****
Leigh opened the door of the suite she shared with Tressa and Ashlee to reveal a very stressed out Mo standing in the hallway. "Hey Mo, come on in..." she said yawning.
"I'm really sorry to bug you guys so early in the morning." Mo began, walking into the lavish suite and helping herself to a soda. "But I am flipping out cuz the show is tonight. Justin, Jordan, Rachel, and Joey still aren't here and I've called the Bishop's home and no answer all morning."
Leigh nodded understandingly as she sat at the small table opposite of Mo. "I'm sure they're all sleeping. It IS only like 6 am."
Mo looked at her, unamused, her eyes showing how stressed and tired she was. "We have soundcheck at 3 pm. I don't care if it's 2 in the morning...I would like to be informed of when my people are getting here so I can stop avoiding Johnny like the plague." she said bitterly.
"Alright well let me try calling Jordan's cell for you. I have a feeling you're at your wits end, so just relax and chill for a few minutes okay?" Leigh said calmly, walking over to pick up the hotel phone.
Dialing carefully, she waited patiently for someone to pick up as Mo lay her head in her hands. "Jordan?" she inquired as a female voice answered the phone after a few rings.
Mo looked up, her eyes glued on Leigh's facial expression as she continued to talk into the phone.
"Everyone's freaking out. Yep. Alright. Oh wow. Definitely, I'll tell her. Uh-huh. Okay. Bye!" the raven haired beauty replied, then hung up the phone and turned toward Mo.
"Well?!" the woman resting at the table questioned anxiously.
Leigh sat down slowly and raised an eyebrow at Mo. "Are you sure you can take it?"
Practically jumping across the table, Mo let out an exasperated sigh. "YES! What else could possibly happen to make the situation worse?"
Leigh laughed slightly before continuing. "They're in the cab and will be arriving here at the hotel in about 10 minutes." she explained.
"YESA!" Mo said, pumping her fist in the air. Then, realizing the others were still asleep at the early hour of the morning, tossed Leigh an apologetic look as she quickly left the suite. Stopping momentarily to get a bodyguard for her friends, she and Dre quickly made their way down to the lobby to await their arrival.
****
Jordan, April, and Rachel walked in ahead of the boys, as the five of them all laughed and talked despite the early morning hour. They greeted Mo and Dre as they walked up to them, not noticing the irritable look on their friend's pretty face.
"Glad you could join us...do you realize everything I've been through these past few days?" Mo asked, folding her arms over her chest as she gazed at them disapprovingly.
"But everything's fine now. We're here, it's New Year's Eve...the show's tonight, it'll be great!" Joey said brightly, reaching over to give Mo a warm hug. As he pulled away, the others reciprocated, all chattering excitedly.
"Mo, we had the best time. You should have seen us...we was slid-in all ova' da place!" Justin said, mispronouncing sliding on purpose as he spoke in an exaggerated twang. The others all laughed at the inside joke and Mo just shook her head, her eyes beginning to sparkle as her mouth broadened into a relieved smile.
"I am just so glad ya'll made it here okay and in one piece. I was so worried!" Mo said, wrapping her arms around Jordan and Rachel's waists as they all continued talking animatedly about their Christmas holiday before finally making their way into the elevator and upstairs.
****
The five women of Eternity stood silent in the backstage area, awaiting their cue to join the boys onstage for the final song of the evening. Finally N Sync wrapped up their high energy show and the band eased into some mellow music and the lights dropped briefly as the crew brought 10 white stools onto the stage.
Lance wiped the sweat away from his face with a towel as he ran back onstage after changing, grabbing his microphone from the stagehand. He stood in front and prepared to speak, while the rest of the guys arranged themselves every other one on the stools as an elaborate rigging full of tiny white Christmas lights slid down behind them as a backdrop. The two groups had turned Madison Square Garden Arena into a winter wonderland, and the lights added the perfect touch as Lance asked for the audience to welcome Eternity back onto the stage.
The girls walked out, waving happily at the crowd as the screaming became deafeningly loud. Taking their seats, they held their microphones tightly in their hands as Lance continued to speak.
"First I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank you all for coming out here tonight. It's a pleasure to be able to spend New Year's Eve with each and everyone of you, and we hope you've enjoyed the show thus far. Now, we'd like to ask the crew to join us onstage for the final song of the evening." Lance drawled, looking to the side of the stage as the crew began filtering on. Wearing colorful winter gear, they took their place on the steps leading to the band setup, brilliant grins gracing every person's face.
Jordan's eyes twinkled happily as she looked at Justin, sitting next to her in a blue sweater that complemented the one she was wearing as well. The rest of N Sync also coordinated with a respective member of Eternity...Rachel and Joey in a vibrant shade of red, JC and Tressa in a deep purple, Chris and Leigh wore yellow, and Lance and Ashlee matched in a jewel-toned green. The rich colors complemented the simple white background of the stage, and added to the warm and inviting atmosphere.
Lance looked at Jordan as he finished his small speech and gestured for her to say what she wished. Standing up off of her stool, Jordan flashed a brilliant smile at the crowd before walking back toward where the crew sat patiently. Stopping in front of Mo, who lounged comfortably on one of the lower steps, she offered her hand to help her friend up.
A surprised look on Mo's face, she shook her head slightly. "I don't wanna get up!" she said nervously.
Jordan laughed into her microphone, turning back to the audience. "She doesn't wanna get up!" she explained, shooting the crowd a silly face. "Maybe if ya'll make some noise for her, she'll stand up. Aight?"
The crowd cheered loudly and Mo hid her face, embarassed. "Fine!" she replied sheepishly, taking Jordan's hand and getting to her feet.
Jordan pulled her past the rest of the group, still occupying their stools, and toward the front of the stage. Turning to Mo, she smiled brightly before she turned back to the audience and began to speak. "For those of you that don't know, this is our good friend and assistant Mo. The past few days have been really stressful and hectic for her, and so we'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to her for all of the hard work she goes through for us." The rest of the guys and girls nodded in the background, clapping in agreement.
Rachel hopped off her stool and joined her sister next to Mo near the front of the stage. "Also we'd like to wish you a really Happy Birthday." Rachel said to her friend. Looking at the crowd, she scrunched up her nose. "But we didn't have time to get her a cake!"
"So.." Jordan interjected, leading Mo by the hand back to a stool in the middle of the men and women that one of the stage crew had brought out for her to sit on. "We'd like to dedicate the next song to you...as well as the rest of our crew. Happy Birthday Mo." she said, squeezing her friend's hand before resuming her seat next to Justin.
Mo's face lit up and tears of happiness filled her eyes as the beginning notes drifted out and Justin began with the first portion of his solo.
"Over time, I've been building my castle of love...."
"Just for two, though you never knew you were my reason..."
"I've gone much too far for you now to say..."
"That I've got to throw my castle away..."
As Justin trailed off, JC's hypnotizing voice took over the next portion of the song.
"Over dreams, I have picked out a perfect come true..."
"Though you never knew it was of you I've been dreaming..."
"The sandman has come from too far away..."
"For you to say come back some other day..."
The chorus began as all of Eternity and N Sync joined JC, their voices blending in perfect harmony.
"And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me"
Jordan looked at her sister as their voices rang out clearly, their faces radiant as they began their duet.
"Over hearts, I have painfully turned every stone.."
"Just to find, I had found what I've searched to discover..."
"I've come much too far for me now to find..."
"The love that I've sought can never be mine..."
Standing up off of their stools, N Sync and Eternity began walking forward as they poured their emotions into the beautiful lyrics. The crowd swayed rhythmically as fake snow began drifting down from the rigging above the floor seats, making the moment even more spectacular than it already was.
"And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me"
Standing close, the ten men and women stood at the front of the stage, pouring their heart and souls into the lyrics as the song came to a close.
"And though the odds say improbable
What do they know
For in romance
All true love needs is a chance
And maybe with a chance you will find
You too like I
Overjoyed, over loved, over you...over you..."
The last note flowed easily from the ten voices that came together in a poignant sound, and Jordan shared a glance with Justin, who reached out and squeezed her hand tightly. Joey smiled at Rachel, her eyes shining brightly in the glow of the twinkling Christmas lights as she grinned back at him. As the music drifted silently away, JC waved at the crowd and spoke softly into his microphone, breaking the spell that had seemingly fallen over the crowd. "Thank you all for coming out here tonight, the last show of the year 2000. Happy New Year!" The crowd cheered enthusiastically as the men of N Sync and the women of Eternity hugged each other tightly, reveling in the magic of the moment as the stage lights dimmed and the stage went black.
The End.