"I can’t believe that letter," Joey said as he unwrapped his sandwich. "I love our fans, but sometimes they’re a bit overwhelming."

"A bit?" Nick raised her eyebrows. She picked up a sandwich for her and one for Justin. "I think sometimes they border on insanity, but it’s obvious to me why, so I let it slide."

"And why is that?" Justin reached around Nick to grab a sandwich, but she moved her arm away from his hand. "Playing hard to get, huh?"

You both are, Chris thought to himself before picking up two sandwiches. "I can’t take anymore of this. I’m going to take these to JC and Gina."

Justin looked up as his older friend left. "What crawled up his butt? Hey, Nick, can you come over here with me? I want to talk to you about something." He gestured to a table across the cafeteria with his head.

The others raised questioning glances at the retreating couple. Rosie was the first to speak.

"Does this mean that me might actually tell that girl how he feels? Finally?"

Lance shrugged. "I don’t know. We can all hope so, but he may not. He’s been skirting the issue with her for so long he may just do it again. Let’s all pray he does the right thing this time."

"Amen," Joey agreed.

Across the room Justin had led Nick to an empty table. He sat across the table from her and grabbed her hand. He had a purpose for getting her away from the rest of the group but he lost his ability to speak and looked around the table.

"We forgot napkins. Be right back." He quickly left the table.

What does he want to tell me? Nick thought to herself. He seems so nervous, but I have no clue what it could be. He may just fulfill my dreams and tell me he loves me like I do him, or he could tell me he’s found the girl of his dreams...and it’s not me. She looked up as he sat. "So what’s up?"

"Well…" He looked down and unwrapped his sandwich. "I- I just wanted to apologize."

"For what?" She took a sip of her soda.

He took a bite of food and waited to speak. "For what happened in the studio. I’m so-"

"Justin, you don’t have to apologize for what happened with Gina. You had no control over it." She squeezed his hand. "I don’t know what I’d do if it happened to me, but it’s not like we’re dating or anything, right?"

He nodded. "Right. And actually what I was apologizing for was burying my face in your neck back there. I do want to apologize for having you see what happened, but my intent was to apologize for using you as a pillow."

"It’s okay, Justin. I’m here for you to lean on." She pushed her sandwich across the table before sitting next to him. "Anything you need just come to me. You know that. Whether it’s for comfort or you want to have fun, just call me."

"So I can call you for a good time?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. He pushed his body against hers and whispered, "How about tonight, hot stuff?"

She lowered her leg near him to move closer and whisper in his ear. "Are you sure I’m the one whose hot? You look like you could use to cool down some."

"You got some suggestions?" he asked as he pushed her drink away.

"Yup."

Justin saw her switch something from one hand to another behind her back. He gulped as she pulled back and rested her forehead against his, lips millimeters away from his. He looked at her lips and as temptation overtook him began closing the distance between them. Justin no longer had control over himself as she lifted an arm around his shoulder. He was about to touch her lips when something cold ran from the neck of his shirt down his back.

"What in the world?" He jumped back and heard everyone laughing at him. He glared at Nick. "What did you do?"

She shrugged innocently. "I don’t know. Cool you off?"

"What did you put down my back? An ice cube?" He untucked his shirt and pulled the melting ice cube from his jean waistline. "You know this calls for revenge, right?"

"That’s the fun part." Her expression turned serious. "How do you think Gina’s doing?"

He sat down and patted her knee. "I don’t know. I really don’t know."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"JC?"

JC looked up and motioned for Chris to enter the room. Chris placed the sandwiches on the table.

"I hope you don’t mind that we just got you these. There was a long wait for the Chinese and the rest of us got subs."

"Don’t worry about it, Chris. I think anything at this point in time will do. She’s almost to a point where she’s calm enough to eat. Thanks a lot for bringing us our lunch."

Chris shrugged. "No problem, man. Do you guys need any drinks or anything?"

Gina shook her head as JC spoke. "No thanks. I got us something a few minutes ago."

"Okay. I’ll leave you two alone. Bye." Chris quickly left the studio.

"So," JC sat up and started unwrapping the sandwiches, "do you think you can eat something?" Gina’s stomach growled and he smiled. "I think that answers my question. Here’s yours." He pushed hers in front of her. He let her take a few bites before asking her the first question.

"Are you going to be all right?"

She swallowed. "I’m as good as I can be. You?"

"Same. Damn," he sighed and leaned back on the couch, "I didn’t think it’d come this quick. I thought, or hoped, we would be spared some of this for a bit. We’d have a nice weekend, go back to our daily lives and live happily ever after."

"Pull out of that dreamland, honey. Real life isn’t as good as you hope it to be. There is a happily ever after, but not without some speed bumps. And we’ve got our fair share to hurdle."

"And we’re going to get over them as they come, together. You are not to do anything without me. We are a team. Gacona and Chasez."

"I’ll try. There’ll be a few I might have to handle myself, as will you, but you’ll be in my heart all the way. Not like my heart could forget you or anything..."

"It better not." JC reached forward and ran his hand down her profile. "You’re never leaving mine. It’s always nice to know the person in your heart feels the same way about you. And you’re right, as always."

"Right about what?" She brought her feet on the couch and leaned back with her sandwich.

"Right about that we will both have our own battles to fight. I can’t always be next to you, no matter how bad I want to be, and vice versa. You’ll have your own in school and I will have my own with the fans and I’m sure that we’ll both be handling the media."

"Oh, fun. Just what I need. The media in my face, but I’ll live. If it means being with you and hoping for any kind of future here then I’ll have to deal with everything." She leaned against him and he let her rest her head against his shoulder. "We really are in for a big mess, you know that?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to be in it with anyone else but you."

"Aww, Jace, you’re so sweet. You want to put me through this torture. I could just kiss you."

"Why don’t you just do it anyway?" He kissed her forehead and continued kissing down her nose until he reached her now upturned mouth. He felt his surroundings slip away. It didn’t matter that from this moment on he’ll have even less privacy than he’s had, it didn’t matter that the one person next to him had complicated his life to a phenomenal degree, nor did it matter that six of his closest friends just entered the studio and were trying to think of ways to separate the couple. All that mattered was the woman next to him and the fact that he wanted her to stay there forever.

Gina, engulfed in her feelings of completeness, heard JC’s voice singing through her mind and it kept getting louder by the second. When it finally hit a level that her body was shaking she realized it wasn’t just in her mind, it was blaring out of the speakers on the mixing board. She pulled back from JC and faced Justin, who was manning the volume.

"Okay, we’re apart, we’re apart. Mission accomplished. JC and Gina separated."

"Good. We thought we might need to get the hose out for you two." Joey grinned and sat between them.

"Or we could just ask Nick for some ice cubes. She seems all into them today." Justin stopped swiveling in the chair he sat to give Nick the evil eye. "Revenge is sweet, my dear."

JC eyed the younger couple before turning to Lance. "Do I even want to know?"

"Well, it is an entertaining story-"

"That doesn’t need to be told now," Justin interrupted. "Is everything okay?" He looked straight into Gina’s eyes as he asked.

She shrugged. "As good as they can be I guess. I’m still shaken up, but I’ll deal."

JC reached over Joey and placed a hand on her knee. "She one tough cookie, this girl of mine. We still have things to discuss, but the main thing is that we’ve both calmed down."

"Do you think you can record now, or should we postpone it?" Justin on the couch arm next to Gina.

JC took a deep breath. "I think we should just finish what we have to do today. We really don’t have any time to reschedule this to." He looked at Gina for reassurance and she nodded her agreement.

The guys walked into the booth and JC called them to him. He looked at the woman who had burrowed deep within his heart and shared an idea with his friends.

"What are they doing in there?" Jackie asked as the guys huddled. "It scares me when they do that."

Nick stood up and walked to the window. "What are they doing? Uh-oh. I think they want us to go in there."

"Wha-?" Gina asked as Lance entered the room.

"Your presence is requested in the next room, ladies. If you just step in there you’ll see what’s in store for you. No questions, Jack, just go in there. They’ll tell you where to go." He walked over to the producer and told him where to find the tape they needed. "Thanks."

Inside the studio Nick was directed to a chair in front of Justin as JC pulled Gina close, almost sitting her on his lap. When Lance reentered the room Jackie stood beside him and smiled when he squeezed her hand. JC lightly kissed Gina’s neck before speaking.

"I know you heard this song earlier today, but now we can really put all the emotion into it we want. Earlier I couldn’t show just how much this song reminds me of a certain someone." He winked at the girl in his arms. "So sit back, relax and listen to the words. This is for you, Angelina," he whispered the last sentence in Gina’s ear before signaling a guy in the booth to start the music.

Gina stared at JC for using her full name. He never did that, he always just called her Gina. Before she could give it further thought JC’s arm around her tightened and he nudged his chin for her to look at Justin and Nick.

Justin was standing behind the redhead catching his breath. He quickly looked at her face before stepping directly behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a quick squeeze before starting to sing.

As Justin sang the second line he began walking around Nick, running his hand along her neck as he circled her. By the time he started the next verse he had his thumb on her cheek and was holding her gaze.

The first two lines of the chorus didn’t sound as full as normal because Justin forgot to sing, he was too occupied with trying to show Nick his emotions through his eyes. He picked up his cue on the third line and looked at JC and Gina as the chorus ended.

Gina stood still, not knowing what JC was going to do. She felt like squirming because of all the eyes on her, but calmed as JC’s fingers at her waist began moving as if to tickle her, but instead were trying to calm her. He ran one hand down her hairline close to him before closing his eyes and singing from the heart.

Gina leaned into JC’s body and ran her fingers across the top of his knee before simply placing it on his leg and felt him sing through the movements of his chest as she closed her eyes. He tapped her on the nose before jumping into the chorus.

By now JC’s fingers had stopped moving. He was fully concentrating on singing the exact words his heart wanted Gina to know.

Before JC finished the last note he cut it short to catch Gina as she slipped in his embrace under the power of his words. At Rosie’s studio earlier she had been to preoccupied with JC’s pending announcement that she hadn’t paid attention to the songs they had sung. Since he had complained about practicing the choreography for "Bye Bye Bye" she had brief memories of the performance, but once as the tone died down she hadn’t paid attention to anything but her nervousness of what was deemed as a publicly life altering decision knocked any other thoughts out of her mind. Once as JC was content with Gina’s state of mind he jumped back into the song.

Silence filled the room. Gina was leaning against JC’s chest and he had lowered his face to rest in the crook of her neck. Both sat there with their eyes closed basking in the warmth and familiarity of each other. The power of the words JC had sang to her and the fact that every breath that he took stirred the tiny hairs at the base of her neck had sent her into oblivion. JC placed a soft peck on Gina’s neck and smiled when she shivered at his touch. It pleased him to know that his touch affected her the same way hers affected him.

Two stools down from them Nick sat staring up at Justin. Surely there was no mistaking the look in his eyes, but she was almost succeeding. As much as she wanted to believe that the guy who held her heart prisoner was admitting that she held his, she still had her doubts. She contemplated all the reasons why he could have sang that song to her with such passion in his eyes. Only one was palpable, but somewhere in herself she didn’t want to give up the notion that he still only looked at her as a best friend. All thoughts left her mind as a soft hand cupped her cheek. The sensations spreading from where the hand touched her overwhelmed her senses. She was brought out of her daze by the voices surfacing in the room.

"Damn, I gotta find me a woman. Look at those two there. Completely lost." Joey walked out of the room, but not before slapping JC on the back of the head.

"Hey!" JC rubbed where he was hit. "What was that for?"

"That was for being completely and utterly in love and showing off in front of us." He left with Chris behind him.

"Damn, I’m glad you were on his way out and not me," Justin stated. "I think you guys hit me on the head enough. Plus that looked painful."

"It was. Thank you very much for your concern." JC ran his hand over the injured area.

"Aww, poor Joshy washy," Nick teased before turning back to Justin. "Why would he have hit you? You’re not ‘completely and utterly in love,’ as Joey says." She saw the hurt expression on his face and decided to change the subject. "So, Lance, were is Jackie?"

He shrugged. "I think she said something about going to the bathroom."

"Oh, well I think I’m going to go see how she’s doing. Are you coming, Gina?"

Gina saw the pleading in her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Excuse me, JC, but my presence in requested in the ladies room. Get some recording done and maybe you’ll see me later."

"Maybe?" He cocked an eyebrow and held her tight against him.

"Argh! You know I can’t fight the eyes."

"Yeah, I know." He gave her a wicked grin before laughing lightly. "Get going. I’m sure the other girls are wondering what took you so long."

"No, I’m sure they know exactly what took me so long." She shot him a meaningful look before disentangling herself from his embrace. "Later, gator." JC continued to watch the door until a low groan came from beside him.

"Why doesn’t she see how much she means to me? I am completely and utterly in love and it’s with her. Why doesn’t she see that?"

JC looked around and saw Lance wave as he left the two alone. He sighed and sat in the stool next to his long-time friend. He was tired of this conversation, but this time it was different. This time Justin actually had made a move and had been rebuffed.

"J, you have to tell her. I know that singing to her like that was a big move, but she needs to hear the words."

"Or maybe she understood what I was trying to tell her, but she wasn’t interested. She just doesn’t see me as anything other than plain old friend Justin." He started fiddling with the headphones on the music stand in front of him.

"Justin, she did hear you and she does feel the same. I could even feel the fire between you two from where I was. It was obvious from the look in her eyes the first time you made eye contact with her. Damn it, boy, can’t you see that she’s as in love with you as you are her?"

"I don’t know, Jace."

JC grabbed the headphones from his friend. "Now hear me- she is in love with you and no one else. Do you think I would be telling you this and pushing you if I didn’t know it myself? Justin, you are one of my closest friends and I wouldn’t lead you to pain if there was any."

"I know you wouldn’t, Jace, but…" He stood up and started pacing.

"But you are too chicken to tell her straight out how you feel. Sure, singing ‘This I Promise You’ was a big step in the right direction, but she can’t misunderstand your own words. She can do all she wants with looks, but she can’t do anything with words if they come straight from your heart. She knows you better that almost anyone, she’ll be able to tell if you’re telling the truth. Just walk right up to the girl, look her straight in the eyes and let your heart talk. Throw away the doubts in your brain and let the real you come through and she’s yours. I promise you that, or should I say ‘This I Promise You?’"

Justin laughed and grabbed JC in a head lock. JC ducked and they ended up in an awkward backwards hug. Justin gave his confidant a brotherly squeeze.

"Thanks, JC." He let go, but not before hitting him exactly where Joey had.

"Hey," he cried, but there was laughter in his voice. "Don’t forget who wrote some of the songs for the new album, and who sings lead in all of them."

"Oh yeah. I’m sure I’d love to take credit for ‘Digital Getdown.’ Wait a second. You and Gina met and still communicate through the computer… Hmmm… Could that song be written with a special someone in mind?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Justin. I started the song before I met Gina." He sat back down and moved the lyric sheets before him.

"Uh-huh. You started writing it before you met Gina but after you met ‘senorita78.’ Isn’t that right, ol’ buddy ol’ pal o’ mine?"

"Justin…"

"Oh, come on, Jace. You finished that song after you met Gina. What? Now have more real life inspiration?"

"Justin, I didn’t write that song alone."

"I know, but it was just so much easier to finish it when you had a digital hunny of your own. Digital hunny. I like that. I might have to use it more. Oh, and I’ll have to tell the other guys."

JC grabbed Justin’s arm before the teenager got past him. "You tell the guys and I’ll get even. Trust me on that one. I won’t even tell you what Gina could do to you."

"Oh, I’m scared now. I’m quaking in my boots."

JC looked up and saw everyone waiting for the two to stop bantering. "Come on, J, everyone’s waiting on us. Let’s just finish so we can go talk to our ladies. I surely would rather Gina’s company to yours any day."

"I’m quite flattered of how highly you think of me. Now about telling a certain someone that you love them. When will you get that done?"

"All in good time, my boy. All in good time." He looked up and saw two arms stretching above brown hair. He smiled to himself, remembering how she felt in his arms as he sang. Before his reverie overtook his thinking he was hit on the head again. "Hey!"

"Come on, JC, stop thinking of your digital hunny and let’s finish recording this."

JC swore under his breath. That boy is going to get it one day when he least expects it. He’d better have his eyes peeled.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"So who is this we’re seeing again?" JC asked as he followed Gina into St. Vincent’s Hospital.

"We’re seeing this girl who was like an older sister to me while I was growing up."

"And her name’s Pam?" JC asked as he, Gina and Randy entered an elevator.

Gina nodded. "Yup. Anthony called and told me she had a baby yesterday, and since I was in town why not see her."

JC adjusted the hood to his sweatshirt and put his glasses back on when the elevator door opened. He walked awkwardly down the hallway. "Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?"

"Don’t you want to be with me?"

"Oh, Gina, you know I do. I want to be wherever you are. You know that. It’s just that is it okay for me to be meeting these people and to be recognized?" JC was ready to scream because he couldn’t reach out and squeeze her hand. Come on, Josh, at least you get to spend time with her. It could be worse. He glanced over as she stopped by the nursery and smiled at the babies inside. How? I can’t think of right now, but I know it could be worse.

Gina saw the cribs in the nursery and had to stop. She had always loved to look at babies and she wasn’t giving up the opportunity to look at a room of newborns. Aww, they are so cute. One day I’m going to look into a nursery and my own baby will be in there. I wonder what color eyes they will have. Will they be hazel like mine or crystal blue like J- Stop it, Gina. He may be the man of your dreams, but that doesn’t mean that you can just start dreaming up a future between you two. Actually, millions of girls fantasize about being the mother of his future children everyday so why can’t you? You have more of a right to. You are dating the boy. Her eyes widened as a pair of strong arms encircled her waist.

"What are you doing J- Jim. Hey, Jim." She reached out and hugged the tired man.

"Hey, Gina, what are you doing here?"

"Well," she turned and motioned for JC and Randy to follow them, "I was in town and Anthony called me so I decided to stop by. I didn’t see your baby in the crib back there."

"That’s because he’s visiting mommy."

"He? So you have a little boy?"

Jim shook his head as they approached the room door. "Yeah. His name is James David Frederick, Jr."

"Aww, you could call him JJ if you want. I’ve always wanted to call my child JJ."

"As in JJ on ‘What’s Happening?’, or is there a certain ‘J’ person you have in mind." He shifted his eyes to JC before opening the door. "Hey, Pammy, look who I found wondering around this hospital." He stepped aside for Gina to be visible to his wife.

"Gigi, what are you doing here, and why is that large black man checking the outside of the door so observantly before closing it quickly?"

"Well, first of all I was in town and Anthony called me about an hour ago and said you’d gave birth and where you were. I couldn’t not come and see you."

"And the large black man?"

"Umm, that would be because of me." JC cleared his throat and removed his disguise. "Hello, I’m JC." He shook Jim’s hand and wearily shook Pam’s. The way she looked him over sent chills down his spine.

"Hi, JC. You are part of that group Gigi toured with this past summer, right? Gina, come here and stand next to JC here." She waited until Gina stood beside JC and observed the couple. "Very nice work, Gigi. He seems to be treating you well. Now stand facing each other. Uh-huh, and you can’t help but look straight ahead at his lips. Hmm, and I can tell he’s having the same thoughts because he’s looking everywhere but you and looks like if he does he’ll pin you against that wall right there and his tongue will be in your mouth for so long that by the time he’s done with you you’ll forget that yours has any other purpose in the world than to aide in kissing him."

"Pam," Gina almost screamed as her face and neck turned a deep red.

"What? I’m just stating the obvious. Now that I’ve figured out that you two are head-over-heals for each other relax and act like it. I won’t tell anyone. Now what’s the name of the man laughing back there so I don’t continue calling him ‘the large black man?’"

"My name’s Randy. Nice to meet you, Pam. You too, Jim. I’m just here to make sure that JC doesn’t get into too much trouble, especially by doing what you just explained in public. Sometimes I feel like a teacher at a school dance making sure that these two have at least a balloon’s width between them."

"Or a parent with a ruler?" Jim added.

"Exactly."

JC rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, we’re not that bad."

"Ahem," Randy coughed while looking at the young couple. Since they were allowed to be themselves Gina had sat on a chair and JC stood beside her, massaging her neck gently.

"So I’m touching her. I don’t see anything wrong with that, do you Gina?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I don’t. Why are you giving me the eyes though, Jace? You already knew I was going to agree with you."

He just shrugged and Pam laughed.

"That’s one thing that I’m going to have to learn as a parent- don’t be fooled by the puppy-dog eyes. As a mother you can’t fall for them or you’re doomed."

"So that’s what it takes to be able to resist those eyes. Hmm, nine months from now would make it…the end of August. That sounds far away, but it really isn’t," Gina said thoughtfully before turning to JC. "So what are your plans tonight, sweetie? Care for some time alone?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh lord what did you put into her mind now, Pam?" JC slapped a hand to his head.

"Me? Nothing. This lack of logic is all her own doing. By the way, what are you on, Gina?"

"Geez, guys, I’m only kidding. I’m only twenty-one and still have to finish college yet. I can’t even completely take care of myself, much less a baby. When did you guys get so apprehensive of my intelligence? I’m just basking in love over here."

"Well, you should be, sister," Pam ordered. "You know Jim and I love you like part of the family and this kid here will grow to love his aunt Gina. I’m sure Randy’s had time to get to know you, and if you can’t see the love radiating off that boy’s face next to you then not only are you dumb, you’re blind also."