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.
~*~
Justin looked at JC questiongly.
�Are you sure you can do this?�
�It�s the only way we�ll get answers.�
�She was a bit�repetitive.�
�Yeah. Where�s Joey?�
�On the phone with his mom. Where�s Lance?�
�Packing. He�s gonna come with me.�
Justin smiled. �You guys were made for each other.�
JC blushed. �Justin, don�t embarrass me.�
�I�ve done it before!�
JC laughed. �Come on, group meeting.�
Justin smiled and they rounded up the guys.
�Okay, before Lance and I go on this trip, we just wanted to say thanks.�
�For what?� Joey asked, curious.
�Well, we were all so young when we met and we never let anything get in the way of our friendship. Basically I am saying, this is a huge thing and I am glad you guys are letting me do this.�
�Hey, C, it�s your decision. We supported you when you went to find your brother and sister and we always will.�
�And Lance, he needs you there. You know that?� Justin asked.
�I know. I�ll never leave him.�
�Good.�
�Have a good trip, JC. Call me!� Justin ordered.
JC chuckled. �We have to go get Heather and Tyler. Bye guys.�
�Bye. Get over here.� Chris hugged him then he hugged Lance.
Joey held Justin close as they watched Lance and JC get in the car.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
JC was staring out the window at the familiar sites of Maryland. He remembered coming here on trips. He looked up front. Tyler had his headphones on and was reading a magazine. Heather was driving and looking at the map. JC sighed softly and looked down at the sleeping man in his arms. Lance had his head on JC�s shoulder and one arm was on his chest, his hand on his neck. JC kissed a spot on his arm. Lance smiled and cuddled closer to JC. JC watched his lover sleep, marveling at how young he looked.
Heather gasped. �Tyler, Josh, look!�
They looked up and smiled.
�The restaurant we used to go to for comfort.�
�Yeah. Want to go?� Tyler asked.
�Yeah.� JC grinned.
Heather pulled into the parking lot.
JC rubbed Lance�s arm. �Lance. Baby, wake up.�
Lance made a small noise and opened his eyes. He looked up at JC and smiled. �Hey.�
�Hi. We�re going to get some lunch.�
�Mm. Sounds terrific.�
�It�s the restaurant we went to when we were neglected to be fed.�
Lance sat up quickly. �Baby��
�I�m okay. I want to show you everything.�
Lance smiled and all four of them got out of the car. They went inside and went over to the counter.
A woman walked over and gasped. �My word! Heather, Tyler and JC Chasez, is that you?�
�Hi Miss. Baker.�
�That�s Carla to you, missy! Oh how are you?�
�I�m fine. How�s Anna?�
�She�s engaged. Oh seems like only yesterday you two were playing in the sand together.�
�Yeah and JC dropped sand down my shorts.�
�Hey you put whipped cream in my hair!�
�Don�t make me do it again.�
�Tyler go get me a bucket of sand.�
Tyler laughed and Lance chuckled.
�You must be Lance. How are you dear?�
�I�m wonderful, thank you for asking.�
�Such a polite boy. You picked a good one JC.�
JC and Lance�s eyes widened.
�I have a perceptive daughter.�
JC�s mouth dropped open and Lance looked around nervously.
�Don�t worry, I won�t say a word. But I will ask for an autograph or she will never forgive me.�
�No problem. Sorry Justin�s not with us.� JC said weakly.
She chuckled. �She�s known you since she was in diapers, how could she escape the looks.�
JC and Lance looked at each other, blushed and looked away.
�And besides, Lance is her favorite.�
�Okay Carla, calm down you�re embarrassing them.� Tyler said.
�I�m sorry. Now I remember exactly what you three ordered all the time. Would that be all right?�
They nodded. Once she got Lance�s order, she went to get the food.
�I guess Anna is a smart girl.� Heather said.
�Yeah.� Lance pursed his lips.
After lunch, JC bit his lip.
�Carla?�
�Yes dear?�
�Do you know if�our mother still lives here?�
Carla drank her coffee and sighed. �Yes, she does.�
Heather looked down.
�How is she?� Tyler asked.
�She�s fine. Sober. I�ve never seen her like this since before she met your father.�
�Did she marry again?� Heather asked.
�Yes, she did. He�s a wonderful man. He�s been helping her. Do you kids remember the insurance agent you always had to clean up for every time he came over?�
They nodded.
�That�s him. He helped her through this.�
�Does she talk about us?� Tyler asked.
�Everyday.�
�Where does she live?� Heather asked.
JC sighed and Lance briefly patted his arm, showing affection but still hiding.
Carla told them the address and Lance put it into his palm pilot for them. They paid for their meal and got back in the car.
Tyler got on his cell phone to call his parents to let them know he was okay and Heather drove towards the house. In the back, Lance held JC�s hand tightly and let him know he loved him.
�I love you too.�
Lance smiled and they looked up front. They got to the house and Heather parked. A man was outside playing with a dog. Tyler sighed and looked at his siblings.
�Ready?�
Heather and JC looked down and sighed.
�Yeah. I�m ready.� Heather said softly.
�I think so.� JC looked into Lance�s eyes. �Come with me.�
�Always.�
They got out of the car and Lance went around and stood beside JC.
The man looked up and they saw recognition fall into his eyes. He walked over to them.
�Heather? Tyler? Joshua?�
They nodded.
�Hi Mr. Walters. I�m surprised you remembered us. You never got a good look.� Tyler said.
�Yes, I did. Whenever I left your parents home I always went to see you guys.�
�Why didn�t you say something?� Lance asked. JC looked at him then back at Mr. Walters.
�I wanted to. I was afraid for their lives. You�re Lance Bass aren�t you?�
�Yeah. I�m Josh�s fianc�e.�
JC smiled.
Mr. Walters nodded. �We�ve never been formally introduced. My name is Jerry. I�m an insurance agent.�
�What did you talk to him about?� Heather asked after shaking his hand.
�Tax money and the house. I wanted to know why they claimed to never have any kids when it was clear there were kids around all the time.�
Lance looked at JC.
�I didn�t know.� JC sighed. �They left that out of the paper.�
�Yeah. I knew.� Heather said.
�I didn�t.� Tyler said.
�Why didn�t our mom do anything?�
�He was controlling her. Mentally and emotionally. Don�t be mad at her. It�s your father you should be mad at.�
Lance grabbed JC�s hand. �I am. He hurt the man I love.�
JC looked at Lance and his face glowed.
�I can see your life has been better.�
�If you count eating scraps of food everyday and trying to keep a ten-year old from getting caught.�
He chuckled.
�Is she home?� Heather asked softly.
�She�s at work right now.�
�Mom never worked.� JC said.
�She does now.�
Tyler looked at them.
�Come on inside.�
They all went inside the house and Tyler went to the mantle case to see the pictures. He picked one up in particular. Lance walked over and looked at it also. A little boy was holding a newborn baby and sitting on a hospital bed while a little girl looked on.
�That�s Josh, Heather and me. That was when I was born.�
�Josh looks so young.�
JC walked over and looked. �That was before I got hit for the first time.�
Lance wrapped an arm around JC. Heather took the picture and smiled.
They looked around trying to find an identity to this woman they used to call mom. They saw a wedding album and looked through it. Lance went to the videos and ran his hand along the labels. �JC- angry�.
�Jayce?�
�Yeah?�
�Why is there a tape labeled with your name and it says angry?�
�I don�t know. Mr. Walters, can we watch some tapes?�
�Please call me Jerry and you may do whatever you like.�
JC nodded and Lance put the tape in. He sat beside JC and they watched.
They heard screaming and JC suddenly appeared on camera, a bruise on his face.
�That. Is. IT! I�m out of here. I can not stay in this hellhole for any longer. I�m about to go crazy! I need to get out.� He looked around and ran a hand through his hair. �Dad just left for work. I have to make him potatoes and whatever else. Oh yeah whatever and he expects me to get a damn beating for whatever I don�t make? Give me a BREAK! Mom�s drinking out of the bottle again and Tyler is sitting on the floor starving while Heather searches for food.� He stops and a little boy sits in his lap. �Hey Ty. Did sissy get you food?� He nodded and ate a cracker. �That isn�t enough. We need something�anything. I�m getting sick of this! Tyler, go have Heather get some potato salad from last night.�
�Dad ate it.�
�Oh�great. See this is what we live with. Loosing food we want to sneak into our stomachs the day after. Heh, isn�t that great? Tyler, get dad�s money off the mantle. We�re leaving.�
�Where?�
�To get REAL food besides crackers and stale bread.�
�Okay.� He ran off and JC looked into the camera. �Oh my God. We�re fucking prisoners.� He suddenly picked up a paper and read it. �Kid runs away from orphanage�not sure if he�ll come back. Good job kid. You did what I�m afraid to. I have to go. Somebody for the love of God save us.� He turned the camera off.
JC�s eyes widened. �I didn�t know I was talking about Justin.�
�Wow. But the date was my birthday�he must have gotten caught.�
�Yeah.� JC shook his head and another picture came on.
�Okay if anyone sees this ten years from now, have fun seeing what I�m about to show you.� Then JC sat down. His face had multiple bruises and cuts and scratches marked his chest. �Dad got pissed again. Why? I made him steak. He wanted chicken. The son of a bitch wanted chicken. So I got a beating and nearly got stabbed with a knife. Huh. It was a good steak too.� He shook his head. �I read about the kid again. He got caught. Poor thing. I may have to leave soon. But how can I when my sister and brother are starving?� The door opened and JC turned as Heather and Tyler walked in. They sat beside him and he cleaned the wounds they had. �See what we have to go through? Why doesn�t anyone help us? You don�t care at all do you?� The picture went black then another. This time, JC was crying. �He wants a surprise again. God I can�t DO THIS anymore! I just want out! Someone take me away, please! I just want to die right now. I can�t deal with this anymore. Please just get me out.�
JC looked down. �That was the day I left.�
Lance wrapped an arm around JC and kissed his temple.
They got another video and put it in. This time Heather came on.
�Hey it�s me now. Josh left a month earlier. Tyler�s in the hospital. Dad beat him so bad. I thought he�d kill him. So I did what we were afraid of. I called the police and now we�re out. This will be the last time I am in this hell house again, as Josh called it. I hope Josh is okay. I heard about four kids who ran away and they haven�t been found. I hope Josh is with them and that they are helping him. I can�t go on if he�s hurt. Mom�s in rehab. I don�t know if I forgive her. Maybe I never will. I have to go�I have to find all the videos Joshua left and give them to the police. Maybe I�ll ask they go to my mom to make her see what she put us through.� Heather got up and turned the camera off.
The next part showed an older Heather and Tyler at a building.
�Hey buddy. Ready to be adopted?�
�No. I want to stay with you.�
�I know you do. But they won�t let us.�
Tyler hugged her tightly and Heather buried her face in his neck.
�Stay strong little brother. We�ll meet again and we�ll find Josh.�
�I miss him so much! Why can�t he come home?�
�He�s scared, buddy. He�s afraid.�
Tyler trembled and he took off a necklace. �Here, I want you to have this. Then when you find me you can give it back to me and I can give it to Josh.�
Heather chuckled. �Awesome idea, little guy.�
�I�m not little! I�m fifteen!�
�Almost, not quite.�
�Hmph!�
�How old is Josh?�
�He�s�uh�nineteen?�
�Yep! And he will be able to find us whenever he can. Don�t give up hope okay? We�ll all be together again!�
�Okay! Tell him I�m sorry for saying the F word!�
�I will. Oh and if you find him before I do, I will shake you badly.�
�If you find him before me I�ll hug you badly!�
They hugged again, tears in their eyes then reluctantly, Tyler walked away. Heather smiled to the camera then turned it off.
�Wow.�
�Do you know what we were doing that day?� Lance asked.
�No. What?�
�Having our first concert in Germany.�
�Awesome.�
Lance went to the tape section and smiled.
�JC. She has our tour video.�
�Uh�not the one where we grab our crotches?�
�Um�I plead the fifth?�
JC shook his head and they all continued to watch. Soon, they heard a car stop. JC got up and looked out the window.
�There she is.�
Heather and Tyler stood. JC walked over. Lance gulped.
�Baby, do you want me to go into the other room?�
�I�I don�t know.�
�I will if you want me to.�
They heard the door start to open and JC made his decision.
�Please stay.�
Lance smiled and nodded. He sat down on the couch and watched his lover and his future siblings wait for their mother to walk in.