Author: Elizabeth
Category: JC/Lance, Joey/Justin but totally later in the story.
Summary: This is AU but they become a band later. Lance�s home caught on fire when he was 12 and his family died. He packed up what little he had left and ran away before social services could get him. On the streets, he meets 10 year old Justin, then 20 year old Chris, 14 year old Joey and 15 year old JC. Soon, these five guys depend on each other and later discover love and a bond that will last forever.
AN: For the person who askedJ Yes, Lance and Justin are Preteens. Justin is 10 and Lance is 12. Joey and JC are teens and Chris is an adult. And it�ll be slash when Lance is 19 and Justin is 17 because they�ll be wondering about their sexuality.
~*~
�Oh no.� Joey groaned.
�What?� Lance asked sitting up.
�People are coming into the warehouse. Some fat guy.�
�Oh no. We can�t stay here.� Justin said.
�Sh! Guys, be quiet.� Chris looked at a freaked out JC. �We�ll leave tonight. Back to the alley ways.�
Five hours later, JC put his arm around Lance�s shoulders and the other around his calves. He lifted his friend up and Lance held on to him. Joey held onto their bags and Justin stood next to him while Chris was on the lookout.
�Okay, they�re gone.� They got out of the warehouse and raced away from the place. They went down the street where the accident had been. It was now clear but few police officers were still there. They sneaked off and Lance buried his head in JC�s neck.
�Hey, it�s okay, relax.� JC said softly. Lance felt comfortable with his words.
They got to a nice place and settled Lance on some blankets and a pillow for his ankle.
�JC? Stay close to me tonight, I�m scared.� Lance whimpered.
�Okay, I�ll be right here.� JC smiled and Lance smiled back.
JC got up and they got some food. After they ate, Justin got in between Chris and Joey while Lance and JC lay together, Lance huddled up close, trying to will the nightmares away.
~*~*~*~*
Ten months later
Justin jumped up and down to the music and smiled. �Go Joey! Go Joey! Go Joey!� He chanted to a fully make upped Joey up on stage. Justin cheered louder than anyone else while Lance and JC laughed and clapped beside him.
�This is awesome!� JC said.
�Yeah. He�s so good! It�s like he was born to do this.� Lance grinned.
�Yeah. Whoo!� JC yelled as Joey did a back flip.
�He�s good! That�s my best friend!� Justin laughed.
Pretty soon, the show was over then another cast walked up but in different settings.
�Chris! That�s Chris!� Lance laughed, pointing at an elf.
�Oh the poor guy.� JC clapped for his friend.
Justin smiled. �This is so cool! I can�t believe they actually got jobs and no one even knows who they are!�
�Yeah, the name Steve Nethercot works well, doesn�t it?� Lance rolled his eyes, talking about Joey.
�I still need a name for when I get a job.� JC said, paying attention to Lance and Justin.
�How about �Josh�?�
�That�s my real name, idiot!� JC sighed.
Lance smiled. �How about Craig?�
�Hmm, I like that.�
�And the little elf said �You can have anything you like, but only if I get money.�� Chris winked as he read.
JC, Lance and Justin burst out laughing but inside it was pained. Yes, they were in need of money. Justin had gotten the flu a month earlier and needed to be taken inside again so they had snuck into a warehouse and stayed there while Joey and Chris tried to get enough money for medicine. Soon, Justin was better and they were able to go out again. The guys had all changed a bit more.
JC was now eighteen and had cut his hair into tiny spikes. He was more athletic and loved singing and dancing. When he had been found at age fifteen, he was dirty, his dirty, stringy hair was down to his shoulders and he was SO skinny. Now, he was as fit as could be.
Chris was twenty-three and loving adult life, even if it was behind warehouse doors and alley way walls. The only problem he had was that he had to take care of three minors, whom were all run aways. The orphanage was still searching for Justin so they had to be more careful and Lance was being ignored but they kept bringing him up.
Speaking of Lance. He had grown up a bit. Even though he was still pale and girly like, he had a bowl cut and his hair was blond again. He was more fit since he went for a run every morning at 5:00 am. He was now fifteen and loving every moment of it. Not a day went by that he didn�t think of his family and what could have been. Lance was also doing some growing up. He had been having strange feelings and wanting to be around JC more. It confused him and he tried to harbor the feelings as much as he could.
Joey was seventeen now. His hair was short and he was very fit. With all the money he had, he bought himself a video camera and taped every moment of the guys� lives. Once, he caught JC writing a song and JC shoved him away going �It�s MY special song, keep away, Fat One.� For that, JC was found to be ticklish everywhere. Joey had gone back to his hometown once and spied on his family. He saw that his parents were sitting together and holding each other while Janine and Steven hung out. Joey sighed and went back to the train station.
Justin was still being searched for and he did not like it. For three years he had been on the run; Ever since he was ten-years-old. He had let his curly hair grow out but soon he cut it again and let it go back to blond, like Lance. Justin�s voice had changed and they soon found that their voices fit well together now that they were all growing. The good thing for Justin was he was getting too big for Chris to toss around anymore. Chris didn�t care too much.
The guys often had dreams of being famous and would lay around in old sweats with tears at the bottom and t-shirts covered in food and dust, talking about winning awards and going to places they always dreamed of. Once, JC admitted he�d like to go to Europe. Chris smiled and said someday he�d go. Then they all saw a shooting star. Justin smiled.
�Make a wish. It�ll come true.� He said.
They all grabbed hands, shut their eyes and made their wishes.
�I wish we could be famous.�
�I wish I could see my mama again.�
�I wish I will be able to stay with my friends and not go back.�
�I wish I could see my sister and brother again.�
�I wish my mom was happy with her new life.�
(Guess which ones are which Hehe)
They opened their eyes and looked at each other.
After the performance, Justin, JC and Lance ran to find their friends. Chris and Joey walked out in their regular clothes.
�You guys were awesome! You get better each day!�
Joey laughed. �Thanks Justin. Now, come on. I think we have enough from our paycheck to get food.�
�Terrific!�
They walked down to the store and shopped. Joey made sure they didn�t get anything that involved using a can opener. Once they were all safe with what they had, they headed back to their alley.
While Justin and Joey made dinner, Chris sat back, writing songs. Lance sat against the wall, studying JC quietly. His high cheekbones, the way his hands moved gracefully while writing and flipping open the notebook. Every time JC was happy, Lance was happy. When JC was sad, so was Lance. It seemed too constant. Lance remembered silently the experimental kiss JC and Joey went through and his stomach tied up in knots. He didn�t realize it but he glared at Joey before turning back to JC. All through their three years of knowing each other, not once did the kiss spark anything between them. They were friends, they fought and they made each other laugh. But other than that, they were friends. Lance rubbed his stomach. It was all knotted and empty. When would the sandwiches be done? Lance gulped and continued his speculation.
Why did he feel this way? Lance looked at the other three. Yes, they were cute but they weren�t JC. JC was perfect. He was wonderful. He was gay.
Lance�s eyes widened. Oh God. He was in love with JC. Lance gulped and looked away.
That night, while Justin, JC, Chris, and Joey slept in the tent, Lance left quietly and sat against the wall, thinking of his time with JC. The times they were close to each other and how there seemed to be a little spark. But Lance was young. He didn�t even understand so he never thought about it. But lately, his hormones had taken a reality check and he started to have to sleep away from the guys.
Lance looked at the opening of the tent and he could see JC sleeping. Lance was scared. He didn�t understand these feelings. He looked up into the sky as tears fell down his face.
�Mama, I�m sorry, mama. I�m gay. Oh God, I�m gay.� He buried his head in his arms and cried softly, trying to get used to this revelation about himself.
~*~*~*
Lance sat against the wall, crying softly. He just figured it out. He was in love with JC. He was IN LOVE with his friend. Lance buried his face in his arms and shook.
JC woke up to crying and looked around to see that Lance was missing. He got up and went to the younger boy. "Lance? Hey, what's wrong?"
Lance shook his head. "Nothing, it's nothing."
"Do you miss your mom?"
"No. Yes, yes, of course I do. Just..." he looked at JC and leaned in. He captured JC's lips with his. JC sat there stunned then kissed Lance back. Lance ran his hands through JC's hair then pulled away. JC's eyes were shut. He opened them.
"Lance?"
"I'm gay." Lance got up and went back to the tent.
JC sat there, deeply confused...and very much tingling. He got up and went to the tent. He looked inside and saw Lance falling asleep. His heart broke. Was Lance experimenting or did he want to kiss him? JC shook his head and went to bed.
~*~*~*~*
For the next few months, the guys danced around in warehouses, working on their dance moves. Lance absolutely hated dancing and would end up falling on his face. JC always helped him back up and offered to give him extra practice. Lance hated that he couldn�t dance.
Pretty soon another year had passed and now the guys were 14, 16, 18, 19, and almost 24. They were all getting better with the dancing and had written a bunch of songs. Justin�s favorite was a song called �I Thought She Knew.� One day, Lance was staring at a picture in a magazine Justin had bought and while the guys were talking, he said something that got their attention.
�This guy is pretty hot.� He mumbled.
Justin stopped talking and looked at Lance, so did Joey, JC and Chris. Lance looked up at them.
�Um�guys, I�m gay.�
�Lance, why didn�t you tell us?�
�I didn�t know how.�
Justin smiled and hugged him. �Thanks.�
�You�re welcome.�
That night, after nursing a stomachache, Joey turned to Justin.
�Hey Justin.�
�Hmm?�
�I have something to tell you.�
Justin opened his eyes. �What?�
�Remember when JC told us he was gay?�
Justin nodded. �Yeah.�
�That night�I was thinking. I had been questioning myself for a while.�
Justin sat up. �Joey, are you gay?�
Joey nodded.
Justin nodded. �Thanks for being honest with me. But I wish you had told me.�
�I didn�t want you to hate me.�
�Hate you? Joey, you�re my best friend. I�d never hate you.�
Joey smiled and they went to bed.
A few weeks later, Joey�s stomachaches weren�t letting up. He couldn�t work and they were loosing money again so they couldn�t get him help. They suggested taking him to a doctor but they couldn�t risk it. Joey was in pain more than ever and Justin was worried for him.
One day, they were walking down a busy street and Joey seemed to be fine. But then as JC was about to tell him about a note he had to hit in a song, Joey fell to the ground.
�Joey!� They all yelled and bent down to help him but he cringed.
�Oh God, it hurts! Ah!� He clutched his stomach, painfully. He felt like he was tearing up inside and nothing could stop the burning pain. �Make it stop! Make the pain stop.�
�Joey, oh no, what do we do?� Lance�s eyes were wide in fright.
�Um�umm.� JC didn�t know what to do, he just held Joey�s hand and stroked his hair. Joey shut his eyes tightly and his body jerked in pain. Justin�s eyes widened.
�Joey, it�ll be okay, shh, just pretend it doesn�t exist. Pretend the pain isn�t there.� Chris said softly, trying to rub Joey�s stomach but Joey was pushing him away.
�Sing to him. We�ll try to sing to him.� Justin said.
JC nodded. �But what?�
�Ah!� Joey let out a moan of pain and fright. Justin�s eyes filled with tears.
JC stuttered in his head for a song. �Justin. Guys, let�s sing This I Promise You. It should help.�
�How?� Justin said, watching as Joey cried in pain. His heart clenched painfully in his chest.
�Just sing, let�s just sing.�
Lance and Chris nodded and they did what JC said.
�Ohh ohh...
When the visions around you,
Bring tears to your eyes
And all that surround you,
Are secrets and lies
I'll be your strength,
I'll give you hope,
Keeping your faith when it's gone
The one you should call,
Was standing here all along..
And I will take
You in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you
I've loved you forever,
In lifetimes before
And I promise you never...
Will you hurt anymore
I give you my word
I give you my heart (give you my heart)
This is a battle we've won
And with this vow,
Forever has now begun...
Just close your eyes (close your eyes)
Each loving day (each loving day)
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you..
This I promise you..
Over and over I fall (over and over I fall)
When I hear you call
Without you in my life baby
I just wouldn't be living at all...
And I will take (I will take you in my arms)
You in my arms
And hold you right where you belong (right where you belong)
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you baby
Just close your eyes
Each loving day (each loving day)
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)
Every word I say is true
This I promise you
Every word I say is true
This I promise you
Ooh, I promise you...�
As they sang, Joey seemed to stop crying but he panted and when Chris looked up, there was a hat with money in it besides Justin but Justin wasn�t paying attention.
�Ah! It hurts!� Joey cried.
�It didn�t work.� Justin cried.
JC didn�t say anything as a tall black man walked over to them.
�You guys are good singers. Hey, is he all right?�
�He�s having bad stomachaches. We don�t know what�s wrong with him.� Lance said.
�Let me see. My father used to be a doctor.� He bent down to Joey and felt his stomach. Joey cried out. �Oh shit, he has to go to a hospital.�
�We don�t have any money, though.� Chris said.
The man looked down at the hat then at Chris. �It�s all right. I�ll pay for everything. Get him into my car.�
The guys looked at each other then they all lifted Joey up and carried him to the car.
�By the way, my name is Johnnie Wright.�
�Excuse me?� JC said, leaning over from the back, as Johnnie drove towards a hospital.�