Last Time . . .

“Are you gonna come back out later babe?” Lance whispered in his ear.

“Um . . . I dunno, I got a lot of planning to do. I’ll try though . . .” Josh said a little depressed.

“Ok, I’ll see you then.”

“Ok, bye.”

“Babe?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you!”

“I love you too Lance.” Josh said hesitating slightly, and with a little pain in his voice.

This Time . . .

“What’s up Josh?” Justin asked as Lance made his way out of the atrium and back to the party.

“I wanted to talk to you guys about Little J and Johnny.” Josh said focusing back on them.

“What about em?” Chris asked.

“First off, I wanted to apologize for not telling you that they would ultimately be involved.”

“It’s ok . . . I mean, like you said, you don’t have a choice, you can’t tell us some things for our benefit.”

“Yeah, and as much as I’d hate to admit it, it’s not like we could’ve stopped it.” Justin added.

“Secondly, I assure you, that they are more than safe! They’re safer than we are! I mean, a spirit guide is protecting your son! Xaina will never let any harm come to him! And as for your brother, he has enough knowledge to keep him out of trouble! And I can tell you this; the two of them together will be unstoppable! They both may be young, but their souls have insured them with the maturity and strength to get them through this! And way after we’re gone, they will continue on with our legacy! They will become the Chosen Ones of the future!”

“As overprotective as I am with Justin, I know now that it was as much his destiny as it was mine. But as long as you can assure me that he’ll be safe, that nothing will happen to him while we’re gone, I will be fine. Now, can you do that?”

“Hold on . . .” Josh said, closing his eyes and rolling them up into his head. He searched for the answers from the greater powers, and they allowed him to confirm. “He will live on to do great things, I can’t say that he’ll never get into any trouble, but as for now, he is perfectly safe.”

“Thank you!” Chris said hugging him. “That’s all I ask!”

“What about Jonathan?” Justin asked.

“Same thing bro . . . same thing!”

“Good . . .” Justin said standing there feeling a little awkward.

“Is that all?” Chris asked.

“Yeah . . . you can go back to the party now.” Josh said turning his back to the balcony. As Chris left, Justin remained, although he didn’t say anything, Josh still felt his presence. “Can I help you with anything Jus?”

“I should ask you the same question . . .” Justin said looking up at him.

“What do you mean?” Josh said turning around.

“I know this is hard on you bro, knowing everything that’s gonna happen, I just can’t help but feel your pain.”

“You don’t know the pain I’m going through.”

“Yeah I do . . . I know better than you think!” He said walking up towards the balcony.

“How so?”

“It’s the same burden I carried around when I was in Europe.”

“Not entirely, but I’ll give you that . . . it’s vaguely similar.”

“I mean, I always wondered why it was I felt so much pain, besides the obvious, but I know why now.”

“Why?”

“Because, like I said, I feel your pain. The anguish your feeling, the guilt, the madness, I can sense it. Like now, there’s something that you saw that has to do with the future and it’s causing you a lot of grief.”

“You don’t know what I’m going through!” Josh said putting his back to him and looking out at the moon once more.

“Josh, let me help you!”

“You can’t!” He said, tears coming to his eyes.

“Josh . . .”

”I SAID YOU CAN’T!” He yelled causing a strong force of wind to throw Justin down into the fountain.

Emerging from the water, a little bruised, but otherwise fine, Justin swam backwards, looking up at Josh. As he climbed out of the water, he said,

“I’m gonna give you some advice that you once gave me . . . You’re gonna have to face it sooner or later, and it’s a hell of a lot easier if you can have someone there that can relate! Right now, I really don’t care what the ‘Greater Powers’ are telling you, I’m telling you that if you don’t let me help you, you’re gonna go psycho on us again! And you know as well as I do, now is NOT the time for that to happen! There’s too much at risk! The choice is yours!”

As Justin walked out of the atrium and back into the house, Josh leaned on the ledge of the balcony and started to break down into tears, suddenly, one of his tears froze midway down his cheek, and the balcony began to get covered with ice. It started to spread over the large balcony and down to the floor, freezing everything, and stopping just in front of the door. Josh didn't know what he did, and when he opened his eyes, and saw his breath fogging out, he sighed. He turned around and looked over the room. He lowered his head, climbed down from the balcony, and walked out of the room. The plants were dead, and there was nothing he could do about it, he put on his best poker face, the trademark smile, and walked into the ballroom, laughing and having the best time. Justin was the only one who noticed and felt Josh's pain. Lance didn't even pick up on it. But Justin did, it was like a burning sensation in his body. He would have to talk to Josh.

"Josh! Come here I want you to meet someone." Lance said as he held a coke in his hand, and Katie by his side. Josh walked over happily, and looked at Lance. "Josh, I would like you to meet Katie . . ."

"Katie Frakes." Josh finished. "Pretty daring little stunt you did there. Taking on Lance." Josh said with a genuine smile.

"Well, if I had known that he was Lance, I wouldn't have been so daring." She said as she looked up at Lance, and they smiled at each other. Josh ignored it, and started back a conversation.

"So, what started that little match?" Josh asked.

"Well, I thought that I was the best. And, I am . . . Aside from Lance of course. Oh, and the other Chosen Ones. In fact, I would love to see you in action. I'm sure there is someone cocky enough in here to try and take on The Chosen One." She said with an almost evil smile.

"No, I tend to get carried away in spars." Josh said, trying to avoid the whole idea.

"Oh, come on!" She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out in the middle of the room. "May I have your attention please!" She shouted out above to crowd. They all turned to her and she smiled.

"The Chosen One has agreed to a sparring match against whoever dares challenge him." Josh lightly took a drink from Lance's cup and bent his head down. He felt hundreds of hungry eyes on him. "Does anyone take his Challenge!?"

From outside a loan voice yelled and Josh immediately knew who it was. Beryl stepped out from the crowd of people and smiled at Josh. Katie quickly left, and Josh smiled at Beryl.

Joey felt his heart nearly sink to the ground. But it wouldn't be that bad. Last time they sparred both of them were at a draw.

"What are you doing?" Josh said with a smile, the small red plastic cup still in his hands.

"I kicked your ass before, and I know I can do it again." Beryl said with a slight laugh.

Josh just smiled and started to walk off, but Beryl kicked Josh in the back of one of his legs sending him to one knee, then kicked him in the chest making him bend over in pain. The cup spilt on the floor, and there was a gasp in the whole room. Lance started to run out, but Chris stopped him and said,

"He has to do this. Otherwise they’re not going to respect him." Lance looked at him, and then back at Josh, who was just getting up, slowly.

He turned his head towards Beryl, and then turned his body towards him. Beryl was jumping back and forth like a boxer would, and a cocky smile. Josh held only anger on his face. An anger that was not nearly strong enough for his emotions to start a gust of wind, but enough so that the guys knew that he wasn't happy. A look he had many times with Lou Pearlman.

"I'm not going to fight you." Josh said his teeth clenched together.

"Cause you’re scared I'm going to kick your ass." Beryl said laughing. Josh had a plan going along in his head the minute he felt Beryl's shin connect with the back of his knee.

Josh laughed. It was a single "Ha!" The one the guys knew all too well. He would do that just before he would kick the shit out of them playfully. But Beryl hadn't been around long enough to know it, and he would soon wish that he would have. He ran towards Josh, and jumped up in the air, and his foot was about to connect with Josh's face. But Josh raised up one forearm, and Beryl's foot hit it causing him to stop dead in his tracks, and fall to the ground. Josh gave his trademark smile, and then flipped over Beryl. Beryl stood up quickly and got into a fighting position. Josh rolled his eyes, and then crossed his arms.

            Lance smiled, and he knew that it was now a game to Josh. Just as it always was when someone would challenge him to a fight. Just like Dominic, and just like Justin, Joey, Chris, and he had done many times before. Only this time, it was for keeps. He was going to put Beryl into his place, a place where he should’ve been put, many times before. Josh was going to show him, that he wasn't the best, and that he had better not be so cocky. It was Josh's turn to be the one who kicked ass. And there was nothing that was going to stop him.

            Beryl pushed his hands forward and a fireball shot out. Everyone in the room covered their faces, and the Wizards were going to stop it. Justin's hands were right out, but Josh put his hand up in the air, and moved it slowly to the right, and the fireball burned out just before it hit him. Josh refolded his arms, and looked at Beryl with a single smirk. Beryl was shocked beyond all belief, and so was everyone else in the room. The first show of power by Josh was one that no one in the room could do. Not even any of the Wizards. Lance frowned.

"Do you give up?" Josh asked politely.

"Not on your life." Beryl said as he walked and pulled out his sword from his back. Slowly trying to intimidate Josh.

Lance looked over at Beryl, then at Josh. There was a certain urgency that came over his face, and Josh smiled, and in Lance's head Josh said,

"Don't worry. I still love you."

            Beryl walked forward with the sword, and Josh didn't move, his arms still crossed, and his feet shoulder width apart. Justin, Joey, and Chris, were staring with disbelief, normally in something like that Josh would put his guard up; but he didn't. Beryl stopped just at sword’s length and then brought the sword to down to slice Josh in half. Just about half way down, the sword stopped, and Beryl's face twisted in a power struggle. As if something was holding it back, Josh was looking at the sword, then at Beryl. He smiled wickedly, and then moved his head to one side, causing the sword to fly out of Beryl’s hands and slide across the ballroom floor, to Vanessa’s feet. She stopped it with her foot, picked it up, and smiled at Justin, who in return smiled back.

"Now I didn't say we could use weapons." Josh said his arms still folded. Beryl flipped back, and as he landed, turned invisible. Josh stood perfectly still, then looked over at Joey, and smiled. Two balls of light spun around him, and Josh had turned into a dog. Everyone including *NSYNC let out a gasp of shock.

"I didn't know he could do that." Joey whispered to Lance whose eyes were almost on fire with anger.

"Neither did I." Then Lance walked out into the ballroom and stood next to Josh. "Okay Beryl. It's over."

Josh returned to his normal form. But Beryl didn't appear.

"Beryl! I said it's over." Lance said again.

Josh lowered his head, and then chanted something. Beryl appeared, and looked around shocked. He was then thrown back into the crowd, and Josh knocked him out like that, the fight was over.

            In the span of several minutes Josh had shown powers, that no one ever thought possible. Now, no one would challenge his power. No one. Soon after, everyone left and Lance was sitting in the kitchen, scanning over some papers from Free Lance, and Jive. A contract, an application and some other things were in his hands. Lance looked it over and smiled lightly. There was a light knock on the door, just barely loud enough for Lance to hear, he grabbed his sword off the counter, and said,

"CIDS, any Vampire activity around the Manor?"

"Negative." Was CIDS reply.

            Lance walked to the door, and opened it. There stood a Woman, hair gray, and her eyes slightly red from crying. Lance drew back quickly, and then said,

"Lynn?"

She barged into the house, and handed him a papertron.

"Did you see what they said about my baby boy?! HAVE YOU! The nerve of some people to lie about that! Do you know how angry this makes me? Justin would be if he saw it. Spreading lies like that!"

Lance was looking at the papertron. The New York Times, nonetheless. And there he was. Justin Randall Timberlake, standing in front of the former Brain Littrel. "And then! They call me to see my reaction to it! Justin is dead! He has been . . . dead." She said as a tear streamed down her face. Then a faint, yet very clear, "Mom." Was heard. The only other sound in the room was the ticking from the Grandfather clock. Lynn looked up at the staircase to see Justin and Johnny standing there. Justin's hands lightly being rubbed together like he used to when he got scared or nervous. Lynn let out a slight laugh, and then her knees gave out and she fell to the ground. Justin was quickly by her side.

"Justin?" She said as she placed a hand on the side of his face. Justin sighed and shook his head. She smiled and quickly wrapped her arms around him. And he started to cry, and he wrapped his arms around her. There were no words said.

            Lynn slowly pulled back and looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair. Then she frowned. And she was trying to say something but no words would come to her mouth. But Justin knew what she was trying to say and he said.

"It's better if you don't know. But, I'm back now . . . Forever."

TBC . . .