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.
~*~
Chris got out of the car followed by his band mates. They walked up to the house and almost immediately the door opened and a young woman ran into Chris�s arms.
�Oh God Chris, I missed you so much!�
�Oh my God, look at you! Oh my little sister, I missed you!� Chris spun her around in his arms, as they both cried.
�Look at you with dreds in your hair. I would have never believed it!�
Chris smiled. �Oh, guys this is my sister, Molly. Molly, I�d like you to meet Lance, Justin, Joey, and JC.�
�Hi guys. I�ve, well, heard a lot about you. Lance, I am so sorry.� She hugged him.
�Thank you.� Lance smiled kindly at her.
�Your welcome. Come inside. Chris, mom�s waiting. She�s been looking forward to this day forever.�
Chris sighed. �Me too.�
They walked in and Chris walked over to the kitchen. He leaned in the door and saw his mom sitting with a small brunette girl, who was holding a doll tightly in her hands.
Chris cleared his throat and Beverly looked at him. She looked into his eyes before standing up. Chris walked towards her slowly. Beverly made it halfway before pulling her son into her arms. Chris hugged her back as tight as he could.
�Mom. I�m home now, mom, I�m home.�
�Thank God. My baby�s home.� She held his face in her hands and wiped away his tears. �Christopher Kirkpatrick, what have we said about crying?�
�Do it only if you�ve been hit by a car.� Chris said, smiling.
She laughed. �My son.� She hugged him again. They pulled back when she felt a hand tug on her shirt.
�Mommy, who is that.�
�Honey, this is Chris. He�s your brother.�
Chris bent down so he was Taylor�s level. �Hi Taylor.�
Taylor smiled. �Hi. Want to see my dolly?� She held the doll out.
Chris smiled. �I�d love to.� He examined it. �What�s her name?�
�Christina. I wanted to name her Chris but mommy said I should give her a girl�s name.�
Chris laughed softly and looked up. Beverly smiled at him through tears. Chris looked back at his sister.
�Is it okay if I can have a hug?�
She nodded. Chris gently pulled her into his arms and smelled her hair, smiling softly. He kissed her soft hair and rubbed her back.
From the living room, Justin was looking at pictures.
�Hey, that�s Chris.� JC said, pointing at a baby picture.
�Oh, he was such a cute baby. Then look what he turned into.� Lance said.
�I heard that.� Chris called from the kitchen.
Lance rolled his eyes.
Justin turned and noticed a picture of four kids. He took it and noticed it as Chris. He looked to be about eighteen, just a year before he left. He was holding two little girls and another one was sitting next to him.
�Hey, Molly, who are they?�
Molly walked over to him. �Oh. That�s Chris, Kate, Emily, and me. Our sisters.�
Justin looked at her. �The one�s who were taken.�
She nodded. �We�ve been trying to get information on where they could be, but no one tells us.�
�Oh.� Justin didn�t know what to say after that.
After everyone ate their dinners, Lance decided to call Johnny and let him know they were on their way home. When Lance put his hand on the phone, he sighed. He looked back out and then ran outside. He ran a few blocks before getting to a pay phone. He looked around the sidewalk before finding some change. He picked it up and put it in. He dialed the number and waited.
�Hello?�
�Hey Johnny, it�s Lance. I just wanted you to know we�d be coming back Sunday night.�
�All right, Lance, thanks for the heads up. See you Sunday.�
�Bye.�
�Oh, where are you? At a payphone?�
�Yeah.�
�Doesn�t Chris�s mom have a phone?�
Lance froze. He looked around and at the phone in his hands. �I have to go.� He hung up and gasped for air. He sat down at a bench and put his head in his hands.
�Why! Why! WHY!� He cried, tears flowing down his face.
�Wanna hold bear?�
Lance looked up, seeing Taylor standing in front of him, holding out her teddy bear.
�Taylor? What are you doing here? Does your mom know you�re here?�
�No. I saw you leave so I came after you.�
Lance pulled her into his lap and hugged her close. �I think I�d rather hold you.�
Taylor smiled and wiped his eyes with her tiny hands. �Don�t cry, Lance. It�s no reason to cry.�
Lance smiled. �Come on, kiddo. Let�s get you home.�
He stood up with her in his arms and they went back to the house. They walked inside and Lance put Taylor down. JC walked out.
�Lance, thank God, you scared me to death.� JC hugged him tightly while Chris walked out and picked up his sister.
�I�m sorry. I don�t know what came over me. I was about to pick up the phone and the next thing I knew, I was outside and�I�m sorry.� Lance sobbed in his shoulder.
Justin and Joey stood in the doorway watching them, while Chris talked softly to Taylor.
�Lance?�
Lance looked at her.
�How about you sleep in Chris�s old room while he has a sleepover with me and my sister!�
Lance smiled. �Thanks, sweetie.� He walked over and kissed her forehead. He looked at JC and held out his hand.
�It�s okay, baby.� JC took his hand, kissed it and they went upstairs to rest.
~*~
JC turned off the lights and crawled into the bed beside Lance. Lance cuddled up close to him and JC held him tightly.
�I�m sorry.�
�For what?� JC kissed his forehead.
�Running off like that. I swear I don�t know what came over me. It was like I needed to do that.�
�I know, Lance. I�ve done it too.�
Lance looked into his eyes. �Are you okay?�
�Yeah. I�m just thinking about everything we�ve been through.�
�Do you think that if things had been different, we might have met?�
JC shook his head. �I don�t know. Justin, if I know him, he might have kept trying to run until he finally made it. You might have found a love for singing. Joey might have been able to do something instead of watching his parents fight and Chris could have kept his sisters from being taken. As for me, all I could have done was pick up the phone and call nine-one-one.�
Lance nodded. �In a way, this was a sign. All of this.�
JC stroked his cheek. For the first time in his life, he felt loved and it reflected in Lance�s eyes. It wasn�t the same as when Justin looked at him. Justin looked at him like a hero, someone who went through a horrid experience to get to where he was now and he loved him for that. Chris loved him in that big brotherly way and he would do anything for him. Joey loved him like an older brother who could teach him new things. But Lance, even though they never said it, he loved JC for what he was. JC, for once in his life, saw that and he felt warm inside when Lance looked at him. Lance made him feel wanted and that was something JC had always craved.
�Thank you.�
�For what?�
�Finding me. Not letting me give up and go back.�
Lance shoved his lips to JC�s. Their tongues mingled and they held each other. When they pulled away, Lance put his forehead against JC�s.
�I�d never let you go back. I�d never let them hurt you again.�
JC smiled and Lance hugged him close.
~*~
�Sweetheart, this is too much. You don�t have to.�
�Mom, I want to. I kept track of how much money I took and I will pay you back. That is a promise I intend to keep.�
Beverly smiled. �You be a good boy now, you hear? Keep them safe.�
�I�ve done it for seven years.�
Beverly wiped away her tears and hugged Chris again. �I love you.�
�I love you too.�
Chris bent down and hugged Taylor and then stood to hug Molly.
�Bye Chris.�
�Bye.� Chris got into the backseat of the car.
�Oh, Chris?�
Chris looked at his mom. �When did JC learn to drive?�
�Germany.�
�Good.�
JC blushed and Lance kissed his cheek.
Chris waved good-bye to his mom before JC drove off. Next to Chris, Justin was holding the picture of the siblings. Chris looked at him and saw something in his eyes.
�Justin?�
Justin shook his head and smiled at Chris. �I�m just glad you saw your mom.�
Chris smiled and squeezed his arm. Justin sighed and bit his lip, thinking.
~*~*~*
Britney walked up to the stage and dropped a box next to Justin�s feet. �Here�s your box. My mom MADE the orphanage give it back so I can give it to you.�
�Great! They never let me see this. Lance! JC! Joey, Chris! My stuff�s here!�
The guys put down their microphones and walked over to Justin and Britney. They all bent down and Justin opened the box. He pulled out a letter.
�Dear Justin, I�m sorry I had to give you up. I love you so much. If you want to contact me, I will give you as much information as you want. Good bye, baby. Mom.�
�Dated in February. You were a few weeks.� Joey said.
�Yeah.� He put the letter away and pulled out a necklace. He opened it up and he choked up.
�Justin that must be her.� Lance said softly.
�My mom. She looks so young.�
He looked at the next picture in the locket. It was of him as a newborn.
�Oh, look at how cute he was!� JC gushed.
Justin blushed then put the necklace around his neck. He took out the next item. He opened it up.
�My birth certificate.�
�Justin Randall Timberlake, born January 31st, mother Lynn Miller. Father, Randall Timberlake.�
�Guys, why was I given his name if he raped her?� Justin asked.
Joey flinched. Justin had found out about what forcing sex meant when he asked someone he ran into and she told him it meant rape. He wouldn�t stop crying after that.
�That�s the way they do it.� Was all Chris could say.
Justin sighed softly. He pulled out another item. It was a photo album. A small one at that. He opened it up and saw more pictures of his mother and baby photos of him. The last picture was he in the baby carrier on the steps of the orphanage. Justin sighed and closed it. He hugged Britney.
�Thank you.�
�Your welcome, Justin.�
~*~
All the way in Memphis, Lynn Harless sat in her living room, looking through the NSYNC book. There were photos of the guys as young as they could remember having photos. His sister had sent in JC�s pictures, according to the book. Lance�s photos had been recovered from the fire and Justin�s pictures were with Britney after she had been adopted. When Lynn picked up the newspaper months before, she saw the article �FIVE RUNAWAYS FOUND; NOW FRIENDS AND IN BAND�. When she saw her son�s name and his pictures, her heart started pounding. Her son was alive. She was taking part in the lawsuit for not giving children the right to learn new things. This was a reason she suspected that Justin had run away and didn�t turn up until years later.
Now, she bought everything she could on the boys and she concentrated on hearing her son�s voice on the album and in interviews. When she saw his interview from a week earlier with JC and Lance, they were all happy and laughing. But each time a bad memory came up, Justin was quick to comfort his friends, as were JC and Lance. When Justin was asked if he wanted to contact his mother, he replied with a solid �YES.�
The only thing, she wondered, was how they would both contact each other. She wanted to see the baby she had to give up so badly. Hearing his voice on television and watching music videos didn�t settle her heart. When she saw the I Want You Back video, she was so surprised at how well he could dance.
Lynn licked her lips and picked up the phone and dialed.
�Johnny Wright speaking.�
�Hello, Mr. Wright, my name is Lynn Harless. I�m�I�m Justin Timberlake�s mother.�
Johnny was silent then he spoke. �I need some proof.�
�He was eight pounds exactly when he was born and he has a birthmark on the bottom of his foot.�
�Only we know that. I�m guessing your Mrs. Now?�
�Yes, sir. Is my son all right?�
�He�s just fine, he�s at the condo he lives in with the others right now.�
�May I have the number please?�
�Of course.� He gave her the number.
�Thank you. And I thank you and the rest of the boys for taking care of him.�
�We were happy to. Your son is a great person.�
Her eyes filled with tears. �Thank you.�
She hung up and waited for a few seconds before picking up the phone and dialing.
�Hello?� A tired voice asked.
�Is Justin there?�
�Yeah, hold on. Justin, phone!�
�I got it, Lance. Go rest. Hello?�
Lynn held her breath then breathed. �Justin?�
�Yes, who�s this?�
Lynn closed her eyes. �This is your mom.�