...With You

Two Weeks Later…

With Thanksgiving behind them, Madison and Justin rode the elevator up to the hotel suite.
"That was an interesting couple of days, huh?" Justin smiled over at Madison.
"I'll say." She sighed. "I thought it went well, though" she smiled.
"Of course" he said, walking over to her side. "It's smooth sailing from here, baby."
He kissed her on the forehead and led her out of the doors once the elevator opened. JC was probably already back, but the others weren't due back until the next afternoon before sound check. Justin unlocked the door and let Madison into the darkened room. She reached for the light switch but was startled by movement on the couch. As the lights went on she saw JC and Bobbie on the couch.
"Hey Madd…" JC smiled nervously. "Hi J"
"Sorry to interrupt…" Justin stammered, shock to see Bobbie after all this time.
Madison still stood in exactly the same spot she was in when she first came into the room. She was shocked, to say the least. The last time she saw Bobbie was…. well, it wasn't pretty.
"Hi Madison, nice to see you again" Bobbie smiled as JC fidgeted behind her.
Despite the uncomfortable situation, Madison smiled. "Nice to see you too." She said.
Justin rejoined the three of them. "Baby, you ready for bed… I'm exhausted." He asked, pulling her close.
"Yeah, I'm tired too." She smiled and kissed him lightly on the tip of his nose.
She turned to the other couple in the room and smiled awkwardly.
"Goodnight JC, goodnight Bobbie." She said.
"Goodnight guys" Justin said.
"Goodnight" JC and Bobbie said together.

"You ok?" Justin asked, crawling into bed next to Madison.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" she asked.
"Please Madd. I saw the look on your face when you saw the two of them on the couch." He said.
Madison sighed. "It just brought back a lot of old images, that's all." She smiled. "Besides, you looked a little shocked too!"
"Yes I was, I guess." He laughed.
"Babe, don't worry… you know I love you" she smiled, cuddling into his chest.
"I know baby, I know" he said softly before quickly drifting into sleep.

Madison fluttered her eyes open, wakened by muffled yelling from the living room.
"Well?" Bobbie yelled. "You didn't answer me, Josh. Do you still love her?"
"Bobbie…" JC started.
"JC, it's a yes or no answer." She sighed. "Better yet… Here's your options, her or me." JC shot his head up to look her straight in the eye.
"Careful now, because she's someone that you'll never have and I'm someone who always seems to come back to you. Well, this is the last time. Don't expect me coming back, baby." She said. "Her or me?" she she, now yelling.
JC dropped his head and didn't answer.
"I'll take that as your answer…" she said, grabbing her purse and walking out the front door.

**~*~*~*~**

Madison laid in bed next to Justin's sleeping body. He was so peaceful in the morning hour, she just couldn't wake him yet. She quietly got out of bed and made her way out to the kitchen where she found JC sitting over an over-flowing bowl of cereal.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked.
He looked up and saw Madison standing over him. "Of course not." He forced a smile.
Madison sat down and poured herself her own cereal and juice.
"You're up early" she noticed, aloud.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep" he admitted.
"You wanna talk about it?" she asked.
"About what?" JC asked surprised.
"I heard you and Bobbie last night." She admitted.
"You did, huh?" JC sighed.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." She apologized.
"Don't apologize. We were pretty loud. I'm sorry we woke you." He smiled, looking over at her.
Madison looked down to the table. "Is she right, JC?" she asked.
"About what? My feelings for you?" JC asked surprised. "I think you know the answer to that already, Madd."
"JC, I… " she started.
"You don't have to say anything, Madison." He sighed.
"I just don’t want to come between you two" she smiled.
"Don't worry about us. We'll be ok." He said, returning her smile.
"Good, because you deserve to be happy." She said, laying her hand on top of his.

Justin walked out of the room to see Madison and JC talking across the table from one another. Why did it still make him nervous seeing the two of them together. Justin pulled himself together and walked over to the two of them, whose hands were now intertwined.

**~*~*~*~**

Madison watched from backstage as the guys went through their sound check. They sounded better and better every time she saw them. Near the end, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Bobbie standing there.
"Bobbie?!" she said shocked.
"Hey Madison" she said softly. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday."
Madison laughed lightly. "How are you?" she asked.
"Truthfully, I've been better. How about you?" she asked, looking down at Madison's protruding belly.
Following her gaze, Madison smiled. "I didn't know you knew." She said.
"I think everybody knows after that press conference!" she said smiling.
"True." Madison answered.
Madison couldn't help but like Bobbie. She had nothing to do with JC and herself breaking up and Madison wished Bobbie could make JC happy, for his own sake.
"Madison, I need you to know that I love JC. I need him. He holds this torch for you though, and I can't compete with that." Bobbie said.
"Bobbie, the last thing I want to do is come between JC and happiness. I still care for him a lot, ya know?" Madison replied.
"I know you do, and that's understandable, but I think his feelings run a little deeper." She answered sadly.
"I'm sorry Bobbie, I really don't know what to tell you." Madison said softly.
"Can you talk to him? Tell him to 'get over it' or whatever?" she pleaded.
"I already did… this morning" Madison smiled.
"Seriously?" Bobbie asked surprised.
"Bobbie, no matter what JC and I have been through I only want him to be happy. I know I hurt him more than I can even imagine by being with Justin. You can't choose who you love -- that I know for sure. You just do and you can't help it." Madison finished, smiling.
Bobbie smiled back at first and then looked down, suddenly sad.
"Bobbie, what's wrong? What did I say?" Madison said.
"What you said -- it's beautiful. But it made me realize that JC will never choose me over you because he loves you and that isn't going to go away."
Madison didn't know what to say or do. Instead she just took a step forward and embraced a teary-eyed Bobbie.

**~*~*~*~**

Justin and JC looked on as Madison comforted Bobbie.
"Well……." Justin sighed.
"Damn it! How is it possible that I mess up two good things in one year!" JC said, throwing his towel to the side.
"One thing's for sure, you certainly have a way with women." Justin said smiling.
"Yeah… Well… When you figure out which 'way' that is, let me know." JC said stiffly.
"JC…" Justin started.
"J, do me a favor and don't say anything. I just need to talk to Bobbie" JC said.
"Ok… You got it." Justin said, patting him on the back.

**~*~*~*~**

JC approached the two women nervously.
"Bobbie? Can we talk?" he asked softly.
Bobbie looked at his pained face and followed him into the dressing room. She closed the door and turned to face him.
"I didn't think I'd see you again" he said, looking at her.
"Sure you did. You know I always come back." She said, avoiding all eye contact.
"Bobbie, I owe you an apology" he said, touching her arm lightly.
"Do you?" she asked lightly.
"Bobbie -- I'm sorry for last night. I know you deserve better than this, better than me." He said. "You're wrong, JC. I deserve you, I want you JC! When are you going to realize that?" she asked excitedly.
"I just can't help but think that you deserve more than this." He replied.
"Well, in a way you're right. I deserve your full attention instead of playing second fiddle to Madison." She sighed.
"I can get passed that, but I need your help" he said, grabbing her hand.
"JC, as much as I'd like to be with you, I can't be a crutch. I love you too much for you to be in love with someone else" she said softly.
"Bobbie? Bobbie, I don't want to lose you over this" he said apologetically.
"Josh, you already lost me a long time ago" she said with a tear running down her face.
"Babe, what are you saying?" he asked cautiously.
"I'm saying goodbye, JC" she replied.
"Bobbie, please don't do this. I love you, you know that." He pleaded.
"I know you do. But I think you're in love with someone else more. I can't be second best for you, I just can't. I only hope that you realize that she's not going to leave him and come running back to you. She is carrying his child, Josh."
"I know" he said glumly.
Bobbie smiled through the tears running down her face. "Take care, ok?" she said touching his cheek with the back of her hand. With that, Bobbie turned around and left him standing there alone with only his thoughts.

**~*~*~*~**

Meanwhile…

Justin pulled Madison close and kissed her softly on the lips. When they parted he saw her eyes follow the path JC and Bobbie had just walked.
"You worried about him?" he asked.
"I'm worried about them" she corrected. "I just want him to be happy -- is that so wrong" she asked.
"Of course not, I want that too. Unfortunately for me, he's not going to be happy without you." He said.
"Justin! Come on -- " she sighed, annoyed.
"No, Madd. You come on" he said, almost angrily. "You know damn well that guy is not over you!"
"So what!" she yelled back.
"So what? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he argued.
"Justin, I'm over him. Isn't that enough?" she asked.
Justin's face softened. "Of course it is. Just the thought of losing you…"
"Justin, you're not going to lose me… Us… I love you. You're everything to me." She smiled.
"And you're everything to me." He said. Justin pulled her into his arms and held tightly.
"J -- I can't tell you that I don't care about him. I always will, but I'm not in love with him. You have nothing to worry about." She said.
Justin released her and looked into her eyes. "I know babe, I know. I love you."
"I love you too." She replied.
They smiled as their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss. They pulled away and Justin put his hands on Madison's stomach. She smiled as he looked at her adoringly.
"Five months to go" she whispered.
"I know" he smiled, looking at her. "You scared?"
"Yeah, but more excited." She smiled.
Justin was about to say something when he saw Bobbie run toward the exit with her head in her hands.
"Uh-oh. I don't think things went well" he said with his gaze towards Bobbie. You take him, I'm going to talk to her."
"Alright" she said.
Madison and Justin split apart to aid their two friends.

**~*~*~*~**

"Bobbie?"
Bobbie stopped in her tracks but couldn't find face to turn around.
"Bobbie? You ok? He asked.
She turned around and faced Justin with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Guess I answered that question" she said, trying to force a smile.
"Ah, Bobbie. I'm sorry." He said, embracing her.
"Don't be. It's not you fault he in love with your girlfriend." She said.
"Things will change, Bobbie… you'll see." He said.
"I hope so, for your sake. But I can't stick around to see. It just hurts too much." She said.
"I understand. Take care, alright?" he said.
"I will -- you guys keeping making people smile." She said.
Justin watched Bobbie walk out the door and to her rented car. He thought hard about what Bobbie had said about JC still loving Madison. As much as Madison was committed to him and their family, Justin knew that JC couldn't keep his feeling for Madison bottled up forever.

**~*~*~*~**

Meanwhile…

Madison peaked inside the room and saw JC sitting on the couch.
"You ok?" she asked from the doorway.
JC looked up and saw Madison. She was just about the last person he wanted to see.
"We saw Bobbie… she looked pretty upset" she said, walking into the room.
"We broke up" he said flatly.
"Really? Why?" Madison asked, regretting it before the words ever left her mouth. "Because she's sick of being in second place behind you." He answered, looking at her. Madison sighed and sat down next to him. "JC…"
"Madd, I really don't wanna talk about this." He said.
"Well, ya know what? That's too bad, cause this involved me and I do want to talk about it!" she said turning to him. He refused to face her. Afraid of what he might say or do.
"JC, the last thing I want fo you is to be unhappy. But 'us' isn't going to happen. I care about you a lot -- you know that -- but Bobbie loves you. You deserve that." She said.
"Yeah… Well… Maybe I don't deserve anything. Losing you was the stupidest thing I've ever done." He said glumly.
"What? So you're going to punish yourself by not letting yourself love anyone else? JC, come on!" Madison exclaimed.
"Madison please just let me deal with this in my own way and on my own time." He asked.
"Yeah… I will. But hurry up, will ya? Cause you're making me and your best friend miserable." She smiled, trying to release the tension.
She got up and started towards the door.
"Madd… Wait!" JC said, standing up.
Madison turned around and stood waiting for JC to say something.
"Just let me say this and don't say anything…" he said.
"Ok" she answered.
"Nine months ago, when I met you, I knew from the very first day that I would never be the same. You changed my life, and being with you made me realize that I could be happy without any effort at all. Cause all I had to see was your smile and my world was a better place. I should've worked a little harder on making you happy instead of just worrying about me. Lettin you walk out the door of my dressing room that day was the biggest mistake I made. But I'm trying to get passed it, I really am, Madd. I thought getting over you would be the worst thing to et through. Then, you fall in love with my best friend, and now, in five months you'll be a fmily. I don't think you'll know how much it hurts to see the two of you together. The only thing that gets me by is that I know you're happy and that as long as you have Justin you always will be. If you can't be with me, I'm glad you have him, because as much as it kills me, I know you're happy. Bobbie was right to lease. I need to truly get over you and my own insecurities before her and I try to re-establish anything."
He paused, waiting for her to say something. She saw his face tighten.
"Can I talk?" she asked.
"Yeah" he answered.
"JC, I don't want you to think that I wasn't happy with you -- because you know that isn't true. Just 'us' as a couple really didn't work." She explained.
"I know, and I accept that." He said.
"I'm really sorry about Bobbie, I really thought you two could work it out. I think she's 'the one', Jace." She smiled.
"It's funny, cause that's what I thought about you" JC answered.
"Me too, Jace… Me too." Madison answered.
JC's head popped up to look at Madison. "Really?"
Madison looked at him, surprised that he was surprised. "At first… yeah."
"So… friend to friend. Do you think we would've made it even if I wouldn't have screwed up?" he asked.
"Honestly, -- no." she smiled "I mean it would've lasted longer but I don't think we'd still be together."
"Geez Madd! Don't hold anything back!" he exclaimed.
"Would you want me to? She asked.
"No. And actually I think you may be right. We might be better as friends. I'm glad we talked."
"Me too, sweetie" she said, kissing his cheek and smiling.
JC leaned in and they held each other in a friendly embrace.
Justin appeared in the doorway just as they were pulling apart. "What'd I miss?" he said sitting on the other side of Madison, kissing her on the cheek.
Madison smiled. "Nothing. Everything is just perfect." She said moving in closer to kiss the man of her dreams.