[chapter eighteen]

(The following afternoon, right before soundcheck)
"Hey man, you okay?" Lance asked JC, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder as he strolled into the dressing room.

"Huh?" JC said, snapping out of his trance. "Yeah, yeah, I'm cool."

"I think we're heading out on stage in a couple of minutes. Tom wanted to make sure you had your mikeset." Lance replied, handing JC's headset to him. "Here."

"Thanks." JC said, taking the headset from Lance absently, before setting it down on the counter in front of him. "Where are the others?"

"Lance cocked his head to one side as he heard Justin's laughter in the hallway. "Ask, and you shall receive." He said with a grin. The door burst open and Chris and Justin came in, laughing.

"Hey hey hey!" Chris said. "How's it goin'?"

"Other than JC spacing out, it's goin' good." Lance said with a grin.

"Why spacing out?" Justin asked JC, turning to his friend.

"I just have a lot on my mind." JC said. "Nothing major, really."

"Hey guys. Hey C, where's Caitlin?" Joey asked, joining the conversation.

"She is visiting an old college friend in the city. She said she'd be back in a few hours." JC replied, smiling slightly at the thought of his girlfriend. She'd been so incredibly excited and impressed with the concert she'd seen the night before, and couldn't stop talking about how wonderful it was. Without realizing it, JC discovered how much he needed her approval and support for this tour. And, even more amazingly, having her in the audience had made him nervous. He'd wanted to do everything perfectly for her, and that made him more nervous than if his family or some celebrity was in the audience. With a smile to himself, he thought, "This must be love. I don't get nervous for just anybody…".

After the concert, Caitlin had managed to get back to the hotel just after the guys, and she and JC had stayed up til the wee hours of the morning discussing the concert, the crowds, and generally catching up on the last few weeks. JC had slept better last night than he had since the tour started, from having Caitlin in his arms. But still, something was nagging him…

Not only had Caitlin received another call from her psychopathic ex-boyfriend, but also JC had finally recognized yesterday during sound check, during dinner and during the pre-concert preparations, that he was jealous of Chris.

Was jealous the right word?

Caitlin and Chris had just…bonded. They had things in common, and they seemed to get along really well. Normally, JC would be over the moon that his girlfriend had been so easily accepted by his friends-god knows, they hadn't always agreed on significant others, and were quite vocal about telling each other so. But something about the way Chris looked at Caitlin…

She hadn't done anything to encourage it, JC didn't think. But she and Chris had such an easy-going relationship. And Chris was the fun one, the crazy one, the one all the girls wanted to hang out with. And JC was just…boring JC. Steady, solid, boring JC. What if Caitlin finally figured that out and left him?

He'd grown way too attached to her to let her just slip away. Especially not to someone like Chris. But he couldn't help being a bit jealous of their easy banter, their ability to quote movies together, and their general relationship.

And ever since this ex of Caitlin's had started calling, he had become more and more protective and possessive of her, much as he didn't want to be. He knew Caitlin needed her independence, but he couldn't help but want to protect her and shield her from everything, and everyone, who might hurt her. He knew Chris would never hurt her, but he hoped that if anything ever happened, Caitlin would turn to him first, rather than Chris or her roommates.

Either way, he was happy she had come to surprise him. He hadn't been the same since he left her behind in Orlando. He just hoped he could snap out of his reverie and focus on the soundcheck and the concert for this evening. He and Caitlin could spend the evening together after the show, and maybe he would tell her how he was feeling…

"That's cool. She coming to dinner with us?" Joey asked, snapping JC's attention back to the current conversation.

"Uh. Yeah, she said she would be back by then." JC replied. "Should we head out to the stage?" he asked, standing up and stretching.

"Yep. Let's hit it!" Justin said, punching the air for emphasis. "Let's knock some socks off!"

***

Caitlin was still mopping the sweat off her face when she finally returned to the hotel. She had just danced for the last hour and half as the boys sang their hearts out for 50,000 fans. She still couldn't get over the sheer excitement, sheer showcase, sheer SIZE of the concert Nsync were touring with this summer. No wonder their fans kept coming back for more.

As she walked into the hotel elevator and pressed 16, she leaned against the wall with a smile. She was still humming "Against the Wall" when she exited, and was hoping that the guys wouldn't be too exhausted to hang out for a few hours. She was entirely too pumped up to sleep right now…

He fears were allayed when she walked around the corner and saw Chris and Justin tossing a football, playing keep away from Lance and Joey. "How the hell do you guys still have the energy for that?" She asked, walking up to them and deftly grabbing the football Justin had just let fly. Gracefully, she threw it back to him with a nice spiral and turned to smile at her friends.

"Oh yeah, like we could just crash after a show like that every night. Talk about being wound up!" Joey said with a grin.

"It's a rush, alright." Lance agreed. "We usually don't come down for a few hours after the show."

"Where's Sleepy?" Caitlin asked, noting that JC wasn't in the hall with the rest. "Don't tell me he crashed?"

"Actually, of all of us, he's usually the one that can fall asleep first." Justin said. "Well, hell, you know that. He can sleep anywhere!"

Caitlin laughed. "That's true. I swear, a couple of weeks ago I walked into his kitchen and I think he was asleep at the counter, in the middle of buttering a bagel." She grinned. "He's amazing that way. I guess everyone has to have a talent." She laughed, and the guys laughed with her.

"Actually, he said something about working on a couple of things before you came back to the hotel. He should be in his room." Lance said helpfully.

"Thank you, sweetie." Caitlin said, squeezing his arm affectionately as she walked by him. "I think I'll pop my head in." She added, walking towards JC's room. She slid the key he had given her the day before into the lock and opened the door. As she walked further into the room, she had to smile to herself. JC was sprawled on the bed, notebooks and papers surrounding him. JC himself was in the middle of all the paperwork, fast asleep. She quietly crossed the room and gathered the papers softly and piled them on the nearby desk. Grabbing a blanket off the other bed, she tenderly tucked in around JC's sleeping form, then dropped a soft kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well." She whispered, touching his cheek softly with her palm. With a small sigh, she crossed back to the door and flipped the light out as she exited the room.

"That was a quickie." Joey said teasingly, still engaged in the football tossing.

"He's fast asleep. Astounding, truly." Caitlin said with a smile.

"I think I'm going to head in and chill for a while. Anyone feel like a quick Nintendo game?" Justin asked. Lance and Joey nodded their heads, then turned to Chris. "Hey, Crazy, you in?"

Chris contemplated for a moment, then shook his head. "You up for a game of pool or something?" He asked Caitlin with a small smile. "I'm not feeling the Nintendo action."

"I'd love that. I think I'm too wound up to just flop down in front of the TV. You guys don't mind, do you?" Caitlin asked Joey, Lance and Justin.

Joey blew her a kiss. "Have a great time!" Caitlin smiled in reply, then caught up with Chris as they barreled down the hall towards the elevator.

***

"Seriously?" Caitlin asked as she lined up her pool cue.

"Swear to god." Chris replied, whistling appreciatively as she sunk the pool ball in the corner pocket.

"So did you tell her to put her top back on?" Caitlin incredulously.

"Nah. I just pointed her towards Justin's dressing room." Chris said with a teasing wink, to which Caitlin laughed.

"Sometimes you have to throw back the ones who aren't even legal." She said seriously.

"Alright, enough about tour life. How's everything with you?" Chris asked, setting up his next shot.

"Everything is okay. I miss you guys. Orlando is so quiet without you all running around. Thank god for Allison--and the roommates always keep me on my toes." Caitlin replied.

"I hear you got another call from the dreaded ex." Chris said, looking into Caitlin's eyes. "What's up with that?"

"He's just trying to get back into my life. Unsuccessfully, I might add." Caitlin said.

"You okay?" Chris asked, concern tingeing his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine. I swear." Caitlin said, with a touch of irritation.

"Everyone's been asking you that, huh?" Chris said apologetically.

Caitlin laughed. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

"S'okay." Chris said, grinning. "How are you and Mr. Chasez?"

"Alright, unless you know something I don't." Caitlin said, pumping her fist as she sunk the 8-ball.

Chris rolled his eyes at her shot, then put more quarters into the table. "He seemed really out of it at soundcheck today. I thought maybe you guys had a fight."

"Hrm. No, he's been great every time I've been around. Except for the whole falling asleep thing." Caitlin said. "But then, if he hadn't fallen asleep, we wouldn't have gotten to hang out."

"Remind me to thank him when I see him." Chris said with a smile. "I missed hanging out. No one can quote movies like you can."

"Tell me about it. The roomies pale in comparison to your skill." Caitlin said. "Speaking of skill, are you checking out the skill I'm throwing your way on the pool table?"

"Yeah, yeah, rub in, why don'tcha." Chris said sulkily. "Keep it up, I'm not giving you your present."

"You have a present for me?" Caitlin asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Maybe..." Chris teased.

***

JC woke up about 3am, totally disoriented. He remembered reading some paperwork, and then...nothing. He threw off the blanket that covered him, and noted the papers stacked neatly beside him as he flicked on a lamp, wincing at the sudden light. After a moment's hesitation, he padded over to the door, and, clad in stocking feet, grabbed his key and went into the hall. Silently he walked upstairs the Caitlin's room, after telling House he would be right back.

He knocked on her door softly, and when he heard no answer, knocked again. After a few more attempts, he padded back downstairs and was walking towards his room when he heard Caitlin's distinct laughter from behind Chris' door. Feeling vaguely guilty, he pressed his ear up against Chris' door and tried to hear what was going on. Only the murmuring of voices and the occasional burst of laughter were heard. Resigned, he walked back to him room and crawled into bed glumly.

He'd been right. He was going to lose her. To Chris, no less.

***
Caitlin sighed as she slid into bed beside JC. She and Chris had finished playing pool a while earlier, and had gone back to Chris' room to watch Ghostbusters, laughing hysterically and quoting the whole movie in unison. The DVD of the movie was the promised present to Caitlin, and she had insisted they watch all the "extras" together. Finally, weariness had overcome her, so she had gone back to JC's room to sleep, promising Chris she wouldn't leave the next morning without saying goodbye.

Sliding her body across the bed gently, so as not to wake JC, she spooned against his warm body, pressing her chest into his solid back. Wrapping her arms around him, she sighed contentedly, whispered "I love you" softly to JC's sleeping form, then surrendered to sleep.

JC's eyes had snapped open when he had heard the door close, and he listened as Caitlin prepared for bed. He feigned sleep as she slid into bed and wrapped herself around him. When he heard her sigh and whisper, he finally relaxed. No matter what, she still loved him. And, given the choice, she had returned to his bed. Not anyone else's. JC closed his eyes, tried to banish all the jealous and hurtful thoughts he had harbored all day, and sleep deeply until morning.

chapter nineteen