Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 05:26:19 EDT
From: Dara Lynn <daralynn_writings@hotmail.com>
Subject: Boybands/ No Painless Way, part 1
Hey all, it's DaraLynn, here with part one of the promised "Any Path"
sequel. Didn't expect it so soon, did ya? Me either. :)
Warning - this story starts and ends happy and fluffy, but in between it's
very dark. Bad things happen to good people - the world's oldest story,
isn't it? If you don't want angst, don't read this.
Also, if you haven't read "Any Path" you should do that first - you'll
understand this better, 'kay?
I'd like to thank Nifty and David the Archiver for making such great fiction
available to all of us, and also Aphrodite, Dennis, Neena, John, Lissa,
Becca, Cor and the rest of my cheering section. You guys are the reason
this came out so fast - I hope it's worth the wait. :)
LEGAL STUFF - I don't know or ever expect to touch 'Nsync. This is
the product of a twisted mind and is not meant to imply anything. This is
not real.
Plugs - Among the many great fics you should be reading : "A Tale of Two
Boybands", ""A Love Like This", "A Little Bit Of Love", "My Heart Is In your
Hands", "The Next Stage", "Just One Call", "Nsync: Lance n JC", "Tears In
Your Eyes", "Playing For Keeps" and many more.
For reference:
//.......// - indicates thought
----------- - between sections indicates passing of time and/or change of
scenery
*....* - around a word indicates stress on that word
Okay, here goes...
~ANY PATH PART TWO: NO PAINLESS WAY~
(Fall, 1998)
Chapter One
"The entire sum of existence is the magic of being needed by just one
person." - Vii Putnam
"Justin? Curly, time to wake up."
"Mmmmm..." The young blond mumbled something unintelligible at his
bandmate, and tried to burrow deeper into the pillows.
Joshua Scott Chasez, known to most as J.C., shook his head with
exasperation. He was smiling, in spite of himself, down at his motionless
friend; Justin meant the world to J.C. and he had a hard time getting angry
at him. The best the older man could manage was a slight frustration, and
it only took a look at Justin's sweet smile to break it.
J.C. gently shook his friend, hardly with enough force to jar him
awake. It was a beautiful day, the last busy day before a much-needed
vacation, and J.C., like the rest of 'Nsync, was too grateful to be in a bad
mood.
Besides, Justin looked so adorable when he was asleep.
The brown-haired, blue-eyed father figure of 'Nsync sat back and gazed
down at his best friend. //He looks like an angel,// J.C. thought, not for
the first or even the hundredth time. //The flawless complexion, the
soulful blue eyes, the perfect body, the soft golden curls...//
J.C. smiled wistfully. He was hopelessly in love with the younger boy
he had helped to raise, and while Justin knew of this and wasn't bothered,
it still hurt sometimes for J.C. Singing with, dancing with, hugging this
angelic creature day after day, all the while not knowing he would never
feel the same.
//But it's enough. It is. Just like I told Brian a few months ago.//
Brian Littrell - a member of the Backstreet Boys - and J.C. had become
rather good friends over the previous months, keeping in touch via phone and
e-mail despite their insanely hectic schedules. Brian, with J.C.'s
encouragement, had come out of the proverbial closet earlier in the year,
and the two had bonded in their feelings on unrequited love for their
dearest friends - J.C.'s for Justin, Brian's for fellow Backstreet Boy Nick
Carter.
//Heart-stealing angels with golden hair and sea-blue eyes. It's like
a song, or something.//
But Justin hadn't *stolen* his heart, J.C. knew. He had handed it to
the boy long ago, maybe as early as the carefree MMC days, given it away
expecting nothing.
//And I got him, the light of my life, in return. Platonically,
yeah...but I still got the best deal.//
Glancing at the clock, he began to shake the seventeen-year-old a bit
harder. "Just? Wake-up time."
Justin Timberlake slowly opened his eyes, and looked up at his best
friend. "What time is it?"
"Almost eight. We've got our final rehearsal from nine to two, then an
interview-"
"Then two whole weeks off! Man, this is so cool!" Justin flashed a
blinding smile at J.C. as he sat up.
"And Josh, I *do* know the schedule. No need to turn into Lance on
me."
"Then you know you need to get up. Now."
"Of course." Justin grinned innocently, and dove back under the
blankets. He shrieked wildly as J.C. reached under and began to tickle him.
"Okay, okay! I'm up, I'm up!" Justin stood up next to the bed,
wearing a simple white T-shirt and baby blue boxers. "See?"
"Very good. We're having breakfast in Lance's room today. Twenty
minutes, okay?"
During their stay at this hotel, they had done most of their group
activities in Lance's room, as he was the one staying alone this time. They
took turns sharing rooms to be fair, but Justin and J.C. were always paired
up. No one minded. They all knew of J.C.'s feelings for Justin, as well as
the deep friendship between the two. Chris had once said that the pair were
soulmates, but something had gone wrong. J.C. sometimes thought that Chris
had summed it up perfectly, and he always felt a little shame at this
thought, though he didn't really understand why. Perhaps because Justin had
never seemed less than perfect to him.
"Yes, Daddy."
J.C. made a face at Justin in response, though he didn't really hate
the nickname. The young blond stuck his tongue out and flounced into the
bathroom.
//Whoa, he must really be excited about our time off. He's never this
awake until he has his cereal.//
J.C. shrugged. Before leaving the room he glanced quickly at the large
mirror above his dresser. A good-looking guy with a sincere, honest face
looked back at him, dressed casually in jeans and a sweater. Versace and
Armani were great for photo shoots and award shows and concerts, but Josh
didn't really care much about clothes and was more comfortable in lesser
known brands.
He went across the hall to Lance's room, and greeted the second-
youngest 'Nsyncer.
"He's up, Scoop."
"Good." Lance smiled warmly at J.C., his unusual green eyes
illuminating the pale skin of his calm face. "Let me guess - he's much more
alert than he usually is this early. Didn't give you much trouble?"
"How'd ya know?"
Lance simply shrugged. J.C. hadn't really expected an answer. In
addition to always knowing the schedule first (hence his nickname), "Scoop"
had always been good at knowing how people felt and predicting their
actions. His quiet wisdom and maturity often surprised people, as Lance
wasn't much older than Justin, but the group had grown used to the
nineteen-year-old being older than his years. Besides, Lance had a
nuttiness and humor that few save them got to see.
Joey stumbled loudly into the hotel room, breaking through J.C.'s
thoughts. "Hey, guys! Am I interrupting anything? Ya hittin' on Lance or
something, Big Daddy?"
Lance blushed. J.C. thwacked Joey on the head.
"Ow! C, I'm just playin'!"
J.C. offered Lance a half-amused, half-apologetic look. Lance simply
smiled back. He was used to jokes of this sort, and despite his strict
Baptist upbringing he had no problem with J.C.'s sexuality, or homosexuality
in general. He himself had many gay male fans.
J.C. could definitely understand this. Lance was without a doubt one
of the most friendly people he'd ever met, besides being physically
gorgeous. J.C. was very aware of Lance's beauty, and knew that if he'd
never met Justin he'd very possibly have a thing for the band's other blond.
//What is it with me and straight guys? That thing about wanting what
you can't have, maybe.//
Actually, none of them were really sure about Lance. He'd accepted the
truth of J.C.'s sexuality very calmly, but never discussed his own. He had
dated a few girls, but he was so gentlemanly that it could have been
disinterest, instead of politeness, that kept him as innocent as he was.
And Josh's gay-dar was no help; it had long ago told him that Chris was
straight and Joey bisexual, but it was mysteriously silent when it came to
Lance.
//Oh well. I'll ask him sometime.//
Again, Joey interrupted his thoughts. "Where's Chris and the baby?"
"Justin'll be in soon. And Chris...Lance, where *is* Chris?"
With a sigh, Lance opened the closet door. Chris Kirkpatrick, the
oldest member of 'Nsync, stood inside casually, as if it were the most
normal thing in the world. "Good morning, little brothers."
"Er...Chris...what are ya doin' in the closet?"
"It's a good place to think. And it's actually kinda comfortable.
J.C., I don't know why you ever left this cozy place."
J.C. grinned. "You wanna come out of there, Fievel?"
"Hell no. I ain't joining any club where I gotta be stuck with you.
I'll stick with chicks."
J.C. chuckled. "I meant, come out of *this* particular closet."
"Oh. 'Kay." Chris strolled past them and sat down roughly on Lance's
bed. "Who's ordering?"
"I will," wolunteered Lance, grabbing the phone. "What do you guys
want?"
"Sandra Bullock."
"I think they're fresh out of her, Joe."
"Okay, then. Waffles."
J.C. and Chris both wanted pancakes. Lance ordered his usual French
toast and also requested Justin's current favorite cereal, Apple Jacks.
Chris bounced lightly on the mattress. "Lance, why do you always make
the bed? That's what the maids are for."
"If it's not made, it lookes messy."
Chris grinned mischievously, well aware of Lance's neat-freak
tendencies. "Hmmm, messy? Ya mean, like this?"
He put one hand out and began to pull at the sheets.
Lance glared at him warningly. As he moved closer to fix the damage,
he was stopped by a pillow hitting his face. A full-fledged pillow fight
promptly ensued until J.C. interrupted.
"Maybe I should go check on Justin."
Joey rolled his eyes. "What, ya think he fell in or somethin'? He's
fine, dude."
"And I don't think Curly'd appreciate you implying that he can't get
from his room to here without you," added Chris.
"I guess." J.C. shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. I have kind of
a bad feeling."
Lance blinked at him in surprise. J.C. noticed.
"You too, Scoop?"
Lance shrugged. "It's probably nothing. Maybe we're all just kinda
weirded out since we haven't had a break in so long."
Joey grinned. "Yeah, and after today, fourteen days of freedom! No
photo shoots, no recording, no rehearsals-slash-torture sessions with Drill
Sergeant Darren...it's gonna be sweet."
Lance looked from Joey to J.C. "Check on him if you want to, Josh."
Before he could answer, Justin breezed into the room and greeted his
bandmates. "Mornin', fellas!"
"See, Josh? He's fine," Chris pointed out.
"Of course I am. Why?"
"J.C. here was worried about you."
Justin smiled. "And *that's* news? That's like saying water's wet."
J.C. smirked. "Oh, I dunno, Just. Is it? Maybe we should stick your
head in the toilet just to be sure."
"Yeah, yeah!" Chris had his youngest "brother" in a headlock in no
time, but just then a knock was heard at the door.
"Room service."
Chris frowned as he released the boy. "Okay, Curly. You've been saved
by the cereal for now, but remember, over the next few days I have a lot of
free time for practical jokes. Consider yourself warned."
Justin smiled as he dug into his Apple Jacks. For the first few days
of their break, 'Nsync would all be staying at Justin's house, so they could
have some time just as friends. Perhaps it was strange that these five
young men who lived as a group in the public eye day after day would want to
spend their free time together, but their relationship was not simply a
working one. They were best friends, family. They had seen eachother
through everything, down the road they'd travelled from obscurity to fame,
and though perhaps none would admit it, they only really felt complete when
they were together.
Justin was happy. He had millions of fans who worshipped him, the
success he'd always wanted, and family and friends who adored him. In his
mind, as yet, there might never have been such a thing as sorrow anywhere on
the glittering surface of the waking world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
An impatient man squinted under the bright lights illuminating the
large room. He watched expertly as his five young charges practiced the
dance for their song "Tearin' Up My Heart", and yelled to be heard over the
loud music.
"J.C., quit lookin' at Justin! The fans will appreciate your attention
a lot more!"
J.C. blushed, but obeyed. As the music faded, 'Nsync finished the
number with a flourish. While they were catching their breath, the
choreographer approached them to comment on their performance.
"Lance, you've gotta stay focused - you keep spacing out. Joey, you
need to stick to the routine more and improvise less. Chris, you start out
full of energy, but by the end of the number you're just not into it
anymore. J.C., keep flashing that million-dollar smile, but look at the
girls more than Justin, okay? Speaking of which...Justin, perfect, as
usual."
Justin beamed. "Thanks, Darren."
"I'll give you ten minutes, then we do 'I Want You Back' - we need to
do some work on the flips." Darren strolled off and began to bark orders at
the musicians.
Chris sneered at Justin. "Choreographer's pet."
"Aw, don't be so bitter. Just 'cause you're so old, and you can't move
as well as you used to..."
Chris raised a fist threateningly. Justin, in mock fright, dove behind
J.C., who stood before him protectively.
"One side, Big Daddy. The little runt is *dead*."
J.C. crossed his arms in front of him and shook his head. "Uh-uh. If
we lose him it just means more work for me."
"Hey!"
"Besides, he can't help it that he's a natural dancer."
"Yeah, really. So pick on someone in your own generation,
Christopher," Justin giggled.
Chris smiled. "Just wait, Curly. Someday I'll get ya, when this
psycho isn't around to protect ya."
Justin hugged his best friend impulsively. "Aw, that'll never happen,
right Josh?"
J.C. felt his eyes grow moist as he squeezed the boy affectionately.
"No way, not if I can help it."
J.C.'s cell phone, sitting on a table nearby, rang, and he ran over to
answer it. Justin used this distraction to snatch Chris's hat and run off.
The older man chased him, mumbling under his breath, as Lance and Joey
watched with amusement.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Joshua! It's your second-favorite mother."
J.C.'s face brightened. Justin's mom was nearly as dear to J.C. as his
own.
"Lynn! I'm glad you called."
"*I'm* glad you always have your phone with you. Justin conveniently
forgets his whenever I want to check up on him. Are you still at
rehearsal?"
"Yeah. Break-time."
"Is Justin behaving himself?"
J.C. grinned as he watched his best friend dart around the enormous
room, still clutching Chris's hat. "Yep. He's currently channeling Dennis
the Menace, but otherwise he's being good."
Lynn laughed. "I'm relieved. I know I don't have to worry about him
when he's with you. You've raised him nearly as much as I have."
J.C.'s face grew warm. "Aw, Lynn..."
She laughed again. "It's true! Oh, before I forget, Paul's visiting
his parents, and he has Jonathan with him, so you, me and the boys will have
the house to ourselves. You're still coming, right?"
"Heck yeah! We need some down-time."
"I'm sure! I just hope Justin doesn't mind his old mother hanging
around him and his friends now."
"Oh please, Lynn, you and I both know what a party-girl you are at
heart. We'll have lots of fun!"
She sounded pleased. "If I know you, Joshua - and I know I do - all
you'll want to do is sleep. Can you grab Justin? I want to say hello
before your break's over."
"Sure thing." He caught Justin's arm and thrust the phone at him.
"Your mom, Curly."
"Hi, Mom! Yes, I'm behaving! Oh, don't listen to Josh. No, fame
hasn't gone to my head yet...oops, there it went. I'm kidding. Yeah, the
guys are all excited - you know they love you. I know, I love you too."
Darren's voice was clearly heard from across the room. "Break's over!
Places!"
"I gotta go, Mom, before Darren has a heart attack. No, he's not
working us too hard. Sure, I'll give your love to the guys. Yes, I'll call
you later. Love you too, bye."
Justin turned off the phone and dropped it back onto the table. J.C.
slipped an arm around the younger boy as they headed, reluctantly, back to
their places.
"Ya know, Josh, I'm really lucky."
"So is everyone around you, kiddo." J.C. hadn't meant to say this
aloud, but Justin smiled.
"And they better not ever forget it! C'mon, slow-poke!" he called back
as he broke into a run.
J.C. groaned, knowing how hard it would be to follow Darren's
instructions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris sighed wearily. "Ya know, guys, I'm pretty sure there *are*
other restaurants in New York City. Why do we always come here?" He
gestured around them from the secluded table in the famous Hard Rock Cafe.
Justin grinned. "So Josh can steal the menus, of course."
J.C. jokingly threatened him with his fork. "And also 'cause this
place is familiar. We travel so much, it's nice to have a place-"
"Where everybody knows your name?" joked Joey.
"And they're always glad you came?" added Lance.
J.C. smiled sheepishly. "You know what I mean. Something you can
depend on. A place you go to with your buddies."
Chris sighed again. "Yup. Our own personal Peach Pit."
As Justin laughed with the others, he noticed a man in a black suit
sitting across the room. Save for his dark glasses he looked like any of
the other adult men there...but Justin would swear that the guy kept looking
directly at *him*. Justin felt a wave of uneasiness pass through him, and
immediately scolded himself.
//What's wrong with you? You're probably imagining it. And so what if
he *is* looking at me? People do that all the time. I should be used to
it. So why does *this* bother me?//
J.C. noticed his friend's sudden silence. "Just? You okay?"
//Should I tell him? No, knowing Josh he'd probably go over and tell
the guy to quit starin'. He's worse than Mom.//
Justin forced a smile. "Uh-huh. Um, did they change the decor in
here? Looks a little different."
Lance nodded, his bright eyes observing the room. "It does look
different from when we were last here."
Joey frowned. "When was that anyway?"
J.C. pitched his voice low. "You remember, Joe. When we decided to
leave TransCon?"
They all fell silent, remembering. In the very early summer of that
year, they had been in NYC for promotional work and rehearsals. During
their visit they had seen their "rivals", the Backstreet Boys, and learned
that the manager of both groups, Louis Pearlman, had been molesting Nick
Carter, the youngest Backstreet Boy. The other group had split from
Pearlman's management company, TransContinental, and 'Nsync was in the
process of doing so. Lou wasn't making it easy for them. While lawyers for
both sides were trying to reach a settlement, 'Nsync was being taken care of
by their record company, Jive Records. They intended to be solely managed
by Jive, as the Bakcstreet Boys were, once an agreement was reached. Lou
wasn't about to lose them without a fight, but after learning that Lou had
threatened to do to Justin what he had done to Nick, the group knew that
they had to get away from him, at all costs.
Joey looked guilty. "Oh yeah. You talked to Brian lately, C?"
"A few days ago. They all say hi. Bri also says that Nick's doing
pretty good, and he answered your letter, Just. Oh, and Lance? A.J. said
to tell you he's brushing up on his geography."
Lance laughed. "He may as well give up. He says there are just too
many states that start with 'M'."
"A.J. also asked if Curly and I have joined any more cults masquerading
as TV shows."
Justin rolled his eyes. During a week-long, both-groups vacation that
summer, A.J. had teased the two former Mouseketeers mercilessly - asking why
they hadn't worn mouse ears, if it had hurt to smile that much, if Disney
had implanted microchips in their heads, and so on. "It wasn't a cult."
Joey shook his head. "Hey, I watched that show, Curly. No one should
be that happy for no reason. It was a cult."
Justin dropped his voice to a monotone and stared dully ahead of him.
"Disney is our friend. All who oppose Disney will be eliminated.
Resistance is futile."
The five friends laughed. J.C.'s face grew thoughtful as he remembered
the Mickey Mouse Club years, the friends he had made there, the little blond
boy he had met one fateful morning. As soom as J.C. got to know the person
behind the shy smile, the two became best friends, and had been virtually
inseparable ever since.
Lost in memories, J.C. hardly noticed when their dinner arrived. After
a moment, he returned and began to work on his lasagna.
Justin, busy with his spaghetti, seemd to have read his friend's
thoughts. "You remember the day we met, Josh?"
J.C. smiled fondly. "I'll never forget it."
//The day I met Justin. Yeah. That day I also failed my history exam,
got grounded for two week-ends, got dumped by my last real girlfriend and
dropped a brick on my foot in front of the entire studio audience.
It was the most blessed day of my life.//
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Across the room, the man in the black suit and dark glasses gazed
intently at the young singer with the curly blond hair. Justin Randall
Timberlake, according to the file in his briefcase, but the man wished
vaguely that he didn't know the boy's name. Thinking of the object of his
assignment as a person just made things harder.
He looked again, unconsciously smiling as the boy laughed. He was so
young and full of life. Just a child, really...
//Stop it! He is an assignment, a package to be delivered, no more!//
The admonishing voice fell silent, and the shadowed figure slumped in
his seat. He thought of his young daughter's favorite movie, and of how
nice it would be to, like the Tin Man, have no heart. To not feel such
remorse about what he had to do.
When the five friends began to leave, the observer wondered for a
moment if he should follow them, but decided not to. He had a flight to
catch that night, and there was no harm in letting the singers enjoy what
time they had left together. He was reluctant to do what he had been
assigned, yet urgently wanted to get the whole business over with.
//Soon,// the figure silently resolved. //Soon.//
~to be continued~
Comments welcome at DaraLynn_writings@hotmail.com