all. I guess this is it.  It's been.... It's been an adventure." She said to the group nodding her head and smiling.

"That's for sure!" Johnny exclaimed. Everyone managed quiet laughs.

"Group hug?" Gina asked.

They all came together for a group hug and Meredith tried to hold back her tears.

The group separated and Meredith grabbed her carry on and started walking backwards towards the gate. 

"See you guys, real soon.  I love you all.  And GOD BLESS YOU, EVERY ONE!"  She smiled her genuine smile and laughed as she quoted Charles Dickens.  A single tear fell from her eyes and she didn't bother wiping it away.  The group waved and called out good-byes as she handed her ticket to the fight attendant.