(December 15, 2000, Mississippi)

“Hello and welcome MTV News’ in depth interview with Anastasia Blake of Free Lance Entertainment Group. I’m Carson Daly. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you Stasia, for sitting down with me to do this interview.” Carson smiled warmly at his friend.

“You are very welcome.”

“You have had a very complicated year. You have had some great highs, and some horrific lows. I would like to talk to you about both.”

“OK.”

“Last week, you sat through the trial and sentencing of a man who had been stalking you for almost a year, is that correct?”

“He had been openly stalking me for almost a year. He had actually been watching me for two years.”

“As anyone who has followed NSYNC’s meteoric rise to the top of the charts this past year knows, you were attacked outside a venue several months ago. You refused to to even consider the idea that you attacker was and NSYNC fan, or more specifically, a jealous Lance Bass fan. Here is an excerpt from our interview after that attack.”

“Stasia, Lance I want to thank you both for sitting down with me. I am well aware of the fact that this is difficult for both of you. But I want to ask you about the events of that day, a week ago in Georgia.”

“Stasia, you were brutally attacked outside of Phillips Arena in Atlanta, with a crowbar, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“You have some injuries as a result of that attack don’t you?”

“I have fifteen stitches in my head. Some rather serious bruising, a concussion and I was knocked unconscious.”

“Stasia, can I ask you about your feelings towards NSYNC’s fans now that one of them may have attacked you?”

“Carson, I can tell you for sure, I am POSITIVE that the person who did this to me was NOT and NSYNC fan. The fans have been remarkably supportive of my relationship with Lance, and of my recovery. Several thousand NSYNC fans were completely silent at a concert FOR ME, to help my friends show me they cared about me. NSYNC fans have sent me cards, flowers and gifts wishing me well. NSYNC’s fans DO NOT attack people. I should know, because I am one of their biggest fans.”

The tape stopped, “You were right weren’t you? It wasn’t an NSYNC fan that attacked you.”

“No, it was NOT an NSYNC fan who attacked me. I have said it before, and I will say it again, NSYNC has the best fans in the world. They have been remarkably supportive. As a matter of fact, my being stalked had nothing to do with NSYNC at all.”

“Stasia, can you explain what happened? Can you give us some insight as to who did this and why?” Carson’s eye were soft.

“Carson, I don’t think I’ll ever understand WHY he did this. My stalker was my biological father, who also turned out to be the person responsible for the deaths of my brother and sister-in-law. I had never seen my father, not even a picture, so when I encountered this man shortly after they died, I had no idea who he was. At that point he was using an alias.”

“When you say that you encountered him, what do you mean?”

“When I met him, he and I were working together in Michigan. He was introduced to me as John Gross.”

“So you worked together for how long?”

“Almost two years. He was fired and then I left the firm to come work for Free Lance.”

“OK, so then the open stalking begins. You were receiving letters, is that right?”

“Yes. They started out strangely, I wouldn’t call the first few threatening, but by the end, they were not only threatening to me, but my loved ones as well.”

“So the situation escalated over time. It began with the letters, then the photos from Washington DC in April. You were attacked in Georgia in May. You received more threats between May and September, and at the end of September, you were attacked again.”

“Yes. A member of security was injured, I got a few more stitches and Lance was in serious danger, luckily he is quick on his feet and was able to distract him long enough for the FBI to move in.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but YOU actually knocked him over the head when he made a dive at Lance.”

“Yeah, I did, I couldn’t let Lance get hurt.”

“The security guard was in the hospital after the attack, is that right?”

“Yes. He received a very serious blow to the back of the head. Thankfully, he is fine now.”

“All of the members of NSYNC were with you in Court the day the Judge haded down his decision.”

“Yes they were. I had a lot of support that day.”

“How do you feel about your new found celebrity?”

“I’m not a celebrity, some of my friends are, but I’m not.”

“You have become an important part of the NSYNC crew. You are very important to the day-to-day operation of Free Lance. But you are taking a step back, what is that all about?”

Stasia smiled and shot Carson a look, “I’m going to be finishing up law school. I have two classes left to take. I’m taking them this fall in Michigan. I will be in Michigan three days and with Lance or in Mississippi the other four days.”

“So the women out there hoping that they can move in on Lance now are wrong?”

She laughed, “I’m sorry but Lance is still off the market.”

Carson grinned, “I think an equal number of guys are heart broken you’re off the market.”

Stasia rolled her eyes and laughed, “I’m not so sure Carson.”

“I’m not sure if everyone out there knows this, but I am lucky enough to call Anastasia Blake my friend. She is a truly special lady, and Lance Bass is a very lucky guy. Stasia, you and Lance say something to one another, that only the two of you seem to understand. What is that?”

She looked over Carson’s shoulder and Stasia smiled, her eyes locked with Lance’s, “And so it goes.”

“What does it mean?”

“Lance knows.”

(January 8, 2001, Orlando, Florida)

Standing in the private waiting room at the Orlando airport, Stasia was surrounded by loved ones. Joey handed her an empty back-pack. “That is to get you to and from class.”

“Thanks Joe!” She kissed his cheek.

Justin walked forward and gave her a stack of notebooks. The one emblazoned with his face was on top of the stack. “You need these for taking notes and making the other girls jealous.”

“Oh GOD! Justin, it’s LAW SCHOOL!”

He grinned evilly, “I know.”

Chris gave her boxes of Kraft Maccaroni and Cheese tied up with a bow, “That is to remember what the other students are living off of.”

“Hey, I remember what that was like, and now I won’t go hungry!”

He hugged her tightly, “I am going to miss you so much.”

“I’m going to miss you too, but I’ll see you Thursday.”

“It’s not the same.”

“Chris...”

“I know, speed dial.”

She whispered in his ear, “You will work it out, she will be back.”

He nodded and walked away.

JC gave her several small books by great philosophers “I don’t need you getting out of practice.”

“I won’t let that happen, I’ll have to send you chunks of legal texts to discuss.”

“I wouldn’t go THAT far!” He kissed the top of her head.

Lonnie hugged her and gave her lunch box, “Now Ronnie will pack this every morning for you!” Ron rolled his eyes at his brother.

“I had no idea they were making NSYNC lunch boxes.” She smirked.

Morgan gave her ten disposable cameras, “Those are so you can take pictures of hot Michigan guys for me...I expect a package of pictures each week!”

“Do I write the phone numbers on the back?”

Morgan hugged her, “THAT’S MY GIRL! Always thinking!”

Lyn ran over and hugged her, “I’ll be there in a few weeks! Here is you girl kit!” She gave her a bag full of bath products, tea, magazines, candles and a box of chocolates.

“SO COOL! Thanks!”

The group gathered at the door and said their final good-byes, leaving Lance and Stasia alone in the room. He looked down at her, she was looking down at their shoes. He put a finger under her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his.

“We’re being silly. I’ll see you on Thursday.”

“I know. Aren’t you going to ask what my gift is?” He smiled.

“You have already given me too many gifts.”

“One more won’t hurt.” He pulled the blue box, tied with a white ribbon out from behind his back.

“Harry...”

“Open it.” He kissed her forehead.

She pulled on the tails of the bow, it gave way and she lifted the lid off of the outer box. When she lifted the top of the box inside, her breath caught. Inside was a platinum bracelet, with a large heart charm. “It’s beautiful.”

“Turn it over.” He smiled.

Inscribed on the heart were the words, And So It Goes... .