Safe Harbor ~ Chapter One

        Let's see, where do I begin...It all seems so long ago.  Ah, I'll start with Arielle's birth, since she is the main reason most of this happened.

        Patrick Murray, an American-born Irishman.  His parents immigrated to America with friends of their's from England, the Brittinghams.  Pat was born in Texas, that was where his family had settled to be closer to Mr. Murray's job.  About a year later, the Brittingham's gave birth to their daughter Kimberly.  The Brittingham's and Murray's friendship had been very long-lived, it went back to their parents and so on; So naturally, when Pat and Kimberly were so close in age, the parents decided to keep them together as much as possible with intentions of marriage.  It happened, but it wasn't love.  Love was what Pat shared with Amanda.  Amanda Martinez was a tall, beautiful Hispanic waitress at Pat's favorite diner.  She had been his first everything, and he was her's.  He loved her, and wanted to marry her.  But Pat's parents had different plans.  He wasn't going to marry some middle class waitress from the diner downtown, he was going to marry Kimberly...whether he liked it or not.  It was a marriage of convenience.  Neither of them were satisfied.  Kimberly despised the way he called her "Kim" when his family would come for vi sits.  She hated it.  It sounded so common, just like when he asked her to call him Pat.

        Pat wasn't happy in the marriage, so he went to his father's office one day.  He expected some form of guidance, but instead he got a lecture on "Getting What You Want--No Matter What" even if it means a sideline affair.  Pat was leary, but took his father's advice.  He got in his car, and it took him straight to the diner he used to visit everyday after school.  She was still there.  She looked radiant.  Her hair flowed in ebony waves down her back, and her eyes still had the same sparkle they had when he met her a few years ago.  Pat and Amanda started to see each other more often, and what started as a mere friendship ended up in a romantic affair. 

        Amanda accidently became pregnant with Arielle.  Amanda begged Pat to take her so that she would have a better chance at life; afterall, who wouldn't want their child to grow up in the home of a multi-millionaire?  Kimberly found out about Pat's affair, and the "love child" and was very unhappy.  She hated children, but to keep a scandal from hanging over her head and possibly depriving her off her bank account (ie Pat), she begrudgingly accepted his request to have Arielle as their adopted child.  Shortly after Arielle had her third birthday, Amanda was in a car accident.  She was killed on impact.  Pat was grief-stricken.  The only thing that kept him going was Arielle.  But it seemed more and more that Arielle wasn't helping.  He could see Amanda in everything Arielle did or said; And while it made him glad in the beginning, he soon found it frusterating.  One day, Kimberly noticed the stairway to the attic was pulled down, curious, she went up.  She screamed when she saw the Remington laying beside the discarded kitchen chair in the attic.  Her bank account was gone; His head shattered and slumped on his chest.

        Kimberly was enraged at Arielle, and that "tramp," that Amanda person.  She blamed her "beloved" Patrick's death on them.  Was she upset that he was gone, of course, but what disturbed her more was the loss of wealth.

        "Mommy, is Daddy ever gonna come back?" Arielle asked with tear-filled eyes.

        "NO!  Don't call me "Mommy!"  You killed him!  You're nothing but a disgusting halfbreed!  I can't handle you!"  She spat as she stormed to the library to make some calls to hopefully find other arrangements for Arielle. 

        [i]        I'm sorry, Ms. Murray, no boarding schools will accept children Arielle's age...They find five year olds more difficult to tend to, so they set the minimum age at eight years old.  I do, however, wish you the best of luck in your search for alternate arrangements.[/i]

        Kimberly sighed, "If they can't take her, I'll hire a nanny, and I'll be the one to leave...I'll regain my social life..."

        This is where Tonja comes in.  She got the job of being the nanny.  Of course, she couldn't slide up banisters, or pull lamps, mirrors, and plants out of a carpet bag, and was by no means Mary Poppins, but Mrs. Brittingham (she took her maiden name back to sound more prestigous) decided that would suffice for her purposes.  Arielle was amazing therapy for her...She had just left a bad relationship behind.  Although, she had also been through a traumatic period of closure from her father, Arielle reminded her about the simple pleasures, like "Lookie, its sunny outside!  We can go play in the park."  Kimberly continued to distance herself from Arielle, and the more she distanced herself, the closer Tonja and Arielle became.  Tonja was teaching Arielle how to dance, and though she was only five, she was an amazing dancer. 

        Kimberly's prestigous circle of friends had noticed her distance with Arielle.  When they would come for dinner parties and such Arielle would make one appearance, and that was normally to help Maura (the housekeeper) answer the door.  Kimberly would then send her straight to her room, those were Tonja's late nights, so Arielle would come to the guest bedroom and they would sneak to the basement.  Maura loved the company while she was doing the laundry and such.  She was amazed by the zest Arielle showed in her dancing.  She loved dancing to *NSYNC music, they were her "favoritest guys in the whole wide world."  She knew almost every move to every one of their videos.  That was how they spent their time during the summers and on breaks.  They would learn video dances.  When Kimberly's friends noticed their distance from each other, they began to ask questions about her and Arielle's adoption.  Kimberly decided she [i]        had[/i] to get closer to Arielle whether she liked it or not.  Besides, she thought, look at all of the social opportunities...birthday parties, play dates, sleepovers...the idea suddenly became more appealing.  She called Tonja into the library one day while Arielle was outside with Maura...she asked all sorts of questions about Arielle's hobbies, habits, interests, etc.  So much, that it frightened her.  She knew by the way she spoke to Arielle that she didn't love her, or even like her for that matter.  Nevertheless, she answered every question to the best of her ability.  At the end of the inquisition, she informed Tonja that she was to start helping Maura with the housework..."More than likely, we will have [i]        very[/i] important guests soon..." she said.

        School was to start soon and Arielle was going to be in kindergarten.  Tonja asked Kimberly about her supplies and if her new school clothes needed ironing and was hit with the response of "What supplies?  And new clothes?  Where is she going, on a camping trip?"  She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was...she should have known Kimberly didn't have the slightest clue about anything dealing with children.  So she offered her services yet again, and took Arielle school shopping.  When they ret urned from their "Girls' Day Out," Maura was waiting for them outside.  She helped them in with the bags and they put everything away.  When school started, Tonja's hours were cut dramatically, so she got a part-time day job at a dance studio in the city, near her apartment.  On days that she was off from the studio, she would help Maura with the housework.  This was one of those days, but this one changed [i]        everything[/i].

        Arielle ran to the back door from the school bus.  She stopped and took off her shoes, then quietly tried to tip-toe in unnoticed.  Tonja heard the door and went to kitchen to greet her.  She had been crying.

        "Arielle, Sweetie, what's wrong?" She asked as she swiped my thumbs across her cheeks to wipe the tears that had started falling again. 

        "James said that I didn't belong to my Daddy and Mama...I mean, Kimberly!  He said that I was half and half!"  She wailed into Tonja's shirt.  "Is he telling the truth??" 

        "Baby, he doesn't know  what he's talking about...Maybe you should tell your teacher about him bothering you..." she said trying to comfort her, yet not knowing what to say.  Tonja couldn't send her to Kimberly...She'd break the news alright...she wouldn't put Arielle through that.  She said she would tell her teacher.

        "I guess Ma--Kimberly is having another dinner party, or she's going out?  There's a limo outside in the front drive.  'Arielle!  Go to your bedroom, Dear...These are my guests...not your's.'" She mocked in a nasal tone.  She couldn't help but to laugh.

        Tonja scooped her up and started to carry her upstairs to look at her papers and get her play clothes ready and joked  "Who knows?  Maybe these guests are for you tonight?  That guy from that TV show you like?  Or better yet, maybe Justin Timberlake and the rest of *NSYNC?" She teased.

        "Yeah, right!  I'm sure they're just all waiting in the den for me to come home from school..."

        "Well," Tonja said, "Just in case, you put this cute lil baby blue dress on, coz you know its Justin's favorite color.  And I will change into more appropriate "nanny garb" and we'll go see what's going on, okay?"

        "Sure, but what are you gonna wear?"  she asked as she followed her to the guest bedroom while pulling the ruffled dress over her head.  Tonja had some clothes in the guest room just in case she had to stay for some reason.  Tonja pulled out a sapphire blue sundress with spaghetti straps that barely touched her knees and held it up to herself. 

        "What do you think?"  She asked the twitching 5 year old who was trying to brush her hair.

        "I think its pretty...Besides...JC likes blue...and you like JC!"  she giggled at the fact that she knew Tonja had a celebrity crush.

        At that moment Tonja heard the screeching, nasal voice of Ms. Brittingham.  She called for Tonja to come downstairs to the library immediately with Arielle.  Quickly, she zipped the sundress, ran a brush through her hair and headed downstairs with Arielle.  Arielle loved it when Tonja was sarcastic with Kimberly so she pranced in the room and responded in her lowest voice.  "You rang?"

        "Yes...I [i]        rang[/i]!!!" She snapped.  "I have guests, and I would appreciate it if you didn't act like a barbarian in front of them!"  She spat as she pointed to the five gentlemen seated in the den.

        Justin overheard the commotion in the library.  "Geez, I feel sorry for the chick she's chewing out."  Chris wanted to know what was going on so he, not-so-casually, threw his pen out into the library and went to retrieve it.

        "Uhhhh, sorry, it uhhhh, I mean, I...." he said as he grabbed his pen.  Arielle squealed.

        "CHRIS!!!!  Omigosh!"  Chris smiled as he watched her jump up and down, never letting go of my hand.  "Is Justin here too???"  She asked excitedly.  Chris kind of frowned.  I knelt down to talk to her.

        "Arielle, that wasn't very nice.  Now, before you say anything...it wasn't what you said, it was the tone you used.   You might have hurt Chris' feelings...don't you think you should go and apologize?"  Tonja asked.

        "Oh...Oh no...I'm sorry Chris, I just got so excited that I ... I completely forgot my manners.  I hope I didn't hurt your feelings...I didn't mean it.  Honest!" she said as she ran over to hug Chris.  He smiled and said that it was okay.  Then he told her a secret.  She squealed again and ran into the den.

        "Wow!  OH! WOW!  I can't believe it!!!  Omigosh!  TONNIE!!!  TONNIE!!!!"  she yelled.  Tonja didn't move for fear she might be turned to stone by the glare she was receiving from Kimberly.  Arielle ran into the library.  "TONJA!!!!  COME IN HERE PLEEEEEEEEEASE???  You gotta see who' s here!!"  She said excitedly as she tugged her into the den where the guys had started to come to the door.

        Arielle forgets that Tonja is about 2 1/2 feet taller than her...so when she ducked between Lance and JC, still dragging Tonja...*****CRASH*****  She ran directly into JC.  At that moment, she wished the ground would have opened up and swallowed her.  He kind of stumbled backwards and grabbed her by the waist, its not that she minded, its just...Well, she wished they had been introduced first.  She could feel her face turning redder by the second, as she tried to regain her balance.  It was very difficult with his arms around her...at least it was until Kimberly came in.

Safe Harbor ~ Chapter Two

        They struggled to stay up but their efforts were useless.  They collapsed in a heap on the floor. 

        "Oh, geez, I'm really sorry, Mr. Chasez...Arielle seems to..." Tonja started, but was cut off.  She looked down at him as he smiled and spoke in an incredibly sexy voice.

        "It's nice meeting you too," he paused as if thinking.  "Tonja.  And by the way, call me JC."  His eyes sparkled like a crystal clear lake on a bright summer day.  And his smile...SO contagious.  Tonja felt she was lost in a dream world, until she heard the fingernails-on-chalkboard voice of Kimberly.

        "Miss Wolfe, I'm sure [i]        my[/i] guests don't appreciate being tackled, so if you would be so kind as to [i]        get off of him.[/i]"

        Tonja couldn't believe her.  Did she think she did it on purpose; That she planned embarrassing herself in front of 5 of the most talented men on the earth?  No way!  Although, looking at it from Kim's perspective, she thought it could have appeared that way. 

        The guys were all captivated by Tonja's sarcasm and beauty.  Lance offered her his hand, and she gently tugged just enough to get off of JC without hurting either of them.  Chris and Justin snickered about an inside joke.  Joey, who must've heard the joke, chimed in with a ridiculously false Southern accent, "Yeah, in Mississippi it's always polite to help damsels in distress."  Lance glared at the trio, and mouthed unprintable words.  She couldn't help but to giggle at the sight.  Lance...it looks like you need a little help, she thought to herself.

        "Why, Thank you ever so much kind Sir!  Being an old fashioned Texas girl like myself, its good to see some Southern hospitality again.  Its become so scarce in these parts."  Tonja said, purposely over-accentuating her already slight Southern twang.  She smiled warmly at Lance as she straightened her dress and turned to JC, who was still lying in the floor.  "Poor Baby, would you like to be helped up too?" Tonja cooed in a small voice, offering her hand.

        "Actually, the view is quite nice down here." he grinned flirtatiously as he tilted his head sideways and took her hand.  She gave him a tiny smile while her face turned a lovely shade of crimson.  Kimberly didn't like the exchange, so she broke the somewhat uneasy silence.

        "So Gentlemen, we...Arielle and I, will be attending the, what is it?  Ah, the Sound Check Party with you, then the concert, which, we do have VIP seating for, correct?"  The guys ruefully nodded.  "And, after the concert, we will be escorted to the hotel you are staying at...and tomorrow morning we will get up with you and go to the Seventeen photo shoot/interview, then lunch...and then...?"

        "Then, if we're lucky you go home..." Justin mumbled to Chris as Lance explained that they were going to be working in the studio the rest of that afternoon.  The guys had been in the house no longer than 15 minutes and they already knew, paid or not paid, they shouldn't have agreed to this.  Its not that they minded Arielle, it was that irritating bag of hot air, Ms. Brittingham.

        "Arielle!  Did you hear that?  We're going to sit in on a recording session with *NSYNC!"  Tonja rolled her eyes at the fake over-excitement in her voice, but Tonja's mood lightened when she saw the genuine happiness in Arielle's eyes.  Suddenly she looked confused.

        "What is it, Kiddo?" Joey asked.  "You look confuzzled."

        Arielle thought for a moment.  She looked at Tonja, then the floor, then Kimberly, then the floor again, then the guys.  "What about Tonnie?"  All of the guys started to speak at the same time, but Kimberly cut in.

        "What about her?  Tonja, after you help Arielle pack her suitcase, you're dismissed for tonight and tomorrow.  Maura!!!" she screeched.  "Go to the dry cleaners and pick up my red chiffon cocktail dress, lay that out on my bed, pack my navy mini-skirt and blazer, and my  black satin pajamas, and I'll lay out my personal items for you to pack." 

        "But Tonja likes *NSYNC too, can she come with us to the concert?"  Arielle pleaded.

        "Arielle, Hon, I'll be at the concert, I just won't be sitting where you are."

        "So you're coming!?" the guys asked, sounding thrilled.  Maybe they wouldn't be left alone with [i]        her[/i] afterall.

        "Yeah, I'll be there...if you have REALLY good binoculars, you should be able to spot me in the very last row at the top." She joked about her soon-to-be terrible seats.  Kimberly's eyes flashed with anger.

        "I thought you said you didn't have plans for tonight?!" she snapped.

        "I didn't until you gave me the night off...Though I'm totally against scalping and such, I'm going to take my paycheck, go to the arena, find someone who is selling tix for face value and buy a ticket.  However, if there aren't any tickets for face value, I will buy from the scalper, and match the extra cash in a donation to Challenge for the Children."

        "Tonja," JC said.  "There's no need for you to go through all of that trouble.  We're all issued at least two VIP seats.  And none of my family was able to come out to this show.  You can sit in my seats."

        "Thanks JC, but I think I'll only take up one, I could be wrong, 'cause my hips seem bigger everyday, but..." Tonja kidded.

        "Seriously, I would be honored to have you as my guest." he said emphatically.

        "Well, since you practically twisted my arm..." She smiled.  "It would be my pleasure."

        Kimberly cleared her throat, "I don't think there will be room in the car, we're taking the Boxster...and I mean, with the luggage and stuff...I'm sorry Tonja, maybe next time."

        "Oh, thats not a problem Ms. Brittingham, Tonja can ride with us...we brought the limo." Chris said.

        "Good, now that that is settled...You Ladies had better hurry and pack your things, you too Tonja, we have extra rooms on the floor that we're on...You can come if you want, but hurry, otherwise, we'll all be late and have rabid fans ready to attack."  JC said, partially serious.

*~*~One hour later~*~*

        "Damn foreign car!  I knew I should have bought a Viper..." Kimberly hissed as she tried to start the Boxster.  It wouldn't budge.  She snapped at Arielle and told her to get out of the car, as she stomped over to where Kermit, the limo driver, was putting Tonja's suitcase in the trunk.  The guys and Tonja were getting in the car.  "JC!  Justin!  Oh, Boys!  My car won't start.&nbs p; May Arielle..." she was cut off by Justin.

        "Of course Arielle can ride with us, it would be a pleasure!"  Justin grinned at the little girl who looked like she was suffering from severe shock.  Kimberly pushed past Arielle and Tonja to get into the limo when JC stepped out.

        "I don't think there will be room in the car, I mean, with the luggage and stuff...I'm sorry Ms. Brittingham, maybe next time."  He said with a biting tone as he ushered Arielle and Tonja into the limo.  "Yo, Frogman, get Arielle's suitcase and put in the trunk please."

        Kimberly stood there flabbergasted as her anger built up.  [i]        I cannot believe what just happened here!  How am [b]        I[/b] supposed to get to the concert?  Call a cab?[/i]

        "Well, thats what most people would do..." Chris said sarcastically .  Kimberly's jaw gaped.  She had no idea she was thinking outloud.  "If you'll excuse us, we don't want to be late.  Lata!" he said as he rolled up the heavily tinted window and Kermit drove off.

        "Geez, someone needs to put her on some anti-@#%$ meds or something."  Justin laughed.

        "Watch your mouth!" Joey and Tonja responded promptly.  It was amazing to hear that come from a guy.  [i]        It must be Brianna.  He's trying to control his language, and that of others around children...How sweet!"[/i]

        "Oh!  Oops...Sorry!" he grinned sheepishly.  "Maybe she should try Valium?"

        "I wanna thank you guys for allowing me to come along." Tonja said.

        "No problem, it really isn't.  We love meeting our fans, and you and Arielle hafta be two of the nicest we have." JC said with a sexy smile. 

        [i]        God, I could melt just hearing him talk.  And those eyes...that smile...*sigh*  No, I am NOT going to let myself do this.  I've been burned way too many times.[/i]  "Arielle!  Look!  Do you remember what that is?"  Tonja said, as Kermit skillfully steered through downtown San Antonio traffic to get to the Alamodome.

        "Well, DUH!  Even the guys know that its the Alamo!" she said.  "Silly billy goat!"

*~*~About 20 Minutes Later~*~*

        "Here we go..."

        "One more time, everybody's feelin' fine, here we go now..." Arielle finished Chris' sentence with the complete lyrics to [i]        Here We Go[/i], as we stepped out of the limo into the heavily secured parking garage.  A small thought crossed Tonja's mind as they were all escorted backstage...[i]        Kimberly doesn't have a ticket...[/i]  A small grin played at the corners of her mouth, [i]        What a pity...NOT![/i]

Chapter Three

        "What are you smiling about?"  JC asked slightly annoyed.  "[i]    WE[/i] have to go to work while you guys get to sit out there and just do absolutely nothing."  He grinned.  Tonja had taken him so seriously.  He honestly scared her for a minute.  JC laughed at the dumbfounded _expression on her face while she thought of what to say next.

        "Awww, poor babies..." She said sticking her bottom lip out.  "Don't act like you don't enjoy having a gazillion girls screaming "I LOVE *NSYNC!" or "I LOVE YOU, [insert band member's name here]!"

        "Well, that is a benefit..." The guys chuckled as they walked out to do the Sound Check Party.  It went over excellent.  They were so gracious to the fans.  They even sang "Happy Birthday" to a little boy, Zachary, who wrote Santa a letter in August to be able to go to an *NSYNC concert for Christmas.  He said Santa wrote back and said there weren't any concerts on Christmas, so he would have to go to one earlier on October 15.  They even let him come onstage when they sang it.  He was so happy.  Arielle was happy too, not only did she have a great evening/day ahead of her with *NSYNC, she saw "the most beautiful thing God ever created"...Zachary.  Ah, puppy love, we all remember that.  Although, some of us would rather forget that sticky kiss from the little boy across the street who you couldn't stand.

        Johnny jogged up to the guys.  "Alright Gentlemen, are you ready for tonight?"  He was greeted with, "Yeah Johnny..." from Justin.  "Yup..." from Lance.  "Yes, Drill Sargeant!" from Joey.  "Uh huh...yep...I'm ready..." from JC.  "OW!  No, I'm not ready!  She stepped on my foot!  I can't dance!" Chris yelped while pointing to Arielle.

        Arielle looked shocked and apalled.  "I did NOT!  You're telling a fib!  You know where you go if you tell fibs Chris..."

        "Uhhh...Where?" he asked, just to get her response.

        She whispered very quietly, "You'll go to the [i]    bad[/i] place..."  She pointed down to the ground.  "I don't think you wanna go there."

        Chris stifled a laugh, "Yup, thats for sure!  I DON'T wanna go there, so I'll confess...It wasn't Arielle, it was Tonja!"  Arielle gasped, crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave Chris a look of disgust.

        "Boys are such dum-dums sometimes." She said as she rolled her eyes.  The adults couldn't help but laugh.  Then they dispersed in their different directions.  The guys went backstage to play hackey and get ready for that night's performance.  Arielle and Tonja were ushered to the VIP Seating area by Lonnie.  The show was almost ready to begin.  According to the digital clock that flashed every now and then, they had 15 minutes left.

*~*~Meanwhile~*~*

        "Tickets!  I have your *NSYNC tickets right over here...VERY reasonable.  Good seats.  Tickets, tickets, tickets, anyone need tickets...I've got your tickets..."

        "You have tickets?" she asked.

        "Yeah, Lady.  Thats what I've been yelling for the past three hours."  He shook his head.

        "How much for one?"

        "One ticket?  For you?" he examined the jewelry she was wearing, her cherry red chiffon cocktail dress, and matching stiletto heels and purse.  "Four hundred and fifty dollars...and thats a bargain." he lied.

        "Bargain my a**...Here!  Give me the ticket!" she snapped.

        "Here ya are little lady.  Section 231, Row GG, Seat 17...My number is on the back..." he winked at her.

        "How kind!  Here's my number 1-800-YOU-WISH!!  Imbecile!" She turned sharply and walked in the venue to find her seat.  [i]    Ugh, I can't believe this...[/i]

        "Hailey!!  Up here!" Tiffany shouted into Kimberly's left ear.  Hailey squeezed past Kimberly with enough food for a small army.  She had two nachos, a chili dog, an order of fries, two Dr. Peppers, and a coke.

        "Excuse me, but you're in my seat." Hailey said.

        "Excuse yourself, this is MY seat, and I'm not moving."  Kimberly spat.  Hailey looked at her stub again, and realized she was supposed to be in seat 17 of row HH so she passed the coke and fries to Tiffany and distributed the rest down the line of friends as the opening acts finished their performances.

        The lights went low (and the disco ball came down...Ooops...I mean anyway...:lol    ) and the show began.  Kimberly spoke to no one imparticular.  "This seat sucks!  And to think I [i]    paid[/i] *NSYNC to cater to me and I end up having to scalp a ticket.  HA!  I should have paid the Backstreet Boys, I bet they wouldn't have treated me like this."

        Tiffany heard Kimberly, and her blood started to boil.  She didn't care who you were, but you don't mess with *NSYNC no matter WHAT!  She looked back at Hailey who was busy munching on her chili cheese nachos.  She leaned back and told Hailey what she heard. Hailey was fuming.  She paused and got an enlightened look on her face.  "Oops, I'm sorry...Total accident..." Hailey lied as she dumped the remaining nachos on Kimberly's head.  "Omigosh, Tiff, look!  Lance is gonna thrust!"  SPLASH! 

        "Clumsy me...I just get so darn excited when I see him that I just lose control." Tiff said innocently.

        "Damn you *NSYNC fans!  I hate all of you!  Everyone of you pre-pubescent, hormone raging, teeny boppers, UGH!" Kimberly shouted at the top of her voice.  She cringed at the thought of the dry cleaning bill for chili cheese nachos, Coke, and Dr. Pepper stains.  "Backstreet Boys ROCK!  They are SO much better than *NSYNC!"

        Tiff and Hailey had about all they could take of this bimbo.  "Just who the hell do you think you are?!?  If you don't like *NSYNC take your raunchy a** outside!  You have no business being at their concert if you're going to be a b****!"  Tiff yelled over the chorus of [i]    Pop[/i].

        "And what if I don't??!!" She yelled back.

        "Tiff is gonna save you the trouble.  She's gonna take your a** out and throw down!" Hailey answered.  "If you know what's good for you, and you value your own health, I would advise you to leave quietly...Pronto!"

        Kim rolled her eyes as Tiffany crowded closer to her.  "You really wanna take this outside?  Coz I'm not going to listen to your sh*t!  C'mon!  Let's go...I paid damn good money for my seat and I'm not going to listen to some three million year old hag bash the guys!"  Tiff started to push Kimberly out of they aisle when the security saw her.

        "Ladies, is there a problem?" the large man asked.

        "Yes Sir, there is a problem...HER!"  Tiffany said, passing Kimberly an evil glare.  "SHE is disturbing the peace, and making derogatory remarks about everyone...Including you, Sir...She said 'Ha!  Looks like Weight Watchers doesn't work for everyone!  '  And I'm sorry to trouble you with this, but there are children in this place and I don't think they should be exposed to THIS." she said as she pointed at Kimberly, slightly over-exaggerating the story.

        The man looked humiliated and angry.  "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but this young lady is right.  I'm going to have to ask you to leave.  If you'll come with me, please."

        "No I will not!  I paid to be at this concert more than once, and I will not leave!"

        "Ma'am, don't make me use force.  I will call others on the security team if necessary." he said as he took hold of her arm.

        "Let go of me!  You fool!  Do you know who I am?!"

        "No I don't, and I don't care!" he said as he got out his radio.  "I need extra security in Section 231, Row GG, ASAP!  We have a deranged woman disturbing the peace."  Before you could say "Y'all know that we came to rock, Gimme some of that dirty pop."  Kimberly was completely surrounded by security, and being escorted out of the arena.  Tiff calmed herself and shouted to anyone who had been watching the earlier events and was listening. 

        "I am super sorry for cursing...I don't normally do it.  Anyhoo, back to *NSYNC!"

        "Tonja, I'm so glad you got to come too!  I don't think I would have had any fun with Kimberly.  She just likes the guys 'cause they're celebrities.  I don't think thats right, but you, you like 'em 'cause they're hot, talented, cool guys."  Arielle smiled up at her.  Tonja smiled back and squeezed her hand.

        The opening chords of [i]    This I Promise You[/i] filled the arena, almost immediately followed by the guys' beautiful harmonies echoing over the awed crowd; Except for a few teenagers, who were filled with "I LOVE YOU JUSTIN" and "I LOVE YOU, *NSYNC!"  JC's verse started, Tonja couldn't help but to sigh.  She looked up to find him staring directly at her.  Their eyes made contact and she felt an electric wave pass through her body.  His eyes, they were so blue;  And the intense look in them was so unbelievably sexy.  She gripped the rail in front of her to keep from drowning in his eyes.  Then she heard a sinister voice in her left ear.

        "Don't even dream about it."

Chapter Four

[b]*****Author's note: I know I started this in first person, but I've decided to switch to third person-omniscient.  I can't write that well in first person unless it's all dialogue.  When I have time, I will go back and edit the three previous chapters...I think?  Thanks for your patience and for reading [i]Safe Harbor[/i].*****[/b]

            "...Ain't no lie, Baby, Bye, bye, bye, BYE BYE!!!"  The guys disappeared into boxes set up on the stage, and were rushed to the backstage area where Tonja and Arielle were waiting.  The concert was excellent.  They couldn't believe how things just seemed to be falling into place, on their side, for once, not Kimberly's.  The guys rushed up to them hot, tired, sweaty, and out of breath, but never too exhausted for a smile. 

             JC grabbed a towel that a crew member had handed him.  Rubbing his hair and face, he stole secret glances at Tonja.  [i]She's breathtaking,[/i] JC thought.  [i]Titian couldn't have done better himself.[/i]  Tonja was trying to not be obvious but couldn't help but notice how well-sculpted his biceps were, and how his high cheekbones set off his handsome features.  She sighed.  [i]A wonderful work of art.[/ i]

            "I need to speak with..."  he glanced at the small piece of paper in his hand.  "Tonja Wolfe."  An older man in a beige business suit said as he approached the group.

            "That would be me, Sir.  What can I do for you?" she asked puzzled at why a man she'd never seen before would want to speak to her in such a business-like fashion.

            "Follow me Ms. Wolfe.  Bring the child...Oh, and you Gentlemen will need to be present too."  He said sharply as he led them to the security area.  The group started to follow him.

            "Hold up!  First of all, who are you?  Secondly, how did you get back here without a pass?  And finally, what is your purpose here?"  Lance said as he asked the questions on his fingers.  "We need answers otherwise, we'll have to call security."

            "Excuse me, I'm sorry.  I didn't think you would want me to waist time with introductions and purposes when there is a pending lawsuit for either you, or the lovely lady."  He gave Tonja a tar-stained smile.  She shrank back from his outreached hand.  JC glared at him.

            "Lawsuit?  What?  From WHO?" Everyone asked in unison.

            They all walked quietly to the security office.  Chris had spotted Johnny and Dré and motioned for them to come along.  Following in behind the group, Johnny pushed his way to the front.  He started to speak to the businessman when he noticed a distraught woman who looked like the concession stand had exploded on her.

            "What the...who is she and what happened to her?"  He asked, holding in a laugh.

            "Sir, this is no laughing matter.  My client is a well-respected woman and hasn't been exposed to such blasphemy in her entire life.  Ms. Brittingham arranged to be present with her daughter at this concert and you deliberately ignored her request to ride in the limousine, causing her to not have her tickets, she was reduced to having to scalp a ticket to get into the venue to make sure her beloved daughter was safe. She was then maltreated by unruly fans and her expensive designer dress was ruined beyond any repair.  She was then humiliated by the security officers at the venue and was still unsure of the safety of her daughter. For this she holds Miss Wolfe completely responsible for the endangerment of little Daria's life.  She is also holding *NSYNC and management liable for breach of contract.  She is thinking of a lawsuit."  He spat out in one breath.  The group processed what he said and let out a collective rumble.  They couldn't believe what they had just heard.  Tonja opened her mouth.

            "Do you have something to say you...you kidnapper!?" Kimberly cried.

            "Yes, I do.  Sir, her name is Arielle not Daria.  And if your client had been so [i]concerned[/i], why a) didn't she call my cell phone to check up on her and b) why does she trust me with her child every minute when she's out of school?"  Tonja spouted. 

            "Why, you lying little, no-good sleaze!  You know that I fired you last night!"  Kimberly lied.

            Tonja inhaled sharply.  She was completely taken aback by what Kim said.  "Y-y-you what?  You did not."  Tonja thought for a moment.  "You CAN'T fire me, you have NO idea how to take care of Arielle!  You don't even know what she's allergic to!"  JC put a protective arm around Tonja, who was crying and shaking violently.  After numerous wrong guesses from Kimberl y, Tonja yelled, "Aspirin, she's allergic to aspirin!!!!!" 

            Justin hadn't liked Kimberly from the beginning and was fuming.  "She doesn't need your crappy Nanny job!  Especially when she can have a better job with us...With people who care about her!  And ya know what else?  You need to learn how to grow up!  You're an adult, not a child!  I bet you call Mr. Thang over there when you break a friggin' nail!" he screamed pointing at the lawyer.

            Kimberly grabbed Arielle's arm to pull her away from Tonja.  She held tight to Tonja's leg.  "Please Tonnie!  No!  Don't let her take me!"  Kimberly got Arielle loose and headed for the door with Arielle.  "Tonnieeeeeeeee!  Noooooooooo!" Arielle yelled with tears streaming down her face.

            "C'mon you little rat!  You'll never get to see her again!"  Kimberly hissed.

Wow!  Kinda short update, huh?  Well, I'm really sorry, but I wasn't into this chapter, and even though it sucks, I'm gonna post it anyway so a few people won't hunt me down.  This would be where I would normally ask for feedback, and I'm still gonna, but I want total honesty, K?

Thanks!  JC-ya

~*Kelly*~

~*~*~ Just a reminder:  [b]Copyright 2001, Kelly Renée[/b] ~*~*~

Chapter Five

            Tears rolled freely down Tonja's flushed cheeks, as the one thing that meant more to her right now than anything in the world was taken away.  JC fought back tears of his own while he cradled Tonja in his arms, whispering words of encouragement in her ear.  He hadn't known her very long, but still...[i]No one deserves this kind of pain.[/i]  He thought as he stroked her long, silky hair.

~*Three Years Later*~

            Everything had changed so dramatically since the night of that concert so long ago.  Arielle was now eight years old and in third grade.  Tonja's degree in marketing helped her land a fantastic job on WEG's promotional team for *NSYNC and other artists.  *Note:  I know there isn't a branch of WEG in San Antonio, but...for the sake of this story, there is now.  :D)  Of course, you can guess who her fave clients were.&n bsp; During the course of the three years, Tonja and JC's friendship blossomed into a beautiful storybook romance.  Whenever things went wrong, Tonja didn't care as long as JC was there by her side.  She felt safe and loved in his arms.  No matter how bad things were, JC always made them better.  And JC felt the same way.  Although they weren't an official item, so-to-speak, everyone [i]knew[/i] that there was something going on.

            "Mr. Wright, here's my pitch--"  Tonja was interrupted by the shrill Nokia ring of her cell phone.  "Excuse me, Mr. Wright.  Hello?.....Maura!?.....Omigosh!.....I know!  Its been so long!  How've you been?......Thats wonderful!"  Johnny gave Tonja a strange glare.  "Maur, hold on just a second okay?  Mr. Wright, could we please postpone this meeting until tomorr ow?"  Johnny sighed and nodded.  Tonja mouthed the words 'Thank You'  "Okay, now, what about Arielle?.....Yeah, I'm going to my --.....What?!?!......You're kidding?!"  UGH!  She had better thank God I wasn't there!  I would have killed her!....Okay, I'm cool, I'm calm....Go on.....Is Arielle okay?......Good!  Maur, listen, thanks for--Is that Arielle?  Can I speak to her?"  Maura handed the phone to Arielle.  "Hey Sweetie Pie!  How are you?......I know Hon, things will get better." Tonja fibbed with wat ery eyes.  "What's that?.....Aww, I miss you too......Maybe someday.....Until then, Ms. Maura has my address in her book, you can write me, and I'll write you back...Arielle, can you put Ms. Maura back on the phone?  Thanks Sweetie....I love you too....Bye.  Maur, take good care of her...and make sure she behaves herself.......Thanks...I knew you would!......Okay, I'll talk to ya later......Thanks again......Bye."

~*Two Weeks Later*~

            Tonja didn't even turn on the lights when she entered her comfortably furnished Upper Northside San Antonio apartment.  She hung her blazer on the coat stand just inside the door and threw her purse down beside it.  Sighing, she flopped down on the couch in the cool darkness.  The lamp on the table behind the couch came on.  She gasped.

            "Hey Beautiful!"  JC grinned, as he leaned over the couch and kissed her on the forehead.

            "JACE!  Geez, you scared the crap outta me!  What are you doing here?  Aren't you supposed to be in Orlando recording stuff for the Challenge for the Children compilation?"  Tonja asked as she moved to a sitting position.  JC walked around the couch and sat beside her. He smiled.  Tonja kissed him gently.

            "Yeah, I was...But I kinda convinced the guys to let me record my vocals here and send them in.  Is there a penality for wanting to see you?"  He said, leaning in to give her another kiss.

            "Mmm...another ki--"  She was interrupted by her cordless phone.  "Ugh, hang on Baby..."  JC nodded and remained on the couch with a puppy dog face.  "Hello?  Oh, hi Maura."

            "Tonja!  Is someone there with you?"

            "Yeah, Jace is here...Why?  What is it?"  Tonja asked as she sat down and cuddled into  JC's arms.  She loved the smell of his cologne.  It was Envy by Gucci.  And it definately lived up to its name.  Tonja envied everyone who was near him when she wasn't able to be there.

            "Its Arielle...she's...she's ran away!"  Maura stammered excitedly.

            "What!?  When!?  How long has she been gone!?"  Tonja yelled, jumping off the couch and beginning to pace. 

            "I-I don't know...She was in her room at 3:45pm when I went to give her her afternoon snack...and I went to get her for dinner at 6:30pm and she was gone..."  Maura wailed.

            "Maur, Hon, calm down..."  Tonja tried to ease Maura's anxiety while fiercly fighting her own battle with "what if's."  "Have you called the police?"

            "Yes, they're looking for her right now.  And Tonja, I called Ms. Brittingham...and as soon as I mentioned Arielle's name, she hung up...The police are asking me all kinds of questions about her...what do I tell them?"  Maura sobbed.

            "Tell them the truth Maur, it won't hurt Arielle, if anything, it will help her.  Look, you stay at the house, just in case she comes back.  Maybe she went to a friend's house?  I'm going to go look for her.  Keep me posted, I'll have my cell phone.  Okay?  Bye."

            "Baby, what is it?"  He asked as he gently tugged her arm to pull her into his lap.

            "She's gone, Jace!  Arielle is gone!  They don't know where she is!  Baby, I'm so scared!  There are a lot of freaks in this city and what if..." Tonja's voice was drowned in a flood of tears.

            "Shhhh, Sweetheart, its okay..." he said he gingerly kissed her cheek.

            "But, but...what if...I mean, she's so young and ...and..." She cried.  JC held her until she stopped crying.

            "Are you okay now, T?" he asked concerned.  She sniffled, and was about to answer him when there was a knock at the door.  JC squeezed her and brushed his hand over her cheek.  "I'll get it...You just relax."  JC sighed as he opened the door, but took back his breath as quickly as he let it out when he saw the figure standing outside in the cold, rain.  "Oh my gosh!"

Chapter Six

            "T, get some towels, [i]hurry[/i]!"  JC said as he scooped Arielle up, wrapping his arms around her trying to warm her until Tonja could get the towels.

            "Jace...here are the--ARIELLE!  Baby, what happened?!" She shrieked, pulling a towel around her and getting her from JC.

            Arielle stuttered through pale blue lips, "I-I-I r-ran away...I don't like living with her!  She's mean!  She sent me to bed without dinner for an entire week, but Maura brought up some small stuff after Kim went to sleep.  I woulda starved!"

            JC looked at Arielle, and then at Tonja.  "T, why don't you go get one of your shirts and get her changed into some dry clothes?  I'll go make some hot chocolate, and then we can talk."  Tonja nodded, and carried Arielle into her bedroom and sat her on the bed.

            "Alright, Munchkin...Let's get you out of those wet clothes..."  Arielle refused.  "Sweetie, you're going to catch pneumonia if you stay in them.  Come on...let's get you changed."  When Arielle refused again, Tonja became even more worried.  "Hon, what is it?"  Arielle shook her head.  Going to her last resort, Tonja pulled the purple longsleeved t-shirt over Arielle's head.  "Oh my gosh!  Oh my gosh!  Baby, how did this happen!?"  Arielle started crying.  "Baby, who did this to you?!"  Arielle cried louder.  JC knocked on the door.  "Just a second, Jace..." 

            Tonja finished getting Arielle changed into one of her old sweatshirts.  It was big enough to make a dress on Arielle.  Minutes later they appeared from Tonja's bedroom.  JC was sitting on the couch with a container of chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate.  When they entered, he grinned.

            "Look at this!  I have to be the [i]luckiest[/i] man in the world!  I have my two favorite girls right here with me!"  Arielle giggled and whispered something in Tonja's ear.  Laughing, Tonja made her way over to the couch and sat beside JC.  Arielle crawled into her lap and asked JC for a cookie.  "Here ya go, Baby Girl."  He smiled.

            After they talked for a while, about different things, Tonja and Arielle went to get her clothes out of the dryer.  No one wanted to say it, but they all knew they had to take Arielle back.  While Arielle was changing, Tonja told JC about the bruises on Arielle's back, arms, and legs.  JC instructed Tonja to get the camera and take pictures of the bruises, he'd call his uncle Phil in the morning.  After the pictures were taken and Arielle was changed into the dry clothes, JC drove them to Kimberly's house.  A glowing neon blue filled the air around the house.

            "Am I gonna be in trouble?" Arielle asked with a quiver in her voice.  JC pulled into the driveway.

            Tonja shook her head as she looked back at the child in the backseat.  "No Sweetie, you won't be in trouble.  But things are gonna be kind of hard for the next few weeks, I want you to be strong Sweetie.  Even when it seems like things are going really, really bad, just keep your chin up, okay?  Promise me that."  Arielle nodded.

            Kimberly still wasn't home.  That wasn't necessarily a good sign.  Helping Arielle out of the backseat,  Tonja walked up to the nearest officer and told her that Arielle was okay.  Kimberly had just pulled in the driveway as Tonja was talking to the woman officer.

            "What is going on here!?"  she shrieked.  "Arielle, my precious darling!  Are you okay?  Did this evil witch hurt you?"  she asked in an overly fake voice.  Kimberly snatched Arielle away from Tonja and marched into the house.  Tonja asked Maura to stay with Arielle for the night, until she and JC could talk to his uncle

            JC watched from the car.  Arielle's piercing screams could be heard through the glass.  He winced as he watched Tonja wipe stray tears from her eyes.  Driving closer, he jumped out of the car and engulfed her in a hug.  "T, Baby, I'll call Uncle Phil in the morning...I promise..." he soothed as he kissed her forehead. 

            "But what if tomorrow morning is too late?"  she sobbed.

            JC caressed her back.  "Okay Babe, I'll call Uncle Phil when we get home...He's probably up watching SNL or something anyway."

            Tonja looked up at him with red eyes.  "JC, I love you so much.  Thank you."

~Later that night~

            "Hi Uncle Phil!...Yes, I'm sorry its late...I know...Well, you remember Tonja, right?...Yeah, she's the cute one with the big brown eyes...Well, she used to take care of this little girl...and the little girl ran away, and came to Tonja's apartment.  It was pouring outside, so Tonja got her changed into one of her sweatshirts, when she was changing Tonja noticed bruises on her legs, arms, and back, and we were wondering how we should go about prosecuting for child abuse...Can you help?  Please Uncle Phil?....Thank you!  You are the greatest!...Yes....Okay..."  Uncle Phil put JC on hold while he called the airport to make flight arrangements to San Antonio.  He needed a vacation anyway, and San Antonio had a lot to offer.  "Yes Uncle Phil, I'm here....Great!....At seven?....Alright...We'll meet you at the gate...Yes...You too....Bye!"

            "Great news T!  Uncle Phil is flying in tomorrow to help us!"  Tonja smiled, but it quickly faded.  "Whats wrong Baby?"  JC asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

            "JC..." she sniffled, on the verge of tears again.  "I...I don't want to be alone tonight...Please don't go back to the hotel..."  He held her closely as she buried her head in his chest and sobbed.  JC felt the weight of the item in his jacket pocket and remembered his main purpose for being there tonight.  He thought of what she had been through and wondered if she could handle more.  The question weighed for a bit in his mind before he finally decided what he was going to do.