Jonathan ran over to Alexandria and shook her. She leaned downwards with the help of Mike and sat down with a plop on the asphalt. Scott and Lynn smiled brightly at one another before Scott walked over an introduced himself.

Justin giggled and quickly walked over to where Jon was waving a hand in front of Alex's face. She wasn't moving.

Scott, Lynn and Mike were talking and giggling at Alexandria still sitting on the ground staring with a dazed expression on her face at the car they were all standing by.

Jon looked up at Justin. "She's not moving. I think she's dead."

Justin shook his head and squatted down to be closer to Alex. He looked at her then back up at Jon. He smiled evilly and yelled to his mother. "Mom, I don't think she wants it. Why don't you just take it back? Or better yet, Scott your 16 right? Why don't you take it."

Scott rooted and took the keys from Lynn and pretended to get in the car that had a big red bow on it while the others laughed. Justin turned back to Alex. A small grin had spread across her face.

Justin smiled when her teeth showed through her lips. She started laughing and couldn't stop. She leaned to her side only to hit Justin and make him lose his balance and fall over on the asphalt. She startled laughing hysterically then.

She stood up and jumped in the air about 5 times while everyone else stared at her amused. Justin had since brushed himself off and stood up.

Jon was jumping up, trying to be like Alex and down wondering why she was having so much fun doing it, because he just got dizzy.

She stopped and looked at Lynn then Mike, then Scott, then Justin. She ran over to Jon, picked him up and swung him around yelling, "I GOT A NEW CAR!!!!!!!"

Everyone smiled at how happy she was. IT was ABOUT time!!!

Then she set Jon on the ground and her smile turned into a frown. "Who got me this?"

Lynn cleared her throat. "Your parents. They called me up and asked me to 'deliver' it for them."

"That's why you hardly got anything Christmas morning, sis." Scott spoke smugly.

"But, why? I could have gotten the Chevy fixed. It would have been a lot cheaper." She whined.

Justin sighed and pulled on her arm forcing her towards the car. "Lexia, look. You got a new 2000 silver FULLY LOADED Jeep Grand Cherokee. BE HAPPY! Don't worry about all that stuff. Its a gift, from your parents, except it and enjoy it."

She looked at him for a while as he just stared at her back. She began to smile and walked over to her new car. She gently reached out and touched the front light and her hand snapped back. She glanced at her brother who was leaning on the hood. "It's real" She whispered.

He smiled and nodded. She walked over to him and smiled sweetly. "GET OFF MY CAR!!"

He was startled by her voice and jumped away. She giggled and hugged Lynn before grabbing the keys from her brother and opening the door after ripping the bow off. The scent of "new car smell" filled her nostrils and she sighed. She stepped up into the car and left the door open. She gripped the steering wheel and looked around the leather interior. Her eyes landed on the console and her wide eyes turned to the people outside. "IT HAS A CD PLAYER???"

"Yes Lex, most cars now-a-days have one. Yours is a 10 disk changer." Scott said smartly stepping up and looking in the car. She swatted him away and let her fingers graze the CD player. She took the keys and slid them into the ignition. She took a deep breath and turned the keys.

The engine roared and settled to a purr. Justin's eyes widened when she groaned loudly and slid down in her seat, seemingly in pleasure.

She finally re-gained some sense of reality and looked outside. "Everyone in, let's go cruisin'!!" She slammed her door shut.

Scott jumping in the passenger seat and closed his door. Alex moaned "oh yes" when he didn't have to slam it to get it to shut. Jon got in the back with his mother.

Alex noticed a presence missing and rolled down her window. "Come on you guys, Justin you and Mike can squeeze in, Jon can sit on someone's lap, come on."

Justin shook his head and looked at Mike before turning back to her. "That's OK. I need to get back and see what's going on in Nsync land."

"Ya sure?" Her ice blue eyes were wide and curious.

Justin stared into them and lost all feeling in his body. He stuttered and nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah."

"OK, bye guys!" She yelled and pulled out of the parking lot, rolling up her window with her automatic windows, a feature she never had before.

Justin stared as the car made its way out of the parking lot. Mike walked over and put a hand on Justin shoulder, causing him to jump. "Oh, hey Mike."

"Justin, you are in over your head."

"What do you mean?" Justin looked at the big man.

Mike sighed and sucked on his teeth looking straight ahead. "Your feelings for her, well, they are quite noticeable." Justin began to protest but Mike held up a hand to stop him. "I know you hate it when I interfere with your personal life. And I do a good job, NOT doing that. Now, as much as I hate to admit this, we are close, J. And I know things about you that I really don't want to know. And I consider you a friend. As a friend it's my responsibility to look out for you. Hell, it's my JOB to look out for you."

They both chuckled. Mike stepped in front of Justin and made him look him in the eyes. "Justin, you need to think, LONG and HARD about this. You need to think about what people are going to say about you and Alexandria. Britney, the guys, Johnny, THE MEDIA!!"

"Mike, you DONT know what you are talking about. She is my brother's baby-sitter. OK? So what if I find her attractive. Yeah, OK? So she is very intelligent and intriguing, and she had beautiful eyes." Justin stared at Mike. "Have you seen her eyes? Damn...Yeah, and she is great with my brother and fun and different and...." His voice trailed off and his face had a faint smile plastered on to it.

Mike smiled and Justin caught it. "No Mike. No. OK? Just....dammit stop smiling like that."

He started chuckling as Justin looked away and started blushing. Mike's laughter echoed through the parking lot and Justin couldn't help but to giggle, his face red as a cherry.

A car horn beeped and they both looked up to see Alexandria's Jeep in front of them, she had her window rolled down and was leaning out a bit. "Hey Justin, Mike...I forgot to say thanks. Thanks for bringing us home. I'm surprised you are still here. Sure you don't want to go for a joy ride??" Her eyes twinkled with happiness and mischief.

Justin just stared at her, as if in shock. Mike looked up at her and spoke for him. "Nah, I gotta get this boy to the studio to lay down some tracks. Thanks though, and it was wonderful meeting you, Alex."

"You too, Mike. Bye you guys." She smiled and sped off again.

Mike turned to Justin whose mouth was open and his eyes were glazed over. "Come, Justin, lets go." He pushed Justin towards his Mercedes and forced him to walk.

Mike noticed Justin was still in a daze and held out his hand. "Keys." Mike said simply, before Justin subcontiously brought his keys out of his pocket and placed them in Mike's large hand.

Mike dragged Justin to the passenger door and opened it, pushing him inside. He slammed the door shut and got in on the driver's side. As they backed out of the parking lot, Mike smiled at Justin, who was staring at the dashboard. "You're right Justin."

Justin slowly turned his head to Mike. "Huh?"

"I said you are right. She's got BEAUTIFUL eyes. And that body. Whew. Tall but not too tall, and slender. Damn. And that hair. You just want to run your fingers through it. It's so long and shiny and you know that black hair like that, and ice blue eyes are very rare. Her brother looks kinda like JC. Damn, that girl is fine!!! And her curvy, yet very fit body...."

"OK MIKE!! I get the point." Justin said aggravated.

"Yeah, you get the point perfectly clear don't ya Justin?" Mike said with a sigh.

Justin turned to him sharply, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you understand you might start falling for her. You won't admit it. But you know in your heart you've already begun that process. Now everyday people might not see this. But, boy, I KNOW you. And I know how you get around girls you like. Your momma knows you, and your brother knows you, the guys know you, and Johnny knows you. And they will ALL know that you have fallen for her if you aren't careful." Justin looked confused and Mike continued. "Justin, you were drooling over her out there. No, you were stunned by her. I've NEVER seen anyone that taken back by someone just driving up and saying 'thanks.' You looked like you had seen the gates to heaven. You were MESMIRIZED by her. So, you need to figure all this out because if everyone else starts to see where your mind and heart and WHO KNOWS what else you have is thinking about Alex, all hell will break lose. You need to prepare some people if you are thinking about.... doing anything with her."

Justin sighed in his seat and made a move to turn up the radio but Mike spoke before his hand reached the dial. "And one last thing. I've got one word for you. One word that has been with you for about 7 or 8 years now. One word that knows you, VERY well. One word that you claim to be your best friend....and GIRLFRIEND. That one word is Britney."

"Mike, my head, my heart, my soul....my body...They are all so confused and mixed together, I just don't know WHAT to do." Justin sighed massaging his temples and closing his eyes.

"Well, Justin, you need to figure all that out. Because, damn, I hate to tell you this, but no matter what happens, you are going to break someone's heart in this. Britney, well, she just figures that you two will always be together because that's what's expected and how its been. And Alexandria, god, what a name...Alex, well, I think she...I think she's already fallen for you. And I think she hates that, and I think she doesn't want to be in love with you. But....there's nothing she can do about it now, except wait."

"DAMMIT! Everyone keeps bringing up this LOVE crap. It's not LOVE OK? Just leave me alone, OK Mike? I can handle this on my on. No. NO!! I don't have to handle anything, because there isn't anything TO handle." Justin yelled at his bodyguard.

Mike sighed. "OK, whatever." He turned up the radio as Justin relaxed into his seat, chewing on his fingernails.

The commercials on the radio cut off and the DJ came through the speakers. "It's afternoon request hour here on '97.6 the edge and this request goes out Ted from Erika. Here is Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough."

"Great..." Justin mumbled as he stared out the window.

"What was that?" Mike asked.

"Nothing." Justin said glancing at Mike then back out the window.

He whispered at the passing cars. "Just great...."