Light in the Tunnel

Hello everyone. I'd like to thank everyone for their opinions and input as I write this. As I hope I have said, it means so very much to me. Because of some recent personal events, my recent illness not included, I am able to devote more time to writing, a fact that makes me very glad.

This is chapter 12 of A Light in the Tunnel. You will notice right away that it doesn't pick up where the last one left off. I have decided to skip ahead a month in time. I feel the story was going to become too stagnate going day by day. I am jealous of writers that manage to pull it off. There will be pieces that refer to events skipped over, so, don't worry, you will know what happened.

As always, I do not know NSYNC, anyone affiliated with them, or any other celebrities that may appear within these pages. That said, it can be correctly assumed that I have no insight into their sexual orientations/habits or personalities. This is a work of fiction. This is a story detailing relationships between men, so, if such things offend you or you are not of legal age in your community, please look elsewhere for you entertainment.

A Light in the Tunnel:

Chapter 12

Burke dropped onto the soft, heavily cushioned, brown leather couch, and pulled his anatomy book from his backpack. He was tired of school for the day, but Chris had a thing about him finishing his homework before anything else was done, not letting him put it off so more amusing things could be found. Burke instantly regretted nestling into the plush sofa, wondering how much pain would be had when he needed to peel his bare legs from the leather. Sighing, he delved into his book, not all that interested in the inner workings of kidneys.

"Hey, Burke. What's going on?"

Burke gladly tore his eyes from the chart in front of him, looking up at the welcome distraction. "Hi, Lee. Nothing much, just doing homework."

"No study group today?"

For the past month, he had been volunteering four days out of the week with a local after school program, tutoring and hanging out with kids who had no where to go between the time school got out and their parents were off work. Lance had found him the job, and he really enjoyed it. The children made him laugh and feel important. "Nope. I don't work on Fridays."

"Alright. Do you want me to turn the sound on so you can hear what's going on in there?" Lee gestured over his shoulder to the bubble like recording studio, Burke's friends clustered around a set of hanging microphones. He liked listening to them work on their music. It always provided at least a few slip-ups he could tease them about later.

"What are they working on today?"

"Just a couple of run-throughs. Justin and JC wrote a new song and they wanted to test out the harmonies and stuff."

"Sure, if it isn't too much of a problem. I've been sitting here for an hour or so and they haven't noticed me yet."

"Ok, as long as you promise to behave yourself." Burke tried to look innocent, pretending to be ignorant of what he was alluding to. "Don't give me that angel face, Burke. I happen to remember a certain young man that had to postpone his trip to Universal because his friends had to spend a Saturday morning laying down tracks to replace the ones he caused them to mess up."

Burke grinned, the corners of his eyes scrunching up. "That wasn't very nice of that guy! He should be ashamed of himself!" Giggling, Burke remembered pressing his face against the studio glass, making faces while the guys were recording, breaking their concentration. After an hour of his hijinks, the producer called it quits for the day, but demanded they come back in the morning to get it right. Needless to say, Burke had to wait in another room. "I promise, Lee. I'll just sit right here and read my book. You won't hear a peep out of me."

A few moments after the man left the room, disappearing into the control booth, the music was piped in through speakers in the corner. Burke listened for several minutes as they toyed with the vocals and notes. The harmonies, as usual, were tight and well blended, no one hitting a sour chord. He found it slightly funny that Justin, a huge goofball, could write the most tender love songs. At the same time, he pictured himself as the one Josh was singing to. With a content sigh, he drifted back to his text, reading but keeping an ear cocked to the music.

He barely realized that a new song was being sung, this one upbeat and more be-bop. Justin worked the rhythm with his mouth, sounding like a drum track, while Lance offered the counterpoint, his deep voice bouncing out an accompanying beat. Chris' contralto added a high do-wop, Josh echoing an octave lower. Joey just stood there, a wicked glint in his eyes. While trying to memorize the part of the kidney, Burke's head began to bob to the lilting tune, keeping beat with their scatting. "Burke, Burke, Bo-Burke. Banana fana Fo-Furke. Me My Mo-Murke. Burke!"

His head snapping around, Burke was met with five men making hideous, hilarious faces at him through the glass. Laughing hysterically, he rolled off the couch, his skin parting from the leather with a sticky sound, and collapsed on the floor. One by one they made their way out of the studio, all cackling as hard as their young friend. "What do think?" Justin giggled. "Will it make it on the next album?"

"Unless your fans, myself included, have lost their senses, I'd say not! But the intro was awesome as hell!" Lance cleared his throat. "Sorry," Burke murmured. "So, y'all finished for the day?"

"Almost," Chris answered, "we have one more thing to do. One of the things we want to do sounds a little flat. It needs something extra."

Burke nodded. "I'll be right here when you finish. I promised Lee I would leave you guys alone while you're working."

"Actually," Joey piped up, "we were hoping you'd help us with the problem." Shrugging, Burke started toward the control booth, figuring they wanted his opinion on how to balance things out. "No, come in here."

Gathering around the microphones, Burke stood against the farthest wall, not wanting his breathing to be recorded on the sensitive system. "You can't help way over there," Chris smiled, holding out one of their sets of headphones.

Burke gulped, his throat becoming dry and tight. He looked at them, each beaming. "I--you want me to--sing with you?"

"We've all been told that you have a great voice, but, except for in the car and stuff, we've never heard you. Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Nobody that's going to buy your record wants to hear me too, guys."

"This is just for us, Burke. Please?" Justin's puppy dog eyes were joined by four more.

"Thanks, but no thanks. You all have an amazing mix, and adding me to it will mess everything up." He firmly shook his head when they started to beg.

"He doesn't want to guys, and it isn't fair of us to try and force him," Lance spoke up once he realized Burke wasn't going to cave in to their pleading. Burke smiled a thank you.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?"

"I have to sit down with Burke and tell him about today's news. After that I don't have anything to do. Have you finished your homework, son?"

"All I have to do is answer a couple of questions at the end of the chapter, dad. It won't take me more than a couple of minutes. What news? Is something important going on?"

"I'll tell you when we get home. And take that look of dread off your face. It's nothing bad." Burke nodded. "How about we give you all a call later? Maybe we can set something up for tomorrow." Everyone agreed, and, after doling out farewell hugs, left, each going their separate way.

Clambering out of bed, Burke barreled down the stairs, wondering what all the shouting was about. Chris' voice was raised, but still held some tinge of calmness, but the woman he was talking to was raving. Crossing the foyer, he finally understood what was going on. Trembling, he walked into the living room, and saw his mother stomping around, her arms flailing madly. "He's my son, and I want him to come home! Now!"

"It's not that simple, Mrs. Kennedy. You gave up all rights to Burke. Legally, he's not your son anymore. He lives here now, and is quite happy. I suggest you calm down before things get out of hand."

"Are you threatening me? I will drag your ass to court and take every cent you have! Get him down here and get his bags packed!"

They hadn't seen him hovering in the doorway, but Burke could tell Chris' patience was wearing thin rapidly. Not too much taller than the woman, Chris, full of anger and annoyance, seemed to be huge. "You just try it, lady, and I'll bury you in paperwork until Burke turns eighteen. What kind of judge is going to grant custody to someone who throws her son away instead of helping him when he needs it most? Now, get out of my house before I have you arrested for trespassing."

"This isn't the end of this! He's mine and I'll have him back!" She spun on her heels, both of them gasping when they saw Burke standing there, tears running down his cheeks. "Burke, sweetheart--"

"What are you doing here?" he sobbed.

"I've come to take you home where you belong. These people are not your family. I am, and you should be with me. Now go get your things so we can go home."

Chris stepped up, his hands shoved in his pockets. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Burke. The decision is yours." His voice was low and wavering.

"No, he doesn't have a choice. Burke is still a child, and he will do what he's told. Now, Burke."

Burke felt his fingers curl into the palms of his hands, his fingernails pressing sharply against the skin. He was happy with Chris and his friends, happier than he could ever remember being. He couldn't picture his life without Joey's joking barbs or Justin's enthusiasm or Lance's quiet understanding. He had a father for the first time in his life, and someone who was interested in getting to know him romantically. He didn't want to lose that, he didn't want to lose everything he had been trying to build. "No," he whispered, his eyes opening to glare at his mother. "No," he said again, this time with more conviction.

"What do you mean, 'no'? I told you to go get your things." Her voice was rough, furious that Burke was talking back to her, something he had never done in seventeen years.

"And I told you no. You threw me away like a piece of trash, and now you expect me to come running back? It doesn't work like that. All I've ever wanted was for you to love me, but you've proven, time and time again, that you can't do that."

"I'm your mother, Burke. You can't argue that no matter what kind of lies these singers have filled your head with."

"I wish I could argue that fact, I really do. And they haven't filled my head with any kind of lie. That was all you. All my life you stomped me into the ground and made me feel worthless. I actually believed you, but not anymore. Like it or not, these guys love me, and I love them. This is my home now, and I'm not going anywhere, especially with you."

Beverly's lip curled into a cruel smirk. "Do they know exactly how much you love them? Tell me, Chris," she snarled, whipping around to face him, "do you know that Burke is a pervert?"

"Stop it mother," Burke warned.

"That he is going to hell and is dragging you with him?"

"Shut up!"

"That he doesn't really care about you? All he wants is to have sex with you? Burke is a filthy homosexual."

With an anguished shriek, Burke launched himself across the room, a fist raised in retaliation. Moving faster than he thought possible, Chris leapt in his path and grabbed Burke, pulling him back. "No, son, don't do it. She's not worth it." Struggling against Chris' arms, Burke howled as he attempted to get at the frightened woman. "Yes, I know that Burke is gay, but that doesn't make a difference to me. He's a good boy; smart, funny, caring, talented. You're the one who's going to hell you miserable, self-righteous, bitch. You have about ten seconds to get out of here, or I'm going to let your son take a few swings at you, then tell the cops you attacked him first."

Her eyes wide, Beverly scurried to the door, leaving it open as she shuffled to her rental car. "This isn't over! I'm warning you!"

Calmer, and sheltered within his father's arms, Burke answered her, his voice lacking all emotion. "Yes, it is." He pushed the door shut, watching his glowering mother disappear behind the wood. With the click of the latch, Burke buried his face in Chris' shoulder. "Oh God!," he wailed. "Oh God!"

Steering the boy back into the living room and to a couch, Chris cradled Burke, sad that his son had to face that, angry that Beverly had dared to show her face around their home, and proud that Burke had stood up for himself against someone who had tried to destroy his soul on a daily basis. "Shh, it'll be alright, Burke. I swear it will be alright."

"But I just threw my mother out! I slammed the door in her face! Oh God! I almost hit her! I almost hit her, Chris!"

"But you didn't, and, if you had, she more than deserved it for talking to you like that. I almost laid her out the minute she rang the doorbell. I shouldn't have let her inside. I'm so sorry." Rocking back and forth, they apologized and forgave each other for things that didn't really matter.

"You didn't believe her, did you? About me only wanting to have sex with you? Because it isn't true! You're my family!"

"I know, son, I know. Of course I didn't believe her. She was just trying to hurt you. I mean, if she was talking about Josh, I might have bought it." Chris giggled and poked his fingers into Burke's ribs.

"That's not funny, dad! He's my friend above everything else."

"Chris, Burke, you're never going to guess who I think I just saw pulling out of the front gate," Joey called out as he came walking in. "I mean, I know it wasn't, but the likeness was amazing." He rounded the corner, becoming silent when he saw them cuddled together on the couch, both still sniffling. "Oh, shit! It was her, wasn't it?" Chris nodded slowly. "What the hell did she want? What did she do to Burke?"

"She wanted me to go home with her," Burke answered, wiping his eyes on the hem of his shirt. "I told her no, then she got really nasty with me. She said a couple of things and I lost it. I almost hit her, but Chris grabbed me back."

"Why did you go and do that, Christopher? That woman deserves to feel a part of what Burke has had to deal with for years. I think it would've been pretty fun, actually. Wham!" He chuckled at his own joke, kicking an invisible body on the floor. Watching the large Italian man fighting with an imaginary foe made Chris, then Burke, start to laugh, exactly what Joey had hoped for. "Don't worry about it, little man. You can get her next time. I'll keep everyone back so you can go a few rounds." He bounced on the balls of his feet, jabbing at the air as if he were boxing.

"What's up, Joe?" Chris asked as he wiped away his tears.

"Someone was supposed to call last night, but didn't, so I came over to see what's up. Did Chris tell you about the tour and everything?" Burke nodded. "Did he also tell you that our road manager is ticked because he has to give up his bunk on our bus and ride with the rest of the staff people?"

"Why does he have to give up his bed? Because of me? He doesn't have to do that."

"Yes he does. Unless, of course, Chris is going to let you share with Josh."

"He most certainly will not! Burke will have his own bed, which he will sleep in, alone!"

"You're no fun!" Burke and Joe said at the same time.

"If you want to do something today, we better get to doing it. It seems my son, as usual, is blowing me off tonight."

Joey couldn't let the opportunity pass, getting extreme pleasure out of pestering both Burke and Josh about their blossoming relationship. "Oh, another hot date! How many is this? Four?"

"Tonight will be five," the boy muttered, his skin blazing.

"Sounds like it's getting hot and heavy. You all spending all your time making out in the back seat of the jeep?"

"No!"

"I think the gentleman doth protest too much!"

"Leave me alone! Josh hasn't even kissed me yet."

"Uh huh, right."

"I swear! He hasn't even tried since our first date!"

"If you say so, Burke."

Burke's cheeks flushed, but it was from annoyance instead of embarrassment. He opened his mouth to say more in his defense, but Chris slapped a hand over his mouth. "He's just pulling your chain, son."

Joey gasped for breath between gut wrenching guffaws, bracing himself against the back of a chair. "You sure are cute when you're pissed!"

"Leave me alone, Joey. What are we doing today?"