-Two weeks later-

Bubbles piled high, a porous foam lighter than water. Floating on its calm surface, she watched it, lazily making its way to no destination in particular. It didn't seem right, how anything could be so languid. The day was languid, clouds rolling in a blue sky, oh how picturesque. Even the rays of sunlight, falling in diagonal slates through the window beside her were languid. And she could hardly fathom the meaning of the word, for she was anything but.

A second later, a toe appeared, breaking the surface of the water. Ripples moved furiously along, taking the water on a joy ride of sorts. Calm was interrupted. Languid, if only in one part of her life, her surroundings, was no more. Her fists were clenched under the warm water which was growing colder by the minute, and teeth slighted gritted. She didn't want to sit still anymore, disappointed in everything around her and most of all because she couldn't tell why. Frustration built full bloom. An ache inside... begged to be let out.

She slumped down quickly, unclenched her fists and closed her eyes. She let herself rest as her breathing steadied... her mind as well. She couldn't do it. It wasn't her at all. This couldn't come out... it'd ruin her. She couldn't let things get out of hand. She'd remain as she was, despite the pesky voice even now that chanted in her mind telling something wasn't right. And she refused to believe...

She'd been to Rome. She'd been to Paris. She'd been to London and Madrid, Milan and Firenze. She been to so many places in so little time, her young mind spun with sights and her body ran on its jet lag. So much to do, so many things to be had, it was a whirlwind of activity... away form the thing she wanted most.

No, that wasn't right. How could she not have been there? Lucy was there every step of the way, laughing, smiling, walking with a sultry step and most of all, looking beautiful as she did it. Of course the one thing she wanted most was there. She was the one who had taken Skye along for the ride. And that's what it felt like.

Lucy had been gracious and taken Skye along. It was fun, she guessed, while it lasted. It was more than fun even, it was memorable. Just Lucy and her... Lucy had taken her everywhere, done everything, seen everything with her. They had seen the Eiffel tower and the Pantheon, visited Trafalger Square and seen El Escorial. Those were wonderful, just as Lucy said they were. But there was more.

Now Skye knew what backstage looked like, the chaos that existed. She knew the endless racks of clothes and scary people armed with brushes and a case of make-up or lipstick, always, in the perfect color. She knew about the people running around, wringing their hands at something Skye could only guess about, and those with the famous cue who seemed to make their life's work saying, "Walk now, with all ya got." But never say "Break a leg." Heaven forbid it came true, what with the spikes her sister and the others had trotted down in, swaying from side to side for all they were worth. And they were worth quite a bit. Disillusion was at its best.

The other side of the curtain proved a night to a day. Perhaps it was meant to be that way, so there was some sort of balance between the two. Where there was chaos, here was order through all the mayhem. How very good the curtain was at disguising that, covering it up as though it were some lie, some dream of frenzy, and this world, a pretty face, if not plain. Oh there were the people dressed in their finery, cameras and programs. From perfectly coiffed heads to the dredds and baseballs caps of the others, all was silent, waiting, waiting. What were they to miss?

It all boiled down to one thing, however, the thing that Skye had learned the best from all this. She knew... she knew what it was to wait in the sidelines, look on and wonder, if not for just one minute, what it was like to be right there, side by side with the one she loved so much. And she wished... because she never was. Lucy, whether a foot away or twenty, was always a thousand miles from there. Doing something else, something more, something... better. That smile... why was it now that she realized it wasn't only for her? She had seen that smile before, somehow, it wetted her appetite... and repelled it while it was focused at that others...

And Skye knew she was greedy. This greed, it consumed her. That was one of the seven cardinal sins, wasn't it? ...Greed. Greed flooded her inside and out and took control of her own weak mind. It was so hard to fight... Those were some of her weakest moments. Because she wanted Lucy's arms around her; she wanted Lucy's smile to center on her; she wanted Lucy to once again say it would all be fine, better in the morning, always.

Never. Because that's what it was. And she never said it.

Skye needed her, she craved the words, reached out for both with a desperation she hadn't felt in sometime. She could feel herself breaking down and inside, the little girl was crying out, afraid to be alone. She seemed inconsolable, the tantrum never ending and Skye had a hard time looking into her eyes, scared of what she would see as she gazed into them.. Because she knew they would be her eyes too and everything she saw there... was hers.

A chill went through her body, even in the warm water and Skye felt helpless as her heart beat faster and faster.

This greed though... she knew... it was wrong. Every part of Skye was yelling out in protest, this feeling needed to be extinguished like the angriest of hearts. Except for one...

She couldn't shake the thoughts, it was frightening her. But Lucy loved her so, she was there as much as she could be, right? It just had to be. It had to be. Why did Skye doubt her so? She shouldn't. No, it was wrong, wrong, wrong. When could she ask more than her sister could deliver? Never. Never. It was nothing more than her own selfish needs rearing their ugly heads. Nothing more at all. And she disgusted herself. Lucy was doing the best she could under such circumstances. She always did. Skye's unsatisfaction was her own fault. She felt the bile rise in her throat.

"Miss Skye?"

Her reflexes were at their best. Her thoughts drained and she turned her head quickly, startled. The voice, accompanied by a knock, had come from the other side of the door. "Miss Skye?"

"Yuh...yes?" she asked quickly, her head shooting up and her back automatically stiffening to the back to the marble bathtub.

"Miss Skye, you have a phone call. It's a Mr. Justin Timberlake. Shall I have him call you back?"

It was Martha, she knew, and Skye remembered why she was here... "No, Martha," she said quickly. "I can take it here." Justin? She was confused. He was calling... her? She swallowed harshly.

The door clicked and in walked Martha. She was an older woman with soft graying hair she didn't bother to color. Skye could tell by now she was a no nonsesnse woman, but she had a thick sense of duty and work. Her small feet clicked on the tile as she picked up a portable phone Skye had noticed sat on the counter of the bathroom. She handed it to Skye and promptly turned, closing the door behind her.

"He... Hello?" Skye answered meekly as she fumbled with the portable phone for a moment. Her voice was shaky. Startled, it couldn't be anything but.

"Hey Princess, what ya up to?" Justin's voice greeted her on the other end and, instantly, she felt the hint of a smile come to her face.

"Don't call me Princess," she replied, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Ok, Princess, so what ya doing?"

Skye blushed even harder. "Don't call me.."

"Ah, no correcting me. Now what ya doing?"

She would have said something, but he hadn't called her Princess again. Maybe he'd let it rest... "I'm..." She seemed in a daze. The last person she'd expect to call her was Justin.

"I'm..." he mimicked when she didn't go on.

"Oh sorry," she told him quickly. The truth was that she was embarrassed to tell him where she really was. "Well, I'm..."

"I'm..." he repeated, a touch of amusement in his voice. "Ok, two can play at this game... You tell me what your surroundings are and I'll guess, ok?"

"Ok..." she said hesitantly. "Umm, there's a window right beside me..."

"Oh, thanks Skye, what generous information. There is only at least one window in each room at Luciana's." She had to laugh at him. "Give me something I can work with!"

"Umm, ok... I'm surrounded by bubbles."

"Bubbles?" he echoed, puzzled. "Are you inside still? Or are you outside somewhere? I thought I heard Martha answer the phone... you must be inside then."

"I'm surrounded by water," Skye elaborated, trying to make it easier for him. Her body was closing up, just like her eyes as she sat in the lukewarm water, her ear glued to the phone. No matter if she hadn't expected his call. In her stomach she felt a strange... fluttering she couldn't decipher. It wasn't something she was familiar with. But no matter what, she was glad he'd called.

"Water, huh? Well, it can't be raining, you're inside, I know that much... The only place you'd be inside, surrounded by water without Martha screaming cause the place is flooded..." The intake of breath was nothing less to behold. "You're not... where I'm thinking... are you?" His voice sounded a mixture of amusement and a bit of fear.

A blush she had not previously known was there spread, flaming cheeks to a red rose face. The bubbles were fizzing and popping all around her...

"Why didn't Martha tell me to call back?"

Skye felt her shoulders shrug, though her blush lessened none. "I don't know." She knew. Well, he'd guessed the scene. She would've thought she'd feel more embarrassed. Somehow, though her stomach felt more awkward than it had ever felt, she was okay with him knowing. And he'd called...

"So Princess, how does it feel to take a leisurely bubble bath? Addicted already?" His voice was high on the mirth and she could feel him smiling at her, teasing her.

"No, no," she said quickly, correcting him. She didn't want him to think she sat around in a tub all day. "This is my first time taking one."

"Oh really?" he asked. His tone she found strange, but he quickly rectified it. "How is it? Enjoying it? Wishing you'd done it sooner?"

"Oh... Martha made me take one. She said I was, uhhh... too much of a busybody." Why did she blush at that too?

"Martha? The same housekeeper I know? I would have thought that woman always tagged everyone was lazy. She works... and works and works some more. No one works as much. You'd think she didn't realize she had a life outside of it. But she's umm, very... hard-working." Skye smiled and giggled a bit at his accurate description. Martha... seemed to make housework her life's work. And she was excellent... focused... and rather 'busy' with even the most minute tasks.

"Oh my God, what did you do? That's some accomplishment. Busybody... I thought she was queen of that. She could kick Martha Stewart's butt anyday and steal her product line."

Skye had to giggle. "I, umm, well like to keep busy too, so I was, I think vacuuming Lucy's room. When she walked in... looking for the vacuum, she had a fit, told me to stop doing her work. She shooed me out and told me to go relax... and drew me a bubble bath when I couldn't decide..."

"And that brings us to the present," he finished for her. "I guess she called you a busybody sometime in the middle of all this..."

"Yea, she kept mumbling it."

"But Skye?"

"Yea?" she answered eagerly. Somehow, she didn't curb her tongue around him. She felt strangely... freer than she had in some time. Why did it seem she ended up confused every time it came to him? Perhaps because she didn't understand herself around him. And she didn't understand why. All the bonds she had lived by with Lucy did not apply to him. She hated to be brand new.

"Why were you vacuuming Luciana's room anyway? You don't have to, you know. If you were helping her out, then cool, but it's really not your job. Just sit back and relax."

It seemed easier said than done to Skye. It didn't hold much luster either. It was... ludicrous and foreign. "I can't do that, Justin."

"Why not?" It was a pert question and his voice, dumbfounded.

"Cause I'll be... useless."

"Useless? If Lucy wanted you to do the housework, she wouldn't have hired a housekeeper. She'd want you to have fun. Go to the mall and shop, go see the sights of Toronto, go downtown. You have the luxury." His voice sounded a bit bitter, but rectified itself. "She's sorry she's away so much, but you'll be starting with a tutor soon..."

"I know that, Justin. It's just.

And he took it upon himself. "You're bored?"

"Yea..." It was probably as close as he could have come in the circumstances. There was no way he could know, no way he could understand... what she felt. And she'd forgive that. Did she have much more to do? Sometimes she felt so alone.

Lucy had called her an hour an a half ago. Skye had been so excited... giddy, really. It was Lucy calling her. She hadn't called yesterday, and Skye missed her even more... And it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Lucy barely said her hi and good-bye before she rushed off. Her sister was busy, busy, busy, there was no other way to describe it. Skye just wished... And she realized. Her sister had no time for her.

Instead of her sister, the voice she longed to hear again, it was Justin. Somehow, Skye felt guilty all over again. It was as though... she should be more dismayed. ...But she wasn't. Why was it that with Lucy she always felt she was doing something wrong? This brick lay in her chest and it wouldn't seem to budge like this pesky feeling she got that she wasn't doing right by her sister.

Her hand automatically came up out of the water. She just felt the need. Around her throat her hand closed, and in it, a small golden object, flat and smooth rested. It had hung there now for forever and a day. Her vow to give it back had never come true. The perfect time she had promised herself. That was when, once again, she would hand it over to its rightful owner, the one who had left it there so many years ago. But the perfect time had never come. And it still hadn't.

Lucy, though she called, was always busy, her voice so far away. Skye wanted to reach out and pull her in, but Lucy, it seemed, was in need of no rescuing. It was only Skye fighting against the tide and she spent most of her days in silence, her mind and her soul, eating away at themselves. That was why she needed to be kept busy. She didn't have to focus on her lonesome anymore. And she could pretend she was all right. Before too long, she'd be an expert... if she wasn't already.

Well, the silence of her day had been broken, if only for a short time. A voice had come to welcome her, one not unfamiliar, but so unexpected. And she was glad, so very glad, in all her hearts of hearts, something felt it was bursting... just at the sound of his voice. How long had it been since she'd last spoken to...

"Skye, are you still alive over there?" The voice that interrupted her thoughts, jolted her, in more ways than one. The tingling spread yet again.

"What? Oh, yes," she said quickly. "Sorry."

"I was wondering if I would have to dial 911. I'd rescue you myself, but I'm not even in the States, so it'd be a little hard. I could call in the Mafia." And she remembered what a joker he could be, or so she'd heard. Of course, all the guys picked on one another. That was brotherly love.

"You're in..."

"Italy," he quickly supplied. As if she didn't know. She should've guessed, mafia and all. "We're getting ready for the European tour. This is our start, and our finish. It'll be interesting."

"Are you... big... over there?" Her voice and question were equally hesitant. She felt as if she knew so much, yet so little of him at the same time.

"We're bigger in the States, though some of these countries know us better than others. We're so busy, though. I really should be sleeping right now, but I know you're home alone, so I thought you could use a call and this was the only time I had to myself."

And she was touched. He'd thought of her. She'd temporarily forgotten about the time difference that had been the culprit, her jet lag. Oh, she knew all about him now. JC'd made sure to fill her in on everything, who they were, who he was. Skye had never felt more stupid in her life. How could she have not suspected that he was that big of a star? She'd seen his face on a magazine cover, she should have questioned more. How could she have not seen? But she knew why.

Because deep down, Justin was just Justin, a regular guy, with quirks and habits all his own. He didn't flaunt anything, nor did he brag excessively. If she'd known better, she'd be quick to say that he was trying to keep in under wraps, hide it, so she'd never know. But she didn't know why, though she couldn't, and didn't, blame him. It was though he thought she'd treat him any differently than she had. And it made her wonder if he didn't know her better than to think that of her. And she realized. He didn't.

But he kept on smiling. And so would she. Despite what his image might be, and that she didn't know, he was... a nice guy. She knew he would be though, she'd always known that. He looked like a nice guy, and he was with Lucy. That translated a strange code to her. If he was good enough for Lucy, he was good enough for her. And boy, was that turning out to be true, no matter who anybody said he was. To her, in the end, Justin was still Justin, the one she'd admired from day one, and welcomed into her heart. Lucy seemed so happy with him... That is why she chose the space she did for him in her heart, right beside Lucy.

And there she was, hanging onto his every word. He'd taken time out of his own down time... to call her. He was living up to every image she'd ever dreamed of him... and beyond. He had something more, she'd never expected though... he'd shown it, even as he called...

"So, are you sure you're ok?" His voice mired concern. She quickly nodded slightly, forgetting he couldn't see.

"Yes," she cleared her voice softly. "I'm fine, just... thinking." And it was true, she had been. She still was.

"About Lucy?" he questioned.

She wasn't one to lie.

"No..." There was slight pause, the air, quivering. "About you."

And Skye surprised even herself.

-§-

He was shocked. At the same time he could not stop the small smile from appearing on his face... the fool he was. "About me?"

There seemed to him to be a slight pause from her side of the phone. "You called me. I didn't expect you too... well, think of me. So thank you."

And Justin was rendered speechless. It was just a simple thank you, two words, ones he had heard too many times. But now they meant so much more. Her voice was not intrusive, as if it ever was. It was the tone... so... grateful. And he was amazed that anyone could feel so gratified by a phone call. She appreciated... the simple things in life.

It was not as though he'd done anything big, gone out of his way to sound extravagant. He didn't buy her anything, no jewels or diamond rings, the things girls squealed over. Oh wait, just his face just did that, one touch, one smile, one wave. But Skye wasn't squealing.

He wasn't sure how much she knew about him, but he did know it was a fair amount. JC had told him he just told her the basics, but Justin and everybody else knew the basics didn't take two hours to relate unless 'the basics' included how many hairs were on Justin's arm. But she wasn't squealing. Skye was firmly grounded, no sugary smiles, or giggles every few seconds at something slightly funny he'd said. That's reseved for Emily. But Skye... Skye didn't treat him any differently then she had before. If you'd asked anyone, including Justin, it seemed as if she had never been told at all. Innocent to all she was, innocent she would stay.

"You're welcome," he sputtered. Was there really anything else to say? His mind had hit blindly and that had been the only thing blurted from his lips. It had been some time since he'd felt this way and someone had left him without wit.

"You don't need to say that, Justin. You don't need to say anything. Calling is more than enough."

And strangely, he knew it was so. "I..." But he was cut off... by three loud bangs on the door. "Hold on Skye. Someone's at the door, ok?"

"Of course." Her answer was effortless.

Justin quickly got up from the floor of his room and hopped to answer the door. Cellphone on his ear, he covered the reciever before asking just loud enough, "Who's there?"

"Johnny."

Curiously he opened the door. "Johnny?" he questioned as he saw the dark face of the older man, their tour manager.

"Bedtime, Justin."

"Excuse me? Since when did we have a bedtime?"

"Since Wade told me you all need work," he answered in a gruff voice.

"Wade?! Oh come on Johnny. We know all the steps he taught us. He worked us hard enough last tour..."

"And he'll do it again because you guys are rusty. You took two months off..."

"Correction... we did promos and had a week off." His stance got even more tense than it had previously been.

"I'm not arguing with you," Johnny said, shifting his weight to his left foot.

"Then are you commanding me?" Justin's voce was terse.

Johnny sighed deeply and leaned his back against the door frame of Justin's room. "I can't say I don't know what's up with you boy. Jive was pretty hard on you when you told the world about Luciana and your fans didn't take it well, and I sympathize, but it wasn't my fault, or anyone else's here, so don't take it out on us. You knew what you were doing, you knew the possible consequences and you chose to do it anyway. I'm not saying you made a bad decision, or even the wrong one, but you go around with this sullen attitude. It's not working Justin. You were off today and I mean you especially. You need to shape up. I don't want to be your parent, and I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I do suggest you get some rest. I can see you're tired already and Wade will work you even harder tomorrow because he knows you can do it. I know you can do it. Now you need to put this all behind you, or at least separate that world from this one."

"But how?!" he whined.

"How? Like we all do. We learn. You should have by now. You shouldn't have done it if you knew this was going to happen and that you couldn't put up with it. But that's your mistake. Now you are in this with four other guys. They didn't do anything. They're counting on you. Are you going to let them down just because some part of you wants to wallow in your own self pity? There's no I in 'N Sync."

He was tempted to say yes, he really was. But something stopped him. Ok, a lot did. It was probably called guilt and boy was he feeling it right now. His stomach dropped from what seemed a drastic height. "No." His voice was almost inaudible, nothing more than a whisper.

"What?" asked Johnny.

"No," he said a bit louder, part of him cringing.

The older man looked at him with dark eyes and transferred a hand to his shoulders. "Justin, you know I'm only telling you this for your own good and the good of this tour and this band. You're a team player. You can't forget that."

"I know that," Justin said lowly.

"Now, I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but I do suggest you get some rest. You're going to need it. You decide though. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Johnny knew what he had to do when he had to do it. Justin had to admire that.

"Good night, Johnny," Justin called after him.

The older man acknowledged it with a slight nod of the head. "Oh, Justin, by the way, Luciana says she'll be stopping by tomorrow. Your phone was busy. She called me when she couldn't get any of the other guys." The he turned and continued walking along the wide hallway. Justin gave a weak smile and sighed. Well, Luciana coming was good news. She did it occasionally, but he couldn't get over what Johnny had said. He knew. He knew that Johnny had nothing but his best interest in mind. Well, that and the tour and band. Johnny... was a businessman at heart, but that didn't mean he didn't care either.

Justin shut the door with a heavy soul. For a moment, he seemed to forget the phone he still held to his ear. "Skye?" he asked quickly.

"Yes?" Her voice came over the phone lines to his ear.

"Sorry, Johnny just came to the door..."

"I know. I heard. Will you say good night now, Justin? You need your rest."

"Yea, I will," he answerd, his voice shaky.

"Good night, Justin. But Justin..." She seemed unsure of herself to Justin's ears.

"Yea Skye?" he asked.

"Lucy's coming there tomorrow?" Her voice seemed so small among vast wisps of air. She was a child once again.

"So Johnny says. She comes occasionally." His voice was casual. He didn't know what else to say. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no.. nothing." Skye's voice was quick... a little too quick.

His brow furrowed. "Skye?" he asked again.

"Yes, Justin?"

"Is everything ok?"

"Oh, of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Somehow, she didn't sound very convincing. "Everything's fine Justin."

"Are you sure?"

It seemed to take her forever to answer. "Yes."

He wasn't sure, but what could he do but go along with it. "Ok, Skye."

"Ok, good night Justin. Get some rest like he said, ok?"

"Ok. Good night Skye... and Skye?" he thought about how pure she was, how fresh and unspoiled.

"Yes?" came her soft answer.

"You are a princess."

"Please Justin don't call..."

"Stop arguing, you are a princess."

"Who's princess?" she asked.

"My princess; Luciana's princess; everyone you meet's princess."

"Justin, really I'm not..."

"There's nothing you can say to make me think otherwise. So good night and thanks... Princess." He hung up before another word could be uttered from her mouth. She was the princess he'd talked about: the princess of hearts.

He laid his phone down on his dresser and moved to the position he'd previously been in, laying on the floor, his hands behind his head. It was now he remembered how exhausted he was. His eyelids suddenly felt like lead bricks, so hard to keep up. It was only eleven o'clock, but today had been a long and hard one. Not that by this time he shouldn't be used to it. But how did you get used to something like this? Hard work was not something Justin Timberlake was a stranger to, but he'd never asked for it. It was just one of the undesirable add ons that came along with his job. Yes, it was a job, despite his love for his work.

But there were still things he had trouble adjusting to. Like those same squealing girls. He'd been reminded numerous times about them today. It made him wonder, were they really attacted to him or just all that he represented: wealth, power, fame? Yes he was all those. And he knew he was lucky, very lucky indeed. All he had... no skill had been involved. Well, that depended on what you called those pelvic thrusts, but he also had a desired face to accompany it. And that in itself spelled one in a million. Not everyone was a pop star. Who could forget that? Not everyone was famous internationally before most people graduated from college. Who forgot that? Not everyone had a million plus girls screaming for them everyday. That was hard to miss, much less forget. But everyone was human, every single last person. Who would have thought that they could forget that? Well, apparently, they could. And they did.

Fame had swept him up by his feet and taken him away. His star persona had come to grips, the ham who took every opportunity to be in front of the camera, and told jokes like some fool. Who else who got away with a four inch fro? What white boy registered ebonics as his first language and was allowed? The ridicule was a foam bullet that ricocheted off his shield of superstardom. It was the very same shield that allowed tabloids to bypass him, and never touch more than his skin, never his soul. A passing sigh, a laugh and a funny face- that was Justin Timberlake, 'N Sync member, superstar. In his star persona, he was just where he wanted to be. But what about Justin?

Yes, Justin, and just Justin. No Justin Timberlake. No 'N Sync member. No superstar. Or was that all he was? Some media personality? When he signed on the dotted line, had he been signing away his soul? The shackles were invisible, but they were there. Even Justin couldn't deny it.

Yes, just Justin, the nineteen year old kid that grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. Had he been lost with all the underwear his fans had stolen? Had just a little more of him been given in each swish of a pen, the big J and T? Was he taken and immortalized in all those flashes and clicks, leaving nothing for himself, giving it all... to them? Where was Justin in all of this?

Lost...

...In some jumble, the mighty tug of war between the public, and the private. Why hadn't he realized sooner that there was no in between? ...That he'd have to choose, someday.

And he refused.

What rebellious spirit bled so deeply that loved and hated everything that surrounded it? The rose petals that fell from above had petrified. The sky had cracked. And Justin trudged through life. He knew the price for fame, his kind of fame: inhumanity. If he was guilty, so be it, guilty as charged. He wouldn't pay. He refused. And he'd do it all over again.

He was fighting, introducing his world little by little, what he wanted to present. Props, he guessed, to show the world he would not conform. He could not, would not be everything they wanted. He didn't operate like that. He didn't feel like jumping when they said jump. So he had a girlfriend. Big shocker. After all, if he paid attention to all the tabloids, IMs, chat rooms and emails, he had two million of them- and wives a dime a dozen.

Now here was a real one, a real girlfriend. He wondered how many girls he'd driven into rage, tears, and tantrums. He was calm. He couldn't worry about it... Why did that sound like a recording? Maybe because he was trying to convince himself. The truth hurt, literally. Fans mattered. Even the ones who hurt him. Even the ones who cared. Even the ones who ripped him to shreds, and the ones who shed tears for a face they'd never kiss. They mattered. As much as he cursed them, he also thanked them every single day of his life. They'd brought this all to him. And they'd just as soon take it all way.

It all came down to one thing.

Justin wasn't invincible.

His lids had slipped down to furl his lower lashes. He was tired, admittedly, but right now, he was at peace. Laying on the soft over-plush carpet of his own private room seemed as good as anyone's Mecca.

-§-

"You did the right thing you know."

"Then why do I feel like such a bad guy? She cried."

"But not for you."

The silence now was unstable but present his friend's last words ringing through his ears. And JC looked down, his face fallen, but coming to terms. "I know." He sighed. "I know Joey, but why did it hurt so much?."

"JC... you were so used to her. You'd been with her for two years already though I don't know why you didn't see it before. It was right there. I could see it."

As if that was supposed to comfort him.

"Well, I couldn't, dammit, how was I supposed to know? Lacey acted nothing but sweet to me. How the hell did you see it? God, I feel like such a bad guy."

Joey looked frustrated. "Look, I told you those tears weren't real. You know they weren't. She was like a damned bitch in heat or something, well, in your case, a tease, but she flirted with anything that was male. She took you for granted, man, face it. She thought she had you twisted around her little finger. And you were, for a while."

"I know." He'd choked.

Joey's face that had been staring down to the gravel below his feet, not whipped his head up. In JC's voice lay something else.

It could not be that JC got any paler. His face was pallid and wan as though he were sick to his stomach. And he knew Joey was right. He had been all along. JC couldn't say that Joey had not told him. Joey was just tackful enough not to rub it in his face.

"I told you so."

Or maybe I was wrong.

Either way, JC had to believe that he had been blind and deaf for almost a year or Joey was a lot more perceptive than they gave him credit for. Both options were hard to stomach.

"What's wrong now? I told you she wasn't any good for you."

"I know, I don't care anymore."

"Then why are you getting all bent out of shape?"

Yes, JC wanted to know why. Why was he acting like this? Acting like all of this was one big unbelievable mess that was all his fault. Acting like he had never wanted this to happen. Or that he had never seen it coming. But those were all lies. He knew what he was doing. So why did he feel so bad?

JC understood.

He had lost his security blanket.

Lacey, in many ways, had been that for him. She had been there... and when she wasn't, he grew to expect it. But it wasn't so much that she was there in body, but she was there in mind. The thought, that he had something to call his own... it breathed down his neck and wrapped its arms around him, something sure, something he wouldn't have to worry about. More to worry about was the last thing he needed, or so he thought.

And JC re-thought Joey's question, searching for an answer. "Because it's all... happening to fast now. It's not the right time..."

"It was always the right time to break up with her," Joey argued.

It was true. "But now I have Jan on my back."

"And who wouldn't want that? She's beautiful, she's funny..."

"She's always flirting with me."

"That's what you call a bonus, my friend. I like her. She's genuine."

JC burst, it being illogical in his mind. "Lacey flirted shamelessly with me, just like Jan does now."

"There's a difference," Joey stated plainly.

"Oh really?" JC asked. "And what would that be..."

"Class, mi amigo. Class. It's something Lacey can't buy or read about, not that she reads. But with Jan- it's natural. Jan may be may always be talking to you, cracking jokes, whatnot, but she isn't draping herself all over you, now is she?"

As much as JC wanted to deny Joey, it wasn't going to happen. She wasn't. It was as simple as that. She talked to him, tried to make him smile, but she wasn't feeding him compliments by intravenous. It made JC feel uncomfortable though... because it felt good... to have someone want him once again. Lacey had stopped flirting with him some time ago. Well, not completely, but JC now realized she had only flirted when she wanted something. At first it had been him... later, it had been everything else... money, his name, the 'prestige' she saw that came with it and the jealousy of ten million teenage girls. It was sick, all of it.

"Look, just tell her you don't like her if that's all your worried about. But I've seen you together..."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

The bright sun that surrounded them as they stood outside the studio seemed too hot now; the world, too small. In the last thirty seconds, JC seemed to have lost it all as the realization of everything he'd missed suddenly flooded his sytem. Everything that had occured before that period had been nothing, a trance in which he became a shell of himself, his mind twisted in knots, not knowing where to go and just as dulled. It was a time of confusion, a time where much was a haze he seemed to float through, or tread, as though he'd fall if he stopped.

But no more. He'd no more float than fall. He'd take control now and he'd be strong, no weak shadow of himself. And JC realized...

He was mad... at the fool he had been. Well, those days were over and Jan didn't seem all that different to him. He wasn't sure he wanted to believe that she could... like him for more than just what Lacey had wanted when he could find no distinction between the two except for Joey's word. And who could fault the wariness on his chest? It had taken him just a second to get reaquainted... with the new glint in his eye. Anger was recklessness. Someone could get hurt.

-§-

"Two of my favorite people..." Her slim arms were quick to embrace them, sliding around their shoulders and her face, graced with a pair of commonplace sunglasses, stretched its neck between them. She was the picture of summer glamour- in the 1950's. Her sunglasses were large and cat shaped. The sleevless shirt and capris she wore, though beautifully tailored, clung close to her, almost second skin. No airs were being staged however. This was what she had been given to wear at the shoot, the same one she had been present at only an hour ago, till she rushed off to go see 'lover boy' as some teased her. This had been her going away present, from the designer. Such a lovely girl they whispered as she rushed out, much for show. Of course, they thought she was running to her love. She did love him... in her own way.

The hot summer sun beat down upon her head. She had been searching for Justin when she came upon the pair standing just outside the compound in a more secluded spot, partially hidden by walls. She smiled... two familiar faces. She could have easily bypassed them in search of Justin, but there was work to be done. Her visits to him were never in vain, devoid of any reason, though he certainly believed them to be. She simply did not deal with excesses of that magnitude, having a motive behind everything she did. Talking to them could cut her searching time in half and she had precious little to waste.

With her ams draped around their shoulders, she smiled brightly at them, a friendly, comfortable smile, the smile of an old friend. She took in their reactions as she stared at each male face behind her dark glasses. JC smiled casually back at her, as he always did. His smiles always reached his eyes, a little fact that told Luciana he suspected nothing, as she had worked hard for. JC considered her a friend. But Joey... Joey was another story...

Joey's head snapped back and a smile did not grace his face as he glanced at her. Joey, for some reason had never liked her. She knew that. She wasn't blind to that fact though Justin seemed so. No one seemed to notice, in fact, though his displeasure was not that hard decipher. Joey looked troubled whenever her very name was mentioned. She imagined they ignore his disapproving looks of her because they could not see what he did. They could not disapprove of her. And why would they? She had done nothing wrong. She had done nothing to Joey. Wasn't he supposed to be the flirty, slightly dumb one? Who'd listen?

But Luciana did not underestimate him that much. Rather, she did not underestimate him at all. He had not said anything yet, though he disliked the sight of her and conveniently disappeared when she showed her face. She disgusted him and it had worried her for a second. She knew he was capable of much more. He had gone so far as to sense this. She gave him that credit. But she shouldn't have let him get to her; it was cramping her style- worry-free. But he was helpless now, nothing to go on. For all his disapproval... her lips curled into a catlike grin... he had no proof. He could not say anything and risk sounding like a paranoid fool more than a fleeting word. After all, who would believe such ravings? Luciana had built her reputation on more than just popsicle sticks. She would never give him reason to say a thing. She never gave anyone reason.

She looked at his slight scowl. Just as she expected. Really, he was much too predictable and much too weak a foe for her to take seriously. She didn't even fully understand it. She had never done anything to him. Contrary to belief, she had treated him like all the rest... with bright smiles and floaty laughter that lulled their senses to see her charming side and oh, that she did have.

Yet he seemed to see beneath. Though it made her uncomfortable, it was not enough to warrant her concern. He was stuck in the imagine of mild-mannered flirt and toddler in the skin of an adult whose brain-power was slightly lacking. She'd never know where he picked up that one, but it wasn't her fault or problem. He was stuck in his own rut. It just happened to put her in a beneficial position so that his threat was none at all. He kept scowling...

And she just smiled. She knew who held the power, and she chuckled... because it was her.

"I didn't know you were coming," said JC, seemingly oblivious to the look on Joey's face. He leaned forward to give her a hug.

"It was sort of a last minute thing. I didn't really think I could get away but I really wanted to come. As you can see by the the clothes, I had to rush. Just finished up my segment of the shoot and jetted out here. I didn't even take off the clothes, I was in such a rush. They let me keep them." Her voice was pitched to excitement, the perfect pitch for just this moment.

JC smiled. "I can see you're happy to be here. It's a nice surprise, but I don't think you're happy because of me."

She shook her head. "Of course I'm happy to see you. You two have special places in my heart."

JC laughed. "Oh, so that's what you're doing here, huh? Just 'dropped' by," he teased.

"No..." Her blush was satisfactory.

"Then what are you doing here?" The voice was much lower, though she could tell he was trying to keep a civil tongue. It had come from Joey.

She quickly glanced over at him, nothing but a smile upon her face. "Where are the others?" she asked politely. Nothing he said got to her. Why should it?

"You mean where is Justin, don't you?" asked JC, putting in a more playful tone.

Now her blush was significant as she turned around... just right, measured to perfection. She just smiled, saying nothing. Better to look demure.

JC just laughed aloud. "Ok, I don't think we'll be much help, but last I saw him, Wade was talking to him by the practice room...second floor... all of it. He's sorta been off... I dunno if he still is, but if he is, be my guest and go rescue him. I have just a wild guess that he'd like that."

She was meant to laugh at JC's ever-teasing tone and she did. "All right, well, I better go fast. The faster I get there, the faster he gets rescued, right?"

"Oh, you're just anxious to see him! Now go and find him and don't bother to say bye to us. Shoo!" JC was brushing her away with the back of his hands, laughing.

"Yes," Joey drawled. "Swat away the pesky fly."

It was a low murmur and she didn't know if JC heard, but Luciana certainly did. Her ears were sharp.

And she gave him a winning smile and rushed away. "Bye! See both of you later!" she screamed out. Of course she'd say good-bye. JC was right. She did want to see Justin. She had work to do, she wouldn't forget about that. But only she knew...

She wasn't going to do any rescuing unnecessarily.

Her blond hair swung out around her as she turned the corner. She smoothed it behind her shoulder so it fell straight like the gold silk they had hailed it. Her hand reached out effortlessly and pressed the 'up' button to the elevator, her reflection dulled in the smooth silver surface of the elevator doors. But you could see her smile. And she knew... so much could hide behind just a small smile.

-§-

The garbage can flew, as well as more than a few crumbled papers and some pencil sharpenings. They were all airborne, but none had wings. Rather, a tremendous force had hurtled them into the air in frustation. And he'd been thinking.

Luciana was everything. Plain and simply put. Her happiness was put before anyone's. She deserved it more than anyone he knew. And he'd see to it; he'd let nothing stand in his way. Because she wanted to be with him and he knew it. Nothing would stop them from being together. It was just meant to be and no less. She saw his love. She had ever since that first day, long ago...

It was raining that one day, not pouring, like it usually did in New York, but drizzling till a thin film of vapor and mist filled the damp air. The sun hid while the clouds rained down and for a late spring day, it was extremely cold. He wished he'd taken that sweater in his loft, though there was little time for regret. He had somewhere to be.

He smoothed back the now short blond hair on his head and brushed his ear. He looked up; a billboard for Calvin Klein. Oh, he knew his face all too well. He didn't tire of it, but rather admired the dimension it could take and had taken in the photograph. Calvin either wanted his models to be expressionless... or tortured. He did tortured the best, his blue blue eyes and tanned skin melding into deep black and stark white-gray- such contrast. Really, he knew he was at some of his best. But it couldn't be over, not now.

Not when he was just twenty-one and had only just begun to open his eyes to a life not so mundane. The little boy from Auburn, Washington was forgotten, hidden today by a pretty tortured face on a Calvin Klein advertisement. He'd never forgotten home, the security of it all, but he'd never taken the safe road... he took the one less traveled, the fast lane for he craved the excitement of it all. Well, back home it had been the one less traveled... but here in New York... if you weren't careful, they'd all pass you by. He was never afraid to fail... he knew he'd do all right. And if not, there'd always be that one way ticket home.

His hands sought the warmth of his pockets. The mist was penetrating even his clothes, making them damp and uninviting. It only made him speed up and walk more briskly through the throngs of people that surrounded him. He was almost there and despite the wet air around him, people still milled around, some busy, some not. Sirens, screams, giggles and humming were common sounds, like free music or some discordant cacophony that made sense to only those who grew up in the heart of this jungle dump where people grew as wild as weeds. On the streets of New York, the title of hot dog vender made good money.

He took a deep breath. Lately, he had been restless about something. He'd not known what. Just a few weeks ago, his brother, the only relative that bothered to keep in touch with him, had called him. He was getting married... to Helen. Pictures of white dresses and silky bridesmaid dresses floated through his head. And somewhere within was a sharp pain and then a dull presence. Love... his brother had finally found it. Though they were fraternal twins, only minutes apart, his brother found everything first. So much for the fast lane his brother had never had the desire to set foot on.

And he could see the building, just in sight, just out of reach. That was his agency in a branch building no bigger than a house. It was tightly packed in the tight sardine can that was the streets of downtown. He was expected at four thirty and though he'd make it more or less on time, he knew there was a significant possibilty that he'd not be called till at least five-fifteen. However, if they decided to be on time for once, he'd be there waiting. He'd gotten into enough trouble already for absences.

Maybe six more steps, that's all he needed. And then he'd be in the cozy shelter of the building. They let few people inside to stay, but he knew he could. He'd been to this building so often, he knew it like the back of his hand. Though there were few areas to wait comfortably, he knew there was a small break room in the back with two miniscule tables whose surfaces barely held anything and three chairs. That was where he planned to wait. A little peace and quiet in all this madness. He loved both worlds. He loved his surroundings, the excitement of it all and wouldn't change anything about it. But something was still missing...

He could almost see the rain now, a fine mist swirling around him and away to a figure... sprawled.... His eyes followed then stopped abruptly. And his fairy godmother must have waved her magic wand, because there sat...

He was almost at a loss for words, the irony and beauty of it all was almost to much to handle. Nothing stopped. Instead, he did, his mind screeching to a halt and then rising above his body as if he'd chanted some four word mantra. He saw no light, no cosmic ray come down, no bright fiery fire from a star. The sky did not even fall. It should have though, for what he saw...

It was his angel in disguise, so beautiful, her face molded by the hands of someone greater than God, he believed in that instant. And he found it hard to turn away, to keep walking with his hands in his pockets, and maybe a whistle or tune. He didn't think that was possible. Even with her hair damp, sitting with the mist around her looking less than made up, she was beautiful to him. Her eyes... though there was no one feature he saw only, her eyes had captured his in a moment... and in it, a smile, for him

And this urge cam over him as his mind was filled with her face. He hardly noticed the herd of girls standing outside, in a small circle under the narrow awning, puffs of smoke coming up from some. All tall and gangly, they stood looking bored, looking anxious, looking sweet. But in her, no. She was none of those and she didn't act it. There she was, calm and cool. Silent. Alone. And she didn't look like she minded.

It didn't become clear all at once. In fact, his mind became even more jumbled, if that was possible. He just knew... just knew... he'd never be the same. Inside, sparked a flame that moved his legs, a beeline to her and asked if she wanted to get out of the rain, maybe have some coffee... with him. He looked up at the billboard sign; his own face stared back. He was not too good to do that, to use his face to impress. He'd use everything he had... for her because he saw her look as well. And for the first time, he knew what it really was to be proud. It was just coffee... he had to tell himself that, maybe a chat. His heart didn't hear though. And he knew...

Many days would come when his heart wouldn't listen and beat uncontrollably to a rhythm only she could play.

And Luciana still was today as she was back then, only know, she no longer had to wait. Someone like her should never have to wait for what she wanted. She'd waited long enough. She deserved it. She deserved happiness. She deserved who she really wanted. She deserved him. And he'd give himself to her if she'd let him. No she'd already allowed him. That wasn't the problem. Just one thing stood in his way of her happiness... their happiness. She thought she needed him... well she was wrong. She didn't need Justin. All she needed was him. He'd see to everything. She didn't have to worry...

"What the... Riley?"

His face whipped around and his thoughts were obliterated as the door was flung open. Silky auburn hair peeked in... hair named for his town... or was it the other way around? "Is everything all right in here? I heard the bang..."

The wastebasket had hit the wall. He saw it now. He hadn't even heard. He was too... caught up.

"Riley?" Emily asked when he still hadn't answered her.

"Everything's fine Emily. Just leave me alone for a minute."

She shook her head. "For your own safety, looks like you've had enough time to yourself, Riley. There's going to be a dent in that wall."

Riley looked none to please that she hadn't followed his wish. "I have two eyes, I can see very well, Emily, thank you. Now get out." he practically bit out his words looking at her through narrowed slits that were his eyes.

She took a slight step back. "God, anger management courses Riley. I heard they work. I only wanted to help and you cheew my head off. I was concerned. I wasn't sure, but I was afraid you'd hurt yourself."

"Thank you, Emily for your concern. Now what didn't you understand about the two words 'get out'?"

Emily too narrowed her eyes. "That's no way to treat a friend..."

Riley sighed and slumped a little. "Yes, I know, just.... please just go along with it. I'll be all right if you just give me a little time to myself. Please," he added for good measure. Really, he just wanted to be alone right now. She couldn't witness him like that. He needed to get a hold of himself.

She seemed to make up her face. "All right. I'll go, if you want me to..."

"I do."

"Ok, then I'll see you later.. You seem upset, Riley. If you ever need to talk about it, I'm always here..."

"Yes, Emily, thank you. Leave please." The words hurried off his tongue. He wanted to be alone as fast as he could. He watched her give him one last glance before turning her heel and walking out the door, closing it softly behind her. Alone at last. His closed his eyes wearily thinking of Luciana who had flown to Italy to conduct 'business' with him. In her rush she'd almost forgotten to say good-bye to him. He didn't like it at all. Justin was coming between them. And his mind could hardly take anymore, seething with jealousy "God! Something needs to be done about Justin... I need a way to get him out of her life... and back into mine." His teeth gritted. He knew she'd come back to him, loving him for all he'd done for her. He knew.

The one thing he didn't know was how well Emily planned to keep her promise to listen and to be there. He'd thought the coast was clear. Who'd listen to anyone inside a break room? Who knew he was there anyway? One person did. The one he feared the least should never have been underestimated. She had heard every last word he said, suspicious, though brief. Her ears were made to listen, and that's just what she'd do... That was her last thought before she so unscrupulously pressed one delicate ear against the door, and heard a secret... in the making.

-§-

Italy was a beautiful country, though she less appreciated its old world quality. Not everywhere in Italy was this 'charming', but 'here' certainly was. She could see children riding their bicycles along the stretches of dirt roads she had seen as her cab crossed the rocky terrain and dark Italian mothers wringing their wet clothes on the line. She shook her head. Well this was a far cry from New York, where she had just been. She thought they'd found the safest place on earth besides the Yukon, the South Pole, and Antartica, in that order. And it was the last place she wanted to be.

Even this studio, on the outside, did not look like a studio. It resembled some forlorn Italian villa, the kind you saw in pictures of the Italian country-side, only on a greater scheme. Well, it had to be to hold everything, did it not? Luciana wouldn't get accustomed to it but she certainly could bear it with a smile. She'd only be here for a day, no more, no less. And smile she did.

The elevator had clicked on the floor and the doors had slid open. She saw a solitary door not more than ten feet away. She didn't hesitated at all, sunglasses still perched upon her nose. Quietly, she pulled it open.

Polished hardwood floors and walls lined with mirrors that seemed to make the space endless were revealed to her eyes as she pulled the door open. A few mirrors stopped short to open up into big bay windows, perfect for the light. It wasn't the light that attracted her though. Rather, it was what she saw in the light that caught her interest.

The smile upon her face became wide and her hand reached up to remove the sunglasses from her face as her eyes brightened from their calculated look. "Justin dah-ling?" She giggled. "Don't I sound silly?"

All conversation halted, the one she had heard every word to.

"Justin, you have to do better than that..."

"Wade, I am doing my best. God, you're such a goddamn worry wart. Everything will be fine..."

"Don't even try to tell me you're not worried..."

"Ok, leave it at that I am but..."

That was the last she had heard before she so graciously butted in. She had thrown him the economy sized life preserver. There was no way he could miss.

The pair turned abruptly. "Luciana!" he screamed, the little boy in him coming out of hiding and Wade, promptly forgotten along with the highly annoyed look on Justin's face. He ran straight to her and before she could have counted to three had enveloped her in a bear hug that literally took her breath away. She should have expected this reception. She was always prepared.

"Justin..." his girlfriend reminded him breathlessly, showing him her lack of it.

He loosened his arms around her waist and she slid to the ground still in the embrace of his arms. "Oh right..." he said. "Sorry." he smiled sheepishly at her. "I'm just so happy to see you. I didn't know you were coming this early..."

"Oh, good, I see Johnny gave you the message all right." She looked up and gave him a bright smile, forgiving him already for having taken her breath away. It wasn't the first time he'd done it. Of course, he'd always used the same method... a bear hug.

"Yes, yes he did!" Justin exclaimed, tightening his more slack arms around her once more, though careful not to squeeze too hard.

A throat cleared in the background. Luciana looked around Justin's face to see a bleached blond head whose dark roots were growing in rather badly and an unshaven face with a frown tugging at his lips. "Wade!" she exclaimed, with no less enthusiasm. "Tour choreographer galore! I haven't seen you since last tour." She easily clasped Justin's hand in hers and pulled him behind her. "How are you?"

He gave her a crooked smile. "Until a few seconds ago? Invisible."

Seems she'd have to blush a lot today. Well, she'd meet the call of duty as she lowered her face and smiled to no end.

She felt Justin's arms pull her back, towards his body. "Wade was just telling me that I am preoccupied," Justin's voice informed Luciana.

Luciana looked at Wade and raised a delicate brow. "Really? With what?"

"You." Justin's voice was teasing as her nipped her waist.

Luciana swatted his arm away. "Oh, you are a terrible liar." But she was grinning all the while.

"Who's lying?" he asked innocently. "What, I can't think about my girlfriend?"

"I didn't say..."

"I can't think of someone who is sweet and beautiful and takes time out of her schedule to come and see me during hell week?" His grin was nearing mega-watt as her face turned on his chest to look up to his.

"I see that whitening toothpaste is doing its job, but that smile won't buy you out of anything, least of all 'hell' week as you so nicely put it. You've got a job to do." She really shouldn't have to remind him about duty.

His arms tightened around her belly. It was bare skin he was touching, her back to his chest. She held onto him loosely, careful to keep the grin on her face.

"This smile won't buy anything?" he asked. "Not even a kiss?"

"You're changing the subject," she stated pointedly in a casual voice.

"Not even a little kiss for your lonely boyfriend?"

"Justin," she warned, getting tired of his little game, but playing along with it.

"Not even a teensy-weensy one for a loving boyfriend who has been deprived for just weeks now of those kisses?"

"Justin!" she exclaimed. She just felt like laughing now. The solution was simple, of course.

Before he could say anything else, she captured his lips in hers, soft and warm. Really, he was a good kisser, not too sloppy, not too dry. Few others knew how good of a kisser he was, but she had to give him credit. He of course, saved his kisses for her and she wouldn't have it any other way. Virgin kisses.. hard to come by. He thought he'd found it. He'd never be the wiser.

"In-vis-i-ble..." The kiss was interrupted and Luciana spied Wade standing off to the side, looking up at the high ceiling. "There's things to be done, Justin..."

"Wade..." Luciana said, though Justin didn't look as though he wanted stop. Or maybe he didn't want to talk to Wade. He didn't bother to retract his arms from Luciana's waist. And Luciana didn't doubt either conclusion, but took the latter more seriously. She looked down at Justin, whose blue eyes flashed something else. It erased any doubt. She knew she needed what to do. "Justin may be a little preoccupied, but have a heart. Another tour is starting and Justin knows the fans aren't taking well to us as a couple. I know that's no excuse for Justin, but he's just been a little apprehensive about it, that's all..."

"I have a heart," Wade protested.

"You just want everything to be perfect," Luciana finished for him quickly. "I know and I don't blame you. I want everything perfect too."

"But..."

She silenced him quickly. "No buts. You didn't let me finish. I know, Justin wants it perfect too, maybe more than any of us. Have you ever known him to give a performance only half a heart? No matter what is going on, he goes out there and gives the best damn performance he can. That merits a little bit of trust, doesn't it?" She was reasoning with him. Justin always gave it his all, Luciana knew. Or, he had in the past. If she had anything to say about it, he'd be back on track by the time she left. She'd see to it well enough.

Her face took on a smile that hid everything behind it. She would just make sure it'd be her that set him straight. It couldn't be anyone else, for she wouldn't having him holding any needless debts to anyone but her. She'd give him support... what a good little girlfriend. She could almost laugh. Either way, there was no chance he'd be slacking off just because of this little tantrum/depression of his. He couldn't slow now. He was very much a 'star' of his band, Thrustin' Justin she'd heard, and curly haired wonder. She wouldn't see him fail; she refused to. Not when she still needed him and she'd worked to get him... Well, it hadn't taken that much... Just a speck of time.

"He's not trying Luciana..."

"He is," she insisted. "Wade, listen. he's been through a lot. We've been through a lot, even though I haven't witnessed the full backlash. He's sheilded me from most of that and I'm thankful. But he has witnessed it... every night. He's seen the backlash firsthand, and felt it just as strongly. When was the last time you said to a nineteen year old guy that he deserved all the rage simply for having a girlfriend?"

"Well..." And she couldn't stomach his pretense to deliberate. It was a simple question with a simple, if not common answer. It wasn't as though she wasn't providing him with every opportunity to agree. Oh, she had gone the most commonplace route and that which hit mst strongly She'd played the sympathy card. She was hard to counter and Wade, least of all Wade, could tempt it. She would either admire or scowl at his attempt to amuse. Inside, she chose the latter.

"Stop. Wade. Put yourself into his shoes, just for a moment, please. There's so much weight and expectation in this business, and you can't try to tell me there isn't. It's a ludicrous amount for anyone, let alone a teenager. Now screaming at him isn't going to help anything as all of you have witnessed first hand because he obviously isn't doing any better. What he needs is a little relaxation and a little compassion..." Her voice had picked up the pace and she made her face sufficiently flustered, as well as her stance. She leaned forward slighty to Wade, hands on her hips, her focus seemingly steeled. She needed to be a little angry. It wasn't that hard, this rash expression.

"His break..." He was talking about relaxation. Well, it was easier to counter the first point she had made than the second.

And she sought to make the greatest impact. So she finished his sentence. "...was cut short because someone made him come down and record. Then thoughtless me invited my friends up and he got no peace trying to entertain all of them. Relaxation went out the window, and he's not to blame, is he?"

Luciana left off there to let her words sink in, but as soon as she saw him open his mouth, she went on. "Now, if I promise you that he'll be back in full by the time I'm gone, will you let him go?" Luciana seemed exasperated, and she was, a bit. He was keeping her from discussing more important things with Justin. But she did not doubt her ability to get him out of this jam.

"Back in full..."

"Stop trying to argue with me. I promise Wade. He will give you a hundred and ten percent if I have anything to do with it. So what do you say?" She gave him a pleading glare to complete her act.

Wade put his hands loosely on his hips and looked up to the ceiling. Stupid man to believe God will give you any guidance. Some savior.

Luciana was beginning to become on edge. "Do we have a deal? Please Wade, I tell you, the only thing he needs is..."

"One hundred and twenty percent..."

"What?" Luciana asked, her stance taken aback though she was more gleeful that he was buying it than surprised he was giving in, but she remembered to act the part.

"He gives one hundred and twenty percent and you've got yourself a deal. Back in full tomorrow, and I emphasize tomorrow."

Luciana smiled widely at his attempt at wit. Of course, after praying to a being who existed as only a figment of the imagination, he couldn't have very much wit.

"Deal," Luciana said quickly. "Bye Wade." And in the same instance, she pulled Justin out of the dance studio as fast as he could walk... or stumble.

It wasn't as though she'd never noticed his shocked look. Really, he was cute with his mouth open like that. "Justin?" she asked, a pseudo-worried look coming over her face.

"I can't believe..." The shocked look upon his face did not disappear.

"You can't believe what?"

-§-

It'd be criminal to call him merely speechless. Yes, he was that, but there was a world more. For behind the cool, shocked face, lay words, choked in his own throat, and his mind, doubting every one of them. What could he tell her that she didn't already know? She was amazing, he thought she should know that. No, amazing wasn't the right word. There had to be something stronger, something more fitting of her. Because she was no ordinary she. She.. she was brave and she was strong and she was willful. More. And she was his. He couldn't believe it.

His heart begin to pound, a steady beat driving him mad. This feeling inside, it had suddenly come over him. A light, a flame, flickered on within his heart, within his soul. And he realized just what she had done. She'd stood up for him. She'd stood up for him when his cowardice prevented him from doing otherwise. He was almost ashamed of himself.

One girl, weighing a third of what he did, had stood up for him. She was brilliant. She used no slurred words, no curses, no fouls. She'd been perfectly polite about it, yet also curiously strong in her words and persistent. She could teach some people he knew a thing or two... that 'fuck' and 'shit' did not always get everything across. It wouldn't always get one heard, though it would most certainly get one riled. Luciana had remained civilized to argue a point, and done it well, he should say. She given him reprieve through her words. He had to admire that, admire her, he had to... And he was at a loss for words again, his mind no longer disapproving though, instead coming to a blank. The words that had once rushed through it had been banished for unworthiness, and he was left with as much as he started with, a feeling. And he was so...

...proud of her.

His throat tightened once more. There was something else there...

He couldn't say anything, it just wasn't possible. No words could ever be enough to express his gratitude. That's what it was. It had to be gratitude, nothing more. That slight chill he got was surrounded by warmth. Yes, it was just gratitude.

He closed his eyes.

He leaned forward.

And fell into her warm tiny body, wrapping his arms around her torso, and burying his face into the nape of her neck. It was just suddenly... he was so drained and so tired. And at that moment, she was all he wanted. Right?

"Justin..." she started, her voice cautious to his ears.

He felt his strength returning. Yet all he could do was quiet her. "Shhh..."

"Justin, are you all right?" Her voice was worried. She'd seen him fall to her.

He chuckled softly, and rubbed his head along her neck. "Just let me hold you a moment longer..." He didn't want to let go.

"Justin... You can hold me any time you want..."

"Thank you." The words were so hushed he was sure she would not hear them, but she did.

"For what?" she asked gently.

"For standing up for me..."

He felt her pull away from him and warm skin touched his lips. He opened his eyes to see her fingers upon his lips, shushing him. And this seemed a first for him... He was getting lost in her eyes... a dark sea that showed nothing underneath, but glowed with a passion he could only guess at. And he almost missed her soft voice, as she spoke, his face close to hers.

"It was nothing I wouldn't do for those I care about. Is it so hard to believe I care about you?"

And he wasn't sure anymore... about those feelings rushing through him, the slight trembling that went through his mind when she spoke now. They were not new, yet they were at the same time. He hardly realized... they had just gotten stronger. And the chill ran through his entire body. He wished he knew what it was. The same went for that name at the tip of his tongue.

-§-

She stroked his soft crown of curls as he leaned to her shoulder again. He was silent as his arms held her as if they could hold nothing else. Here was not the place to cuddle. She should be happy she guessed. This reaction was a favored one. But not when she had come on more important business. She saw the lit button of the elevator. It was times like these that made her glad she had taken the initiative and pressed the button. She had to move. She couldn't very well just stand here. There was no reason to prolong anything at this moment. Luciana knew her priorities well.

The elevator pinged just then and the doors slid open calmly. It was waiting... for them.

"Justin?" she said, her voice hushed. "The elevator just arrived... We've got to go..." She didn't peg him as stupid. He could take a hint, could he not?

He could. "Oh, yea, sorry..."

She took his hand and held it as her face stretched to a smile. "Sorry? For what?"

He smiled sheepishly at her and his white, white skin turned a rosy hue of red. "I got a little caught up there..."

She had to laugh... literally. A dainty giggle escaped from her lips and her other hand came to cover the one she was already holding. "I don't remember minding... but Justin, I have an... inquiry, let's say."

"Shoot." His smile was not dimmable. She would not dim it... if she could help it.

She made her stance and voice nervous. "Umm, well, do you remember that ball? The one Cosmpolitan is holding." She wondered if he'd forgotten. She'd told him about weeks ago, acting excited and showing him her invitation as if honored. But the idea had formed in her head even as she opened the invitation.

For weeks it had been rumored who'd be invited and she was at the top of the list. She knew she'd get in. And in her mind's eye she had saw the flash of a camera, and the happy, smiling faces of a couple. She didn't need to guess who they were. They were a beautiful couple, both tall and fair, the man striking and the woman most certainly enchanting. And they be together, at this highly publicized function, their photos plastered on People, Cosmopolitan, and the other major magazines all with the captions of a beautiful couple. No, she didn't worry at all... because it'd be her face paired with Justin's. Who'd see green? She'd be the envy of the ball for her beautiful face... and the man on her arm. It was just the way she wanted it to be.

He was looking at her with his clear baby blues full of question. "The one you were invited to... yes." Of course, how could he have forgotten she wondered. Well, all the same, at least she did not have to jog his memory. She never took the smile from her face and went on quickly.

"Yes, that one. The one I was invited to. Well I was wondering... what are you doing in about... three weeks."

"Yes." His smile was that of a little boy.

"What?" Even she hadn't expected it to be that easy.

"Yes. I'd be honored to take you."

She acted surprised. "I wasn't sure, because you're so busy and everything. Are you sure I won't be taking you away from anything important?" She was apologetic. "I just wanted us... to spend a little more time together." She lowered his eyes from his.

And he fell right into her trap.

His arms encircled hers. "What's more important than this?"

And he couldn't see the smug grin upon her face, for his head was once again buried in her golden hair, sweet to smell she knew. She put her hands around him, holding him as well, satisfied to just stand there for she had gotten what she came for... more easily than she had expected. What's more important than this? She could think of a few things. But at this moment, she was inclined to agree with him.

-§-

"Hello."

"Good afternoon."

And that was all that needed to be said. His face broke out in a wide grin and he quickly turned to sit down on the leather armchair to his left. This was a lobby... a bit uninhabited, but a lobby nonetheless with it's soft gray carpets and olive green couches. Personally, he didn't fancy olive green, but the seats were comfortable.

"Jan." And his voice was sure, full of mischief and delight for he'd guessed and he knew he'd guessed right.

"How'd you know?!" The voice was quick and just as light as his, easy going.

"Oh, let's just say, I know my women." His voice became huskier...

"I don't want to even guess at what you're insinuating because I am not your woman Joey."

And his laugh could only be called barreling. "I'm just playing, Jan," he said in a more normal tone.

"I know." Her voice had returned to its lightness. "So how is everything over there. Italy, right?"

"Yea. Italy. Everything's fine. Justin seems to be a little out of it, but we all know why that is."

"Yea." Her voice seemed a bit wistful. "What about Lance?"

"Lance has been good, got over his little cold and now he's acting like normal. God, he just loves to annoy us. Whatever happened to that sweet little horse-riding boy from Mississippi?"

Jan laughed as he said that. He assumed it was at the tone he was using for he was whining. Joe laughed heartily. Even though Lance got more annoying by the day, Joe still loved him like a brother. They had been through a lot together and he knew as well as anybody you didn't forfeit that just because of a minor thing like that. Joe put up with all lot. In the end, it'd be worth it.

"What about Chris?" Say it girl. You know you want to. But Joe wasn't telepathic. He was, however, a good judge of character. She didn't call to check up on Chris, or Lance, or anyone else. She was working her way there...

"One word: Danielle."

"Oh, she's there?" Joey knew she knew of Danielle, but wasn't sure how well. Jan wouldn't be one to start any rumors and he did not hesitate to answer.

"Yeah. She's here. Taking a break from work. If Chris had anything to say about it, she'd be taking a lot of breaks. Anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Ughh..." her voice trailed off and he could feel her blush even over the phone line. "I..."

"JC broke up with her." It was five simple words, but he did not doubt their meaning to her. He had told her about Lacey, but not in depth. He didn't even elaborate as much to say that she was the reason JC was so unhappy. He didn't need to. She was not stupid and he wouldn't treat her as such. Two and two had added up in her mind. And he heard her sharp intake of breath. He wished he was right there so he could lean closer and hear the beating of her heart. "Say something Jan."

And her voice seemed stuck in her throat even as she spoke. "He did?"

And Joey knew that was all he could say. "Yea, he did. You know things weren't working out between the two of them."

"Yea..." she said, as though she were thinking.

"Did he ever say anything to you about her?"

"A little bit. Nothing much. No mention of a name, just that him and a girl were having a problem. He didn't even say girlfriend." Joey knew why he hadn't. JC didn't trust Jan not to say anything about a girlfriend. JC was scared stiff of any rumor at all. He just didn't like them. He preferred to make a potential rumor a truth before there was any rumor to go around. He hardly trusted anyone and even less of them these days. "I just wish I could get him to smile. Sometimes I don't think he even notices that I'm there. He's just so... sad."

Joey was silent for a second, contemplating her words. "Jan... I don't doubt your intentions... But why do you care so much?"

"Because... I dunno, I really can't explain. I guess, I mean, I know we have chemistry, or well, I have chemistry with him... But after you told me about Lacey... Joe, I know people like that, that superficial and just... greedy."

"A bitch," Joey replied.

"Yea. A bitch."

But she hadn't answered his question to his satisfaction. Who could blame Joey? He just wanted to be sure. He was ninety five percent sure. The other five was begging. And he gave in. "So why do you care so much?"

He could almost visualize her biting her lip. "Beyond the chemistry... I dunno. I just don't like to see him hurt. Those kind of people I despise... I mean, he just doesn't deserve that kind of treatment... He's got a beautiful smile... Justin has told me so much about him... what a great guy he is, er, was... and... I guess I liked that image."

"But Jan..." His eyebrows were knitting together.

"What?"

"I don't know what Justin told you, but he's not that image. He's probably never going to be." He was trying to let her down softly.

"I don't want him to be. I want to know the real him. So I can throw that image away. But I know that's not the real him now. I just know it."

He didn't bother to argue with her. It'd be useless. Instead, he just nodded. "Ok, I'll accept that. I just don't want to see him hurt again. He's been through a lot and if he's just another pretty face to you..."

"Joe, we've been talking for weeks now. I can't believe you'd think that of me."

"I don't want to."

"Then don't." And it was as simple as that to Joe. He had no reason to doubt her.

"Ok."

An uncomfortable silence elapsed around them and the minutes seemed to tick by slowly. JC... he was on Joe's mind. JC hadn't been at his best the last few weeks, though no one seemed to notice because he didn't lack any stamina or work ethic. Not like someone else. No, JC had made a clean cut from his personal life and his public one. But with Jan, he'd seen JC laugh... a little and certainly not heartily, but Joe was not totally blind to JC's smile, small as it may have been. And his soul told him something more. Give her a chance.

"Jan," Joey said abruptly. "Why don't you come see us at..."

And Joey was swaying to the tune of, 'I'll be good for you.' He was sure... Jan was already singing it.

-§-

She leaned back against the tough bark like the back of a hardwood chair that was formed to the figure. It was the natural curve of the tree. She could finally close her eyes once. In there... she just couldn't. Her welcome had not gone, but it might as well have. She felt like the only stranger in the house. And besides Martha, she was. Even Martha knew the house better than she. Martha didn't need Skye. She'd gone to great lengths to prove that. She done everything for Skye, save bathing her and personal tasks such as that.

Under her care, Skye always slept in and had breakfast in bed, took a leisurely bubble bath, read a book... and did it all over again the next day. She wouldn't hear of Skye lifting a finger to do even the most basic things... like cook. Anything Skye wanted... was on Martha's menu. Martha made sure to let her know that. But Skye didn't want that much. Martha had christened her peculiar. According to Martha, it was her job to put people at ease... but Skye did not feel at ease at all.

Instead Skye worried. Now that she had nothing to do, she worried a great deal more. Things... weren't right. Nothing was as she pictured... or even remotely similar. She'd never pictured sitting home, alone, waiting... waiting... and waiting. She'd never pictured Martha, the slave and monster she was. The term 'clean' was not merely so with Martha. She took it quite seriously. And she'd never pictured herself in this solitude... wanting to think of something else... someone else.

Her hand tightened its grip. Almost unconsciously, her hand had found its way along the chain around her neck and had slid along it to grasp the locket, now warm from her touch. her eyes found the heavens as she sat back, trying to not show the tenseness that ruled her body. She'd been out here to see every evening, every sunset... and every sinful thought she'd ever had, for she wasn't thinking about Lucy...

Panic swept over her again. This was wrong. Nothing was right. She'd have to do better than that. She was sure.. if she did everything Lucy asked... she'd win her attention yet again. Yes, that's it she told herself. But it didn't solve any problem, least of all the problem right now. But it wasn't Lucy in her mind. It was the memory of a phone call... and a prince.

"Dear God..."

The sky was turning purple. She sat on the highest branch. She wanted to be that much closer to God... because otherwise, she was alone. A tear slipped down her cheeks, plowing its course. It was uninvited... like the feelings she could not stop. "Please, stop them..." And for once... God seemed deaf too.

-§-