Izzy was released from the hospital a couple days later. Lucy and Gina stayed with her while the guys regrettably went back on the tour. Though their presence was never really far away. The guys sent her flowers and get well gifts everyday that she was there. She really appreciated the gesture and it made her want to get back to them even more. She joined back up with them happily with everything back in place once again.
“Joey-bear, I’m back!” She sang as she made her way over to him,
“Izzy-bell!” He shouted and ran over to her, totally ignoring the person he had been talking too. He brought her up into a huge bear hug,
“Ouch, watch the tightness, I’m still a little sore from everything.” Joey immediately let go.
“Oh, sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She looked around at all the bustling people, “So, what do you need me to do?” He pulled her gently to the side and made her sit down,
“I need to have a little chat with you.”
“Okay, what’s up?”
“I’m firing you.”
“WHAT!?”
“Calm down, Iz, it’s not like that. I just thought that you would like the last few weeks off to just hang around and be with us. You need to rest and get your strength back up. I want you to take it easy and just enjoy being on tour and the perks of knowing Nsync.”
“Perks? There are perks? I’ve known you since you’ve began and I’m just getting the perks of knowing you guys? Boy do I feel shafted.” She muttered and Joey laughed,
“Hey now, I’m trying to be nice. So you okay with taking the last few weeks off before you head back to school?” Izzy stared at Joey and gasped, she had totally forgotten about Africa. She wasn’t going to school, she was going to Africa. “Izzy, what’s wrong?” Joey asked immediately becoming worried. Izzy covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head,
“Oh Joey I’ve made a big mistake, a huge mistake. Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God.”
“What did you do? What’s wrong?” She looked up at Joey with tears in her eyes,
“I’m not going back to school.” She whispered,
“What do you mean you’re not going back to school? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Africa.”
“Excuse me? I thought that you weren’t going! I thought that you told them no!”
“I didn’t tell them anything, until the other day before my accident.”
“Explain.”
“I thought that everyone was going to hate me and that I was going to make everyone’s life a complete mess. So I just wanted to disappear. I called up my advisor and..” She trailed off.
“So, tell her you’ve changed your mind. That you want to stay now.”
“I can’t, she’s already over there for the next couple of weeks. I won’t be able to reach her till I meet up with her when I fly over there. I can’t back out, I have to go.”
“Have to go where?” JC said when he popped over to the duo. He immediately pulled Izzy into his arms and sat down with her in his lap. He snuggled her neck, “I’ve missed you, baby. I’m so glad that you’re back.” Izzy was quiet as she watched Joey’s reaction. JC noticed the quietness and looked between the pair, “Okay, what’s going on?” He asked and Joey swallowed,
“You’re really going?” He asked ignoring JC’s question,
“I have to, I have no choice.”
“You always say that everyone has a choice.”
“Guys.” JC said, tired of being ignored, “What’s going on?” Izzy looked at him as if she just realized that he was there,
“I, uh, I’m-” She closed her eyes and hugged him tightly, “I’m so sorry.” She whispered into his neck.
“What are you sorry about? What is going on? Please talk to me.” He pleaded and Joey roughly got up,
“I’ll be over there when you’re done Iz.” He said gruffly and stalked off. He felt Izzy sighed against him and he rubbed her back, “Baby, please tell me what’s wrong.” She lifted her head and brushed a lock of hair off his forehead,
“I’m going to Africa.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You told them no, how can you be going?”
“I never told them either way. Then when everything went down with you, me and Joey, I decided that me not being around for a long time would be a good thing. So I called up my advisor, told her my story and said that I was going.”
“No, you can’t go. Tell her that you’ve changed your mind.”
“I can’t because I can’t reach her. The next time I reach her will be when I fly out to meet her.”
“So you’re going?”
“I have no choice.”
“Bell, please stay with me.”
“Oh, Josh, I want to with all my heart but I just can’t. It’s out of my hands now.”
“So when do you officially leave?” JC asked looking down into his lap,
“The letter said that I should leave by August 6th the latest.” She said softly remembering her advisor’s instructions
“Great, “ He muttered, “Happy Birthday to me.”
“Your birthday’s on the 8th, right?”
“Yeah, so, it won’t be worth celebrating if you’re not there.”
“Josh, stop this infernal pouting.”
“My girlfriend is moving to Africa for two years, two days before my birthday. I think I’m allowed some poutage.”
“Is poutage a word?” She asked playfully and JC didn’t say anything. Izzy nuzzled his neck,
“Josh, we spent the first part if our relationship mad at each other. I don’t want to spend the time we have left together fighting. We should spend the time enjoying each other. Making wonderful memories that we can carry with us when we’re apart.” She finished quietly,
“I just don’t understand why you’re not as upset as I am about this.”
“I am upset, it just that I know you’re hurting and so is Joey. It’s all my fault that you’re both miserable.” She said choking back tears, “But if I’m miserable as well then it’ll make things ten times worse.” She started sobbing and JC held her tightly, “I’m so torn, I don’t want to leave you but I don’t have a choice. I can’t just leave my advisor with out a team member. It’s not fair to her that I changed my mind.”
“Then go to Africa, I’ll be here waiting for you when you get back.”
“You don’t have to wait for me. Two years is long time to wait. People change, things change, feelings change…”
“Shh, everything will work out in the end, I promise you. Fate has a funny was of working. It brought us back together after six years, why not two more?” Izzy lifted her head and looked at JC. He slowly wiped away the tears that found their way down her cheeks,
“I can’t believe I have to leave you. This is such a typical Izzy moment. I finally find a guy who’s like my perfect fit and I have to move to another continent. How stupidly ironic.”
“Like I said, I waited six years for you and I can wait two more.”
“You need to stop being so sweet.” She kissed him lightly, “God I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.” He pushed hair out of her face, “You’re staying with me tonight, right?”
“Try and stop me.” She hugged him, “I should go and talk to Joey. I probably won’t get to for the next couple of days because of the whole MTV thing and your release party coming up. Did I tell you that he fired me?”
“You didn’t tell me but Joey told me he was planning on it. I couldn’t agree with him more, especially now.”
“Why because I need more bed rest or you’ll get to spend more time with me?”
“How about I get to spend more time with you in bed? You know kill two birds with one stone.” She smiled and kissed him again,
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Now go talk to Joey and make sure he’s okay.”
“Yes, sir.” She joked saluting him and hopped off his lap.
It didn’t take long to find Joey, he was sitting with his arms crossed staring, make that glaring out into space. Izzy cautiously approached him,
“Joey?”
“What?” He snapped and she recoiled a bit,
“I wanted to talk to you.” She said softly,
“Fine talk. Not going to do much good, you’re leaving for two years.”
“I’m sorry, please don’t do this to me. I made a mistake, I’m human.”
“Did you even realize what you were doing when you called your advisor?” He turned to look at her, “You were leaving, with out telling me and with our child. You weren’t even going to let me be a part of it’s life. Not only was I going to lose YOU but my child.”
“I thought it would make everything easier on everyone-“
“Why would you ever think that life without you is easier on me?” She shrugged,
“No me, no baby, you go on with your life stress free.”
“Yeah right. I would worry myself sick over you because I would sit here and wonder how you were doing, if you were okay, if you needed me. Just because you leave, doesn’t mean that you leave my heart. You mean so much to me, you’re my best friend. We’ve been through so much together and no matter how much I try I can’t get you to stay with me.”
“I’ll be back in two years.” She said softly,
“For how long Izzy? Things will get tough and you’ll go running with your tail between your legs again, away from everyone who can help you, who cares about you.”
“I’m really sorry about all this, I can’t be anyone but who I am, I’m not perfect and I never claimed to be.” Joey turned away from her crossing his arms again,
“Whatever, I’m never gonna get through to you.” He grumbled,
“You know I hate it when you’re upset, especially if it’s my fault. I already said that I was sorry.” She sighed, “I only have one choice left, I’m gonna sing the song.”
“Izzy I’m not in the mood.” Joey grumped,
“Which is exactly why I’m gonna sing it. Although if you cheer up now I won’t.” Joey kept his back to her, “Alright don’t say that I didn’t warn you.” She stepped over in front of him,
“Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Why don't you and I combi-ine?” Izzy sang as she did a little dance in front of Joey. The only thing was, with each line she became louder and louder,
"Let's get together, what do you say?
We can have a swinging ti-ime.”
“Izzy.” Joey groaned, covering his face with his hand. Izzy was persistent,
"We'd be a cra-a-a-zy team.
Why don't we ma-a-ake the scene? Together."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh,
Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah.” Izzy pulled at Joey’s hands as people were beginning to stop and stare at them. It was working though, Joey was having a hard time keeping the smile off his face
“Think of all that we could sha-are.
Let's get together, everyday.
Every way and everywhe-ere.” Izzy had pulled him to his feet and was dancing with him now. Joey gave up and joined in singing with her,
“And though we haven't got a lot,
We could be sharing all we've got. Together.” Joey twirled her out and sang,
"Oh! I really think you're swell." Izzy picked up the next line,
"Uh huh! We really ring the bell." Joey pulled her back to him,
"Ooo wee! And if you stick with me," Izzy sang loudly before they both sang the chorus,
"Nothing could be greater, say, hey alligator!” They were both dancing around singing at the top of their lungs oblivious to the crowd of onlookers that had stopped everything to watch the pair.
"Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Two is twice as nice as one-e.
Let's get together, right away.
We'll be having twice the fu-un.
And you can always count on me.
A gruesome twosome we will be.
Let’s get together, yeah, yeah, yeah!” The two collapsed on the ground in laughter. Joey pulled Izzy into a hug and ruffled her hair playfully,
“Princess, I’m sure gonna miss you.”
“I’m gonna miss you too, Joey-bear.”
“You better not forget about any of us.”
“How could I forget about all of you. Y’all probably stalk me if I did.” She laughed,
“You better believe it.”
“Good.”