[chapter four]

(Two hours after the Larry King interview)

"Do you realize that even now, teenyboppers around the globe are trying to figure out who the hell JC is dating seriously enough to warrant him saying he loves her on national television?" Caitlin lamented to Jon, who sat beside her on the couch.

Jon took the coke can from Caitlin's hand so he could take a drink. "Wow. My best friend is like, famous." He said with a grin.

"So helpful. Thank you, Jon." Caitlin said sarcastically. "Seriously, what is going to happen here? If they figure out where I work and overrun the library, my bosses will be pissed."

"Hell, they'll probably start camping out on the lawn before too long." Jon said. "If all goes well, I could get a few dates out of this. When they realize JC is taken, they'll turn to the next hottie guy."

Caitlin rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder before reclaiming the pop can. "Thanks for all the sympathy. Let's focus on what's important here...me." Caitlin said with a wry grin.

"I'll be much more able to help you if I'm also being sexually satisfied by lustful 14 year old Nsync fans." Jon teased. Caitlin merely stared at him coldly. "Alright, alright. Serious now."

"I've seen what fame has done to these guys, and to the people close to them. I've read the postings on the message boards, and I've heard the way they talk about girlfriends. I don't want to hated because my boobs are too big to be real or because I wore an ugly skirt." Caitlin said quietly.

"After the initial shock, all those fans will see what the rest of us see--you. The real you. A sassy, brassy broad with a big heart, beautiful eyes, and a quick wit. After that, they'll love you. Didn't you say the fans always loved Dani?" Jon asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Caitlin responded.

"Well, why did they love her and hate Bobbie at the same time?" Jon asked.

"I'm not sure. I think Bobbie was just...inaccessible. And had what all those girls wanted. And wasn't always the nicest person to fans. Dani was more real, and she seemed to relate to the fans more. She always signed autographs, danced at every concert, and seemed to make Chris really happy. I can't imagine Chris without her." Caitlin replied.

"So, you're all those things. You just have to prove it to the fans." Jon replied evenly. "And make sure you don't wear ugly skirts." He added with a teasing grin.

Caitlin laughed. "At least WEG knew it was coming, and maybe I'll have Allison do damage control on the web. I just can't believe he said something on Larry King..."

The front door burst open and Alex strode into the family room. "Gee, couldn't he have waited until the whole world was watching, not just every girl between the ages of 5 and 95. Maybe Super Bowl Sunday?" He questioned.

"That can be arranged, you know." Jon said, referring to their upcoming halftime performance.

Caitlin smiled at her older brother. "Trust me, it came as a total shock to me too. Wait...how did you know?"

"Scout called and told me...said he was watching it in the break room over dinner and about choked on his sandwich. Guess you guys are hitting the big leagues, huh?" Alex asked, sitting down across from them.

"Apparently. He didn't say a word. We've talked about it a little, but never anything definitive. I can't decide if I'm mad at him, or really flattered and happy and girly." Caitlin said with a sigh. "Right now, I'm leaning towards girly."

"Uh-oh." Jon and Alex said in unison.

Caitlin laughed again. "Alright, I'm not going to do anything until JC gets back in town, which should be sometime tomorrow. As far as I know, no one knows about him and Iaside from the obvious friends and familyso we should be safe from teenage girls run amok for another day."

"Though I will never let you live this down, I just want to say, in all seriousness, if you need anything, ever, just holler." Jon said, squeezing her shoulder affectionately.

"Oh don't you worry. I will." Caitlin replied, standing up. She kissed Jon's cheek, then Alex's cheek. "Goodnight, my men."

"Sleep tight." Came the unified reply.

(The following evening)

The front door opened and shut. JC dropped his bags to the floor with a sigh, then rotated his head several times to work the kinks out of his neck. It felt so good to be back home. As soon as he took a shower and put a few things away, he was going to go to Caitlin's. He had missed her so much during the trip, and then knowing she must be a bitconcernedabout the bombshell he dropped, he figured he better get over there as soon as possible. He couldn't wait to see her again...

"Do you know what my first thought was when you said in the interview that you were with someone and loved her very much?" Came a voice from the family room.

JC jumped at the disembodied voice that floated out to meet him. His heart skipped a beat when he realized it was Caitlin, and that she was waiting for him. He quickly walked into the darkened family room, and was about to flip on the light when he heard Caitlin again. "Leave it off."

"Breaking and entering?" JC quipped, moving towards the couch. Caitlin was lying on the couch, her head propped up on one of the arms. In the soft moonlight that came in from the window, she looked...angelic.

"It's amazing how these newfangled keys make it so much easier." Caitlin teased. "You didn't answer my question."

JC approached the couch and kneeled down beside it, so his face was level with hers. "What was the question?" He said softly.

"What my first thought was?" Caitlin replied.

"No. What was your first thought?" JC asked.

"Who's he talking about?" Caitlin said quietly.

JC laughed quietly. "I knew you'd forget about me as soon as I left your sight."

"That...and the fact that you admitted us on Larry King to the whole world without giving me so much as a heads up." Caitlin chastised.

"You mad?" He asked.

"Yes." Caitlin replied.

"How mad?" JC asked.

"Mad enough that I should storm out of here and refuse to see you anymore to save my good name and avoid all the press that is no doubt on its way." Caitlin said.

"But?" JC asked.

"But...I can't seem to get my legs to carry me out of here." Caitlin said softly. "Damn you." She added, without raising her voice.

JC leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. She resisted slightly, then gave in. Her hands immediately slid into his hair, and he deepened the kiss. He slowly sat Caitlin upright, until he was kneeling between her legs as she sat on the couch, while never breaking contact between their lips. After several minutes, they finally pulled away from each other.

"Hi." JC said gently.

"Hi." Caitlin replied.

"Still mad?" He asked.

"Mm-hm." Caitlin nodded.

"Would getting buck naked and having hot, nasty sex in every room of the house make you feel better?" He asked in a low voice, but with a teasing gleam in his eye.

"No." Caitlin said, pouting.

"No?" He prodded.

"No." Caitlin said, trying to mask the smile that threatened to ruin her perfect pout.

"No. Hm." JC stood up. "Ok, then." He started to walk away, then whirled around and yanked Caitlin to her feet by her hands. She squealed in mock protest as he pulled her into a tight hug and lifted her off the ground. "Even if I say pretty please?" He whispered in her ear.

Caitlin laughed as he set her back on solid ground. "Is that what you were thinking about the whole time you were gone?" She asked.

JC's eyes met the ground, and he nodded like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Pretty much."

"Good." Caitlin said, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him again. "As long as you weren't thinking about my charm, personality, sense of humor..." Her words were cut off as JC's mouth once again claimed hers. Laughing together, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bedroom, where she followed without hesitation. "I'm still mad at you, you know..."

(Several hours later)

"What made you do it?" Caitlin asked, as she popped the end of an eggroll into her mouth. JC and Caitlin were sprawled across his bed in a tangle of sheets, surrounded by Chinese takeout boxes, and being eyed by JC's Akita-Shepherd mix, Baron.

"What made me do what? Order lo mein instead of sweet and sour chicken?" JC teased.

Caitlin rolled her eyes dramatically. "Can we focus seriously on the fact you have done nothing but turn my world upside down since I met you?" She asked as she tossed a piece of chicken to Baron, who ate it hungrily, then eyed her plate for more.

"Really? How did I do that?" JC grinned evilly.

"Let's see...you disrupt my library, kidnap me and take me to deserted pizza joints, make me confront my fear of intimacy because of a former bad relationship, insist that I hang out with pop stars, and give me bracelets that symbolize eternal bliss. For a start." Caitlin rattled off, with a smile.

"Point taken." JC sighed as he placed his plate on the floor so Baron could lick it. "I told Johnny I wanted to be straight with the public about us. I'd seen how hiding my relationship with Bobbie had alienated fans, and made me feel lousy at the same time. I want the world to know what a wonderful gal I'm with, and I want to take you places with me, and I don't want to think of some pat answer every time a magazine asks me if I have a girlfriend. I want to be as normal as possible with you. Even if it is a very public 'normal'." JC replied in answer to her previous question.

Caitlin sighed slightly as she looked into JC's blue eyes. "Good answer." She muttered. "You really want all that?"

"I really do." JC replied. "The next question is, how do we handle your publicity from here? I talked to Johnny about it somewhat, but it's really up to you how public you want to be."

"What are my choices?" Caitlin asked, clearing the takeout boxes from the bed and shifting closer to JC.

"Well, we can reveal nothing about you, and let the fans speculate and spy on you, and try to find out everything they canmost of it false. We can answer whatever questions are thrown our way, but basically remain on the down low. Or we can slowly release information about you, to keep the fans informed. And as we go out in public, I guess we'll deal with paparazzi photos and questions as they come." JC said.

"Alright, admittedly, I don't want every detail of my life splashed across every fan website, but I don't have a problem with giving the fans some basic information about myself. How about getting in touch with Allison and having her publish something through the web?" Caitlin asked. "That way we can control what is put out there for the fans, but they'll still have the scoop."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. And the next time we have an appearance or public function, you can come with me, look like beautiful eye candy and prove to the world that you do exist, and aren't just a figment of my imagination." JC teased.

"What makes you say that?" Caitlin asked with a smile.

"Apparently, according to Johnny, some fan sites are already spreading the word that I made you up, because I'm jealous of Britney and Justin, or because I'm lame and can't get a woman on my own, or whatever." JC said.

Caitlin laughed. "SoI guess it's settled. I'll give Allison some juicy tidbits about my life, and then we'll go out in public sometime soon and prove to the world that I'm a real person."

"Sounds like a plan." JC said. "Super Bowl is coming up soon...might be a good time for all this."

Caitlin nodded. "Whatever works. Are you excited about the Bowl yet, or still just nervous?"

"Both." JC replied. "I mean, I've been performing in front of people for years, but this is the Super Bowl...this is the whole world watching. And so much is left to chance. What if I screw up? What if the set falls apart? What if we sound terrible?"

"What if it goes perfectly?" Caitlin ventured. "JC, you do this for a living. You're a professional. And so are the people who erect the sets, do your choreography, and direct the whole thing. So, quit worrying, Mr. Perfectionist. And as for you sounding terrible, not a chance."

JC smiled and took her hand in his. "Thanks."

"If I were you, I'd be more nervous about the tour coming up. You still have to finish recording and then choreograph the whole thing, and THEN come up with tour ideas." Caitlin said.

JC groaned. "Don't remind me." He flopped his head onto the pillow behind his head. "I keep telling myself that's a long way away, but I know it's not. It will be here before we know it."

Caitlin nodded as she scooted across the bed to lie on JC's chest, his arms wrapping around her automatically.

"You know what I'm going to ask you." JC said quietly.

"Mm-hm. And you know my current answer." Caitlin said.

"Are you going to tour with me?" JC asked.

"I don't know." Caitlin said. "You know that. But ask me again sometime." They lay quietly for a few moments, then Caitlin broke the silence. "Why do I feel like our relationship has taken a big leap all of a sudden?"

"Because I just revealed it on national television?" JC said with a small smile.

"Well, yes, but beyond that." Caitlin said. "I'm not quite sure how to put this, so I'm going to fumble it a little bit." She raised her head so she could look into JC's eyes. "I'm in love with you. When we first met and went on a date or two, I thought you were a nice guy I wouldn't mind being friends with, but I never dreamed I would fall so hard for you. And now that I have..." Caitlin trailed off. "Why do I get the feeling this is more serious and committed than either one of us expected? I mean, you practically confessed two months ago that you expected to be single for a long time, and that relationships weren't your thing. Especially in your line of work. So what changed?" Caitlin finished in a rush.

"You showed up and turned my world around." JC said.

"Don't snow me, you smooth talker. Seriously, what's going on here?" Caitlin asked.

"Why do we always have to be serious?" JC teased again.

"Don't make me sic Baron on your jugular." Caitlin replied evenly.

"Alright, alright. I fell for you, and I'm still falling right now. This relationship of ours is getting more and more serious because that's what I feel, and it feels right. I want to be with you forever, I want to share a house and a dog with you, I want to always have you by my side no matter where we are. So if that means that this thing between the two of us is getting more committed and more serious, then so be it." JC said.

"And you're ok with that?" Caitlin asked.

"I'm more than ok with that." JC answered.

Caitlin laid her head back on JC's chest. "Well, all you had to do was tell a girl."

JC chuckled as he wrapped his arms tighter around Caitlin. "I'll know better next time."

chapter five