Chapter Fifty-One

Lauren pushed away Anthony's hands as he grabbed for her and tried to lead her through the crowd that had gathered in front of the hotel. She didn't need his assistance, she didn't need his presence, and the mere fact that she had to be under surveillance all the time was really getting under her skin. As much as she prided herself for her freedom, this was getting a bit out of hand.

"I can't believe there are so many people outside the hotel with the concert still going on."

Miranda gave Lauren a stern look when she pushed at his hands again. "Not everyone can get tickets and this might be their only way of seeing the guys. It probably wasn't the best idea to make reservations in a hotel so close to the venue."

Lauren shielded her eyes from all of the camera flashes and turned quickly to growl at Anthony. "Would you stop grabbing my arm?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head at Miranda. "Now I know why Mike bitches all the time."

"Mike knows when to let go and when to interfere. Maybe you should take a few lessons from him and back off! WHY am I here anyway?"

She was being rude and that fact hadn't escaped her, but with everything going on and people seeming to close in all around her, she had had enough for this day. This time the day before, she was relaxed and completely at ease with Justin in their little hideaway. Now she was in the middle of hysterical teens, reaching hands, flash after flash just trying to get her caught on film for some sort of sick bragging right, and where she should be was back in the arena at the concert.

"Why isn't anyone stopping these people from making fools out of themselves?"

Miranda didn't look happy at all. In fact, she looked very disappointed in what she was seeing out of Lauren. "I really only see one person making a fool out of herself right now."

"I'm going to ignore that! Anthony, do you think you can release the deathgrip you have on my arm for about two seconds and speed up so we can get through this?"

Amidst the screams for Lauren, a few for Miranda rang out and she stopped to talk to a few of the fans in the front. "Couldn't get tickets or are you going tomorrow night?"

Lauren stopped and turned to give Miranda a bored look. "Oh that's right, let's stop and take our time. While we're pondering and enjoying life, WHY am I here and not back at the concert? It wasn't over yet! You made me get up in the middle of Justin's beatbox and you know how much I worship his mother during those moments for giving him…"

Miranda sighed and concentrated on the folder she was signing. "Oh I don't know, maybe it was the fact that you looked like Satan had taken control of your body and the fans around us were chanting for your head to spin around? Maybe it was the girl that you threatened to smack with her camera if she didn't…oh how did you so eloquently put it? Oh yes, if she didn't stop screaming in your ear and waving her weave around like a two dollar whore with a Jive recording contract."

"They didn't know who I was talking about."

"Not until you screamed her name they didn't. The ice fight with those two guys was probably a bit much."

Lauren wasn't one to pout, but she was certainly pouting now. "They said that they'd show me everything I was missing by wasting my time with Justin."

Miranda gave her a bored look and turned back to the fans in front of her.

"WHAT? I'm supposed to sit back and take crap like that? Oh and who are YOU looking at?" She smirked and held her hand up in a girl's face who was giving her a dirty look. "I didn't need security to drag me off and I am going to end Mike AND his momma when I get my hands on him. I KNOW he ordered that I be sent back to the hotel. This is like being at home, Miranda. I was sent to my room like some crazy person and…"

"Lauren, jumping out of the VIP booth and attempting to freeze those guys'…uh…jewels off probably wasn't the best argument for sanity."

"Mike was overreacting."

Anthony's eyes widened and he moved in front of some of the fans to distance them from the two women. "No he wasn't. Peeling you off of two guys is…"

"Would you two just shut up? I could have stayed there and watched the rest of the concert."

"From a cell maybe."

"Thank YOU, Miranda. And can I just say how lovely your roots are looking?"

Miranda chuckled and pushed her hair back dramatically. "Your jealousy is embarrassing. You weren't the only one dragged away from the concert, so I'm the one who should be mad here."

One of the fans looked Lauren over and leaned in close to Miranda. "Is she always like that? I heard that she was really nice."

She signed her name on a piece of paper and handed to the girl with a smile. "You heard that Lauren is really nice? Well, how can I put this delicately? She's…she's a real pain most of the time, but I guess that's why Justin likes her so much."

"Opposites attract?"

Miranda froze and then busted out laughing. She laughed so hard that she could hardly catch her breath for a few moments. "You are a laugh and a half. Justin not being a pain? Good one! I was actually referring to the fact that she's the only one who can be a BIGGER pain that he just naturally is. Maybe that calms him down a bit. He can't compete."

Lauren pulled on Miranda's arm, but she shrugged her off. "I thought you were coming inside?"

Miranda gave her a bright smile and held up the paper she was signing. "I don't want to go inside with a pain in the ass. These girls are being very nice to me right now and I am enjoying the moment. YOU are the one who can't get inside fast enough."

"I really hate it when you get like this, Miranda."

"I really hate it when you get like this, Miranda. Wah wah wah. I think Lauren is in a mood because it's…well…you know. That TIME."

The girls started laughing and Lauren's jaw dropped. "Oh no you didn't. You SO didn't go there."

"I SO did and it's a very comfortable place I might add."

She held up a hand and pushed against Anthony's shoulder until he started walking again. "Fine! We'll leave her out here."

"Fine! Tell me girls, don't you just love puberty?"

Lauren froze in mid-step again. "I have a few words for you, Miranda. Hawaii, whipped cream, tongue, neck, empty hotel room, hormones, and…"

Miranda dropped her pen and politely excused herself from the crowd to catch up with Lauren. "Okay…okay. You don't need to break out with the stuff that will get me all hot and bothered…or that will get me killed in this crowd. Ruthless little wench."

"Everything I know came from you, oh word-mistress."

Anthony held the door open for both of them and was amazed that the two hadn't pulled each other's eyes out yet. "The thought that you two actually are fond of each other is…it terrifies me. Please don't get into a cat fight while I'm the only one here because I won't know who to pull off of who…or who to cheer for."

Lauren hmphed and crossed her arms over her chest when they entered the elevator. "Those skinny little arms and perfectly pressed clothes wouldn't stand a chance."

Miranda held a hand up and purposefully looked over her fingernails. "I might go down at the end, but I'll get my licks in."

"SPEAKING of licking…"

Anthony suddenly regretted the choice he had made to stand between them in the small elevator. "Is this licking stuff going to be rated PG?"

Lauren smiled evilly and met Miranda's eyes head on. "Depends on which JC/Miranda story I decide to tell."

"Need I remind you the stories I could tell about you and Justin?"

"What stories? We've never clawed at each other in…oh…I don't know…a hot spring, unlike SOME people."

It was Miranda's turn to freeze in shock but the playfulness of the situation got the best of her. "WHO TOLD YOU?"

"Ladies…"

"You're traveling around with five guys, Miranda. Five very close, very open, very honest, very nosey, and very horny guys who love dishing to one another."

Anthony put his hand on Miranda's shoulder when she gasped and leaned in closer. "Ladies I don't…"

"I hope you enjoyed your little saga with Justin because he's not going to have a romantic bone…or romantic ORGAN left on his body when I get finished with him."

"Lauren and Miranda, we're almost to our floor and maybe you should both talk about, I don't know, hair or something."

Lauren looked at him like he had completely lost his mind or that she didn't remember him even being there. "Are you talking? Be a statue, Anthony. A very tall, ignorant, cold, and QUIET statue. Now Miranda, getting all sassy because she thinks she's all that, you better not start on Justin because how would he know unless someone told him? Hmmm?"

Miranda covered her mouth and turned away when she almost smiled. "I can get sassy over Justin any time I want to, because baby…newsflash, I am da shit."

Lauren almost clapped and cheered when she heard Miranda let loose and release the death grip she usually had on her English degree. "Mira going ghetto now? Let me guess, if I reveal my source you're going to break out yo nine and busta cap?"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. That comes in the advanced ghetto flava class one oh TWO. Although, I see that you have already learned how to dress your man like a pimp."

The doors opened and Anthony rushed out. He turned and saw that his absence had given them room to get nose to nose. "We're here. Uh…you can get out now and go to your corners."

"JC has style and he has flare that exceeds young guys who walk around looking like they just rolled out of bed or finished being a Jet in Westside story. The bandana, oh yeah. Can we say 'wannabe pimptastic'?"

"He does that to hide his hair when…"

Miranda grinned devilishly and interrupted. "I know this might be a novel idea for Justin, but it's called a haircut."

Anthony walked back into the elevator, wedged behind them, and nudged them out into the hallway. "So does anyone know what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow?"

Lauren pushed him back and concentrated on Miranda again. "You are such a…a…"

"Brilliant and fantastic woman that it leaves you breathless?"

"Not exactly what I was thinking of at the moment. By the way, good chapter the other night. What's going to happen when Mystique realizes that her father is really best friends with Justin's grandmother's, best friend's, uncle's, girlfriend's, first cousin?"

Anthony's arms fell at his sides and he looked back and forth between them like he didn't know what to do or say first. "I missed something. I missed something BIG and I'm not even going to question it. Walk this way Anthony, stand by the door, and ask no questions."

Miranda laughed and hugged Lauren quickly before they walked hand in hand down the hall towards their rooms. "No hints from me. You'll just have to read."

"Does Justin have to be so sweet and nice in the story? He's a walking Hallmark card in the thing."

"You know what they say, don't mix fiction with reality."

Lauren gave her a playful look and leaned against her door as Miranda reached for her key. "That was somehow an insult, right?"

"From me? Heck no. I love that boy more than words could ever say. Uh…huh."

"You know, for some sick reason I love that Justin doesn't impress you."

Miranda opened the door and pushed Lauren aside before walking in. "You do? Feel a little bit of competition?"

"Actually, I am glad because I would fear for his health if you ever got a hold of him. JC is pumping vitamins right and left, but Justin is a milk man. Somehow I don't think the moo juice would be enough."

She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and turned to lean against the dresser and look at Lauren. This was fun and it was good to pull Lauren into a play fight full of humor to get her mind off of things, but it was true that Lauren had been in one hell of a mood all night. Ever since she had walked out into the VIP booth and she had taken one good look at her, she had known that Lauren was starting to buckle under the pressures. It was hard enough being Justin's girlfriend, girls judging every move and hating through association, but Lauren was always one who pushed that aside and couldn't care less what the fans thought. The argument and the true "mood" that she had shown outside the hotel just then was enough of a testament to show that Lauren lived her life for Lauren.

However, there was also a tiredness in her eyes and after a weekend getaway with the man she loved…that look shouldn't be there. This stuff with Tom and the hell that they had lived these past months was taking its toll in a heavy way, and it needed to be finished. There was undoubtedly going to be some flak and some heated arguments when everything fell apart. Tom was going to show a side of himself that she feared would be worse than anything they could ever imagine, but her prayers were that this could be settled quickly and for good. If everything went as planned, they should have no problem. One wrench thrown in and the whole foundation would be torn apart.

"I can't believe you attempted to watch the concert tonight, Lauren. You shouldn't have been out there and Justin shouldn't be on that stage. There's too much going on and there's too much evil around for things to go as scheduled."

Lauren picked up and hugged a teddy bear that one of the fans had left for Justin. "That's his escape and I can't take that away from him. I could have stopped him tonight and stopped the concert, but he needs to forget everything for a short while. Even if it's only for an hour and a half, he needs time to forget."

"JC told me that Justin called your father. How did that go?"

Lauren flopped back on the bed and groaned. "I thought my dad was going to reach through the phone and strangle both of us."

"It took a lot of guts for Justin to make that call. Not only is he bringing the law in, he's risking public attention that we all know this will bring…and it's your father he's dealing with. As far as guys go, they don't like leaning on people for help when it comes to the women they love. I don't know why but they see it as a failure on their part. I'm proud of Justin for this."

"Me too."

"It's not wrong for you to feel scared, Lauren."

She was quiet for a moment before answering quietly. "I know. Miranda, do you think there will ever be a time when we can be together without people trying to tear us apart? I knew what came with this before I began this relationship, but there won't always be people like Tom around, will there?"

"Tom is a unique case because…well I'll just say that Tom is really SPECIAL. You have enough to worry about right now so leave everything up to us and by morning things will look completely different. Tell me about your dad's plans so I can know what to expect."

She sat up on the bed and scooted back until she could lean against the headboard. "I've never heard that tone of voice out of my father before and I think he would have been here by now but he has court tomorrow morning. I know that he won't sleep tonight while he calls on his contacts and gets everything ready. Ever since last week he has been researching Tom and finding out things that he can nail the man on. This isn't just about the contract, Miranda. Tom is going to have so many things hit him at once that I'm not sure that we'll even be able to keep up."

"Your dad is going for everything, as he should."

"He'll be here tomorrow afternoon with the police with him I'm sure. I keep telling myself…this time tomorrow and it will all be over."

Miranda sat on the edge of the bed and smiled gently. "It will be and you can walk around here knowing that the only thing you have to worry about is what fan to scare next."

"Not funny." She giggled anyway and threw the teddy bear down. "What's going to happen tonight?"

"Well, that's the tough part. I think you and Justin were right when you said that getting him arrested or charged with the contract and any other thing your dad might come up with, might not be enough for Jive. Tom has a perfect record with the company, he's under contract, and they're not going to risk being sued. He works with the public, his whole job is based on trust from journalists and from the fans. If they don't trust him or won't take his word for things…his job useless and basically worthless. We need to tarnish his reputation. Ok, we need to tear it apart."

"That's what tonight is all about?"

Miranda nodded slowly and rubbed her forehead. "The guys secretly had that taped conversation between you and Tom, recorded and copied. It's ready to be shipped out to every journalist who is ready to listen and print it. JC and I wrote up a summary of what's on there and made it clear that you and Justin were victims of a man who should be fighting to protect both of you."

"Do you think people will question our relationship?"

"After the statements you both made to USA Today and the trip to New York City, I don't think anyone will doubt that you're a couple or that you love each other very much. The write-up is blunt and it does say that you were both a couple for show at first. Then it goes on to say that it was more of a show to keep Tom from hurting both of you. This will be one of the most pitiful stories to hit the music world in a long time, Lauren. Justin Timberlake and his soulmate were almost torn apart over greed and the craziness of a man whose quest for power got the best of him."

It sounded so clear and it made sense, but there were still fears inside of her that questioned it. "Jive will take him away from N SYNC."

"Mr. Stephens was called, the CEO of the entire record company is arriving tomorrow afternoon, and they will see firsthand that one of their treasures is being abused by a man who should be fired. They'll see the truth, Lauren. They'll see as well as I do that Tom has lost every bit of respect that he might have had, especially when the tape hits the mainstream, and they will have no choice but to fire him."

"Not transfer him?"

"There will be no transfers. Tom's job as a PR will be finished. No other company will hire him because his word will be just as bad as if he was here with Jive. We're about to take away everything he's ever worked for, and everything he's ever dreamed of."

"Tonight?"

Miranda had gone over the details for what they were about to do, and the more she looked at them, the more they worried her. "Justin and JC are going to go to Tom, Justin is going to do his best to piss the man off…shouldn't be hard. Anyway, Justin is going to argue and get him riled up. I have the papers he needs to sign to release that conversation that would make it legal, and hopefully he will sign them without questioning what he's signing. It's up to Justin to make Tom irrational and beyond thought."

"If he looks at the papers or questions them…"

"I'm not going to lie to you. If he figures this out, we're stuck. If he reads them over or realizes what we're doing then he won't sign them and he will also know that you taped him illegally. That could be a very bad thing, Lauren."

"I didn't know I taped him that day. It wasn't something I planned."

"I know you didn't, but the law won't see it that way. He will have something against you and he will use it the best way he can. We don't want to give him that opportunity. We don't want to give him ANY opportunity to fight back."

She watched Miranda as she searched in her pockets for something. "What are you doing?"

"You're not going to like this but I promised Justin that I would do it. Take these."

She stared down at the two pills in her hand and questioned. "What are these for?"

"Justin knew that you would be upset and that you need some sleep. WHY someone who was gone away for two days would need sleep is BEYOND me." She gave a knowing smile and coughed. "I'm going to ignore that for now and just move on. Take the pills and when you wake up tomorrow…it will be a brighter day."

"You expect me to sleep while you guys are out there handling all of this? I'm supposed to sleep while Justin is picking a fight with a man who hates his guts?"

"I'm beginning to understand Justin's reasons behind these pills. You can either sit here miserably and pace a path in the carpet, or you can get some rest and be your best for tomorrow when you'll need that energy and strength the most. It's up to you. I'm not going to shove them down your throat."

Lauren walked over to the sink, gave the pills one last look, and swallowed them. "For the record, I am doing this under protest."

"I'll write that down when I get a chance. I think it's sweet that he wants to reassure you and protect you while he handles this. In a way, it's rather sexy."

"Back off, Miranda."

"Weren't you the one who said that JC was like eating ice cream without a spoon? I didn't freak over that. I'm just stunned that Justin could be this thoughtful. If he's not careful, I might actually start to appreciate him a little bit more."

"I'm going to take a quick shower and then go to bed."

Miranda handed her one of her bags and walked to the door. "Don't be too long because you don't want to fall asleep in the shower. I'm going to tell Anthony to stay at this door and not to leave for any reason. I'm also going to send down another guard when they all get here."

She stared at herself in the mirror and didn't like the lost girl who stared back at her. "Miranda?"

She paused at the door and gave Lauren a reassuring yet determined look. "I'll take care of him, Lauren. I promise that he'll be fine. Get some sleep."

The pills were already starting to make her feel a bit woozy and she wasn't sure if it was just mental tiredness taking over or if it was the drugs in her system. Either way she was starting to shut down and still she fought the demons inside of her that refused to let her trust people. She was being asked to trust people with the most precious thing in her life, and that wasn't something that came easily. In fact, she couldn't get over the feeling that this wasn't as picture perfect as they hoped it would be.

(A few hours later)

The elevator doors opened and Mike stumbled out with Justin falling out right behind him. He slapped at hands that reached for him and he had to physically pry away the fingers that were clutching his shirt. "Dammit, Chris! LET GO OF ME!"

"I'm telling you that I saw them! Lance, grab his arms!"

Mike let go and Justin fell down to his knees a split second before Chris and Lance jumped on top of him. The pile rolled over and over as Chris fought to remove clothes, Lance struggled to hold him down, and Justin tried to preserve his modesty while getting the hell out of there.

"Are you going to let them pull me apart like this, Mike? HELP!"

Mike leaned against the wall and gave Joey a lazy look. "Did you hear something?"

"Not a thing."

Justin tried to crawl out of the pile on his stomach, but Chris and Lance grabbed his ankles and dragged him back. "I'm going to have carpet burn on my chest if you don't stop! I'm not playing around!"

"That was a good coverup JuJu, but I'm getting my five dollars. Roll him over, Lance."

"I'm trying but he's all arms and legs. If you'd stop sitting on his legs then I could get a better angle."

"OW! That's my arm! Chris, get off of my damn arm before you break it."

"I will find me some scratches. The boy has been violently shoved into manhood and I want this memory to take with me always. Stop fighting, Justin. You're making it worse, so just roll over, let us see the marks, and we'll leave you alone."

For some reason, Justin didn't buy that at all. "If you don't get off of me and stop trying to rip my clothes off, I'm going to do more than give you a few scratches. STOP!"

The elevator doors opened beside them and JC stepped out. He froze with his hand in his hair and gave them a strange look. "Did I somehow miss the memo for the hallway gang rape?"

Mike chuckled and his eyes widened when Justin pushed Chris off, but Chris jumped right back on top of him. "This is better than WWF."

"I think Chris is a little obsessed over five dollars. It won't even get you a supersized combo at Wendy's."

Chris laughed when Justin tried to bite him and struggled with keeping his shirt down. "I'd do this for FREE. Come on baby, show me the money marks!"

"You'd think he'd be used to this rough stuff after dealing with Miss Hellcat all weekend."

"Maybe that's why he's so good at fighting. Lance, you're not helping here. You're from Mississippi. Look at him like a big pig you want to tie down. ROPE EM BOY!"

Justin growled and kicked violently at them. "Ok that's it!"

They all watched as Lance was pushed away and Justin rolled over until he had Chris pinned down. Mike sighed and walked over to grab Justin by the shoulders and pull him away. "Fun is over. You in this corner, Chris in the other."

Justin's look was one of horror and disbelief. "You're pulling ME away? What is THAT about?"

Chris hopped up and bounced in place while Joey brushed him off. "I could have taken him man. Just one more second and I could have taken him."

"Just get yourself ready for the next round. We'll win this fight. Be the victory, be the victory."

Mike dragged him away from the pack towards his room and Justin shrugged his hands off when they reached the door. "I really can't stand you."

"You say that now but I'll remember those words when Molly from Shreveport tries to grab more than your shirt. How is everything, Anthony?"

Anthony looked dazed and completely lost as to what kind of maniacs were on this tour. "Everything has been pretty quiet. Lauren is inside and Miranda said that she was taking a shower and going to bed."

Justin opened the door and stopped to look back. "Have you seen Tom around?"

"He went to his room about twenty minutes ago but he hasn't come out."

"Perfect. Mike, I'm going to need you in about fifteen minutes so make sure that Tom goes nowhere. Also, tell JC to grab Miranda."

"Would you like anything else or should I start working on the cotton in the back field now?"

Justin rolled his eyes and closed the door in his face. "I tell you what, no respect whatsoever around here."

The room was dark except for one dim lamp that burned above the mirror in the bedroom. He quietly walked in, put his bag down on a chair, and looked over at the bed. Her sleeping form underneath the sheets made his heart swell and his palms sweat in a way that he still didn't completely understand yet. Drugging her wasn't something he had taken lightly and he hated to do it, but it was necessary. She was so wound up from everything that had gone on and it had taken a lot for her to tell him what Harrison had told her on the phone.

That phone conversation and the information that Harrison had given was enough to make his own breath catch even now. At some point there had to be something that was good news or something that would be easy to handle, but so far everything had gotten worse and worse. The more they learned about Tom, the more they realized how horrible of a thing they were up against. It was almost too much to believe. The things that he had done in his past, matched with the things he was doing in the present, made it a reality that he was the monster they all believed him to be.

He kneeled down beside the bed and gently pushed back a strand of hair that was tickling the side of her face. She unconsciously snuggled deeper into the covers and sighed softly. The movement, the trust and the simplicity of it made him smile and lean forward to kiss her relaxed lips. He pulled back a slight bit and his eyes roamed over every freckle, every line, every angle, and every shade on her smooth skin.

"I love to look into your beautiful eyes, and I love the way I fall into them. I love it when you hold my hand, and I love having the courage to grab and hold yours. I love rediscovering how beautiful you are each time I see you, and I love realizing how beautiful you make me feel inside. I love wanting so badly to kiss you, and I love the way you want to take things slow."

His hand ran along her side and he smiled when she mumbled something angrily. "I love to tease and torment you, and I love it when you tease and torment me. I love it when you touch me, and I love to touch you. I love the fact that you love me…so deep…so true."

There was a quiet sniffle and Justin turned to see Miranda standing at the open connecting door. He tucked the covers in around Lauren and walked over to the desk to put his wallet, his keys, and any other thing that could be used as a weapon. "I was just about to come find you."

"I could tell."

He did everything he could to avoid looking at her while his face was burning as hot as it was then. "Are you ready to get this over with? Thank you for giving her the pills and for not questioning me about it."

"I understood your reasons and I have to say that I agree with them. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. JC is in here stalling like a pro so you might want to take him by the hand and drag him down to Tom's room."

Justin turned off the light and gave Lauren one last look before walking into Miranda's room and closing the connecting door. She kept staring at him and he kept avoiding her eyes. "I know you're staring at me and you can stop it."

"Did you write that?"

"Did I write what?"

"Oh come on. You really only have one direction to go with my opinion of you, and that's up. Did you write the poem you were saying to Lauren just then?"

He laughed nervously and walked towards the bathroom door when JC opened it. "You're being nosey, Miranda. And uh…it was something we used to say at school."

She snickered and covered her smile with a hand. "Oh yeah! Pardon me if I can't picture you all skipping rope to that little ditty."

"It was something I read somewhere, ok? Damn you need to stop being so nosey."

"Miranda is being nosey? She's never nosey. What's the word you like to use, sweetheart?"

"Inquisitive, you jackass." She put her hands on her hips and glared playfully.

"I don't remember the jackass part, but Miranda is INQUISITIVE. Know what that means?"

Justin pulled him out of the bathroom and into the room. "It means that she's ignorant to herself and that she's been looking through a thesaurus too much. Can we go?"

"You're not actually going to walk out of here with me and Miranda trailing behind, are you? I think you probably need to stagger it a little so it doesn't seem like we're going in for war."

He looked between the pair and sighed. "Isn't that what we're doing? This should take all of ten minutes and then we can go on our merry way. I'll leave with JC. Miranda, you can come and interrupt in about ten minutes. How's that?"

"Are you sure I should wait so long? I have the feeling that you'll do the job the moment you walk in the room."

JC slid up beside Miranda, wrapped his arm around her waist, and bent her over in a long and dramatic kiss. Justin's foot tapped against the carpet and he checked his watch while the kiss continued. "I'm ready. Hello? You two have to breathe some time. Let's go please. JC!"

JC pulled back and an evil grin slid across his face as he watched Miranda compose herself. "I like it when you use the big words."

She chewed on her lip for a moment and then whispered. "I like it when you use…"

"OKAY WOAH that's enough info, but thanks! JC, you and I need to go now. Buh-bye, Miranda."

Justin literally pulled JC into the hallway and they slowly made their way towards Tom's room. Mike stepped in beside them as they passed and Justin felt a little bit better knowing that he was there. Of course, he wasn't sure if he could rely on him stepping in since Mike had been trying to prove a point lately, but at least he was there to dial 911 if necessary.

They all looked between each other a few times before Justin raised his hand and knocked. There was nothing but silence for a while, so he knocked again. On the third knock, the door flew open and Tom stood there with a bright smile on his face.

"Hey guys! What brings you here?"

Justin didn't like the smile, didn't like the cheerfulness, and he especially didn't like the vibe he was getting. "Do you mind if I come inside for a few minutes? I need to talk to you about the press."

Tom opened the door wider and let both guys in. "Are you having a problem too, JC?"

"I'm uh…not really but…um…"

Justin gave him a hard look and turned to Tom. "JC is here so nothing can be taken out of context. A witness of sorts."

"I'm not quite sure I understand why you would need a chaperone to talk to me about the press. By the way, how was your little mini vacation? Good to have you back and in one piece. I hear that New York is beautiful this time of year."

"We've entered the friggin' Twilight Zone."

Justin shook JC's hand off of his shoulder and coughed to cover his whisper. "The trip was great, the weather was wonderful, and what's better than spending time with the girl you love? Hmm?"

Surprisingly there was no reaction from Tom. "Good to hear it. Spring is the time for love. Isn't that what they always say?"

Since this wasn't working, Justin went another route. "What they say is absolutely right. Spring definitely was the time for love…in New York. Lauren and I haven't been away together in a really long time and I found it relaxing and…well…"

JC turned his back to Tom and sang softly into Justin's shoulder. "I kneeeww iiiiit"

His teeth were clinched as he sang back. "Shuuuuut uuuuuup."

"Did you come here to talk about your trip or is there really something I can help you with?"

"How about we cut the crap, Tom. I heard all about the way you acted while we were gone, and you're not fooling anyone by standing here and acting like it was a third grade field trip. I want to know why you let the papers publish our trip and where we were hiding out if you KNEW we were there with no security."

"Pretty simple thing, Justin. I didn't know where you were so I had no way of stopping it. Maybe if you would have informed me or someone of your whereabouts, I could have done my job more effectively."

It wasn't anger, but Justin could hear a small twinge of bitterness breaking through. "I shouldn't have to tell you my every movement just so you can get your job done right. You have the big college degree and you've been hired to keep our images clean. It's YOUR JOB to stop these things before they begin and you didn't. Now there are rumors flying everywhere and I don't like the fact that Lauren is being talked about as some sex mistress who I happen to be tinkering with at the moment."

Tom crossed his arms over his chest and pondered that for a moment. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that exactly what you two were doing? I mean, how many nineteen year olds go off for a weekend alone together unless it's for something that they couldn't find the privacy for on the tour or at home? Those are assumptions that people are going to make and you're just going to have to handle it, Justin. That's how most people are."

Justin leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "You're not fighting this because it kills you to know that we bested you. It kills you to know that we're actually happy together, and you think that these new rumors are going to pull us apart. Don't get your hopes up because it's NOT going to happen. They can pull her through the mud all they want, but I'm not going to lose her."

"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than anyone else."

It was all a bunch of lies because so far nobody had tarnished Lauren's name. In fact, most newspapers and magazines had used the trip as an affirmation that their love for each other was true. However, it was a way to get Tom going and Justin was going to use it to his advantage.

"I know without a doubt that she's loyal to me and that no bad press is going to scare her away like you've tried to do with other people in the past."

Tom looked over at JC and grinned when he saw his eyes blazing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Justin turned away and back again a few times. "Do NOT give that innocent routine. Did you run out of material so now you're going to let the press eat Lauren alive? Do you honestly think that it's going to scare her away from me? You tried this before, it worked before, but this isn't the same thing. THIS is deeper."

"Good for you."

He was still too calm, and Justin had to go for what he knew would stun him the most. "She's not weak, she's not cautious, she's not going to run from your ploys and your games." He lowered his voice and finished quietly. "She's not another Carrie."

Both of them watched as Tom's eyes narrowed, his muscles tensed, and the hatred they had all heard about finally broke free and showed in his eyes. "What…did…you…say?"

"Me? I said that Lauren isn't another Kara. You know, the girl you ran away from JC because you could? You're nothing but a sick and pathetic man who can't stand to let anyone have healthy relationships because…"

"That's not what you said, Justin."

Justin took a step forward and JC held his arm out to stop him. "Not worth it."

"That's exactly what I said. What's the matter? You don't like hearing about your past victories? It doesn't keep you warm at night to know that you split up two people who cared about each other and you almost destroyed their lives in the process? Oh come on, surely you love talking about it as much as you love thinking about it and recreating it."

"That is NOT what you said."

Justin grinned wickedly and shrugged. "Must have been a slip of the tongue. You know how that can happen sometimes."

The door opened and Miranda strolled in with her clipboard and a pen. She looked between the two men who were almost nose to nose, and then over at JC who was standing by looking very angry himself. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Not at all. Justin and JC were just sharing a little tale of woe. You know how dramatic they tend to get."

She had prepared herself for seeing Justin's anger, but it worried her that JC looked so upset. "Um…well I just need a second of your time. I have the papers you wanted so the official statement about Justin and Lauren's weekend could be sent off. People are chomping at the bit to know why they were alone together and…"

Tom held up a hand and narrowed his eyes at Justin. "Speaking of being alone together. Tell me Justin, should I have Miranda edit the statement and add a part about mistakes or were you two careful?"

Having him question that way and in that tone of voice, made Justin want to shelter every good and precious moment about the weekend from Tom's evil hands. "Oh I get it. You're talking SAFETY. Well, Lauren was kind of against it at first, but a pregnancy isn't what we really need right now, right? Is that sharing too much info?"

Miranda took a step towards JC when she saw Tom's reaction to those words. "I think what we have here is fine. I can't send it off without your agreement, Tom. Your name is stated and therefore we need the necessary signatures."

"NOT NOW! Go find a fan to bother or something."

She needed the release signed and she needed it signed now so they could go ahead and get the ball rolling. If it slipped out before a release was signed then Lauren would be held legally responsible. "Fine! If you want to battle this for months and months while everyone guesses and predicts what happened during their tongue tournament this weekend…be my guest."

Justin's jaw dropped and JC turned away to hide his smile. "Miranda!"

"WHAT? You know they're just drooling at the chance to come up with new rumors and crap about you two. But I'm going to turn off my cell phone, take up a few weeks of my vacation time that's long overdue, and then I'm…"

Tom sighed loudly and pushed Justin out of the way to reach for the clipboard. "Give me the damn thing and shut up. You're not going on vacation to leave me with all of this. Do you understand me, Miranda? You're going to deal with this just as much as I am because YOU could have told me a long time ago where they were. None of this would have been necessary then!"

She held the papers where he could only see the line to sign and held her breath with anticipation as he grabbed the pen and put it to the paper. After his name was signed and the form was dated, she flipped through a few more papers and held it up for him to sign again. "It's just a…a duplicate thing. Jive doesn't want members of the board quoted without being damn sure that they wanted to be."

He stared at her and they all thought that he was going to back out of that one, but finally he signed and pushed the clipboard back at her. "Thank you SO MUCH for the interruption, Miss Hill."

She smiled and turned away from him to walk to the door, and couldn't resist winking at both JC and Justin as she passed them. "Oh thank YOU, Mr. Williams."

When the door closed behind her, Tom sneered at Justin. "Did you come here to start something? Let me save you the trouble, it's not going to happen. YOU were the one who screwed up and now I'm the one who is going to have to cover it. If you want Lauren, then you have her, but don't flash her around like some piece of trash that you picked up off the street one day. At least give her that much respect and yourself as well. Now both of you get out of my room."

The words and the way he said them gave Justin the feeling that Tom was the scorned one here. It almost felt like he had stolen someone's girlfriend and was now confronting the forlorn ex-lover. "I'm finished here anyway. Make sure that statement is something we all want to read."

"I do my job, Justin. I do it, and then some. You'll see."

JC pulled on Justin's arm and they both walked out into the hallway where Mike was waiting. "I didn't hear any screams."

"He's not worth the energy it would take to make him scream."

JC waited until they were down the hall before questioning. "Was it just me or did it seem like there was a competition going on in there?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this is insane and too crazy to be true, but the vibe I was getting from the way he talked, it was almost like you had stolen Lauren. Stolen her from him."

"You felt that too?"

They walked into JC's room and Miranda stood at the table with a pen in her hand. "I need both of you to sign this as witnesses. Make sure you date it April twelfth and sign where it's CLEARLY legible. We don't want Lauren taking the fall because of sloppy paperwork."

"Can I just interrupt for a second and ask why the date is April twelfth?"

"That's the day the conversation was made. Tom was at Johnny's house that day before he went to his office and had that infamous chat with Lauren. We were all there to witness that he agreed to waving all rights where taped conversations are concerned. Because, like he said, he has nothing to hide."

Justin finished signing his name and stepped back with a confused look on his face. "I'm sorry, but I just don't think that fits. WHY would he agree for her to tape a conversation that is going to damage him?"

"He didn't sign it for Lauren's benefit, he signed it because there was a meeting later that day with the heads of Jive and he knew that it would be recorded. That was his whole reason for going back to the office that day. He had the meeting with them and he scheduled one with Lauren as well."

"Call me dumb, but it still doesn't fit."

She took the paper away from JC and held it up. "He should have learned the lesson he was trying to teach Lauren. Never sign anything without reading it. We were supposed to have him sign the Jive release, but oops, by mistake he signed this Lauren one, the one that he told us to forget about because he would NEVER sign it. It's horrible how things like that happen when we're lost in the heat of the moment. Papers get shuffled and the wrong things get signed. OOPSIE."

The light clicked on and Justin shook his head in marvel. "She's prime evil."

"Don't you love it?" JC grabbed her and kissed up and down her neck while she laughed and tried to push him away.

"Now what?"

"Now we wait until tomorrow when I let that conversation hit the mainstream media…around two or so. That will give them time to spread the word and it won't have hit Tom by the time Lauren's father gets here. You go get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very eventful day."

Justin walked over to Miranda and pulled her slight frame into his arms. It took her a second, but finally she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. "Thank you, Miranda. You have saved our lives here."

"Don't jinx it, but it was more than my pleasure. By the way, are you really this firm or is JC really as skinny as Lauren tries to say he is? Daayum, JC. Come feel this. It's like he's a cement pole!"

Justin laughed and left the two arguing playfully about JC's manliness. They were quite a pair and he didn't know how long it would take for him to repay them, but one day he would. One day he would find a way to show them how much they had brought to his life this day.

Lauren was still sleeping deeply as he changed out of his clothes and into something to sleep in. He pulled the covers back and slid in beside her. The warmth of her body hit him and he inhaled sharply at the almost painful pleasure he felt at that moment. It was more serenity than anything else. She made him feel like a hero and a warrior all at once, and all she was doing was sleeping.

When he snuggled up close to her to get settled and warm, she turned in his arms and rested her head underneath his chin. "Justin?"

He worked on pulling the covers in around them and finally rested his head against the pillow again. "Yeah it's me, sweetie. Go back to sleep."

"Everything is over already? What time is it?"

"Shhh…everything is fine and we're good to go for tomorrow. Let's get some sleep, Val."

She snuggled closer and her arm went around his waist comfortably. "Tomorrow."

His eyes slowly closed and he was already half asleep by the time he whispered. "Tomorrow."