Love Heals All

By: Foxy Lady

As Kathy walked into the restaurant, she inwardly sighed. This was the first night in along time where Justin hadn't popped into her mind. It was kind of hard. His face being plastered everywhere, and the group's songs all over the radio. Her and Jeremy had decided to go out for a change. As the waiter led them to their table, she looked around the restaurant. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone familiar. No, it couldn't be. She strained to see who it was without trying not to be too obvious when suddenly the person she was looking at turned. Damn, it was him. If Lance was here, that meant the rest of the group wasn't that far behind.

Sure enough, there they all were. Being seated at a table not to far away from her own. Cursing under her breath, Kathy placed her napkin in her lap. It was nice to see the guys again, but if only...

Jeremy motioned towards to the waiter. "What would you like to drink, Kathy?"

She shook her head. "White wine."

The waiter walked away to retrieve their drinks. "Darling, where did you go?" Jeremy reached over and grabbed her hand.

"Nowhere. I just thought I saw someone I knew." Kathy pulled her hand away from his as she saw Lance looking in her direction. It was inevitable that he would see her. He would tell Justin for sure.

Jeremy looked behind him. "Who's that?" She reached out and turned his face back around.

"No one important." The moment she uttered the words she knew she didn't mean them. Justin and the guys were friends if nothing else. It was just hard to see them. Her feelings for Justin didn't fade no matter what she did, but they just wouldn't work. He was some big superstar, and she was just some ordinary girl that went to school and worked part time to afford it. Adding him to her life would make things too complicated. She had told him as much last time they had talked online. Justin had kept calling, but she hadn't returned any of his calls.

She brought herself out of her thoughts, and looked at Jeremy. He was a nice guy. A medical resident at the local hospital. He treated her good, but... it just wasn't the same. With Jeremy, it was too predictable. She knew what he would say or do before he did. Like now, she could see the sexy blonde in a red dress walking by. He would watch her until she sat down. As if she wouldn't notice.

Kathy watched as he did exactly what she had thought he would. Give the girl a prize. She took a sip of her wine, and leaned back in her chair. Looking back over at the other table, she saw Lance whispering in Justin's ear as he looked over at her. Damn!

Kathy drained the rest of her wine as Justin caught her gaze. With that one look, her heart began to beat faster. She broke his gaze to see what Jeremy was doing. She followed his gaze, and saw that he was still watching the blonde that had walked in. The blonde was sitting at the bar all alone. "You see something you like?"

Jeremy looked back at her. You could tell by the look on his face that he knew he was caught. "Just looking, baby."

After the waiter poured her a fresh glass, she took a sip. "Just looking? If you had been looking any harder her clothes would have come off." Just then, his pager went off. Saved by the bell.

Jeremy glanced down at the number on the page. "Damn it! I got to go. Emergency at the hospital. Come on, I'll take you home."

Kathy shook her head. "No, you go. I'll stay here. I think I see that someone I know after all. I want to go say hi."

Jeremy looked back behind him, and saw the table of guys. "No, you better come with me."

Kathy let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm a big girl. I can get home by myself."

Jeremy threw money to cover the bill. "Well, if your sure. I'll call you later from the hospital."

Justin watched as the guy stood up from table. Whoever he was, he wasn't right for Kathy. He just wasn't her type. He watched as he saw the guy bend over and kiss her on the lips. He looked back at the guys, and could see that they felt for him. He knew that she had been seeing someone new, but to actually see the guy, and watch them as they kissed was too much to take. The guy left the table, and began to leave the restaurant. However, on the way out he stopped to talk to a girl at the bar that had waved him over. She scribbled something on a napkin, and handed it to him. He put in his pocket, and left. What a jerk! How low could you get?

Justin turned to see how Kathy reacted. He could see she was visibly upset. He began to get up to go over to her table, but thought better of it. He leaned over ,and whispered to Lance to go over there.

Lance looked at the guys around the table. "Why me?" He asked standing up.

"Because you are her buddy. Now go." Justin motioned over to the table.

Kathy sat inwardly fuming. How dare he take that slut's number, and how dare she give it to him. Couldn't she see he was there with someone? Kathy took another sip of her wine. After putting her glass back down, she closed her eyes. She could feel the tears building, but she wasn't going to cry. Not over Jeremy. He wasn't worth it.

"Is this seat taken?" Kathy opened her eyes to see Lance standing next to her table. She shook her head no. Lance sat down. "Long time no see."

"Yes, it has been. How are you?" Kathy watched as the waiter refilled her glass.

"Not bad. Busy." After the waiter left, he took her hand. "I think the better question tonight is how are you?"

She didn't want him to know how she really felt, so she just smiled. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

Lance glanced over at the bar. "Well..."

Kathy followed his eyes, and silently cursed. "Oh that. It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Lance could tell his friend was trying to put on a brave front. She was doing a pretty good job, but he could tell by the way her hand trembled that she was lying. He had known half her life, and could tell she was lying through her teeth. "Okay. If you say so." He looked back at the table where the rest of the group sat watching. "Why don't you come back to our table? We can catch up."

Kathy nodded. "Sure. Just give me a sec in the ladies room. I'll be right out." She stood up, and began to walk to the restroom area. Lance stood shaking his head before returning to his seat at his own table.

Justin put down his glass when Lance sat down. "So?"

Lance grabbed his own glass. "She'll be here. After she finishes crying in the bathroom."

Justin almost choked on his drink. "What?!?"

"I asked her how she was doing. She lied through her teeth. Acting like she was okay, but I could see through it. Whoever that guy is I hope he gets his someday." Justin stood up and dropped his napkin on the table. "Let her be, Justin. She'll be here in a sec." Justin ignored Lance and walked over to where he had seen Kathy go.

Kathy waited until she got inside the ladies room before letting the tears fall. What had she seen in Jeremy? He obviously did not care for her if he would take some other woman's number right in front of her. He acted like if it was nothing. Didn't even look back at her to say I didn't ask for it.

When she heard the door open, she reached over and grabbed a tissue from the box on the counter. She wiped her face. Kathy felt someone next to her. Without even opening her eyes, she knew who it was. Justin's familiar scent was almost overpowering. She opened her eyes, and looked right into his blue eyes.

Justin reached up, and brushed a tear from her cheek. "Hey." Kathy leaned her head on his shoulder, and began to cry again. "Aww, Kathy, baby. Please don't cry. He ain't worth it."

Justin rubbed her back, as she buried her face in his chest. "I'm just so stupid. I mean when the..." Kathy realized what she was about to say, and stopped herself. If she had finished the sentence... She couldn't have Justin knowing how she felt about him. She sat back up, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Look at me crying on your shoulder. Silly of me."

Justin shook his head. "No, not silly. You okay?" He took her hand in his.

"Oh yeah. Just peachy." she said, before laughing. "Couldn't be better." Kathy stood up, and walked over to the door. "We better get back out there before they send in a search party." Kathy looked back in the mirror. She looked horrible. She quickly played with her hair, and fixed her make-up. Justin stood by the door waiting for her. When she walked up to him, he pushed the door open further to let her pass. They returned to the table. Lance had pulled up a chair for her and placed it between his and Justin's.

Kathy went around the table hugging the rest of the guys in the group before sitting down in her chair. She waved the waiter and ordered another glass of wine which he quickly brought. "So I thought you guys were on tour or in the studio or something?"

Justin glanced at the glass of wine in her hand. He had never seen her drink so much. He motioned to Lance behind her and waved three fingers. Lance waved back with four. "Hey, Kath. You think you had enough wine. You know how alcohol gets to you."

Kathy put her glass down. "Who do you think you are? I can drink as much as I want to. I mean it wasn't your boyfriend that walked out on you in the middle of a perfectly good dinner, and oh yeah by the way he likes blondes. So lay off." Lance motioned to Justin to let it go. Kathy caught the movement from the corner of her eye. "And you can stop it too. Thank you very much."

Lance looked away. "Sorry." Kathy drained the rest of her wine, and prepared to leave. "Hey, Kath. don't go. We'll stop all right."

Kathy sat down again, and sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm being a bitch, aren't I?" None of the guys spoke. "I guess that is my answer. I apologize. I am just so damn pissed at Jeremy. I don't know what I ever saw in that asshole. I mean if it hadn't been for... Well he's a jerk."

"So now I'm a jerk?" A voice said from behind her. "I come back here to take you home after a major MVA, and that is thanks I get."

Kathy sunk into her chair. Damn just her luck. She closed her eyes, and said a million curses under her breath. She opened her eyes when she felt Justin place her hand on her knee. she glanced over, and smiled. "I think that slut who gave you her phone number is still over a the bar. Why don't you go see if she cares?"

Jeremy took a quick look, and saw the female in question watching the scene with interest. "Maybe I will, Kathy. It's been real."

Kathy turned to watch him leave, and let out a shaky sigh. She felt Justin squeeze her knee, and she turned back to face him. "I guess I have lousy luck with men. What is a girl to do?"

Justin took her hand in his. "Well you could always forget the rest of the male population and marry me?" Kathy, as well as the rest of the guys, sat in stunned silence. "Hey guys, I was just kidding."

The guys all laughed, but Kathy sat silent. She took a sip of water, as she wondered if he really was kidding. Marrying him wouldn't be a bad thing, but with their lives being so different...

For the next hour, the group of them all talked and laughed catching up on what was happening in their respective lives. Around 11, Justin looked at his watch. Lance took that as his cue. "Hey guys, it's getting late. We better go before they throw us out."

Kathy looked at her watch. "Yeah, I got a class tomorrow too. I better call a cab."

Justin took a sip of his coffee, and put it down. He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "I'll give you a ride home."

"You don't have to do that. You probably got a busy day tomorrow." She began to reach in her purse for her cell phone when Justin reached over and stopped her.

"Actually I am off tomorrow. So it really is no problem." He grabbed her coat, and helped her put it on.

"Well, if that is the case then all right." She went around the table and hugged all the guys stopping at Lance. She hugged him the longest. He was one of her closest friends, and when all this stuff with Justin came up she had stopped talking to him too. "Call me. We'll do coffee or something before you leave."

Lance nodded, and kissed her cheek. "You bet. Talk to you later, K."

She waved one last time before turning towards Justin. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her close. Kathy lay her head on his chest, as he led her out to car. She had missed this. Everything just felt right with Justin. If only there lives weren't so different.

The drive to her place took almost no time at all. Pretty soon they were sitting in her building's parking lot. Kathy hated the thought of him driving away again, but didn't know what to do. Should she invite him in? It was so late. If she invited him in, would he expect her to sleep with him? Not that she didn't want to. It was just that they hadn't yet, and she wanted their first time to be special.

She could feel his eyes on her in the dark car, but he was allowing her to make the first move. That made her love him all the more. Love? Well, yes, she loved him. It was time to admit that to herself... and to him. Kathy turned in the dark car to face him. "Justin?"

He reached over and took her fingers in his. "Yes, Kath?"

Kathy couldn't think when he touched her. Boy she had it bad. "Do you want to come in for a sec? I think I have that coffee you like." Chicken. How hard could it be to utter those three little words?

Justin took the keys out of the ignition. Without speaking a word, he walked to the passenger side and opened her door. He helped her step out, and locked the car, as he walked her to her door. When they reached her apartment, she began to rummage in her purse for keys, but before she knew it Justin lowered his head and was kissing her. She never even saw it coming. The keys forgotten, her purse fell to the concrete pavement. Kathy wrapped her hands around his neck, as he leaned her against the door to her apartment. Justin pressed his body to hers lowering his head to nibble on her neck.

Kathy let out a tiny moan, but knew they had to stop this before it got out of hand. They needed to talk. "J, baby, I think we should take this inside."

Justin lifted his head and looked around. "Yeah, you're right. We wouldn't want everyone seeing us getting freaky deaky now."

Kathy giggled as she reached down for her purse. "No, that would not be a good thing." Finally retrieving her keys from her purse, she opened the door and entered her apartment.

Justin walked in behind her, and looked around. "I forgot how small this place is." He walked over to the couch and sat down.

Being a full-time student and part time employee meant Kathy could not afford the best place to live. She had to make do with a small single just off campus. It had everything she needed, kitchen, bathroom, and a little partition that separated her sleeping area from the rest of the place. Kathy sat down on the couch next to Justin.

He scooted closer to her, and leaned over. "Hmm, now where was I?" He began to place small kisses along her jawline. "No, not there." He moved lower and began doing what he had been doing outside. Another small moan escaped her lips. "Right there."

Kathy knew if she didn't stop him they would never get any talking done. "J, baby, stop."

Justin looked up at her. "Why?"

"We need to talk first. It's important."

Justin leaned back against the couch, and pulled her against him. She snuggled closer, and lay her head on his chest. God, he smelled good. "I'm sorry."

"For what, K?" Justin asked, as he lifted her chin.

Kathy let out a shaky sigh. "For hurting you. I should never have broken up with you that way. That was so stupid."

Justin kissed her softly. "Hey, it's okay. That was then, and this is now. We're together now."

Kathy laid her head back on his chest. "I don't know why I went out with Jeremy. Maybe I thought seeing another guy would make me forget how much I loved you." Oh my god. Had she just said that? She looked up to see what his reaction was.

He was flashing one of those traffic stopping smiles at her. Running his fingers through her hair, he pulled her closer. "I love you, too, K." Justin kissed her softly, as he let his hand rest behind her neck.

Kathy opened her eyes briefly to look at the clock on her desk, and saw it was nearly 1am. Damn! "Baby, you are going to hate me..."

Justin leaned his head against her forehead. "I could never hate you."

Kathy laughed. "You might. I have a class in 8 hours, and if I don't get some sleep, I am going to flunk my quiz."

"Aww, baby. I don't hate you for that. I'll let you get some of those zzz's, and call you tomorrow." He began to stand up to leave.

Kathy hated to see him go. She had just got him back. "J, you don't have to go. I just meant I needed to sleep. Who says you can't stay here and sleep with me?"

Justin sat back down. "Just sleep?" He leaned over and kissed her again.

"Yes, sleep. That is my only class tomorrow, and since it is Friday we could do something. You said you were off?"

Justin nodded his head. "Actually now that you mention I am off all weekend."

"Perfect! In the morning, you can drop me at class. Then pick me up and we could go away somewhere. Just me and you. I want our first time together to be special. Don't you?" Justin reached over, and pulled her lips to his. He kissed her passionately thrusting his tongue into her mouth. When they parted, he left her breathless. "I'll take that as a yes. So will you stay?"

"Sure, K. But what will I sleep in?"

Kathy stood up and walked over to the dresser. She pulled open one of the drawers, and took something out. "Remember these?"

Justin walked over, and took the sweatpants from her. "I was looking for these."

"Well, now you found them." Kathy walked over to her desk, and turned on the light. "Just give me a few minutes to go over my notes while you change." She looked over the material for the quiz the next day, and closed her notebook. She turned to look for Justin but didn't see him. He must be in bed already. She reached over and grabbed her nightshirt, and quickly changed. Turning off the lights, she walked over to the sleeping area. Checking on her alarm clock, she sat on the edge of the bed. Justin had pulled back the sheets for her. She climbed in and turned on her side thinking he had fallen asleep. When she felt him wrap his arms around her, she sighed. Kathy curled against him, as she felt Justin kiss her shoulder. "If you start doing that, we will never get to sleep. Tomorrow night, baby, I promise. Okay?"

Justin kissed the top of her head before whispering, "Night."

"Night," Kathy said, as she closed her eyes.

The next morning, Kathy woke up before the alarm went off. She opened her eyes to find Justin's face next to her. Her hand lay on his chest and his leg was draped over hers. She reached over and turned the alarm off, and started to get out of bed. Before she got very far, Justin snaked his arm around her waist, and pulled her back down on the bed. He covered her body with his, and lowered his lips. Kissing her greedily, he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

Kathy let out a small moan when he broke away. "Good morning to you too." He began to lower his head again, but she pressed her hands against his chest. Damn! This boy sure had muscles, and could he kiss? "J, baby. My test remember. As much as I would love to say screw class and stay here in bed with you, if I miss this class it means 25% of my grade."

Justin lay back down next to her. "Shit. I thought it was just some little quiz or something."

Kathy sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Boy, do I wish. I'm going to jump in a shower. Make yourself some coffee, breakfast, whatever."

Justin walked over to his pile on the floor, and picked up his cell phone. Quickly dialing Lance's number, he waited for him to answer.

"Hello." Lanced mumbled.

"Hey, guy, it's me." Justin said as he sat back on the bed.

"Shit, J. When you didn't come home last night, the guys got worried. I told them you were probably staying at K's. Was I right?"

Justin laughed. "Yes, I am at K's. She is getting ready for class."

"So did you two...?"

Justin paused before speaking. "Not that it is any of your business, but no. We are waiting for tonight. She wants to go away somewhere. Which leads me to the reason for my call, is that place up in the mountains available this weekend. You know your friend's cabin?"

"I think so. I would have to call and check."

Justin heard the water in the shower shut off. "Do that. And get back to me in about 30." He hung up the phone just as Kathy walked out of the bathroom. Drying her hair with a towel, she walked over to him. "Who was that you were talking to?"

He reached up put his hands on her waist. "Lance. I was just checking in." He could tell her mind was occupied on her test. she had that far away expression as if she were reviewing the material in her head. "You'll ace it, K."

She shook her head before sitting at her desk. Reaching for her book bag, she put her notebook and text book in. "I think I would like to get there a little early, and study with Teri for a few minutes. Could you drive me, so I can review my notes on the way."

"Sure," he said, as he reached for his shirt.

"I'm sorry, babe. you haven't had a chance to shower or anything." Kathy walked over, and put her arms around his neck. She lifted her lips to his, and kissed him softly. "I'll make it up to you later."

Justin kissed her again a little more passionately. "I can't wait."

Her class was only on the other side of campus, so it took them less than five minutes to drive there. She stepped out of the car, and stuck her head through the window. "I'll be about an hour. Will I see you later?"

Justin nodded. "You bet. We have a weekend to enjoy. I'll meet you back at your place in a couple of hours."

Kathy stood and watched as Justin drove away. Letting out a tiny sigh, she turned to walk to her class. Her thoughts definitely weren't on her test, but that needed to change. And quick. The minute she walked through the door, she shut all else out and took her usual seat.

An hour later, she left the classroom and started to walk back to her apartment. The test had been harder than she thought it would be, but she felt she had done well. It took her about fifteen minutes to walk back to her place. Throwing her book bag on the couch, she went into her closet and pulled out her travel bag. she wouldn't need much. Just a few t-shirts, shorts, and of course sleeping attire. She reached into one of dresser drawers, and pulled out a couple of sexy numbers she had bought a while back. Zipping the bag up, she waited patiently for Justin.

When she heard the knock on the door, she immediately ran over to open it. "J, baby, you know I hate..." Her words stopped cold when she saw Jeremy standing on her doorstep.

She started to slam the door, but his hand reached out and pushed it open. Jeremy stepped into her apartment stopping to stand right in front of her. "You bitch. You think you could get away with leading me on for months then publicly embarrassing me."

Kathy began to step away from him, but he reached out and grabbed her. She had never seen this side of Jeremy before. He was always so predictable. This was totally unpredicted. He pulled her up against forcing her to look up at him. "Jeremy, I'm sorry."

He reached out and slapped her so hard that her teeth chattered. "You'll bet you will be sorry. Oh Jeremy, you know I love you, but I'm not ready for that yet. God please! All the time, you were pining away for some pretty boy singer."

Kathy didn't like the sound of this. If only Justin would get here. Trying to free herself from his hold again, he held onto her tighter. "Jeremy, you're hurting me."

Jeremy slammed her against the wall. "You think you're hurting now. Just wait." His hand snaked out and tore the front of her shirt. Kathy tried pushing him away, but he was too strong.

"Jeremy, stop! No!" She begin to scream, as he pushed her against the wall.

Lance heard the screams as he walked up the pathway. Immediately recognizing the voice as Kathy's he broke into a run. He ran through her unlocked door to find Jeremy pressing her against the wall. "Get the fuck off her you prick." He ran over and pulled the guy off of her slugging him. Jeremy stood up, and straightened his clothes. "Get your ass out of here and I ever see you near again you will have to answer to me and my friends." Jeremy ran out of the apartment leaving Lance to turn to her. Seeing the state of her clothes, he handed her his jacket. "K, you alright?"

Without answering, Kathy turned and ran into the bathroom locking the door behind her. Lance could hear her sobbing through the door. If only he had arrived a few minutes earlier. Justin had called from the store. He was trying to find her the perfect gift, and it was taking him longer than expected. Damn it, he needed to call Justin.

He took his cell phone out of his pocket, and decided to call Chris instead. After a couple of rings, he answered. "Talk to me."

"Chris, it's Lance. Is J there?"

"Yeah, man."

"You need to get over to K's now. Something's happened."

"Is she ok?"

At the sound of this, Justin walked toward Chris. "What's up?"

Chris motioned for him to wait. "So is she ok?"

"No, Chris. Definitely not. That prick from last night broke in and well just get J over here now."

"Shit. Be right there." He turned to look at the guys who had stopped to watch him. "We got to get to K's."

Justin reached out and grabbed Chris' arm. "What happened?"

Chris shook his head. "Jeremy..."

Before Chris could utter another word, Justin was running down the aisle to the store exit. The guys ran to catch up to him. JC took the keys from Justin's hand. "You are not driving, Justin."

The drive to the apartment took about ten minutes. Before JC came to a stop, Justin was jumping out of the car, and running towards the apartment. He burst through the unlocked door to find Lance standing outside the bathroom.

"K, open up the door." Lance turned to see Justin standing behind him. "K, Justin's here."

Justin took a step closer to the door. "K, baby, it's me." He could hear her sobbing through the door.

Lance took a step back to let Justin talk to her. Walking over to the guys, he sat down on the arm of the couch.

"So Lance what happened?" Chris said.

"I heard Kathy screaming so I ran in here and found that prick with her up against the wall..." he shook his head at the memory. "I want to kill that bastard."

Joey walked over to the door, and opened it. "Let's go find the guy, and teach him a lesson."

Justin leaned his head against the door. "K, baby, open the door."

JC walked over towards Joey. "Yeah, we'll make him sorry for hurting one of our friends."

At these words, Kathy opened the bathroom door, and stepped out. She had wrapped Lance's jacket around her. The right side of her face was swollen from where Jeremy had slapped her.

"Shit. Let's go kick his ass," Chris said, as he saw her face.

"NO!" Kathy screamed. "You will do no such thing. I am not letting you ruin your career over some freak of nature."

Joey walked over to her. "But, Kathy, look what he did to your face," he said starting to reach out. When she flinched, he took his hand back. "Sorry." He stepped towards the rest of the group.

Kathy looked at each of the guys before speaking again. If Lance hadn't shown up when he did, God knows what might have happened. "Lance, thank you. If you ..." She shook her head. "Well, we won't think about that. Now for the rest of you including you Mr. Silently Fuming," she said looking at Justin, "you will not go after this guy. It would be all over the media before you could even say Nsync."

Kathy stood there watching as she saw her words get through. She closed her eyes, and let out a shaky sigh. she began to remember what had just happened, and let out a tiny sob. "Oh my god." Sinking down to the floor, she sat against the wall.

Justin sat down next to her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Kathy buried her head in his shoulder and began to cry. "It's ok, baby. Let it all out."

Kathy didn't even see Chris, Joey, and JC leave. When she looked up to take the glass of water Lance offered her they were gone. "Damn, where'd they go?" She looked up at Lance. "I hope you got in at least one punch." As he nodded, shaking his hand, she continued, "good. I hope it hurt." Leaning her head on Justin's shoulder, she glanced around the small room. It suddenly seemed too small. "Lance, grab my bag. It's on the couch."

Lance walked over, and picked up the bag. "This one?"

She nodded turning to Justin. Leaning her forehead against his, she whispered, "Get me the hell out of here."

Without saying a word, Justin stood up offering his hand to her. She stood up quickly, and looked down at herself. Touching Lance's jacket, she looked over at the closet. "I probably should put something else on.

Lance walked over to her dresser and pulled out a fresh t-shirt throwing it at her. "Here ya go."

She caught it with both hands, and went into the bathroom. When she came back out, the rest of the group had come back. "There you all are. Where'd you go?"

Chris looked at JC and Joey. "Honestly we went to go find this jackass, but without knowing his last name, where he lives, the car he drives, it was kind of hard."

Kathy laughed. "Don't make me laugh now." She felt Justin's hands surround her waist, and she leaned back. "Can we go now?"

"Sure." Justin took her hand, and led to the door. Lance grabbed her bag as JC grabbed her purse. "Hey JC, that's a good look for you."

Everyone laughed as Kathy took the purse from him. "Thanks." Before walking out of the apartment, she took one final glance. She knew the small room she had grown to call home would never be home again.

The guys drove her back to the house they used when in town. Lance grabbed her bag out of the trunk, and carried it up the walkway. Justin led her out of the car, and held her close to him as the guys followed behind. Lance opened the door, and everyone filed into the house. Justin walked Kathy over to the sofa, and sat down.

She leaned her head against his chest, but screeched out in pain. "Damn, why do guys always know how to hit a girl?" She let out a tiny laugh, as she looked around the room. "Guys, smile."

Lance walked in from the kitchen with a fresh ice pack. "This should help." He handed it to her, and she placed her onto swollen cheek.

A ringing sound filled the room. All the guys reached for their cell phones, but they quickly could tell it wasn't any of their's. Kathy reached for her purse on the floor next to her. "It's me, guys." she picked up the phone and answered it on the third ring. "Hello."

"You think your pretty boy friend saved you, bitch. I'll be waiting and watching. This ain't over by a long shot."

Kathy dropped the phone to the floor, and ran up the stairs before any of the guys could figure out what had happened. Justin ran behind her, and Joey reached down for the phone.

"Did you hear me bitch?"

"I ain't your bitch, and neither is K," Joey said as he looked around at the remaining guys. "You come near her again, and you will be asking for some serious hurt."

Justin ran into his room upstairs to find Kathy sobbing on the bed. "K, it's me." He said before sitting on the bed. Sitting up, Kathy wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's ok, baby. I'm here now," he said rubbing her back softly.

There was a soft knock on the door before the rest of the guys came in. Kathy leaned back, and wiped the tears from her face. "I must look like hell."

"Nah, only like heck," Chris joked.

Kathy smiled. "Too funny, Kirkpatrick." She looked around the bedroom at the five of the watching her like she would break. "Guys, I'll be fine. Honest." Motioning to Joey, she reached out for the cell phone he held in his hand. "Is that mine?"

"Yes."

"Give it to me," Kathy said, as she stood. She needed to do something. When Joey handed the phone to her, she dropped it on the floor, and began to stomp on it. she then picked up the pieces and walked over the sliding door that lead to the balcony. Throwing the pieces down to the beach below. Turning she walked back into the room, and closed the door. "Well, that felt good."

"Lance remind me to never piss K off." Justin walked over to her and put his arms around her waist kissing the top of her head. The rest of the guys laughed as they stepped out of the room. They could tell Justin wanted some alone time to take care of Kathy. They closed the door behind them. "Baby, I am so sorry. If only I hadn't been late."

Leaning her forehead on his chest, Kathy sighed. "It isn't your fault, Justin." Stepping back, she walked over to the bed and sat down. "I just wish we could go back in time and start the day over."

Justin sat down next to her and touched her cheek. "We can do that. Right now." He lay down and closed his eyes.

Kathy wished it were that easy, but she played along. She lay next Justin, and let out a shaky sigh. After a few moments of silence, she began to get up, but she felt Justin put his arm around her waist just like he had done that morning. He pulled her so that she lay against him, and lowered his lips to her neck. She sighed, and moved her neck to give him better access.

"I love you, K." Justin leaned his head on her shoulder. He didn't want to rush her.

Turning in his embrace, she leaned her forehead on his chest. "I love you, too. This really sucks you know. We had a nice weekend together planned and I wanted my first time to be so special..."

Justin leaned back so he could look down at her. "You mean our first time."

Kathy shook her head. "That too."

Justin looked down at her in shock. "Kathy, you mean to tell me you never..."

Shaking her head again, "I just never found that one guy before. Now I have, and the time is right." She reached up with her lips, and kissed him softly. "But, J, right now I have a splitting headache."

Justin laughed. "We haven't done anything yet, and I am already getting the headache excuse. Damn, do I smell or something?"

Kathy slapped his chest with the palm of her hand before taking a sniff. "Actually, no, but I just want to take a little nap. Will you stay here til I fall asleep?" She laid on her side facing him closing her eyes.

Justin reached down and rubbed her head. "Sure, K. I'll be right here." He continued to rub her temples until her breathing slowed, and she slept. After a few minutes of watching her, he got up and quietly left the room. He went downstairs to look for the rest of the guys. He found them all in the living room silently watching a game on the television set.

When Lance saw Justin walk in, he got up and walked over to him. "How is she?"

"Sleeping. She had a headache."

"Oh, boy, she gave you that one already. I thought that was reserved for married couples," Chris said, as he ate a chip.

Pulling Lance aside, Justin whispered into his hear, "Did you know that K is a virgin?"

Lance stepped back and shook his head. "Had no idea."

Chris stood up and walked over behind the guys silently. "K is a what?"

JC and Joey looked up from the game, and looked at their band mates. "Ooh, secret. Tell us too."

Justin shook his head. "None of your business, but I need a favor."

"What you need, J?" JC asked as he took a sip of his soda.

"I need the house. I want to do something special for K. Dinner, candles, the works, and if you guys are underfoot, well..."

"It's done." Chris said as he picked up his jacket from the back of the couch. "The house is yours and Kathy's until tomorrow. Let's go guys."

The rest of the guys followed Chris out the door. Justin turned off the television set, and went into the kitchen. He took out what he needed to make a pasta dinner. He fixed the dining table with plates and silverware and two candles.

Kathy sat up in bed panting. She had been dreaming about her and Justin making love and then all of a sudden it had been Jeremy. she looked around the room ,and saw no sign of Justin. "Justin," she called.

On the stairs, Justin heard her and ran up the rest of the way. He ran into his room, and sat down next to her. "You rang?" Without uttering a word, Kathy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. When she choked back a sob, Justin pulled her onto his lap ,and lay his head on hers. "Nightmare?" Kathy nodded her head. "Well, I'm here now. You're safe," he said rocking her gently.

"What did I do to deserve you?" She whispered.

Justin kissed her hair, and pulled back. "I made dinner. You hungry?"

Kathy hadn't noticed it, but at the mention of dinner her stomach began to grumble. she had left the house without breakfast because of her test. "I'm starving. What did you make?"

"Pasta a la Justin. My own special recipe." Justin said as he walked toward the door.

"Hmm. Sounds good. And dessert?"

Justin ducked his head back into the room. "Justin a la mode," he said winking at her.

She let out a laugh, and her cheeks turned three different shades of red. "Do I have time to take a quick shower?"

Justin nodded. "Sure. The bathroom is across the hall. There should be a towel in the closet. Just use whatever you need. Shampoo. Toothpaste. We'll get more of your stuff tomorrow. You won't be going back to live at that apartment."

She had hoped he would say that. Just the thought of going back to retrieve her belongings freaked her out. She watched as he went back downstairs to finish preparing dinner. When he was out of sight, she ran back to her overnight bag, and pulled out her little surprise.

Fifteen minutes later, Kathy stepped out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel. The smells coming from downstairs led her to walk down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, Justin was standing near the table lighting the candles he had placed on the table. "Hey, you."

Justin turned smiling at her. "Did you enjoy your shower?"

Kathy nodded as she sat at the table. "Everything looks great. The food smells heavenly." Justin sat a plate in front of her. They ate in silence each in their own thoughts.

When they finished, Justin cleared the table, and put the plates in the kitchen. Coming out of the kitchen, he found her going through CD's by the stereo. "Hey, beautiful," he whispered, as he placed his hands on her waist. Kathy turned in his arms, and put her hands on his chest. Justin leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Suddenly a voice behind them spoke. "Oops. Sorry, guys," Lance as he walked past them. Justin shot him a look. "I need a file for this call in the morning. I'll be out of here in one sec."

Kathy stepped back, and began to go through CD's again. "It's ok, Lance."

Chris stuck his head inside. "Lance let's go. you can get the damn file in the morning."

Kathy laughed. "Are you guys all out there?" Chris nodded. "Then come in for a sec."

Joey stuck in, and looked at Justin. "Nah, once Lance gets the file, we are out of here. Justin wanted the house tonight."

Lance ran down the stairs carrying the file he needed. "You two kids have fun." He ran out of the house closing the door behind him. After Lance exited, Kathy continued to go through the CD's on the stereo. For some reason, she was suddenly nervous. Placing the CD back on the stereo, Kathy walked over to the sliding door that led to the balcony. Opening it, she stepped outside. Why was she so nervous? This was Justin. Her Justin. The man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with. She could feel him come up behind her, and put his hands on her waist. "It's beautiful out here."

"Not as beautiful as you, Kath," Justin whispered near her ear.

She sighed at his words. Turning in his arms, she lay her head on his chest. "I love you, Justin. I don't know why I denied it for so long, but I know now you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life..."

Before she knew what was happening, Justin had lowered his head, and was kissing her softly. When he lifted his head and looked into her eyes, she saw the love reflected in the deep pools of blue. When he stepped back and took her hand in his, she followed him knowing that she would be with this man for the rest of her life.

The next morning, Justin and Kathy were making breakfast when the rest of the group came home. "Food!" Joey screamed as he ran over to the kitchen counter.

Kathy giggled. "Yes, food. Good morning you all. Have a seat. We made enough for everyone." She placed plates in front of Joey and Chris before walking over for two more plates JC and Lance. As she placed his plate down, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "how was your call this morning?"

"Fine," Lance said picking up his fork. "So what is on the schedule for today?"

Justin sat down next to Kathy and began to eat. "I told Kathy we would go help her get some more of her stuff out of her apartment. She can stay here until she finds something else."

Kathy looked up after taking a sip of her juice. "You don't have to do that, babe."

"Hey, K, do you really want to stay in that place?" Chris asked.

"No, not exactly, but I don't want to impose either." She took a bite of her scrambled eggs.

JC reached over, "You are not imposing, Kathy. This house is huge."

Kathy nodded. "Well, ok. I don't have much anyway. The place came furnished, so all I need to do is get my personal stuff." Standing up, she went and put her plate in the dishwasher. "Well, let me throw something on, and we can get it over with."

About an hour later, the six of them pulled up in her building's parking lot. She wished she never had to come back here, but it was inevitable. Might as well get it over with now. Kathy got out of the car quickly, and began to walk towards the apartment. When she reached the door, she found it unlocked. "That's strange."

Justin walked up to her. "What's that, K?"

Kathy opened the door. "It was unlocked." When she turned to step inside, she gasped. Her apartment looked as if someone had been through it with a hammer. Her clothes were scattered all around the floor. "Damn him!" She knelt down to pick up something from the floor. "If I would have known he was psycho, I would never have dated him."

The rest of the guys walked in laughing behind her, but the laughter soon died when they saw her apartment. "Shit, what happened here?"

Justin knelt down beside her. "I'll give you one guess." Kathy took his hand, as a tear slid down her cheek. She glanced over and saw the light on her answering machine blinking. Reaching over, she pushed play.

"Hi, Kathy. How is daddy's little girl?" Oh great, like this day couldn't get any worse. "Now before, you press delete, I called about Alex. He is sick, and wants to talk to you. Give him a call if you can manage it."

"Shit, I need a phone," Kathy said without glancing up. Justin handed her his phone. She stood and walked over to the couch.

"Who is Alex?" Justin asked as he sat on the couch arm.

Lance came up behind him. "It's her little brother."

Kathy quickly dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Can I speak to Alex?"

"Kat?"

"Hey, boo." Kathy smiled. "The old man called. What's up?"

"Hi, Kathy."

"Dad, put Alex back on. I didn't call to talk to you."

"I knew you would call."

"Yes, so give brownie points to you, you jackass, so put my little brother back on or ..."

"Or what?"

"You son of a bitch, just put him back on."

The guys watched in shock at the telephone conversation. Kathy rarely cursed, and to hear her use that language with her father was totally unexpected to everyone but Lance.

"Kat, I'm back."

She let out a sigh. "Ok, boo. Is he still there?"

"Yep."

"Remember the code?"

"Yep."

"Good. So what's up?"

"I have a sore throat."

"He lost another job. Fucker. Can't keep a job to save his life. Oops, sorry, boo. what about the store. what did he bring home last night?"

"Lots of candy. Three or four."

"Ok. Big bottles?"

"Yep."

"Any left?"

"Nope, he ate them all."

"Shit. Do you have your backpack ready?"

"Yep."

"Good. In a minute, I want you to put dad back on. Then I want you to grab your bag and haul your little ass as fast as you can. I'll meet you in an hour at our place. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Put dad back on." she looked toward the guys. "We won't be staying. I need a ride somewhere."

"No problem, K."

"So how is daddy's little girl?"

"I'm fine, daddy. I promise to stop by soon. Maybe we can have dinner or something. Just like we used to." Yep, you can get rip roaring drunk, and pass out. Lance sat next to her, and put his hand on her back. Before speaking again, she glanced over and smiled weakly. "School is going good."

"That is good. Seeing anyone?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes I am seeing someone. Listen enough of the chit chat, this has been real daddy dearest but I am getting sick just talking to you, so good-bye." Kathy hung up the phone saying a silent prayer that Alex had made it out of the house. She looked down at the floor. "Sorry, guys. I didn't mean for you to hear that."

Lance rubbed her arm. "It's ok, Kathy. I remember how your dad is."

Kathy nodded. "I know you do."

Justin sat down next to her. "You never told me about your family. What is up?"

Shaking her head, she stood, "Not now. I need to go find Alex." She left the apartment with the guys following her. After telling JC where to go, she sat in the backseat, and leaned her head against the window.

"You ok, baby?" Justin asked, as he put his hand on her knee.

"I will be," she said, turning to lightly kiss him. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. When JC stopped the car, she turned to the door and stepped out. "You guys can stay here I should only be a minute." She took a few steps and turned back to watch all of them following. Such a great group of men. She was lucky to have them as friends. "Alex? I'm here." God, please let him have gotten out of the house. "Alex, it's me, Kat."

A little boy no more than seven came out from behind a tree. "Kat?"

"Boo, there you are. Come here." She knelt down and reached out her arms. The little boy ran into her arms, and she lifted him off the ground. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

Kathy walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. "You remember, Lance, don't you, Alex?" He nodded his head. "Well, these are his friends. Joey, Chris, and JC. Justin is my friend."

"Hi," the little boy said before burying his head in her shoulder.

"So dad is in one of his moods, huh?" Alex nodded his head. "Sorry, boo." Kathy looked at her little brother, and caught a glimpse of a bruise peeking through the edge of his shirt neck. "Let me see it, Boo." She set him down on the bench, and pulled back his shirt to peek inside. She could see the nasty bruise covering a good part of his back. "Damn him. Alex stay here with Chris and JC." She stood up, and began to walk away.

Justin ran to catch up with her. "Kathy where are you going?" Lance and Joey followed closely behind.

"I'm going to give that alcoholic abusive son of bitch a piece of my mind, and you are not going to stop me." Kathy walked up the block and stopped in front of a small single level house.

Lance put his hand on Justin's arm. "Let her do this. If she needs help, we are here."

Taking a quick look back, she saw the three of them behind her. "I love you, guys. I'll be right out." She took a deep breath and paused. "On second thought, follow me. I don't want to kill the bastard." She began to walk up the path again and stopped when she reached the front door. It was wide open. Walking through she turned back to the three of them still behind her. "Here goes nothing."

Taking a step inside, she called out, "You bastard, get your ass out here."

An older man appeared at the door with a glass in his hand. "What a nice surprise, Kat."

Walking over, she grabbed the glass from his hand, and threw it against the wall shattering it. "Let's cut with the small talk why don't we? I've got Alex. I have no idea why I left him here with you to begin with. Maybe a small part of me wanted to believe my father when he gave me his word that you wouldn't touch him. god, now that is what I call stupid. I should know better. Once a drunk. Always a drunk." Taking a step back, she closed her eyes. "I mean after what you did to mom."

"Your mother has nothing to do with this, Kathy."

"The hell it doesn't..."

"Kathy! Kathy!" Alex screamed as he ran into the house.

She turned her head to glance down at him for a split second and felt her whole body slam against the wall. It took a moment for her to figure out what happened, but she glanced up and saw Lance trying to hold Justin back. she smiled and turned to face her father. "Now, daddy, why did you do that for? I came here to talk, but if you want to play, then I learned the game from the best." She took a step closer, and her knee connected with his groin. "Now that was for Alex you evil son of a bitch, and this is for me," she said punching him in the face. He slumped to the ground in obvious agony. "Now I am taking Alex to his room and packing a bag. He will not be living here anymore." She knelt down and whispered in his ear, "Don't even think of trying to stop me, daddy, as you see I am not alone." Reaching down she reached for Alex's hand. When he gave it to her, she led him down to his room. She went to the closet quickly and took down the small suitcase. Looking up she saw Lance and Justin standing in the doorway. They had earned in even bigger piece of her heart that day. "Lance, can you help Alex for a second. I need to get something from the other room."

Lance stepped in. "Sure, K."

"Just help him pack some of his things. You know the basics. Aunt Emma will take care of the rest." She stepped out of the room taking Justin's hand. She opened the door across the hall and led him inside. Once they were both inside, she closed the door and turned to him with tears in her eyes. She almost ran into his open arms, and let the sobs finally come. "Why haven't you run screaming yet? First a psychotic ex and now a drunk abusive father."

He lifted her chin, so he could see her eyes. "I haven't run screaming because I love you silly. I am here for the long haul."

She reached up and kissed him softly. "I guess I shouldn't tell you about my alien love child then. That would make you run like mad." She laughed as there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Lance on the other side.

"I think we are ready on this end. You?"

Kathy nodded, as she picked up Alex to carry him out of the house. The little boy wrapped his little arms around her neck. "Ready, boo?"

She began to walk towards the front door but a booming voice stopped her. "You are not taking him."

Kathy stopped at the door and turned back to face her father. "Say goodbye to daddy, Alex."

"Good-bye."

Turning back towards the front, she left the house quietly. Another place in her past that never felt like home.

The guys break finally ended and they returned to touring. As much as Kathy wanted to go with the group, she had school to finish. In two months, she would be a college graduate, and Justin knew how important that was for her. She kept in touch with the guys by phone and email while she stayed at their house.

After taking her last final, she returned to the house. She wished the guys could be there for her graduation the following week, but she knew that was impossible with their schedule. Deciding to check on whether or not her aunt was coming with Alex, she picked up the phone. After a few rings a woman answered. "Hello."

"Hi, Aunt Emma."

"Kathy, dear, it is so good you called."

"I was just calling to make sure that you and Alex were still coming to my graduation ceremony." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Aunt Emma, you there?"

"You haven't heard yet."

"What? Is something wrong?"

Another pause. "Kathy, something happened to Alex."

Kathy felt something get caught in her throat. She had a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Just tell me."

"There was a car wreck. Your father was driving drunk." There was a pause before her aunt continued. "Neither one of them survived." Kathy sat silent for a few moments. "Kathy, you there?"

"When?"

"Last weekend."

"I've got to go." Hanging up the phone, she felt a cold shiver run through her body. She had never thought she would lose the one thing that was most important to her in the world other than Justin. she always tried to make sure that Alex was taken care of. Kathy wiped away the tear that had begun to fall down her cheek. This was not happening. "THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!" Grabbing her keys, she ran out of the house, and to the car Justin had left her. She drove blindly to her old house hoping to find Alex and her father. Even though, there was no love lost between them, she had never wished him dead. Walking into the house, she found no one there. The house was eerily silent. She searched the rooms ending up in Alex's room. He was gone. They were gone. Laying on his bed, she grabbed one of his stuffed bears, and cried until she fell into a deep sleep.

Justin and Lance walked into the house followed by the rest of the group. "Kathy is going to be so surprised. That was brilliant telling her the tour wasn't going to be over until after her graduation."

Justin walked through the house looking for Kathy. When he didn't find her upstairs, he went back to the living room where the rest of the guys were sitting.

Lance looked up when Justin entered the room. "Kathy not upstairs?"

Justin shook his head. "Her last final was this morning, so she should be here."

Just then the phone rang. Lance was closest so he answered it."Oh, hi, Emma. Kathy isn't here right now." Lance's face paled considerably as he listened. When he hung up the phone, he looked up at the rest of the guys and mumbled, "Oh, shit. We need to find Kathy."

"What happened?" Justin nervously played with the cuff of his jacket. He definitely did not like the look on his friends face.

Lance sighed burying his head in his hands. "Kathy can't win. Things keep happening."

Justin walked over and out his hand on Lance's shoulder. "Lance, what did Emma tell you?"

Lance lifted his head. "Kathy's father and Alex ...They're... dead."

A collective gasp was heard in the room. Justin was the first to speak. "We need to find her." He walked over and picked up his car keys. He stood looking at them in his hand. "Where do we start?"

Chris stood up. "Maybe her dad's house. She might want to go and see for herself."

Justin walked over to the door and opened it. "Okay, let's roll, guys."

Kathy opened her eyes to find herself in a now dark room. She looked around and recognized that she was lying in Alex's bed in his room. It was then that it hit her. The reason she was there. They were gone. She would never hear Alex's cute little giggle or have to deal with her father's drunken ways ever again. Sitting up she glanced around the room again. All Alex's things were the same as they always were. If she listened hard enough, she swore she could hear him laughing as he played with his action figures or as she tickled him.

Why Alex? He was so young with so much to look forward to in his life. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she got up and left the room. Kathy walked down the hall and opened a door to a room she hadn't been in for many years. Her parent's bedroom. The second she walked in a shiver went through her body. She has lost her family. Her mother was gone for a long time now. Choosing to end her life instead of suffering at the hands of her husband in a loveless marriage. "Momma, watch out for your baby boy. Little Alex will need you so much. He won't understand." Choking back a sob, she continued, "I'm sorry, momma. I didn't take care of our boo like I promised I would."

After a few moments, Kathy left the bedroom and walked down the hall to the living room. Sitting on the couch, she turned and noticed a picture sitting on the side table. Picking it up, she smiled. It was of an earlier time in her family. Before everything got fucked up. This family was happy. She remembered the day that this picture was taken. It was shortly before Alex had turned two.

The silence of the house was then broken by a loud knocking on the door. Who could that be? Deciding to ignore the door, she returned to her thoughts. When the knocking continued, she silently cursed. This was not the time for a visitor. Standing up, she walked over to the door and threw it open. "I'm not interested in whatever you're selling."

Without looking, she began to close the door, but a hand reached out and stopped it from closing. "Kathy?" Shaking her head, she turned away from the door. She must be hearing things because she could swear she had just heard Justin's voice, but that was impossible. The guys were still on tour.

Turning back around, she opened her eyes. "Are you really here?" When Kathy felt two muscled arms surround, her knees buckled and she let out a heartbroken sob. "Why?"

Justin held her up as he walked over to the couch. He sat down and placed her on his lap. "I don't know, baby," he whispered into her hair.

The rest of the group stood silent watching Kathy sob into Justin's shoulder. When Kathy finally stopped crying, she looked up and found Lance's eyes. "Lance, why Alex? How could that sweet little boy die so young?"

Lance sat down next to Kathy and placed his hand on her back. He couldn't find any words that sounded right so he just sat there and rubbed her back.

After a few moments of silence, Kathy stood up and walked away. Justin stood up to follow her, but before he could reach her, she had entered Alex's bedroom and locked the door. "Kathy, open the door." No response came from the other side. "Kathy? Baby, please let me in."

"No," was the whispered from Kathy. "Justin, you need to leave. All of you have to leave."

Leave? What did she mean they had to leave? Justin turned to see Lance standing behind shrugging his shoulders. "Kathy, we are not leaving you here alone to deal with this."

"It's better this way. Everyone I ever love always leaves in the end, so might as well just deal with it all now."

Justin leaned his head against the door. "I am not going to ever leave you, Kathy. I love you, baby."

Lance stepped forward. "We all love you, Kathy, and we are always going to be here for you."

"They always say that too, you know. I don't believe it anymore. Now just go."

Justin let out a sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. Why couldn't Kathy see that he would never leave her? Leaning against the wall, he slid down to the floor. He would wait for her until she came out. Even if it took days.

Lance slid down to sit next to him. When Justin turned to talk to him. Lance motioned him to keep quiet. Both men could hear the sobs coming from inside the room, but with the door locked there was nothing they could do.

Inside the bedroom, Kathy lay on the bed clutching the same stuffed bear she had fallen asleep with earlier. Everyone she ever loved always ending up leaving her. Her mother. Alex. She knew eventually Justin would leave her too. It was unavoidable. The last thing she thought before finally falling asleep is that it was better this way.

The next morning Kathy opened her eyes to find the sun shining into room. Squinting her eyes, she pulled the sheet up over her head. "Too bright," she mumbled. After a few minutes of trying to go back to sleep and failing, she threw the covers back, and got out of bed. Day one of her new life. Without Alex, without Justin, and without her friends.She shook her head, as she felt a tear fall from her eye. Angrily wiping it away, she unlocked her door and stepped into the hallway.

The sight that greeted her brought another tear to her eye but this one she didn't wipe away. Justin had spent the night camped outside the door. His head slumped onto his chest in slumber. Next to him slept Lance in a similar position. Those two were going to wake up with one hell of a backache. Not wanting to wake them, she slipped quietly down the hallway.When she reached the living room, she found the rest of her friends asleep in various places around the room. Backaches all around.

Never in a million years would she have thought she would have these five wonderful not to mention HOT men as her friends. A giggle escaped when she thought of all the thousands of teeny boppers that would love to see how cute these guys looked asleep.

"What's so funny?" Chris asked opening his eyes.

"You guys are so cute," Kathy said before giggling again.

Sitting up, Joey rubbed his eyes. "Cute, huh? I was thinking hot, sexy, but cute?"

"Whatever, Joey."

When Justin opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that the door to the bedroom was wide open. How did she get passed him and Lance? He turned and poked Lance in his side. "Hey, Poofu., wake up."

"Don't call me that," Lance mumbled half asleep.

"Kathy's out," Justin said standing up.

At these words, Lance opened his eyes. He looked at the open doorway and then up at his friend. "Ouch," he said standing up.

"Tell me about it. Let's go find Kathy." Justin made his way down the hallway towards the living room when he heard Kathy's giggle. That was a good sign, he thought. When he reached the living room, Chris motioned towards the kitchen.Justin took that cue and continued into there. In the kitchen, he saw Kathy holding what looked to be a child's cup. "Morning, baby girl." Kathy turned back towards him and flew into his embrace. Justin allowed her to cry for a few minutes before he spoke. "Baby girl, I am not leaving you. Never."

"Yes, you will. You won't mean to, but someday it will happen. you will leave me just like everyone else does." Kathy stepped back and walked away.

Justin followed close on her heels. "Stop, Kathy. Just because you lose someone doesn't mean you have to close yourself off. Life is full of risk. Anything could happen, but if I can help it, I am not leaving you."

Kathy turned and opened her mouth about to speak, but stopped herself. She let out a sigh, and looked around the room at the group of men waiting. Each of them wore sad expressions of their faces. Turning towards Justin, shw saw him looking down at the floor at his feet. Kathy knew she loved him, and nothing would make her happier than spending the rest of her life with him. Turning towards Lance, she caught him looking at her waiting for what she would do. Lance. Her friend. The reason why she had found the man she loved. she would thank him every day for that. Chris,. Joey, and JC. She was glad to have them in her corner because they had shown her that they would do almost anything for her. Shaking her head, she threw up her hands in defeat."Fine. You all win."

Justin's face burst into a huge grin as he walked towards her. Pulling her into his arms, he lifted her off the ground. When the giggle he loved came out, he knew all would be well.

Justin and the guys sat in the audience waiting for Kathy to cross the stage to receive her diploma. They all knew how hard she had worked to graduate from college, and they were happy to be there that day with her.

"Hey, J. She is making her way towards the stairs it looks like. There are like ten people in front of her," Lance pointed out.

"Cool. Be right back," he said.

"Where you going?"

Patting his pocket, he smiled before walking to where he could stand waiting for Kathy.

Lance shook his head before turning to Joe. "You don't think?" Joe shrugged.

As Kathy crossed the stage and shook the hand of the dean, she heard a chorus of loud male screams. Shaking her head, she giggled, as she walked to the other side and down the stairs. Before she could enter the aisle to retake her seat, she felt someone pull her aside.

When she looked up, she saw Justin smiling at her. "Congrats, baby girl."

Throwing her arms around his neck, she stepped up onto her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. "I did it, Justin."

Justin took a step back and reached into his pocket. "I have something for you, but first I need to ask you something."

"Okay," Kathy said.

"Marry me?' Justin opened the small jewelry box he held his hand and Kathy saw the ring inside letting out a gasp. "I love you, Kathy, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Yes, Justin." She held out her now shaking hand so he could slip the ring on her finger. Kathy knew she would be okay because she knew that no matter what happened in her life, good or bad, this man's love would heal it all.

The End

Tell Foxy Lady what you thought of this story!