Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2000 09:36:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Red <redfirewitch@yahoo.com>
Subject: Hide In Plain Sight: Part 3: The Nightmare

Title: Hide In Plain Sight

Author: Red (redfirewitch@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: This is just fiction and there isn't an
ounce of truth about the sexuality of the Nsync boys
in here. At least not as far as I know. If you're
below 18 or if you don't want to read fiction about
homosexuality, do not go further than this line.

~~~~~~~

Part 3: The Nightmare

The images came in abstract form at first. The house
with the blue skies of Orlando in the background. His
dog, Pirate barking and jumping up and down. Then came
the face of the boy who had meant everything to him at
one time. Liam's laughing face as he ran around the
room avoiding someone.  He fell down laughing then
opened his arms in welcome. There was happiness in
that dream. Then the image slowly began to fade,
reform and interweave and that day 6 years ago began
to play out in JC's nightmare.

The door had been slightly ajar as he stepped in. Liam
had been talking to a man who had his back to JC. JC
said something causing the man to whirl around,
revealing the gun he had in his hand. JC looked from
the gun to the man to Liam. Liam pleaded with him to
leave. JC had refused asking for an explanation. Then
the images seemed to fast forward with bits of
dialogue.

"Liam, why?...Someone needs to die...You bastard!...Let him
go, Philip! Please!...The fun has just begun...JC
LEAVE!...Maybe I'll make you watch...NOOOO!"

There was a struggle, gunshots, blood and the scream.
The scream ringed in his ears. It took him a while to
realize that he was the one screaming...and
screaming...and screaming.

JC shot up straight in his bed, gasping for breath and
perspiring profusely. He saw someone sitting beside
him and staring at him. JC turned to see Justin
sitting beside him. He meet Justin's worried gaze and
couldn't look away. All he could do was shiver.

Without a word, Justin took the blanket off his bunk
and secured it tightly around JC. Then he hugged his
friend, rocking him to and fro. Justin could feel JC's
heart beating very fast against his own chest. They
sat like that for what seemed like hours until JC
stopped shivering. JC let himself take the comfort
that Justin offered. Even though he felt like he
didn't deserve it. But he needed it right then like he
needed air to breathe.

The silence stretched for a long time when finally JC
spoke up.
"What time is it?" he asked, noting that it was
morning. Justin was already dressed and the rest of
the bunks were empty.

"9:30," came the soft reply.

"Where are we?"

"We arrived at the hotel about an hour ago. We didn't
want to wake you up yet so the guys went on to check
in first."

JC swung his legs off the bed, sitting with the
blanket still around him. Justin saw how tired and
wrecked his friend looked and his heart went out to
JC. He took a seat beside him and they shared a
comfortable silence as Justin waited for JC to talk.

"I had a nightmare." JC said, so softly in a
child-like voice, that Justin almost missed it.

"I know. You were crying and calling..."

"Calling what?" JC asked, looking at Justin warily.

"You were calling out to someone called Liam."

JC looked away, feeling his heart ache at just hearing
the name said out loud.

"Is that his name?" Justin asked.

JC knew that Justin was asking if that was the name of
the guy whom he had seen the previous night.
"No."

"Oh." Justin waited for more but seeing that it wasn't
going to come, he sighed and stood up. "Are you ok,
now?"

JC gave Justin a look of gratitude for not pushing for
an explanation and smiled.
"Yeah."

Justin pulled his friend up.
"Then come on and get dressed. They are having a
buffet breakfast in the hotel today and Joey has been
there since 9. We better hurry or all we will have
left are crumbs."

"If we are lucky." JC added, jokingly.

Justin just smiled but his eyes told JC that this was
just a temporary reprieve. Justin was not going to
drop this even if JC acted as if it had never
happened. He wanted and explanation and he was going
to get it. And JC felt he deserved to know too. It had
felt good, even if it was only a little bit, to be
able to cry on Justin shoulder and have him to comfort
him. It was unfair to expect that from Justin when he
didn't know what was going on.

Just as Justin was about to head out of the bus, JC
grabbed his arm. Justin looked at JC questioningly.
"Tomorrow. I promise." JC said.

Justin nodded in understanding and went on to front of
the bus to wait for JC. As he left JC, he couldn't
help wonder who Liam was. It wasn't a name he
recognized and as far he knew, he was familiar with
most of JC's close friend.

'Who is this guy if he isn't the one that JC
supposedly saw last night? And why is he so important
that JC is having nightmares about him.'

Justin knew he had to be patient if he was the
answers. He just sighed and sat down waiting for JC.