"Hey, Tyler? Is JC around? I need to talk to him, I need him to bring me that airline guide that he has when you all come over tomorrow," Joey said absentmindedly into the phone. He knew that the Chasezs were in town for Christmas, and that they would be coming over for dinner the following night.

"Uh – sorry Joey. I'm afraid I can't do that," Tyler replied, sounding just a bit miffed. "He's not here."

"No problem, Ty. Just tell him to give me a call later when he's in," Joey said, ready to hang up the phone.

"Joey, I mean he's not here, as in not anywhere in the state of Florida," Tyler expanded on his statement.

"Ty, it's Christmas Day! Your entire family is staying at his house, where the hell is he?!" Joey blurted out, totally confused.

"He said he needed to go somewhere, to deliver a Christmas present, promised he'd be back by tonight. Needless to say, Mom and Dad are pissed about this," Tyler summarized for Joey.

"Thanks Ty. I'll try him again tonight then," Joey said, clicking the off button on his cell phone. Where the hell was JC? Leaving his family on Christmas Eve to deliver a present? Out of state? Joey had a hunch, and he clicked the ON button on his cell phone once again and started dialing.

"Bass residence," Stacy answered the phone in her usual way.

"Hey there Stacy, it's Joey Fatone. Can I speak to my buddy please?" Joey asked.

"Oh howdy Joseph! Merry Christmas to y'all down there!" Stacy said cheerfully.

"Merry Christmas Stace. Now, can I talk to my business partner there? I need to find out about some things on the schedule for next week." Joey said again, purposely not using a name.

"Which one do you want to talk to?" Stacy asked. She could almost see the smile on Joey's face.

"Thanks Stacy. That's what I needed to know," Joey answered. "Can you tell one of them that he better get his ass back to Orlando as soon as possible, that his parents are mightily ticked off that he up and left like that?"

"No problem, Joey. Although I think that it may take one of your business partners a bit longer to get out of here than he had first intended." Stacy answered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Why are you here?"

"To give you a Christmas present."

"You shouldn't have come."

"I wanted to come. I needed to come."

"You should be with your family. It's Christmas."

"I wanted to be with you."

"Where were you with my mom this morning?"

"Out."

"She shouldn’t have told you."

"I needed to know. I needed to understand."

"I can't do this. Not yet. Maybe not ever."

"I know, but I can wait. I'll wait till you can."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Joey almost dragged JC out of the car the minute he saw the Chasezs pull up into the Fatone driveway. Hustling his friend into his own room upstairs, Joey literally salivated with anticipation.

"Well?" He asked as he saw JC deposit himself onto the bed.

"Well what?" JC said coyly. "Oh, by the way, Merry Christmas, Fatone."

"What happened? How did it go?" Joey asked again.

"How did what go?" JC answered, trying to keep a straight face.

"Dammit, Chasez! Am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Joey asked, his voice rising. "How did your fucking Mississippi rendezvous go?!"

"Who said I was in Clinton?" JC asked, realizing a second too late his mistake.

"I never said Clinton, I said Mississippi." Joey countered.

"I just delivered a gift, that's all," JC answered.

"So? How did he take it?" Joey asked, making a little bit of progress.

"How do you know it was a gift for him?" JC countered.

"Because Stacy is engaged and Ford would beat the crap out of your skinny little behind if you ever made a move on his fiancée." Joey said simply.

"Alright, alright. It wasn't anything big, I just gave him a Christmas present, that's all," JC admitted.

"And? How did he take it?" Joey pushed.

"He took it with both hands, like this," JC said, demonstrating by reaching out with both his left and right hands. Having had enough of JC's wise-ass mood for one day, Joey pounced on his friend and proceeded to pin him down as he tickled the older man to death, or so it seemed. "Okay! Okay! UNCLE! UNCLE!"

"Had enough?" Joey asked as he held JC down.

"Yes! YES! I promise, no more wise cracks from me," JC laughed, holding onto his stomach as tears ran down his face.

"So … how did he take it?" Joey asked again.

"It's complicated, Joe." JC sighed. "He's not ready yet. And he may never be ready."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Am I ready, Jess?"

"You know you are, Jimmy."

"I don't want to find out."

"Yes, you do, Jimmy. You deserve to be happy."

"It's going to hurt, Jess. It's going to hurt too much."

"You don’t know that, Jimmy. You have to try. He deserves a chance."

"I can't. I can't. It's too much, too fast. I don't want it."

"Give it time, Jimmy. Give it time."