Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 00:03:26 +0000
From: Angel1313@att.net
Subject: Devotion ch.28

Devotion
Chapter Twenty-Eight:
The Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with *NSYNC or any of the other people
mentioned in this story. I don't know if they're gay, but there's always a
possibility! Okay, I don't usually do this, but you *have* to check out
Dayse's "The Sound of Your Voice." It's about Joey and JC, and I usually
don't read stories if they're not about Josh and Just. That's how good it
was. It's hauntingly beautiful and wonderfully depressing. You've got to
check it out!

Oh, and to Dara Lynn: here it is, so you'd better get that next "Interlude"
out!! Not sure if Josh really "fixed things," though... =P

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Chapter Twenty-Eight:
The Eye of the Storm

	"C'mon, guys, we gotta go!" Lance called to the rest of the group
traveling with *NSYNC to the Video Music Awards. "We have to get there in
time to do a couple interviews."
	"Which limo is everyone supposed to be in?" Mrs. Harliss questioned
the Mississippian.
	"The first limo will take the ladies. You'll be slipping in the
back way so we can make our way through the press and fans. The second will
be *NSYNC, okay? Everyone got that?" Lance replied, taking charge, as
usual.
	With that, the ten people quickly made their way out of the hotel
lobby and into the awaiting limos, which took off in different
directions. Inside the limo containing the members of *NSYNC, JC and Lance
were making small talk while Chris and Joey joked about the night to
come. Justin sat in silence, staring blankly out the window. He wasn't even
sitting next to JC, who had elected to take a seat between Chris and Lance.
	"Hey, you all right, Curly?" Chris suddenly asked, looking at the
teen with concern. "I mean, our chances of winning aren't *that* bad."
	Joey, Lance, and JC laughed, but Justin didn't even crack a
smile. "Okay," Lance began, immediately turning serious. "What's wrong,
Justin? What can we do to help?"
	Sighing, the nineteen year-old turned back to the window and
mumbled, "Nothing. I'm fine."
	The other four men exchanged knowing glances. Something was
definitely wrong, and it was up to them to fix it by the time they got to
the VMAs.
	Positive that he knew what was bothering the younger man, JC got up
and took a seat next to the Justin, who had been sitting alone. "Just," he
whispered, wrapping an arm around the younger man's waist. "I'm sorry. I
didn't mean to ruin your night. Please don't be mad with me."
	Justin took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears that were now
filling his eyes from spilling over. He continued to stare out the window,
knowing he would lose control if he looked into the brunette's caring, blue
eyes.
	"What do you think they're saying?" Joey whispered to Chris and
Lance, both of whom were trying to find out.
	"If you'd be quiet, maybe we could hear," Lance snapped.
	Chris sighed. Things between his two bandmates had been rocky ever
since they had fought. From what Joey had told him, Lance wanted to date
exclusively, and the New Yorker just wasn't ready for that step with
anyone. Lance had, of course, taken it personally. Sighing again, Chris
turned his attention back to his other two bandmates.
	"Justin," JC whispered. "Please. Talk to me. Tell me what I can do
to make it better. I never wanted to hurt you, Justin. Please."
	Shaking his head, the nineteen year-old still refused to look at
the older man. "I can't," he managed to croak, his voice strained from his
efforts to hold back his tears. The sound broke JC's heart. It was his
fault that Justin was in pain, after all.
	Wrapping both arms around the blonde's waist, JC leaned foreword
and whispered, "Justin, I'm sorry. I thought that I was doing the right
thing. Now I can see that I wasn't. Justin, *please*! I'm sorry."
	"I love you, Joshua." JC was going to reply, but Justin
continued. "And it was the worst thing in the world to hear you say that
you didn't want to be with me. That the reason why we hadn't gotten
together was because you didn't like me. Do you know how much that hurt?
The physical pain that those words caused me? And you thought *that* was
the `right thing'?!" As he continued, the nineteen year-old became more and
more angry. By now, everyone in the limo was staring at the young man.
	"Justin, I'm sorry. I truly am. It would hurt worse down the road
though, I just know it would," JC claimed.
	"How do you know that, Josh?" Justin demanded, tears threatening to
spill over once again. "How do you know that we wouldn't work out? How do
you know we're not meant to be? God, since the day I met you, I knew that
you were the one. I could feel it. And now, after all this time, you're
telling me that `down the road' things won't work out?! I just can't take
this any more! I love you, Josh! I fucking love you! Nothing's going to
change that!
	"Argh! What's wrong with me? Why can't you return my feelings? Am I
that undesirable? God, I'm just making an ass out of myself. I'm sorry,
Josh. I understand that you aren't attracted to me. I'll leave you alone."
	The five men sat in an uneasy silence as Justin finished his
rant. Joey's eyes were wide, and Lance looked very uncomfortable. Chris
seemed to be embarrassed that he had witnessed the whole thing, and JC was
staring at Justin, his mouth hanging open. Justin himself was glaring out
the window, refusing to meet the questioning looks of his bandmates.
	Realizing that someone had to say *something,* Chris cleared his
throat and joked, "For what it's worth, Curly, *I* think you're plenty
desirable."
	Joey and Lance laughed quietly, glad to have some of the tension
lifted. To everyone's surprise, Justin turned back to the four other men, a
smile on his face. "Thanks, Chris," the teen said easily, all the
frustration from earlier seemingly gone.
	"No problem," the twenty-eight year-old replied, happy that the
joke had worked.
	"Josh," Justin said shyly, looking at his feet. "Are you still
going to sit with me? I mean, I'd understand if you wouldn't want to,
but... You know, I'd just feel better if you'd sit with me."
	"Aww," Lance cooed quietly.
	"I know I would do it," Joey muttered to the Mississippian. "After
that outburst, I'd be afraid not to."
	Laughing lightly, Lance playfully punched the brunette in the
arm. Watching them, Chris was relieved to see that they were getting along
better.
	"Of course, Just," JC replied softly, gently lifting Justin's chin
so the nineteen year-old was looking into his eyes. "I love you, too, you
know. We'll work this all out later, okay? Tonight, let's just have some
fun."
	Struggling to maintain his control, Justin had to turn away from
JC's beautiful eyes. "Yeah," he agreed.  "Tonight we can just be best
friends who aren't having any issues on the side."
	Laughing, JC said, "All right, I think I can do that."
	Justin turned back to the brunette and smiled. /Maybe tonight won't
be so bad after all,/ he thought happily to himself.

	The Video Music Awards went rather well. During their performance,
when Joey yelled, "Stop!" Justin had even managed to catch JC's eye. The
teen smiled at the memory. Plus, they had won two awards. And Justin had
gotten to sit next to Britney, an added bonus. He was able to explain to
her what was going on. Well, he told her the basics, anyway.
	Now it was off to the after parties. *NSYNC was going to stop at
Jive's for sure, and then, if they felt up to it, they might hit a few
others. The first person that they saw when they arrived at the party was
Britney Spears.
	"Brit!" Justin yelled, running over to her.
	Bobbie, who was walking with JC, said, "I thought you told me they
weren't together."
	"They're not," JC replied simply.
	As soon as the rest of the group caught up to Justin, Britney
turned to JC. "You and I need to talk. I can't believe you're such a jerk!
You know what? Screw the talk I don't think I want to be around you right
now," the teen queen spat.
	Looking bewildered, JC mumbled, "What did I do?"
	"What did you do?" Britney mocked him. "How dumb *are* you, JC?"
	"Hey!" Bobbie interjected. "Leave Josh alone."
	"Oh, don't you go telling me what to do! It's probably your fault
that any of this happened!" Britney accused. Justin, by this time, had his
head buried in his hands.
	"Wait a second, I don't even know what's wrong. Don't you go
blaming me for something I have no knowledge of," Bobbie shot back angrily.
	"Don't play innocent with me, bitch!" Britney shouted. The rest of
the group thanked their lucky stars that the music was too loud for anyone
to hear here.
	"Who you callin' bitch, Barbie?" Bobbie shouted back.
	"I have charming friends, don't I?" Chris said pleasantly, turning
to his date.
	"Oh yes, they're wonderful," she replied, eyes wide.
	Chris then gently took her arm and announced, "Dani and I are going
to go mingle for a little bit. We'll catch up with you guys later. And I've
got my cell phone, so if you need me, just call."
	"Meredith and I are going to wander around as well," Lance piped
up. With that, both couples left. Joey made a similar excuse before
following Lance with his date.
	Neither Bobbie nor Britney noticed when they left, but JC and
Justin waved good-bye, each wishing they could leave, too.
	"At least I'm not here as some trophy," Britney spat, keeping up
her insult-match with JC's date.
	"At least I'm not here with my brother," Bobbie shot back.
	"At least my `date' isn't gay!" The moment Britney said it, she
knew she shouldn't have. Bobbie's mouth dropped open in shock. JC's face
went' blank. And Justin was looking at her with an expression of absolute
betrayal.
	"How could you?" the nineteen year-old hissed. "How could you say
that?"
	"Justin," Britney tried, but the blonde shook his head.
	"JC means more to me than you ever will," he said harshly. "I don't
know if I can forgive you for that."
	Britney could feel her tears about to spill over. "I didn't mean
that, Justin. Really, I didn't. I was just trying to say that she's not
really his date. I didn't mean it in a bad way, honest. I'm so sorry."
	Justin turned away from the now-sobbing pop star. "You should be
apologizing to Josh, not me," he spat unsympathetically.
	To everyone's surprise, JC stepped foreword and pulled Britney into
a warm hug. "It's okay, Brit. I know you didn't mean it." Looking over her
head to meet Justin's gaze, the twenty-four year-old added, "We all say
things that we regret."
	"Thank you," Britney whispered, her tears drying up. "Thank you so
much, JC." Pulling out of the brunette's arms to face Justin, she added,
"And I know that you'll never care about me as much as you care about JC. I
believe that you two are soul mates. I don't want to come between that, and
I'm just so sorry, Justin."
	Sighing, Justin pulled Britney into another embrace. His eyes were
on JC as he spoke, "Everyone deserves to be forgiven, if they're truly
sorry."
	"I am," she whispered, and Justin gave her another squeeze before
letting her go.
	"I know," he replied, smiling sadly.
	"Just, can I talk to you?" JC asked suddenly. "Alone?"
	"Sure," Britney replied quickly. "Bobbie and I have some things to
work out ourselves," she explained to the questioning looks of the three
people standing with her.
	Laughing, Bobbie agreed, "Yeah, we've got a *lot* of talking to
do."
	"Would you tell the others that Justin and I headed back early?" JC
requested. Britney nodded, and with that, the four went their separate
ways.

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Yet another strange place to end. And a catfight! ^_~ I hope you liked it,
please feel free to send me feedback, it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you! -Angel1313 ^_^