Lia walked off the plane, pushing through the hords of people. She had been stuck next to a little old lady who tried to talk her ear off about the olden days and her grand-daughter who was under the age of 5. Needless to say, it was a long flight. Thank God for ipods. Justin had better be nice to her for the next 24 hours. She pushed her way past the gate and began to look around. She knew Justin wouldn't be there (obviously), but he had told her some guy named Mike would be.

She didn't have to look very far. A big, black guy who stuck out like a sore thumb with a facial expression that just screamed 'I guard a hellian for a living' was standing to her left with a sign saying her name. She walked up to him with a smile on her face. "You know, you probably didn't need the sign. I could have picked you out of the crowd from a mile away."

Mike rolled his eyes. "I knew you had to be a smart ass to put up with Justin's bull. Welcome to the crew. Follow me."

Mike eyed her up and down as they walked toward the baggage claim area. Justin sure knew how to pick him. The girl was gorgeous, albeit drastically different from his usual tastes. Her hair was blond with these black low-lights all over, stick straight down to the middle of her back (he had thought Justin had said she would just be a blond, but who knew?); she had a black fedora hat on her head like one he had seen on Justin before; she was wearing this army camoflauge t-shirt over this black mesh long-sleeved shirt with dark blue jeans that had holes in various places; and some sort of black boots. Not to mentione, she had a nose stud, a gold eyebrow ring, beautiful green eyes that were expressive, and a big smile on her face. Far from traditional Justin, but he definitely could see why he liked her so much on the outside. On the inside, to be able to put up with Justin at all deserved a little respect. Besides, if he talked to her all the time, she must have a kick ass personality and her body wasn't all he thought about. "So, you're from New York City, huh? Do you make fun of his ass for being from Tennessee? 'Cuz I do."

She laughed. "Well, it can be pretty easy to make fun of him when he asks for it. Yeah, I'm from New York. I had to lose the accent a long time ago though." She cleared her throat and through out a sling of words in true New Yorker style for a second.

Mike raised his eyebrows. "That's some great stuff right there."

She smiled. "So what do the guys have on the platter for today? Oh, that's me."

Mike sighed. He watched her grab for her bag, but he immediately shushed her away. "I got it. Don't worry. You sure picked a hell of a week to come down. I know Jay would have picked a better week if he could have. Hope you don't mind tagging along."

"Not in the least. After my week, this should be tame."

He whistled. "Well, you're in for a treat then. I'm taking you to the studio right now. The guys are having some rehearsals today because between you and me, their footwork has been getting rather sloppy on the tour, and that's putting it nicely. This leg is almost done, but they have signed on to continue for another tour, they're calling it the Celebrity Tour, this winter. Then, after that, they have a photoshoot for Teen People or something like that. I don't remember what's next. Lance knows the schedule and everyone just follows him."

She looked at him amused. "I'll keep that in mind."

Lia followed Mike out of the airport and over to a black SUV. It was crazy to finally be in Chicago for a week off. She had just got the call of her life three days ago, and she had no idea how she had hid it from Justin (seeing as it would be better to hear it in person). She had got the part in her huge audition. In about a month and a half, she would be starring as Glinda the Good in Wicked, and also be classified as a second understudy to Elphaba. Not to mention, she had just finished shooting for the Chicago movie production with all of those ritzy, glamorous Hollywood people. She was practically walking on water. There was no way her mood would could be dampened that easily.

Mike was watching her, and it had just occurred to him that she appeared almost too happy. It was weird; he didn't think it could be about Justin because as he had already told him time and time again, Lia and him were strictly platonic. There must have been something else. It was going to be an interesting week.

Lia was now all alone wandering around aimlessly in Jive Studios trying to find Studio 11. She remembered Mike had said it was to the left of where he had left her, but the numbers were going down and not up toward 11 like they ought to. She was going to start turning around to go back and ask someone when she noticed two guys turn down the hall from the far side. Both of them stopped to look at her, but it didn't feel like there was any animosity even though she was eying them warily. Sure enough, the two guys stopped and smiled at her. One of them circled around her, eyeing her up and down. "Hmmmm, I guess you'll do. The boy needs to grow up a little."

She raised her eyebrow. "Excuse me little wannabe goatee man?"

The other guy started laughing. "Nevermind him. You have to be Lia. You look lost. I'm JC and I was just letting Chris out for a drink at the water fountain. He is like a stray dog if he's not guarded. We can take you back to where the rest of the group is or should be anyway."

"Ah ha... I see. Well, it would be nice to find my way around here when all I get is cryptic directions from Mike."

Chris grinned. "Put the boy of his misery. He has been waiting for you to get here. Mike already called him so he knows you are here. Make sure you tell him you weren't assaulted, hurt, accosted, mugged, sized up, etc, because I think he would be worried if you got a papercut on the way here."

Lia laughed. "Nonsense. I'll make sure he knows I was ravished by the janitor in the public restrooms."

JC and Chris laughed. "You are going to fit in nicely."

They led her down to Studio 1 (apparently Mike had been a little off on the exact location) and when they walked in, she did not expect Justin to freak out and give her a hug. "You made it! You changed your hair too."

Lia, a little off on her game, recovered nicely. "Well, the hair thing was recent and as I was telling JC and Chris, that janitor of yours was real good in the sack, well in the bathroom - there was no bed involved."

Justin looked momentarily shocked. "Ummm..."

By this time, all of the guys were laughing along with Lia. "Just a joke JT. Soooooo, I have some good news that I just had to wait until it was in person."

All the guys looked on expectantly. Justin couldn't help but think she looked beautiful when she was beaming with happiness. "Wellll, what is it then? Do share."

Lia couldn't help but be excited. "I got a call back about the audition and I got it!"

Justin perked up. "Wow, that's great! I told you shouldn't have been worried."

Joey added, "So what show?"

Justin agreed, "Yeah, you never mentioned what the audition was for."

"You'll never believe it... I get to be Glinda the Good in Wicked! And be an understudy for Elphaba! In New York no less!"

Everyone gave her a round of Congratulations. Everything was shortened by a slam of the door and a scowl. "Boys, let's go. I on;y have you for one more hour and your footwork in Pop is beginning to suck major--"

Wade's sentence was stilted when Lance put a hand to his mouth and pointed at Lia. "Wade, we have company so you have to be nice to us now."

Justin winked at her. "Yeah, and she'll be on our side if you choose to play rough."

Lia laughed them off. "Go practice already! I have to learn lines and music anyway. That's what I'm going to be doing while you all are busy."

Justin pointed at her as he was walking back to his spot. "You will have fun too missy, if I have anything to say about it. You are not going to be working all the time on your week off."

Wade answered before Lia could. "Justin, get your ass back in this line or I swear to God, your mother will never have grandchildren."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Don't you be talkin about my mama Wade."

Lia watched the guys bicker playfully in front of her and she knew it was going to be an interesting week off.

"So, seriously, you don't mind bunking with me for the week? Johnny couldn't get hotel room so the most he could do was get me a room with two beds in it."

Lia rolled her eyes. She could tell he was a complete gentleman a long time ago from their phone conversations, but he was worrying about this too much and was apologizing for the fifth or sixth time already. "Justin, it's ok. REALLY. I don't mind. Besides," she looked him up and down, "I could take ya if I need to."

"Don't I feel cheap and unmanly."

Lia smiled. "You said it; I didn't."

"Oh, I see how it is. Just you wait."

Justin was really glad to have her here. It was interesting, as they hadn't seen each other for almost six months, but it was like they had never been apart. They had talked on the phone so much, it hadn't really registered how much he liked her presence. He hadn't expected this at all. Maybe the guys were right about how he felt about her. Wait a minute, nahhhhh. They had to be wrong. He unlocked the hotel room with his key card and they both walked in. He just threw his stuff in the walkway, but then he noticed she had barely walked in. "What is it?"

Lia's eyes were round. "THIS is a hotel room? Seriously, this has to be like an apartment with really, really nice stuff in it."

He laughed a little. She was so cute. "I guess so. I can't complain. It is real nice, huh? Sometimes I forget."

She walked in a dropped her stuff over by the far bed. "It's crazy. I don't know if I could ever get used to this. I like my little apartment, scary as that is."

She had sent him pictures of her place, which he loved because it was so cool to see someone put their personality into their home. She may have a different style in her way of dressing, but her apartment was completely homey and classic. "I agree. I think it's because there's no place like home. I wish my house felt like that. I don't have enough time to decorate it."

She threw herself on her bed and then looked over at him. "So, what do you wanna do? You said we can't go out tonight, right?"

He also plopped himself on the bed, albeit his bed. "Ummm, yeah, we can't go out tonight which is a bummer. I don't know. We can rent the crappy and expensive movies, get room service, talk till we sleep, etc."

She sat up and looked at him. "Oooh, I got an idea. How about 20 questions?"

Justin eyed her. "Is that a girl game or something?"

"Guys are hopeless, aren't they? Everything is either cool or something a girl would do. No, it's not really a girl game, but seeing as we talk on the phone a lot, now I get to see you answer questions in person and I'm able to call you out when I think you're lying."

Justin was game. "Are you challenging me, Little Girl? I'll go first then. Hmmmm, I need something tough to start... What's your biggest regret?"

Lia furrowed her eyebrows and frowned a little as she sat indian style across from him. "Well, this is personal, but oh well. I wish I hadn't slept with my ex-boyfriend. What about you?

Justin had forgot the question would turn onto him. "Ummm, well, with Britney, I wished the whole relationship wasn't exaggerated int he tabloids like it was. We were and aren't in love."

Lia sat back on her arms. "First kiss?"

Justin answered quickly, "First grade, in the closet, Anna Kreitner."

Lia laughed. "Wow. Mine wasn't so exact. His name was Eric something or other and we were 8 in the tube slide during recess."

Justin laughed. "Nice. Nobody cornered me in the tube slide. Let me think a moment."

Lia watched him amused and started humming the Jeopardy theme song. Justin guffawed, but then he gota look of triumph in his eyes. "Here's a good one. What are three things I don't know about you yet?"

Lia looked up toward the ceiling. "Hmmm... Now, that's a tough one."

Justin shook his head, "No backing out now."

"I wasn't backing out. I was thinking; there's a difference. You should start thinking too as this was one is tough, but I think I got mine. First, my hair is actually naturally wavy, like really wavy. I straghten it all the time."

Justin's eyes widened surprised. "I couldn't tell that at all. Interesting."

"Yup. And, second, all of my grandparents are already deceased. Both of my parents were the last-born in their families and were born when all of my grandparents were in their mid-forties. Strange, huh?"

"That's so sad. I couldn't imagine losing all my grandparents so young."

Lia nodded. "It all happened gradually. That last one just passed two years ago. Ready for number 3?"

"Shoot."

"I'm deathly allergic to penicillin."

Justin was shocked. "WHAT? How did you find that out?"

Lia sighed. "I was 6. I had fell off some tree and skinned my knees real bad so my parents took me to the doctor since they were so bad. The doctor prescribed me some penicillin as to prevent infection, as I was rambunctious kid who wouldn't keep the wounds clean. After my first pill, barely an hour later, I began to suffer the allergic reaction. My parents didn't know what to do and ran me to the closest clinic. I was pretty far gone by the time I got there, but everything worked out." She grabbed her purse and started digging through it and pulled something out to hand to him. "That's an epinephrine shot just in case of an emergency where I'm unconscious and someone doesn't know my medical history. Turn it over."

Justin turned the box over and it read "I am allergic to penicillin. If penicillin has been administered, please proceed with the instructions inside this box."

Justin was surprised. "Wow. That's crazy."

Lia nodded with a yawn. "Yup. That's what my parent's said. So, what about you? Stuff I couldn't find out about you if I surfed online."

Justin observed her yawn and tired demeanor and figured this would be the last question. "Well, first, I sometimes blame myself for my parent's divorce."

Lia's eyes opened to look over at him. "It was out of your control though. You shouldn't do that."

Justin nodded. "I know, but well, I just think about it sometimes. Second, this is just a thought just so you know. Well, I was thinking about doing a solo record. You know, completely stepping away from the group and the whole stereotypical 'boyband' stuff."

Lia ears perked up and she noticed that was something he must not have told a lot of people, especially the four bodies sleeping in other hotel rooms. "I think you could do it, and I think the other guys would encourage you to as well. I don't think the world would be ready for you to though because you'd probably blow them away."

Justin smiled slightly. It was nice to hear the opinion of someone who was only close to him first and not the other guys quite yet. "You think so, huh?" Lia nodded with her eyes closed as she was lying on the bed. Justin was still wide awake. "But what about the guys?"

Lia sighed, but didn't open her eyes. "They would probably support you. You need to grow as an individual too. I know you love music; they know you love music; and through your music, I think you could show the world and all of your friends and family your growth as a person."

Justin smiled at her, and couldn't help thinking how adorable she looked as she lay on her back, flat out on the bed, her hair all around her, her eyes closed. "Mmm hhhmm."

She didn't take the cue to keep sleeping. She opened one of her eyes and looked over at him and caught him smiling at her. "Do you have a number 3?"

He looked to the ceiling. "Ummmm, I'm a romantic."

She didn't look directly at him because he seemed to be a little embarassed to have shared what he did with her. "I could see that about you already, but I'll let it slide as an ok number 3."

Justin gave her a half-smile. "You look sleepy. You should go to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow. I'm used to it so I'm pretty awake just yet."

Lia stretched her arms over her head and nodded. "Ok. Let me just go throw on some PJs."

She dug through her bag and headed into the bathroom. Justin laid back on his bed thinking. He was surprised he felt so comfortable around her. It wasn't every day he met a girl who was interested in what he had to say and didn't want him for his money. In fact, she had refused to let him pay for her airplane tickets to Chicago and the return flight home from Los Angeles. She'd be returning just in time for the Christmas holiday with her family and then, she had shows all throughout the Christmas week to finish out her stint on Les Miserables. She started officially with the Wicked cast in February when they would be doing the Celebrity Tour.

Lia walked out of the bathroom in these short boxer shorts and a tank top which got his attention quicker than it ought have. The tank top allowed him to notice that she had on a hot pink bra. Just then, she bent down to put some stuff in her bag, and he didn't mean to notice - but he did - she was wearing the matching hot pink g-string. He swallowed hard and inwardly groaned and kicked himself.

Lia turned to him and smiled sleepily. "Goodnight JT."

Justin watched her climb into bed. "Goodnight Lia."

At this point, Justin was beginning to hate his friends for being right.