"I can't believe this week is already over", Rose said as they left the shopping center. "I don't want to go back home. That means I have to go back to work".

Lance laughed and slung his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I don't want you to leave either." The guys nodded. "It's been a real blast having you guys here. We have to do this more often."

"How's next week?" Rose replied. Everyone laughed. "I'm for real, man. I'll get my butt back on a plane as soon as I get home." She looked over at Ali and JC, walking hand in hand along the boardwalk. "You guys going to be able to handle the separation?" she asked with a chuckle.

Ali and JC looked at each other and smiled. "Ah dear Rose," Ali replied. "That's why telephones were created." She rubbed JC's arm and looked. "But I don't think your parents would be too thrilled if we totally skyrocketed the phone bill, do you?"

JC smiled. "I doubt it".

The group made it to Grand Royale, where Rose had left her stuff. They had decided it would be a lot easier to make one stop rather than drive over to nearly the other side of town to pick each girl up. The guys waited downstairs while they grabbed their suitcases. "This has to be the most incredible week I have ever had", Ali said as she heaved her bags to the door.

"You said it", Rose replied. "I never thought I'd be doing something like this in a million years." She looked over at Ali and noticed the glowing smile she had on her face. "Girl, what's with you? You've been practically on cloud nine all day." Then she remembered that Ali and JC had spent part of the afternoon together after the shoot. "Wait a minute…you guys didn't do what I think you did?"

Ali gave her an innocent face. "What in the world would that be?"

Rose went over and jumped on Ali's bed, nearly smacking into Ali's other suitcase in the process. "You're full of shit, Ali. Did you guys finally…?"

Ali couldn't contain herself. "Yes we did, Rose. And it was magical."

* * * *
After cleaning up, JC slowly made his way back into the room. Everything was so quiet that you could hear both of their rapid heartbeats, both of them breathing. Ali's mind was racing. He looks beautiful.

JC seemed to be reading her thoughts. “I’m ready if you are”.

She went up to him and put her hands on his chest. “I’ve been ready all my life”.

They disrobed each other and everything else seemed to go in slow motion. He went over her so gently. It was almost as if she was a porcelain doll to him. “I love you”, he whispered.

She felt like letting go so badly, but she wanted to take her time. This was the moment she had been longing for. She didn't want to scare him. Yet, there were times where she just couldn't contain herself. She lied with him, letting herself drown in his kisses, running her hands up and down his back, and grazing it with her nails so she could watch him shiver. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "Don't let go", she whispered.

"I'm right here, baby", he whispered back. She felt herself melt into him, and she and JC became one.
* * * *

"Wow", Rose replied. "I didn't think you'd actually go through with it. I mean, after what happened with Casey and all…"

"Forget Casey. This is different, Rose. You know that. This wasn’t just anyone. I finally have the man of my dreams. Really!"

“And now everything is right”, she finished.

“Yes…finally”.

Rose smiled. She had never seen Ali this happy. Everything had blown up so badly when she and Casey split. He had walked out without an explanation, and the breakup turned Ali into an emotional basket case. Rose didn't think that she would ever date again, let alone let herself fall in love again. Now, not only did she find love again, but she also managed to find it with someone who, up until now, had been nothing less than a fantasy man. She went over and hugged Ali. "Girl, I'm so happy for you." Then she got serious. "Now you realize what's going to happen now that you and JC are serious? Once he shows you to the world, you're going to have a bunch of crazed teenyboppers cussing you out at every turn. You ready for that?"

Ali rolled her eyes and nodded. "I sure am. JC deserves to be happy. Besides, you're going to be dealing with the same thing once everyone finds out about you and Lance."

"I know. I can deal with it. I remember when he was dating Danielle. I admit I freaked out when I saw that Lance and I were getting serious. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to deal with it. But then I realized that there was a difference here: I'm not famous. No one can write any tabloid stories about me because they don't know me. Sure they can say stuff about a ‘mystery girl’ or whatever, but that’s nothing. It’s the same thing with you. Sure they know that JC and Lance are dating someone, but what can they do if it's just a regular joe?"

Ali thought about that. Rose had a point. The fans can't really make a fuss about someone they don't know. Besides, they're just the same. The only difference between her and the next fan is that she actually caught JC’s eye. She lifted her suitcase. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about, nor do we have anything to hide. We love them and they love us and if their fans 'love' them as much as they say, they’ll be happy for him.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the guys whistling from downstairs. Ali looked out the window and saw JC and Lance waving their arms and pointing to their watches. “I think we need to get going”, Rose replied. “As much as I’d love to stay, I’d really like to not miss our flight”. She picked up her bag and smiled at Ali, who was standing by the door. “At least we didn’t leave on a boring note.”

Ali picked up her bags and opened the door. “And now I wouldn’t change a thing”. The girls grabbed the rest of their things and closed the hotel door behind them.

**At the airport**

Joey, Justin, and Chris said their good byes at the terminal. "We really have to do this again," Joey said giving them each a hug. "I have to say that we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves." The rest of the guys nodded in agreement.

Chris looked at JC and Lance after hugging Ali good bye. "Man, you both managed to snag yourself some great women".

JC and Lance smiled at each other as they put on their "civilian" gear. This was the hats and sunglasses that they wore so they wouldn't be noticed in public. They finished unloading the girls' bags and told the driver where to pick them up after the plane took off. Then they went into the airport.

JC kept his arm around Ali's waist. It was almost like he didn't want her to leave. "Don’t worry, hon, you're going to see me again", she said, stroking his hand.

"I know I will", he said with a slight laugh. "I just wish my little vacation didn't have to end already." He looked at her with a sparkle in his eye. "I had the time in my life today."

Ali suddenly stopped and pulled JC into a passionate kiss. "Baby, you know I haven't been able to get this afternoon out of my mind even if I wanted to." She smiled and went to catch up with Rose and Lance, who were engrossed in their own little conversation.

"Can you believe that you have to leave already?" Lance asked. "I keep feeling like I just picked you up".

Rose laughed. She was still trying to believe all that had happened between her and Lance in the past few weeks. She had known him for years and had come to see a side of him that she never knew existed, and found herself falling more and more for him. "You may not believe this, but work isn't the only reason I don't want to go back", she looked over as she said that and saw Lance blush. "You really know how to make a girl feel like a million bucks you know that?"

"I try", Lance replied, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. "Let just call this making up for about four years of not saying anything".

"Oh definitely." She looked back and saw Ali and JC catching up with them. "You realize that now that we're going back home we have to call and keep an eye on these guys".

Ali grinned. "I don't need to put a leash on my man. He's already trying to follow me home!” The four of them cracked up laughing.

The girls found their terminal and the guys decided to stay with them until their flight began boarding. "So Lance, when's your next show?", Ali asked.

Lance looked at his organizer, which he seemed to keep with him all the time. That was one of the reasons the guys called him "Scoop", because he always knew the guys' agenda. "Whoa, we got a show in two days. Something tells me we're going to have some nice messages from Johnny when we get back to the hotel."

JC groaned. "Damn it, we got rehearsal tonight, again." He leaned back. "I love this work, but rehearsing can be murder sometimes".

"Well, at least I know what I'll be getting myself into in case I get into this", Ali said with a laugh. "Maybe we'll end up touring together."

Rose looked at Lance and smirked. "God if you guys end up touring with Ali, you'll have to keep these two in separate rooms otherwise you'll never get anything done!"

JC grinned evilly and put a bear hold on Ali. "Well, at least I'll get the important work done".

Ali slapped his chest. "Ewww...PIG!" The group roared with laughter but calmed down enough to hear that the girls' plane was starting to board.

They lifted their bags and checked to make sure that they had their passes and all of their luggage. “Now you better make sure you both call when you get back into town so we know you got home in one piece”, JC said in a stern but lighthearted voice.

Ali and Rose saluted him. “Yes SIR!”

Lance laughed. “You guys never let up do you?” He heard the call for boarding again and went over to give Rose a hug. “Well, baby, time for you to get going. Don’t forget to call.”

Rose kissed him and hugged him back. “Don’t worry, if this plane were to crash I wouldn’t die anyway. I’m immortal”, she said with a laugh.

Ali released herself from JC. “Nah, more like only the good die young.” She couldn’t resist the urge to laugh. “Besides, heaven wouldn’t want you and hell would be afraid you’d take over!”

The two started play fighting with each other until Lance got in between them. “The only way you two won’t make it home alive is if you managed to kill each other before you got on the plane!”

“Whatever, Poofoo”. Ali replied. She saw Lance’s face turn red again as she went to give him a hug good bye. “You fuck this up with her and I kill you, understand?” she whispered in his ear.

Lance smiled. “You have nothing to worry about”, he whispered back.

The girls gave the guys a final wave good bye and went into the plane.