Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 23:40:20 EST
From: BrwyMilo@aol.com
Subject: "Nick and Justin" Part 34

    Ok, so this section is incredibly short, I know.  I wanted to get
something out and get started on the next section.  This one is only meant to
lay the groundwork for the next section which should be out soon.  Hopefully.
 :o)  Thank you to everyone who has e-mailed me.  I am fine.  LOL.  I have
not been murdered, abducted by aliens, or anything of the sort.  I've just
been extremely busy.  I promise the next parts will be longer.

    If you have any questions, comments, criticisms, or just wanna say hi,
please send them to BrwyMilo@aol.com.  I love mail!

    As always, this story is totally fictional.  It is not meant to represent
the ideas or beliefs of anyone involved.

                    *****

    "What is it Justin," Nick asked nervously as he took a step closer to
where Justin stood.  Justin instinctively took a step back, his eyes never
leaving the card he was staring at.  "Justin?"

    "This is not fucking happening," Justin screamed as he threw the card to
the ground.  Nick ran forward and picked up the small white piece of paper
from the floor.  He heard foot steps approaching from the hall as the door to
the dressing room was flung open.

    "What's going on," Kevin asked loudly as he surveyed the room.  Justin
stood in a corner next to the vanity, his arms wrapped securely around his
body as he shivered.  Nick was kneeling on the floor, staring into a piece of
paper.  A large bouquet lay next to both of them.  "Shit."

    "What happened," Chris asked as he ran into the room.  Kevin snapped his
head back and saw Joey, Howie, Brian and JC right behind him.

    "You guys have to get out of here," Kevin said sharply.  "Just, meet us
back at the hotel or something."

    "What are you talking about," Chris asked as his eyes widened.  "Why the
hell was Justin screaming?"

    "Please Chris," Kevin said slowly.  "Just listen to me for once."

    "Look, I wanna know what's going on," Joey said, standing firmly behind
Chris.  "You guys aren't N'Sync.  We are.  We have a right to know what's
wrong with our bandmate."

    "Just get the fuck out of here," Kevin screamed.  Justin jumped a bit at
the sound, but remained otherwise numb of everything around him.

    JC stepped forward quickly.  "Guys, let's go.  They'll cover everything
later.  This is important.  Everyone, just get to the buses."

    Chris looked again at the seen and then turned around angrily.  Joey
followed along with everyone else, except for JC.  "I'll make them
understand," he offered weakly.

    "So, he's alive," Justin said lowly, almost inaudibly as soon as the room
was cleared.

    "We don't know that," Kevin said quickly.  "We have people looking into
it."

    Kevin walked to Justin's side and placed one arm around his shoulder.
"It's alright," he said quietly as Justin remained stiff and motionless.  "We
were trying to protect you, but I guess you need to know everything."

    "What are you talking about," Justin said, his face devoid of all emotion
except for fear.  "You were trying to protect me?"

    Kevin glanced up at Nick, who slowly lowered himself onto the couch.
"This isn't the first note we've gotten like this," Nick said slowly.  "We
thought it was just an isolated incident, and we didn't want to worry you, so
we just ignored it.  We thought it was either some kind of fluke coincidence,
so some idiot playing a prank."

    "You knew about this," Justin said, his eyes turning to face Nick. Nick
nodded slowly and stared down at the floor.  "You knew about this and you
didn't tell me," Justin asked, a combination of anger and hurt filling his
voice.

    "We were just trying to protect you," Nick said to no one.

    "Yea well it didn't work," Justin said.  He shook Kevin's arm off of him
and ran for the door.

    "Justin get back here," Kevin shouted authoritatively.

    "Why, so I can be lied to," he shot at them.

    "We need to figure out what we're going to do," Kevin said.

    "What can we do," Justin said, throwing his arms up in the air.  "There's
nothing we can do.  We can wait and see if anything happens.  We don't know
if it's Robert, we have nothing to go on, there's nothing we can do."  He
paused a moment and looked around.  "Great way to start the new year."  He
turned and began to walk out the door.

    "Justin please," Nick said in a pleading voice.

    "No Nick," Justin said angrily.  "I can't believe you knew about this and
didn't tell me."  He looked at him and began to tremble.  "I can't even look
at you right now."  He breathed hard and then walked quickly out of the room
and to the bus.

    "He's just upset Nick," Kevin said as he scooted over and placed a
comforting arm around Nick's shoulders.  "He's worried.  I don't blame him, I
would be too."

    "He wasn't worried Kevin," Nick replied quietly.  "He was terrified."  He
swallowed hard and kept his steady gaze at his hands.  "And angry.  And I
don't blame him.  I can't believe I thought keeping something like this from
him was a good idea.  God, how am I such a fucking idiot?!?"

    "You're not an idiot.  Just-"

    "Just nothing," Nick yelled back.  "I'll be on the bus."  He stood
silently and walked from the room, leaving Kevin kneeling by the couch.  For
the first time in his life, he had no answers.

                    *****

    "I can't believe he snores so loud," AJ said as he wandered into the
hallway.  He was sharing a room with Howie temporarily until things with
Britney could be settled.  He was angry that she saw him as a nothing more
than a horny guy.  "Well, I'm not," he said aloud to no one as he sat on the
floor and tried to figure out who's room to share that night.

    "Not what," a voice to the side of him said.  AJ jerked his head up
quickly and groaned, not having to see who said it.

    "Nothing Christina," he replied tiredly.  "Nothing at all."

    "You don't look like it's nothing," she said as she stood in front of
him, one hand on her hip.

    "Well trust me, it is," AJ replied as he went to stand.  Christina
quickly put one small hand out in front of him to stop him.

    "This isn't about Britney is it," she asked innocently.

    "I'm really not in the mood right now," he said with a groan.  He took
her hand and quickly brushed it aside.

    "Oh come on, I know how Britney can be sometimes.  I had to work with her
for quite a while, remember?"

    "Christina," AJ sighed as he shook his head.

    "No, do you want to feel better or not?"

    "I'm not gonna feel better by listening to you bash my girlfriend."

    "I'm not bashing anyone," she replied innocently.  "I'm merely shedding
the light on a few things for you.  Like, she can have quite the temper
sometimes.  Especially when she's jealous.  She's not always the cleanest
girl, but I'm sure you've noticed that.  These were just a few observations I
had of her.  I never really understood why guys liked her so much.  God, I
remember the first guy she had sex with.  He-"

    "What did you say," AJ asked quickly

    "You don't really think she's a virgin do you," Christina said with a
brief laugh.  "She's had lots of guys.  And a girl once too if memory serves
me right."

    "What the fuck are you talking about," AJ asked more angrily.

    Christina grinned a bit and sighed.  "Britney is not the pure little girl
she pretends to be for the cameras.  She let it go and long time back."

    "I don't believe this," AJ said as he looked at the door to her room,
tempted to storm through and start screaming.  But he didn't.  He merely
looked at the door and began to slide down the wall.

    "It's not so bad AJ, come on," Christina said, grinning inwardly.  "Let
me help you back to your room."

    "I don't want to go back to my room.  Howie snores," AJ replied.  "I
guess I'll go room with Kevin or something."

    "Do you really wanna wake him up at this time of night," Christina asked
as she tilted her eyebrows.

    AJ sighed and shook his head and began to move towards Howie's room. "You
can always share my room," Christina said quickly.

    AJ's head lifted and then lowered.  "That's probably not the best idea."

    "Come on AJ.  No one has to no.  You wake up pretty early.  You can be up
and out before anyone notices."

    AJ thought a moment and then shrugged.  "I guess it would be alright."

    "It would.  Now come on," she said with a laugh as she took his hand and
pulled him back to her room.

                    *****

    "I really appreciate this guys," Nick said as he pulled the blankets
around him.

    "Nick, stop thanking us and go to sleep," JC said, a little sleepy.

    "It's just that, this feels so strange," Nick said, oblivious to JC's
comment.

    "You should be in there with Justin, Nick.  We love to have you here, but
Justin probably needs you now," Brian said.

    "He made it quite clear he doesn't want me near him right now," Nick said
sadly, almost silently.

    "Look, I'm not going to pretend I understand all of this," Brian said.
"I don't even think I want to understand all of this.  All I know is, J is
just scared.  Who in their right mind wouldn't be?  You just need to give him
some time."

    "But, I don't know if I can," Nick said, a bit shaken.  "I can't keep
sleeping on floors, and I know I can't be away from him.  I love him too
much."  He paused.  Brian heard a low sniffle in the dark, then Nick's voice
came again, a little broken.  "I know what I did was probably the worst thing
I could've, but I honestly thought I was protecting him."

    "He knows that," JC said from the bed, cuddling closer to Brian in the
dark.  "He's just isn't thinking about that.  He's angry and upset and just
needs some time.  He can be like that Nick."

    "Maybe," Nick replied lowly.

    "That is not the phone ringing," JC groaned as he rolled over and reached
for it.  Brian giggled slightly and waited.  "Yea...yea...well he's sleeping
here right now...I don't know why...do you...you can talk to him if you
want...oh, ok.  You want me to ask him?  Ok, I'll do that...yes.  Alright...I
understand.  It's alright.  Yes I'm sure.  Ok...ok...ok...ok...OK!"  JC
slammed the phone down and let out a short scream.

    "What the hell was that about," Brian asked as he tried to control his
laughter.

    "Nick," JC said as he sat up and tried to peer through the darkness at
Nick's form.  "Would you please go back to your boyfriend?"

    A smile slowly spread across Brian's lips as he saw Nick jump up from the
floor.

    "Guys, thank you so much for-"

    "Get out so I can get to sleep," JC yelled.

    "Bye," Nick said happily as he left the room.

    "The joys of love," Brian said as he snuggled up to JC.  He was already
fast asleep.

                *****

    So there was part 34.  I hope you enjoyed it, even though it was very
brief.  The next one will be much longer and will answer many of the
question's I've been receiving.  Thanks for reading!  Send mail to
BrwyMilo@aol.com.