...With You

Chapter 2


"Take the day off," her boss had said.
Madison was not one to argue when someone told her take a break. It was just odd to her cause Sam knew that she was only working till two the next day. Yeah well, who was Madison to argue? Being the driven person she was, she couldn't sit around the apartment all day, and if she tried she would have gone crazy.
"Come on Jacey…" Madison yelled into her bedroom. She realized how spoiled her dog was. Jacey had her own bed in Madison's room. She didn't care, Jacey meant the world to Madison, nothing was too good for her baby.
"Come on girlie. Let's go for a walk." Madison yelled again. At that, Jacey jumped off her bed and right to the front door where Madison stood there with her leash.

**~*~*~*~**

It was such a nice day for a walk. JC could not wait to get out of that hotel they'd been holed up in for awhile. JC grabbed his baseball cap and sunglasses, the best disguise available, and stepped out into the cold air. It was a little cold, even for February, but the fresh air felt good. He walked for awhile without even being looked at. This is what he loved about New York. So many people around but no one really looked at you, unless he was with the other guys, then it was hard to get anywhere without being noticed. Just then he saw it. A school bus was pulling up to the curb where he was about to pass. He looked quickly at his watch, 11:30am, it was too early for school to be letting out. Nevertheless, there it was, with about 30 young girls exiting its doors. JC tried to walk quickly passed the group of girls unnoticed. But this didn't seem to work, for he was spotted by one, and the rest just followed.

**~*~*~*~**

Madison continued to walk down the street with Jacey at her side. They were almost back home when Jacey started to get jumpy.
"What's wrong baby?" Madison said, looking around.
The sidewalk seemed to have doubled with a population of young girls. Probably just another young celebrity trying to get out and got caught in the process. It happened a lot here in New York. She saw it everyday as she walked the streets surrounding her apartment building. Celebrities were everywhere and she learned to just go with the flow and not the whole status thing get to here. As she neared the crowd her breath caught in her thought. Was it really him? JC Chasez, the only man who could actually have left her speechless, if she were to ever meet him that is. Carson had refused to introduce them because he was afraid that she'd embarrass him and herself. It seemed to be quite a group that had gathered and surrounded him. She could almost feel sorry for the guy, and he looked so helpless, like a small bug in a huge crowd. Suddenly an idea hit her, an idea that she prayed would work.

**~*~*~*~**

JC tried to fend the girls off as best he could. Smiling and signing autographs were he could reach. How was he going to get out of this one. 'Way to go, Chasez' he thought to himself. All he wanted to do was get some fresh air. That was the last thing he was getting right now. Fresh air seemed a long way off.
"Josh!" he heard a voice from a distance.
"Josh, is that you up there?" he heard the voice again.
Madison couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Jacey in tow, Madison made her way closer and closer to the one man who took her breath away.
"Hey Josh, we lost you up by Central Park, where'd you walk off to?" JC had no clue who this girl was that was talking to him as if she knew him. She looked vaguely familiar though, why was that?
"We're back home," Madison tried her best to be convincing to the young crowd that her and JC where friends. Actually, the tougher part was trying in convince JC that she wasn't some teenage stalker who just wanted to get noticed. If Carson would've introduced them earlier, this wouldn't be a problem. She made a mental note to yell at him later.
"Josh, come on….you act like we haven't been friends forever or something" Madison joked.
JC finally understood what she was trying to do. He went with his instincts on this one and followed the girl's lead.
"Hey girls" he said to the sea of fans "I gotta get going back to my friend here. It was nice meeting all of you." Madison gave JC a nod and led him up to the doors of her apartment complex. Once inside the locked doors, Madison knew that this was far from over. The girls had followed them up to the doors, staring into the building. Madison smiled as she looked from JC to the crowd outside the locked doors.
"Well, come on" she said smiling "might as well walk up the steps so I didn't make a complete fool of myself."
JC didn't know quite what to say to the beauty he saw in front of him. Instead he smiled and just followed her up to the fifth floor.

Once out of sight from the fans outside, JC took off his cap and glasses.
"Thank you!" he said "I didn't think I was going to get out of that one alive."
Madison laughed. His smile alone was payment enough. "Well, we couldn't have that, now could we?" she replied. They were now in front of her apartment door. She started to get her key from her pocket when he finally realized where he was.
"Wait! You're Madison aren't you? Carson's Neighbor?" JC said with surprise in his voice.
"Yep. That's me. Sorry, I should've told you that sooner." Madison said.
"Don't worry about it. There really wasn't that much time to talk between you rescuing me and all" JC laughed.
Madison opened the door to her apartment and let JC in. She made a mental note to thank her mother for teaching her to always keep a clean place. Jacey ran passed JC before he could even get through the door and made an attempt to block JC from entering.
"Is she gonna let me through without killing me?" JC asked Madison.
Madison laughed at the thought of Jacey even remotely attacking anyone.
"Jacey, come on let him through, he's safe." Madison commanded the dog.
At that Jacey removed herself from in front of JC and allowed him into the apartment. JC followed them both into the kitchen where Madison was getting them all drinks. As she set Jacey's water dish down she kissed the tip of her nose and patted her head.
"You've got a great dog there" JC said smiling.
"Yes I do. She's an absolute angel" Madison said smiling and handing JC a bottled water from the fridge.
He thanked her and went on, "Yeah, well at least we know that your protected. She won't let anyone into the place without your approval!" JC said. They both laughed.
"Yeah, she's my little lovable security guard." Madison explained. "I guess I should formally introduce myself since I kidnapped you. I'm Madison Wilkes. Otherwise known as 'the girl that is friends with Carson Daly'. You can call me whatever you like." Madison said laughing.
"Well, I prefer Madison" JC laughed "And you can call me JC if you'd like, but Josh is cool with me too."
"Alright, well then Josh. I'm dying to know just how you knew me." Madison looked at him from the side. He was truly the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. She got breathless just looking at him.
"Well I seem to remember watching TRL a few times when you were in the audience, and then when you started going into this door I remember Carson talking about you the last time we visited his place." JC answered.
"You were at Carson's before?" Madison asked.
"Yeah, a few times actually" JC answered swallowing a gulp of water. Madison mentally wrote anther note to herself to kill Carson.
"It's weird how he never introduced us to you before." JC continued.
Madison had to laugh at the way he worded the last statement. Why on earth would they, meaning *Nsync, want to meet her? Shouldn't that be the other way around?
"Anyhow," JC went on "Carson never shuts up about you so I feel like I know too much as it is. I knew you looked familiar when I saw you on the street just then, but I couldn't place you. There's that picture of you and Carson on his wall in his living room." JC said pointing to the same picture that resided on Madison's wall on the opposite side of the room which they had just entered, taking a seat on the couch.
Madison blushed at the thought of JC Chasez sitting in her living room, on her couch, only about two feet away from her. Madison finally came to her senses and realized that she hadn't spoke since they got into the room.
"Yeah, Carson and I are pretty tight. Of course, now that I know that you've been to his place several times and he didn't even tell me, we'll see if I ever talk to him again." Madison said laughing. Jacey walked into the living room and hopped up onto the couch between Madison and JC. She liked JC, Madison could tell. With one swift movement she gracefully laid her head onto JC's lap. Madison just looked at JC to see his reaction.
JC laughed. "Ah, hey girl" he said to the dog in his lap. He continued to scratch her behind her ears. Mental note, Madison thought to herself, he definitely passed the dog test.
"Uh-oh, she's never gonna let you leave now!" Madison said, looking onto the situation. JC just stared at Madison in amazement. She was even more beautiful than her picture could ever portray her. Carson was right, this girl was amazing. Carson was one controlled man, living next to such a girl and never making a move. He had told JC once that their relationship was almost too good for them to ever be a couple.
"Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving. Would you like to grab something to eat with me?" JC asked.
Madison's heart screamed inside of her chest. "Yeah, I'd love to. I haven't eaten yet today, I am a bit hungry." She said.
"Alright then. I saw a pizza place down the block, that any good?" he asked.
"I'm guessing you mean 'Joe's', he has the best pizza and subs in New York!"
"Sounds good to me" he said "shall we?"
"Sure," Madison answered "But, um, I don't think your new friend here is going to let you go that easily."

**~*~*~*~**

They walked the back way to Joe's so JC wouldn't get stuck in the same situation as before. Madison knew Joe personally since she and Carson ate there a lot.
"Hey Joe!" Madison said, using the back entrance.
"Maddy! How's my girl?" Joe exclaimed in his thick Italian accent. "It's been awhile, where've you been?"
"You know me Joe. Always on the go." Madison said kissing him on the cheek.
The restaurant was practically empty, which pleased JC just fine. The less of a crowd the better. Right now he didn't want a repeat of the display in front of Madison's apartment.
"Who's your friend sweetheart?" Joe asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Joe, this is Josh." Madison said, almost forgetting JC was with her.
"Nice to meet you, Josh." Joe said while shaking JC's extended hand.
"You too. So Madison tells me you have the best food here in New York." JC said smiling.
"Ah. My girl here likes to brag about me. She's my best publicity! But I do have just the thing for you two. Take a seat, I'll bring it out to ya when it's done!"
JC and Madison just nodded and took a booth towards the back of the restaurant. "So, you come here a lot I take it?" JC asked.
Madison nodded, taking a sip from her cherry coke that Joe had just brought her. "Yeah, Carson and I eat here a lot cause it's so close to the building, and it's usually vacant from screaming 12-year-olds." Madison smiled as she spoke. She couldn't contain her happiness when she was sitting across the table from JC.
"Hum… screaming 12-year-olds? What do they sound like?" JC joked.
"Oh, that's right. You get the screaming 15-year-olds, it's Justin that gets the 12-year-olds!" Madison said with sarcasm seeping through her smile.
They both laughed, but secretly they both knew she was right. Just then Joe came out with his new dish and laid it in front of the two of them. Taste buds tingling and mouths watering even from the smell, they dug in. It was the best thing either of them had had in a long time. Joe came by when he saw that they had finished.
"Well….what do the judges say? Is it worth putting on the menu?" he asked.
"It's absolutely too good to put on any menu!" JC said, still amazed. "What's it called?"
"Well, I was thinking of calling it 'My Madison', because it really is too good to be true!" Joe said, winking at Madison.
"Aww, Joe, that's so sweet of you to say! I don't think anyone has named food after me before." She stood up and gave the old man a hug.
"Oh, stop Madd -- you're gonna be the death of me yet! You'll give an old man like me a heart attack huggin' him like that!" Joe laughed is hearty laugh. He had always reminded Madison of Santa Claus. Yep, if there was a jolly old man and brought good will to all, Joe would be him.
"He's a nice man" JC said, noticing her eyes follow Joe back into the kitchen.
"He's the best" Madison said.
She sat down and looked directly at JC. She could hardly believe her good fortune. First Carson, now JC. What was she to do with herself. Boy, was she glad so had off from work today. JC sat in silence for awhile just looking at her. She sipped from her straw with such a dainty touch that JC wondered if any straw had ever been so lucky. He had to stop himself from looking at her. He didn't want to seem like a psychopath. JC finally broke the silence.
"So…as you probably know already, we're going to be on TRL tomorrow. I'd like to see you again, if that's ok. Do you think you can come to TRL tomorrow, I'm sure Carson wouldn't mind either?" JC asked. He usually wasn't this forward towards people he didn't know all that well, but he didn't want to not see Madison again.
'If that's ok? If that's ok? Was he kidding? Of course it was ok!' Madison thought to herself.
"Actually, Carson already invited me for tomorrow, so I will be there." Madison answered.
"Well good, I'm glad." JC smiled at her. How did she get to him like this in such a short time. Madison was everything Carson had said she was, and more. What he didn't tell Madison was that they had already asked Carson asked to introduce them to Madison…a while ago, but Carson had repeatedly made excuses not too. Maybe Carson was giving in. Maybe that's why she was going to be there tomorrow. JC didn't even have the courage to ask if she was a fan. She had to be at least 21, according to what Carson told them about her. How many 21-year-old fans were actually out there?
"Helllllo…JC???" Madison whispered.
JC jumped back into reality, of course, he wasn't even aware that he had left it. "Sorry, Madison. I was just….thinking" JC stammered, not wanted her to know what he was thinking.
"What about?" Madison asked innocently enough.
JC smiled. By the look on her face she looked as if she could read his mind and she was just testing him.
"You. Actually." he replied, never breaking his smile.
"Me?" Madison asked shocked.
"Yeah, Carson never mentioned how beautiful you were in person." he said. Of course this was a lie, because Carson mentioned his 'beautiful neighbor' every chance he got. But this, Madison, was even too much for the imagination. Madison blushed. She couldn't let him get to her. He was JC, the guy that she'd obsessed over for at least three years now. This is why Carson wouldn't introduce them. He knew her tongue would be tied, God she hated when he was right.
"JC, you are way too sweet for your own good" Madison said as she shook her head and smiled.
JC laughed. "So they tell me" he said.
The two got up from their booth and started to walk out the door. Madison looked at JC in his disguise and had to chuckle. And true fan would still notice him, he had to know that. She kept her opinions to herself and they just walked on. Before they knew it, they arrived right in front of the hotel JC and the guys we staying while they were in New York. JC turned to Madison and smiled.
"Well, considering how my morning started I had a really good time today" he said.
"Well, I'm glad. Anything I can do to make your stay in New York more pleasurable just ask." Madison said. She didn't believe she was standing here flirting with JC Chasez. What was she thinking?
JC looked surprised. "I might have to take you up on that offer," he said. With that he took her hand and kissed the back of it.
"I'll see you soon" he told her.
"Definitely." Madison said smiling.
With that they went their separate ways. Him, into the hotel and her turning around and heading back to home.

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