Greetings everyone,
Chapters One through Twenty-Five told the story of the beginning Jamie and Justin's relationship, the 'romancing' of Jamie through to Valentine's Day, a major moment for them. I would consider these chapters to be Book One.
So here I start 'Book Two' to continue the story. New book, so new title, and it -is- very significant to the characters. I'll leave it up to you to figure out the connection. Email me and I'll tell you if you got it right or not! :)
Where the story goes from here... we'll see. As always comments and suggestions are always welcome. Let me hear what you think and what you'd like to see! Some of the greatest scenes in the story have sprung from the ideas of others... Thanks to everyone that's sent me a mail, I really appreciate it!
Some stories to recommend that I missed the last time: Just The Truth - a Kevin Richardson story that's really good. Just Together - in the regular celebrity section, it starts out with just
Michael Pitt - Henry from Dawson's Creek last season (with a Joshua
Jackson cameo) then adds Danny from the Real World (and gonna be on
Dawson's Creek this season, funny huh?), and Lance and Justin appear
as well.... really great use of characters - check it out!
As usual: This story is purely fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of 'N Sync or anyone associated with their organization. It is meant for those over the age of 18 only and those who wish to read stories with sexual content.
The Dreams That You Dared To Dream - Chapter One
Morning came to New York on a cold sunny day. Alarms and wake-up calls were answered by groans in more than one hotel room. Eight pairs of eyes squinted in the morning light. Some were up immediately while others tried to sink back into their pillows.
Justin and Jamie lightly dozed after their wake-up call. Their hands lightly caressing each other, both enjoying the lazy feeling of lying in bed cuddled together. Jamie was brought fully awake when the phone rang again. Justin buried his head against Jamie's chest and pulled the covers over his face.
"Hello, Lance," Jamie croaked, his voice not having woken up, knowing full well who was on the other end.
"Morning sunshine! Wakey wakey, eggs and bacey!"
"Lance, you're way too happy in the morning."
"Isn't it great! Breakfast in 5 minutes, Chris' room."
"So soon?"
"Ya, I'm trying something new. Breakfast now, then you have an hour and a half to get ready before the limo picks us up. So get that mop headed lead singer you call a boyfriend out of bed."
"Ok, Momma Bass. Bye."
Jamie hung up the phone but before it hit the cradle he heard Lance say loudly, "What did you call me?"
Jamie giggled. Looking at the lump under the blankets that was Justin, he reached under and shook his shoulder. Justin moaned and pressed his face into Jamie's armpit. His breath tickled making him giggle. Jamie lifted the blankets and leaned over to lick Justin's earlobe. "Come on, sleepy head. We have to go get some breakfast before Joey and Chris eat it all."
"It's too early."
"I know, babe. Tell you what, if you come to breakfast with me I'll wash your back in the tub after..."
Justin lifted his head and smiled. "Can I wash yours?" he asked with a childlike voice.
"Of course."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
The whole group was soon eating in Chris and Dani's room. The morning people took great pleasure in making the others miserable. As Jamie ate some melon slices he looked around the room and started laughing.
"What's up with you, squirt?" Joey asked with a grin.
"I hope everyone has their turtle necks today." The rush to look in a mirror was so comical Jamie almost spit up his food he laughed so hard. The only person to escape being 'branded' was Justin.
He sat next to Jamie with a pout. "I didn't get one," he said like a kid that got coal on Christmas.
"If you're very good," Jamie smiled at him, "you can get one after breakfast." Justin's smile lit the room as he kissed Jamie.
"Ewww, that's soooo ill, Jamie," cried Chris.
"That's funny coming from the person with the biggest one, Papa." Everyone laughed including Chris.
When breakfast was finished, Lance made sure that everyone knew the schedule. "Ok, limo will be here in about an hour and a half. So everyone be in the lobby then, don't make me come and get you or else!" he said menacingly which only made the others giggle.
"Dani, what are you and Kelly gonna do today?" Justin asked.
The two girls looked at each other before responding together, "Shopping!!"
Dani looked to Jamie. "You gonna be at the studio all day with these jokers?"
Jamie nodded. "I'll be there but not with them. I have a morning meeting, then about 3 hours of studio time. So of course that translates into all day."
Everyone got up and started leaving to get ready. Jamie bumped into JC who put his arm around Jamie's shoulder with a grimace. After taking two steps they took one look at each other and giggled.
"You too, huh Josh?"
"Sore as hell," JC admitted, "but feeling good."
Jamie nodded. "Amen."
The train swayed gently on its route from Boston to New York. What few passengers there were during the late afternoon before rush hour were businessmen and older travelers so Justin didn't have to worry about being recognized. Jamie snuggled against him in the seat, thinking. He had been living an ideal life the last 3 days all thanks to the man sitting beside him. Even Leslie had noticed the change in him during their session that morning.
After enough silence he started going over the schedule for the next 3 months with Justin. "So, if I want to see you before March 8th, I'll have to come to you, huh?" Jamie asked already knowing the answer.
Justin nodded. "Sorry, babe, but that's the way it shapes up."
"No, no... that's fine. If I don't, it would be almost three weeks and I'd rather not wait that long right now plus I want to spend some time around the house." Jamie smiled and gave Justin a kiss on the lips. "Our house."
The smile on Justin's face almost blinded Jamie. "You'll get no argument from me." Justin leaned over and rested his head on Jamie's shoulder.
"So what about after that?" Jamie asked looking back down at the schedule. "Looks like you'll be in New York a good part of March."
"Yup, the end of that first week for Saturday Night Live and promos. The third week we're in for a week and a half for the album debut. The second half of the fourth week we head to Japan for about 5 days. April we're in Orlando rehearsing 6 days a week for the tour."
"Sounds busy. What happens the second week of March?"
Justin smiled at him with the look that Jamie knew meant he was up to something. "We have some time off so that you and I get to go on a vacation."
Jamie beamed at Justin, leaned in and they kissed. "You're so good to me. So where will this wonderful vacation be?"
"It's a surprise but you get to choose the basics. Snow or sand?"
Jamie smiled. "Considering the time of year, I'd have to pick sand."
"Great, I'll take care of the rest." He grinned wickedly and Jamie knew that nothing he could do would make him tell.
Justin returned to the schedule. "So, you still want to go to Japan with us? Dani is coming and she'd love to have someone to hang out with when we're busy."
"Sure, that would be fun. It will be a nice break before we start in with the tour rehearsals."
Justin nodded. "At least your rehearsals will only be half days."
"That's true, but Johnny has hired me to help Lance with some details that you guys need to iron out, so I'll be pretty busy too."
"That's a great idea. Lance gets stretched pretty thin when we add rehearsals to what he normally does. He'll like the help."
"So you think you can stand me being around for a month?" Jamie asked with a smile.
"Oh, ya, no problem there," Justin answered with a kiss. "Have you decided what you're gonna do while we're on tour?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, I've already been told that I -have- to be at the opening show..." They both chuckled at that. It was tradition for the guys to have as many family members present for the opening and closing of a tour as possible and Jamie really wasn't given a choice by none other than Lynn Harliss. "She really is trying, isn't she?"
Justin nodded. "She is and she does seem to genuinely like you." Jamie and Lynn had talked on the phone every few days or so at Justin's request. He thought they could get to know each other better that way and the tactic seemed to be working.
"I'm glad. My mom thinks the world of you, too." Justin had done the same thing for Jamie's mother in Maine. He truly won her heart when he and the guys sang God Must Have Spent to her over the phone for her on her birthday, one of her favorite songs of theirs. They planned on trying to go up during one of the longer tour breaks for a visit. "The rest of May and June I'll have to try to get as much time at the studio as possible in case I need to be on tour during July. I'll try to hit some dates, especially if you're in one place for a couple of nights."
Justin nodded. He was very happy for Jamie and snuggled down against him.
Jamie's meeting with Battery Studios was one that had them celebrating again that night. He had been offered a salaried position which he readily accepted. It was the perfect arrangement for both of them. Jamie was guaranteed a set number of studio hours per month. If no projects required him, he would be paid anyway and extra time would be compensated at his salaried rate. He had total freedom to turn down a project if he needed to as long as he made sure to give the studio the hours that he was paid for. They were also quite accommodating with his schedule for WEG and the No Strings Attached Tour, agreeing to give him a leave of absence in April and the approval for one in July, if needed, knowing he would make up the time.
"Things are really working out for us aren't they?" Jamie asked sincerely.
"I never had a doubt, sweet pea." Justin took Jamie's hand and held it firmly as the train left Connecticut and sped toward the city.
The plane was stacked up in traffic over Orlando International Airport. It was the perfect day for flying with cloudless, calm skies the entire trip. Jamie thought with a chuckle about the first time he had flown here and his comical meeting with Britney Spears. 'I wonder if she'll pick me up this time?' he thought to himself. He knew that Lynn was meeting him but liked the fantasy anyway.
Thinking of the week ahead he couldn't help but smile. He had packed light with few clothes and his guitar, as Justin recommended, and wondered just what he had planned. The last month had flown by and Jamie smiled at the memories. He was living the perfect life all thanks to Justin.
Jamie felt the plane lurch a little as the pilot announced that they had gotten permission to land. He gripped the arm rests and didn't let go until the plane was safely docked to the gate. Gathering his things quickly, he was one of the first to leave. He didn't mind flying, planes just made him uneasy for some reason.
Leaving the gate he spotted Lynn and went to her and gave her a big hug. "Hi, Lynn!" he said cheerfully.
She responded with equal friendliness. "How's my newest son," she said smiling. "You know I'm going to have you calling me mom before you know it."
Jamie blushed. Over the last month Lynn had made complete peace with her demons and treated Jamie like he was one of her own. As she told Jamie on his last visit: 'You make Justin happy and that's more than enough for me.' Even she couldn't deny the affect Jamie had on Justin.
"So any idea what Justin has up his sleeve?"
"No, no, no, even if I did know, I still wouldn't tell you," she laughed. She looked carefully at him. "Are you ok, you look tired."
"Oh, I'm fine, just in desperate need of a vacation. Things have been really busy at the studio, I was in there almost every day the last two weeks getting as much time in as I can. Plus having the guys around for half of last week really tired me out. I'm just beat."
"Well, this vacation should do you all some good."
"Is that a hint?" Jamie asked with a smile.
"Not at all, just an observation. So why didn't you come down with the guys this morning?"
"I had a gig at ten. It was something I agreed to do several months ago, a really high profile wedding brunch, and I couldn't back out. Did you watch the show last night?"
Lynn nodded. " Sure did, I thought they were hilarious. And I saw you a couple of times in the audience too with Dani."
"It was alot of fun but pretty stressful. They need this break as much as I do before the album comes out."
"Well you'll have all this week to relax. They've arranged to have you all fly back into New York on Friday night from.... wherever you are gonna be," she said with a smirk.
Jamie looked at her suspiciously. "Uh huh, so you won't tell me, right?"
"Zip and lock." she smiled. Jamie sighed and smiled back.
Before long Lynn dropped him off 'at home,' he thought happily looking at the house. "You gonna stay for dinner?"
"I'd love to, but I have some Innosense business that needs taking care of."
"Ok, thanks Lynn, for everything." They hugged again and Jamie kissed her cheek.
She smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder. "Have fun. I'll see you in New York next week."
The landscaper had been by last week and there were new flowers and shrubs planted everywhere. It warmed his heart. 'This is our -home-.' A tear graced his cheek as he waved goodbye to Lynn and headed up the walk. He saw that the guys were all here waiting by the number of cars in the driveway.
He entered the house, almost forgetting to enter the security code. Jamie giggled remembering the awful noise the thing made when he set it off on his last visit. Seeing nobody in the living room he peered out quickly through the kitchen and noticed everyone relaxing out by the pool. Something looked different there but he dismissed it and headed to the bedroom to freshen up and change first.
Jamie took a quick shower and put on some swim trunks and a T-shirt. Looking at the bed, he picked up Justin's pillow and sniffed it, sighing at the faint smell of shampoo, cologne and that particular scent that reminded him uniquely of Justin. His mind drifted back two weeks to when he and Justin had formally christened their bed. It was a night to remember that left them both sore in the morning.
Dropping the pillow with a smile, he crossed to the open windows that let in the early evening breeze. Peeking out he saw them all lounging around. Chris was tending the grill and Jamie's stomach growled at the smell of steak and chicken.
He was about to turn and head downstairs when a whiff of cologne and sweat warned him just as he was wrapped in two strong arms. He tensed at first but relaxed in the embrace.
"Welcome home, sweet pea." Justin started kissing his neck making Jamie sigh and moan. "I missed you."
Jamie giggled. "I saw you this morning, JuJu. But then again you seemed pretty out of it, so you might have missed it."
Justin laughed and turned him in his arms. "I remember you being there, that's what counts. But I still missed you. How was your gig?"
"It went well. There were alot of celebrities there. I saw Rosie and Regis, all kinds of people. Oh, and Carson Daly was there too. He kinda looked at me funny, but I don't think he recognized me."
Justin leaned down and took Jamie's lips with his. The kiss was sweet and loving. "I've wanted to do that all day."
"Me too. How'd you know I was here?"
"Lance heard the shower running. I guess I didn't move fast enough to catch you before you dressed," he said with a smirk.
"Later on, loverboy, I can guarantee it. So are you gonna tell me about this vacation now?"
Justin shook his head with a smile. "Nope. And the only ones who know are me, Lance and Johnny," he added quickly seeing Jamie's frown. "Y'all will find out tomorrah," he added emphasizing his twang.
"God, you're sexy when you talk like that." Jamie leaned up and kissed Justin again with more passion, his tongue tracing Justin's lips before pushing in. They separated when someone called them from outside.
"Hey you guys, dinner's almost ready and you'd better be here when it is because Joey and Josh look like they could eat it all themselves," laughed Chris.
"Hey!" They heard from both JC and Joey and they laughed.
They turned to leave the room and Jamie almost tripped over two bags. "What are these?"
"Our clothes for the week," Justin stated proudly. "All packed and ready to go."
"Oh, Justin, again?" Jamie sighed at his boyfriend.
On the last trip down he found that Justin had half filled his closet and dresser with clothes that he had bought for him. He actually had done a pretty good job by just using his memory of what Jamie had back in New York. Justin's logic was flawless. This was Jamie's house too, he reasoned, and he needed to have belongings here as well. Plus it saved him from having to travel with luggage, a definite bonus.
"I bought these at the same time as all the others but just kept them separate. I told you before that when Britney visits we like to go shopping. Don't be mad, please, it makes me happy to buy you things."
Jamie smiled at Justin. "I'm not mad. Who am I to argue with someone as cute as you. It's just sometimes it's a little... I don't know... overwhelming."
Justin hugged Jamie and kissed his forehead. "I did warn you that I like to shower the people I love with presents and I sometimes go overboard."
"Yup, you did. Thank you, sweetie." Jamie kissed Justin and they gazed into each other's eyes.
Justin smiled. "Oh, the title for the house came while we were gone." He walked over to the dresser and handed the envelope to Jamie.
Jamie opened it and tears came to his eyes. "Justin, it has both our names on it."
"Of course it does. This is -our- house." Justin hugged Jamie again, threw the title back onto the dresser and wiped the tears from Jamie's eyes. "Come on, I have a small surprise for you," Justin said leading him by the hand.
"I don't know if I can take anymore," Jamie joked. Justin squeezed his hand in response.
When they got to the kitchen Justin had him close his eyes then led him out the back door. "Ok, open."
Jamie opened his eyes and found himself on a covered porch. It was large enough to hold a few chairs with a small table and there was a porch swing at one end. The railings were adorned with planters filled with morning glories and petunias. "Oh, Justin, it's wonderful." He grabbed onto Justin and hugged him close, kissing all over his face. "It's just like I described."
Justin grinned at him. "It took some doing. The contractors around here had a hard time understanding what I wanted. The neat thing about it is that they built it so that from the yard it fits the architecture of the house, but from here you can't tell."
"Food's on!" Chris called and they all gathered around the picnic tables near the porch to eat.
As they sat down to eat the sun set and the moon rose. It was a day or two short of full and it cast a silvery light on everything. They ate and talked over their food in the twilight, enjoying just being able to relax and not wonder where they were headed next. Of course that very topic came up anyway when they started talking about the vacation.
They all, with the exception of Justin and Lance, threw out ideas on where they were going. They knew Jamie had chosen 'sand' so it was a beach vacation. Names of various tropical ports of call were thrown out to see if the conspirators would react, but they got no response.
"Come on guys, just a little hint?" Joey whined. Kelly nodded her head next to him impatient to know.
Lance and Justin exchanged a glance. "Ok, I'll let you have three guesses on where we're going and we'll honestly tell you if you're right or not," Lance said giving in.
"Cool! What do we guess?" Chris asked.
"Let's decide on the three before we start asking," JC suggested. The next few minutes were taken by everyone suggesting a favorite beach destination. Dani whispered something to JC who nodded agreement and they shared her idea without letting Lance and Justin know.
Jamie grabbed a napkin and pen and put down the destinations grouping them in a way Justin couldn't make out. "Ok, we're ready."
"Ask away," Lance said smugly.
"Ok, somewhere within 500 miles of where we are right now?" Dani asked with a smirk.
Justin immediately protested. "Hey, we said you could guess where we're going, not this."
JC smiled at him. "Nope. You said we could get three guesses, you never said they had to be places."
"You guys are good," Lance said with a laugh. "Yes, within 500 miles of here."
Justin pouted in defeat. Jamie leaned over and took Justin's lower lip into his mouth, licking and sucking on it before pulling away, leaving Justin with a smile and a slightly distracted expression.
"Ladies, take note. That's a master at work," Joey grinned.
Dani sighed. "What a great way to get someone to stop pouting." She looked over at Chris with an amused smile.
"Ok, where were we," Chris said with a blush.
Jamie looked over the napkin. "That still leaves us with too many choices. Ok, Key Biscayne?" he asked starting with one that they all had mentioned.
"Good guess," Justin said. "We considered that, but no. It's way too crowded this time of year."
"Alright, last guess. Make it a good one," Lance added.
They discussed it some more trying to come up with the one definitive spot in Florida. Something came to Jamie. Justin and Lance had been discussing the vacation in private last week and Justin came away whistling 'Margaritaville.' Then, shortly after, they all joked about him naming their game room the Jimmy Buffet room because of it's Orlando Tropical decor. Jamie racked his brain for any scrap of information he could remember about Jimmy Buffett. It all came together suddenly. The home of the Margaritaville Store and Jimmy Buffett's favorite place of all.
"I've got it!" Jamie said loudly startling everyone at the table. Everyone looked at him expectantly.
"It's Key West!"
The look on Justin and Lance's faces was priceless. Lance's jaw was moving but no sound was coming out. Justin simply crossed his arms and looked at Jamie with a mixture of awe and chagrin.
"Well, that's not right, anyway," Justin said finally with a smirk. Joey groaned.
Lance found his voice. "No, that is right. We won't be in Key West itself but it's still considered a part of it." He poked Justin who giggled and grinned. "Well, all you know is where we're going, you still don't know the details and -that- will be a surprise. Jamie, how did you ever figure it out."
Jamie put his arm around Justin. "Tall, curly and handsome here gave me the clue I needed. Last week he was whistling 'Margaritaville' so I figured it out from that."
Justin smiled. "My smart boyfriend just spoiled the secret."
Jamie rubbed his nose against Justin's. "I'll make it up to you, promise."
Later that evening, after everyone had gone home, Justin and Jamie were relaxing in the tub surrounded by soap suds.
"You're not mad we figured it out are you?"
"No, of course not, besides it's partly my fault you did. You're very clever."
Jamie lay his head back against Justin's chest while Justin wrapped his arms around him. "I love you so much. Would you sing to me?"
Justin held him tightly and sang softly in Jamie's ear.
"Some day, when I'm awfully low,
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight.
Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
And the way you look tonight.
With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fear apart...
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
It touches my foolish heart.
Lovely ... Never, ever change
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you...
It's just the way you look tonight."
Justin looked down at Jamie as he finished and noticed him sleeping soundly against him. He picked him up and dried both of them the best he could and settled them into bed.
"Goodnight sweet pea. I love you." Jamie smiled in his sleep and snuggled closer to Justin's side. Justin kissed his forehead and soon he too fell asleep.
He shivered in the dark, bathed in a harsh white light. Two paths he knew very well lay before him, the visions at the end hadn't changed.
"Choose!" the voice insisted.
"I have chosen." Jamie brought the image of Justin to his mind. He immediately felt the warmth and love from him but the dream remained.
"You think you have," the voice said menacingly. "You must choose."
Jamie stood from where he sat. "If you insist then I -will- choose." He confidently stepped into a world of chaos, into the storm that held the figure he loved with all his heart. At first he thought he was in the middle of a cruel joke. The more steps he took toward Justin the farther he seemed to be as the winds whipped around him. At every breath things threatened to pull him further and further away.
First his own fears tore away at him. The voice of Rocky echoed in his head. 'I may let you out of here after I've had my fun but I'm not done,' repeated over and over until he thought he would go mad. He found himself in his old dorm room. With feet feeling like they were stepping in quicksand he made it to the door and plunged through.
Jamie found himself in Lynn Harliss' living room. Haunted caricatures of the guys of 'NSync stood between him and Justin. Pushing him away from Justin, they all called for him to go the other way. Chris and Joey looked like they were enjoying a fabulous joke and Lance looked at Jamie with a sad acceptance of what would have to be. JC stood to the side while pulling Justin away, his face a mixture of regret and motherly protectiveness.
Jamie took another step through their hands. He was now in the middle of a sea of faceless bodies all screaming for Justin in a large arena. Slowly the noise ebbed then changed as they felt Jamie's presence among them. "No! No! No!" they chanted to him as they pushed against him threatening to crush him. He looked and saw Justin on the stage nearby reaching down to him. "Justin!" he shouted. "Justin, please help me!" Jamie reached up and their hands clasped.
"I am here, Jamie," his dream Justin said. "It's ok, nothing will hurt you." Jamie sank into peaceful oblivion.
Justin half woke sometime in the night with Jamie twitching beside him. Seeing that he had moved away slightly, he reached over and took Jamie's hand and pulled him back into his arms.
"I am here, Jamie," he whispered. Jamie seemed to calm a little with his words. "It's ok, nothing will hurt you." Jamie sighed deeply and grew still, his head on Justin's chest.
Justin closed his eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to fall, feeling for the pain in his boyfriend, as he fell back to sleep.
Very early the next morning Jamie and Justin were leaning against each other at the front door as Lance's SUV pulled into the driveway. Jamie complained loudly that it was only 7:00. Justin simply nodded.
"Hey you two, enough of that. You have all week to sleep in."
"Ok, Lance," Justin said tiredly. "Where's Josh?"
"He went to get the others and should be here in a minute." Lance glanced at them as they loaded their luggage. Jamie went in to make a last check of the house. "Justin, what's wrong?"
"Jamie had a nightmare last night."
"Oh, bad?"
Justin nodded. "He didn't wake up, but he remembered it this morning. He's been pretty quiet, it really shook him."
Lance rubbed Justin's shoulder. "It's probably all the stress. This time off will help."
"That's what I thought too. Lance..." Justin didn't finish worry etched onto his face.
"I know, Justin, you're thinking of the tour." Justin sighed not answering. "We'll just have to make sure that everything stays cool when he's around," Lance said confidently.
Josh and the others arrived just as Jamie came out and locked the front door. They all talked for a minute on the lawn. The good-natured enthusiasm of the others lifted Jamie's spirits. Justin sighed with relief to see Jamie smile and laugh with Chris.
Dani volunteered to drive JC's jeep so that he could ride with Lance. Justin and Jamie jumped into the backseat of the SUV while the others joined Dani. Lance hobbled back to the car and got in with a grimace.
"How's your foot, Lance?" Jamie asked with concern. They all had a scare during rehearsals for one of the skits the guys did on SNL when Lance slipped on stage and badly sprained his ankle. They had a doctor check it out and wrap it and the show went on with a minor choreography change to 'Bye Bye Bye.'
"Just fine, just a little stiff this morning. It's really sore sometimes. The doctor said to do some light walking on it this week so I'll be fine."
They left with Lance leading the way for their mini caravan. "So do we now find out where we're going?" JC asked.
"Sure, the airport," Lance smiled with a smirk.
In a short time they arrived at a private hangar. Parking the vehicles they went around to the side, luggage in tow to see a small jet with the JIVE logo on it.
"Ah, flying in class I see," Joey laughed.
JC helped Lance into the plane while Jamie and Justin got their luggage. Everyone else boarded and soon they were taxiing down the runway.
"It's not often we get to use the jet. How'd you manage it?" Chris asked in awe.
"Well, Jive thought it was a good idea for us to get some R&R before the album release and the tour so they agreed to let us use it. We're still sorta on the honeymoon with them so they want to make us happy. It will take us to New York on Friday too."
They all settled in as the plane took off. After the lapbelt sign went off the copilot came back to introduce himself. Letting them know that it would be about an hour before they landed, he showed them where they could find things in the galley before going back into the cockpit.
Jamie was silently staring out the window when he felt Justin's hand brush through his hair.
"Are you ok, sweet pea?"
Jamie turned and smiled sadly at Justin. "I'm fine." He then started to tell Justin about the nightmare. Chris overheard and knelt on his seat looking back at them to catch the whole story. When Jamie finished he was crying and Justin was holding him close.
"Any ideas what's going on here, Chris?" Justin asked.
Jamie looked up at Chris. "That's right, you've taken some psychology classes, what do you think? I'm going crazy, right?"
Chris felt his heart ache for the pain coming from Jamie. "I don't think that at all. Your subconscious is telling you that being involved with Justin will make your life more complicated, that's all."
Jamie nodded. "That much I've figured out before I made my dream choice. There wasn't any choice to make really. What about the rest?"
"Well that bit about Rocky and your dorm room is pretty easy to figure out. You are still dealing with that. As for the rest..." Chris drifted off for a minute, a thoughtful look on his face. "This is only my opinion, but I think I'm gonna hit pretty close on target. The rest is just your subconscious trying to deal with the fact that you and Justin are gonna be pulled in alot of different directions the next four months or so. And sometimes it will feel like everything will be pulling you apart. You just have to stand tough and know that you are both there for each other."
"You sure about that?" Justin asked skeptically.
"No, he's right, Justin. That's exactly what it means, I can feel it inside. How'd you know that, Chris?"
By now Dani had joined Chris in looking over the seat, her head resting against Chris's shoulder. "He knew it because both he and I have had similar dreams in the past. Jamie, you're not alone with this. If anyone knows what your feeling about this it would be me. Feel free to talk to me anytime you need to."
"Thanks, Dani, I will."
Dani smiled at him as they clasped hands. "It's not easy being the girlfriend... or boyfriend for that matter, of one of these guys. We have to stick together and help each other out." Kelly was listening from across the isle with Joey napping on her shoulder. "That goes for you too, Kel." Kelly smiled at Dani in gratitude.
"And now you know why I love her so much," Chris said kissing her forehead.
Lance and JC sat snuggled together across the isle behind Joey and Kelly, smiling to each other. "Let the bonding begin," JC joked.
"See, I told you this group vacation was just what we needed after this fall. Plus Jamie needs to feel fully comfortable with everyone and to know he can rely on all of us, even Dani."
"Your so smart... thoughtful.... handsome... sexy..." JC interrupted his words with kisses on Lance's forehead and cheeks before Lance grabbed his head and pressed their lips together. The rest of the flight was lost to them.
They stood on the tarmack with a dark-haired young man named Nino. He was tanned from days in the sun and introduced himself as the caretaker of the 'retreat.' They boarded a small bus and drove through Key West to the center of the town.
Lance gathered them together. "Ok, it's 9:30. Here's the address of the restaurant where we have reservations for lunch, that's noon," he added with a smirk. "We figured that it would be nice to spend some time in Key West since nobody but Chris and Dani have ever been here. Nino will pick us up at the restaurant after lunch. Key West isn't really a family resort so we shouldn't have too much trouble about crowds recognizing us. Just use your common sense, it's alot easier to just give a few autographs then have to slink around town. If you get into trouble use your cell phone. Have fun!"
They all laughed at Lance's mothering tone before scattering to do some sightseeing and shopping. Justin and Jamie walked in a lazy circle slowly making their way towards the restaurant. Before long they came across the Margaritaville Store and went in. To Jamie it was a treasure trove, having liked Jimmy Buffett growing up. They bought some T-Shirts and picked out a double set of Margarita glasses that they had shipped directly to the house.
It was just noon when they arrived at the restaurant to meet with the others. Lunch was superb and when done they boarded the bus again. Everyone was relaxed and in high spirits having enjoyed being just regular tourists and not having to worry about the price of their fame for a few hours.
After a short drive they pulled up to a boat slip at the marina. Once they were safely on the boat and underway Lance started explaining. "We're heading to the retreat now. It will take about a half hour or so."
Jamie was the only one watching where they were going. "Hey, we're not heading around the island, we're going out to sea!"
Justin smiled at him. Everyone looked around to see Key West disappearing behind them.
"That's right, the retreat isn't on Key West. We won't say more until we get there, I think you'll like it," Justin grinned at them.
A half hour later they saw that they were approaching a small island. The boat pulled into a small lagoon and stopped at a short dock. Nino came out of the cabin and smiled at them. "Welcome to Tube Key!"
tbc...
Notes: The Way You Look Tonight: Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields
Ya just gotta hear Ella sing this one, like butta!
There's the latest. Comments and suggestions are always welcome!
Jim bangoremail@aol.com