“Yes your honor,” Kristina started off looking at her parents, “All my life, I’ve been pushed from house to house, today will just tell me where I belong. I believe I belong here, in Florida, not in Washington. Here, I’m free to live as the teenager I’m suppose to, not cooped up in the house doing meaningless chores for you. When I’m with Audrey, she gives me that freedom. You can say we “split the costs” when it comes to anything.” She stopped then looked over towards Audrey. “Audrey, you have been the best friend, sister, mother-figure, whatever you want to call it. You’ve given me so much since the day we met. I can’t see my life any better without you in it. Regardless of what the judge says, you are my guardian ..... guardian angel. Your Honor, you may proceed,” she said holding back any and all of her tears.
“Thank you, miss.” Judge Miller said. “Will both parties please rise. I have had many cases, such as this one. Never handled like this. Based on my own knowledge of raising children, the information given to me, and the comment Miss Kristina just brought forth, I have come to the conclusion that ....”
~*~ Meanwhile at Justin’s house ~*~
“Should we call them?” JC asked.
“Nah, Audrey said by 12, it’s only 11:30,” Chris said. “It’s okay, we are all worried for them too.”
The guys had cancelled all their plans for the next couple hours. They knew if they had planned something else, they wouldn’t have been as focused to what they were doing. “Well, it has to be over sooner cuz this is getting on my nerves. We have to know who’s going where,” Lance said. The other four nodded.
~*~ Back at the courtroom ~*~
“.... the custody of Kristina Rebecca Ward goes to Miss Audrey Conners. Congratulations Ms. Conners.”
“Thank you so much Judge Miller,” Audrey said running to him.
“You’re very welcome. You’ve shown that despite your young age, you can manage to care for Kristina. That’s more than I needed to decide,” he said returning the hug.
Kristina was in tears. Her dreams had come true. She’d be living with Audrey from now to eternity. A great weight was lifted from her shoulders. She walked over to her foster parents to say her good-bye’s. “I want to thank you two for being my foster parents. I’m sorry it had to end like this,” Kristina said then walked away towards Audrey. The parents walked out of the courtroom. Kristina that that would be the last time she would ever see them since her things had already been put into boxes and sent to Audrey’s.
Audrey looked up from the table and saw Kristina. She stood up and ran to her. “Kris, it’s over. We’re together.” At that point Kristina’s tears started again likewise for Audrey. “I’m so grateful to the judge for giving you to me. Just think Kris, we’ll be growing old together.”
Kristina laughed and said, “Audrey, let’s get out of here, we’ve got a brand new life to start.”
Away they walked out of the courtroom to start the life they’ve wanted for years. They piled into Audrey’s car and made their drive home. Just then her cell phone rang. “I bet you it’s the guys,” she said.
“I’ll get it for ya,” Kristina said digging through her purse. “Hello?”
“Yeah, may I speak to Audrey. This is JC. I need to know what happened at court, so can you please get her on the phone right now,” he said.
Kristina mouths off what JC was saying and began crying to see what he’d do. “(sniffs) Ok fine, you can talk to her JC. I see how it is,” Kristina said trying to hold back her laughter.
“Huh, Kristina??? No wait ...” JC said yelling into his phone.
“JC, hey it’s Aud.” Audrey was on the verge of laughing, it was just too much for her.
“Aud, put Kris back on the phone, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!” he begged.
“No I don’t think I can, she’s ........ well she’s not up to talking just now. What did you do anyway?”
“I was just really up front and I didn’t realize it was Kristina who answered the phone .. and well yeah,” JC said. “And so I guess she got mad, I guess I shouldn’t have done that huh?”
Audrey felt like crying from laughter, Kristina too. “JC, we’re almost home, why don’t you all come by and I’ll tell ya all about today.”
“But .. I wanna talk to Kris. Ok fine, we’ll be there in a few.” he said.
“Kristina Rebecca Ward, that was really mean!” Audrey said playfully smacking her arm.
“Owww, ok so it was mean, but c’mon now you were into it just as much as I was, so there.” Kristina said sticking out her tounge.
“Yeah, yeah we’re even,” Audrey said. “We are here, let’s go and un-pack your things.” The two got upstairs and saw boxes in the hall. “Ok, they could have given us spare rooms like they did with me.” Audrey said.
“It’s ok, let’s just get this in the apartment,” Kristina said starting to lift a box.
Twenty minutes later, they had gotten the majority of the boxes inside. The two went to rest inside for a while before they got the other boxes. There was a knock at the door, Audrey went to see who it was through the peep hole. “Kris, it’s them,” she whispered. “They have the rest of the boxes in their arms.”
“Ok hold on. JC still has to pay,” Kristina said walking to her box filled room.
Audrey watched as Kristina walked out of the room and opened the door. “Hey guys!” she exclaimed as they walked it.
“Hey yourself, Audrey,” Joey said. “Now if you would be so kind as to tell us where these go, we’ll get ready to listen.”
“Oh well they go in there, Kris’ room,” she said while looking at JC’s face to see his expression. The guys set the boxes down in the room and headed back to the living room area. JC was the last to get in. He set his box down and scanned the room for Kristina.
Meanwhile in the other room, Audrey was telling the guys about the little joke she and Kris were playing on JC. “So what you’re saying is JC’s acting all strange cuz he thinks Kristina’s mad at him for not talking to her but talking to you?” a confused Joey said.
“Yeah, Kris is in there as we speak. She just wants to give him a little pay back for what happened in the car,” Audrey said.
“Oh yeah! This is gonna be fun!” Justin said in a childish manner.
Kristina came out from her bathroom in sweats and a baby tee. She was carrying a box of tissues to greater the affect. Once she saw JC, she stopped then turned towards her bed. Her back was turned to him and what sounded like crying was really Kristina trying to hide her laughter. As much as she didn’t want to go any further, she hid her laughter pretty well.
“Kristina???” JC said, hearing no reply he continued. “Look, I’m really sorry about the phone thing. I didn’t think you’d answer the phone. It was wrong of me to just snap at you.” There was still nothing so he kept talking to her. He walked over to face her. “Kris, please say something, anything. I know today was rough for you and my snapping at you didn’t help at all.”
Kristina could sense the sincerity in his voice. She wanted to end this joke now but couldn’t find it in her. This was a side of JC she was loving, the caring side. The guys and Audrey were watching from the doorway, as much as they wanted to laugh outloud and make a fool out of JC, they all saw something happening between the two. A strange feeling overcame Justin, almost as if he were jealous of JC. He left the group and sat on the couch. Audrey saw this and motioned the other guys to leave too. They all sat on the couch watching television.
“Kristina, c’mon say something.” JC pleaded. At this point, Kristina’s barrier broke and all her tears and laughter came out. JC stared at her with a beyond confused look on his face. Kristina, on the other hand, was laughing her butt off but then crying at the same time.
“JC, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that to you.” she said in breaths.
“Done what?” He asked.
“I knew it was you on the phone. I wanted to mess with that lil head of yours and it worked. I was never mad at you for snapping at me. I mean it was only reasonable that you were anxious to know what happened. Well by the looks of all these boxes, I’m staying here.” JC’s expression went from shock to relief. Kristina continued, “So there .... I’m sorry we pulled this on you. We just need a good laugh after being so stressed in court.”
“Well I’m glad you are staying here,” JC said. “Although I could have done without all the stress you just gave me!”
“Stress??? What do you mean I just gave you???” Kristina said playfully.
“You had me worry about you so much, first about the hearing, then I think you’re mad at me!” JC said. “That’s a lot to throw on a guy.” “Uh huh sure, whatever you say,” Kristina said. She got up and gave JC a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“What was that for?”
“That was for being you and showing me this new side of you that I guess most fans don’t see.”
“Oh so you’re saying you’re a fan? And now you’re gonna jump for joy cuz you’ve kissed the actual JC Chasez.”
“Oh god, don’t even start with me,” she said smacking his arm. “So if I’m a fan, what does that say about me?”
“That you’re the best fan anyone could ever had.”
Neither of them had noticed that JC had put his arms around her waist, not even JC.
“Ahem,” Audrey said from the doorway.
JC and Kristina both let go of each other. They stared at each other with confused looks on their faces.
“JC, the other guys have something to talk about and they want you out there,” Audrey said. “We’ll be in here when you guys are finished.”
“Alrite,” JC said walking out of the room.
“Kristina!!!! What was that???” Audrey said almost yelling.
“Umm well I dunno, I spilled my guys out about the joke and we were about to walk out and join you guys and something came over me and I kissed him on the cheek to thank him for caring, then gave him a hug. That’s all that happened. Then he asked why I kissed him and I told him it was cuz he showed me a side of him no fan would see. Then he got all egotistical, or whatever that word is, and told me I was the best fan anyone could ever have. I honestly didn’t realized his arms were around me til you walked in,” Kristina said still shocked about the whole incident.
“Kris as hard as it may be to say this, but I actually believe you. He is really caring and you just got caught up in what was happening this whole day and I guess all I can say is it happened so don’t complain!”
“Yeah I guess you’re right,” Kristina said. “But ...”
“But what???” Audrey asked.
“Nevermind, let’s get back out there with the others.”
JC and the others had finished talking and waited for Kristina and Audrey. The two came in and sat down in the middle of the table blocking the guys from viewing the t.v. “Ummm ... as much as we all love you two, we were trying to watch the television.” Chris said.
“Well we were thinking that we’d get a bite to eat,” Audrey said. “Ya know since you trucked your butts all the way here.”
“I guess we could squeeze that in, we have recording to do in a couple more hours, maybe you guys could stay then we can go out again after?” Lance said.
“Sounds good,” the two girls said.
They all piled into cars and were headed to find something to eat. The guys decided that they’ll get the food ordered and sent to the studio. They reached the studio and went to the private room. The food had made it a few minuets after and they all dug in. Lunch was over just as fast as it had started. Lance offered to show them around but was called into the recording room to start early. Kristina and Audrey sat in the other room watching the guys through a glass screen. They were in as much awe as they were they first time they sang to them in the limo.
“Their voices are wonderful,” Kristina said eyeing JC. “Yeah they are,” Audrey said in a dreamy tone.
It was their luck that the guys were re-recording “Bye, Bye, Bye,” a song that was sung at an awards show earlier in the year. Kristina, being the fan that she was sang all the words. The producers around her were staring at her talent. The guys were also recording a duet and the singer who was to sing with NSYNC hadn’t shown up. The producer needed to hear what the song sounded like. It was their first time going through the song. The track was playing in the background, Kristina found herself humming to the tune. The producer was desperate so he grabbed Kristina and dragged her into the recording booth. He gave her a set of lyrics and told her to sing with them. Kristina tried her hardest to get out of it but it was no use. “Kristina, my name is Mr. Martin. We need this song to at least be recorded once. Would you be so kind as to sing with them?” Mr. Martin said. All Kristina could do was nod. She was absolutely terrified to sing with them. She could sing. She just never used it for anything like this. “Ok great, now you’ve heard what your part sounds like, just sing it the way you think it should be sung and we’ll end it. Once, this will only be done once.”
“Ok, let’s do it,” Chris said.
The song began and JC started his part. The chorus came and soon Kristina’s verse. They five guys stopped and stared as Kristina sang each note with ease. Again came the chorus and the bridge. Now it was all Justin and Kristina, their voices sounds too good to be true together. Mr. Martin was blown away. The song ended and Kristina dropped the headset and ran back to Audrey. Audrey was estatic and couldn’t shut her mouth. “Kristina that was awesome!! How?? Oh my god!” Audrey said practically screaming in her ears. She knew Kristina could sing, she got it from her birth mother. That’s the reason Kristina never sang in public, it reminded her of her real mother and father the ones whole truly loved her in such a brief moment of time. Saying Justin, JC and the others were shock would truly be an understatement. They stared through the window looking at Kristina in a whole new angle.
“Kristina, thank you for singing that,” Mr. Martin said. “We are now able to know how to approach this song when the real person who sings your part comes in.”
“You’re welcome Mr. Martin. It was nothing really,” Kristina said holding back her emotions.
“You never know, we may use this for a new single and if we use your voice you could be famous,” Mr Martin said. He got a page and left the room.
The guys made their way to the booth where the two girls were. “Kristina, girl, that was off the top!” Justin said giving her a hug.
“Thanks, it wasn’t anything,” Kristina said.
“Well, we heard what Martin said, that’d be awesome if you sign with us,” Chris said.
“Nah, I don’t think so, if that means being with you guys 24/7, I’ll refuse,” Kristina said laughing.
“Ok whatever, your loss,” Joey said playfully.
“No, I mean, I don’t think I can handle singing more often. It’s too much for me to handle personally,” She said walking out of the room.
The guys didn’t understand what she meant and looked to Audrey. “She got her talent from her birth mother ...” She said.
That’s all the guys need to understand now. “We’ll just give her a copy of this so she’ll remember this day. I have to say that this was some day for Kristina.” JC said.
Just then, Mr Martin came in. “That was the duet person, she can’t make it so you are free to leave for the next two days.”
“Awesome!” they all said in unison.
With that, they got Kristina and went straight to Justin’s house. It’s been an hour since they’ve been there. They sat on the couch just staring at each other with blank looks on their faces. JC took Kristina to the kitchen to hand her the tape.
“Kris, here we want to give this to you,” He said handing her the recording tape.
“What is it?” She said looking at the casing.
“It’s the song we recorded together. We thought you’d like a copy so you can remember today.”
“Thank you JC this means the world to me.” Kristina said standing tall and giving him a big hug. Justin walked into the kitchen and saw the two hugging. He stopped dead in his tracks and nearly dropped the bear he had bought for her. He regained himself and walked out to the poolhouse.
Why???? I know my feelings for her are real.
He sat there alone and confused in the darkness.