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 opened his eyes and sat up slightly. He rubbed his eyes and saw Chris sitting at a fire, cooking the meat. Lance was warming his hands up from the other side. Justin stood up and walked over to them.
�Morning, little guy. You sleep good?� Chris asked.
�I was a little cold but yes, I slept good.�
�Oh, I�m sorry. We�ll try to sleep somewhere warmer, okay?�
Justin nodded, smiling.
Lance smiled and rubbed his hands. �Chris was saying that we should try to travel about eighty miles today. He came all the way down here from Florida.�
�Yeah, I lived there for a bit before�well, you guys wouldn�t understand. I�ll tell you when you�re older.�
Lance and Justin nodded.
�It�s finished� Chris put the food on some broken plates and put some fruit he had gotten earlier with it. The boys ate happily. �We have to save the food we have. Are you two prepared to walk a long way?�
�Don�t you have a car?� Lance�s eyes crinkled in confusion.
�Trust me, Lance, I wouldn�t be able to pay the government for the car so I had to give it up.�
Justin nodded. Lance didn�t say anything more.
~*~
Justin held Chris�s hand as they walked along the hot road. No cars were on the street so they were fine. Lance was carrying his backpack and was holding Chris�s other hand.
�Where are you from Chris?� Justin asked.
�Pennsylvania. I lived there before I went to Florida. Then, some things happened and I needed to get away.�
Lance sighed softly. �Do you have a mommy?�
Chris nodded. �Yes, I do. But I haven�t seen her in so long. I was going to visit her but I lost track of where she went.�
�Daddy?�
�I wouldn�t let him help me. I know I should have but I was too stubborn. Where are you two from?�
�Clinton, Mississippi.� Lance said softly.
�On my birth record, it said Memphis, Tennessee.� Justin replied.
�What happened to your parents?�
Justin shrugged. �They just left me.�
Lance wanted to tell Chris what Justin told him but he was too scared to say.
They continued walking.
~*~
Lance turned around and smiled. Chris had cut off his hair and was now spiky. �I have some left over hair gel. Come here, Lance.� Lance ran over and let him run the gooey substance over his head. Justin was putting on his shoes.
�You guys look cool!� Justin said, holding up two thumbs.�
�Why, thank you Justin. Come on guys let�s get a move on. I can�t believe you guys wash in the lake.� He said putting Justin on his shoulders.
�It was the only way! What did you do?�
�Actually, I hadn�t washed since last week until you guys dragged me here.�
Lance held his nose. Chris gently pinched his shoulder and held his hand as they started walking again.
�Hey, you guys, if anybody asks, we�re brothers, all right?� Chris said when they were heading into town.
�Okay!� Justin said, smiling.
Lance nodded and stayed close to Chris as they walked through the streets. When they say a police officer, Justin whimpered and bent his head. Chris rubbed his knee and stroked Lance�s hand. Lance squeezed in reply.
They went to a newspaper stand and Chris got a newspaper with two quarters Lance had. Lance held part of the newspaper while Chris put the rest in his duffel bag. He put Justin back on his shoulders and held Lance�s hand.
They kept on walking.
~*~
Lance leaned against Chris and shut his eyes. He snapped them open and shook his head. �Chris I�m tired.�
�I know.� Chris rubbed his head. �Come on, I think there is a train heading for Maryland.�
Lance nodded and they kept on walking. Justin looked around at the sites. When they got to a moving train, Chris sighed. He put Justin down.
�Okay, after my count, we�ll all hop on, okay?�
Lance and Justin nodded.
�One. Two. Three.� He held their hands tightly as they ran towards the train. He let go of Lance�s hand. Lance grabbed the bars of the train and climbed up. He swung his legs to the left and jumped in. He nearly fell back but Chris shoved him in. Chris lifted Justin up and put him in. He kept on running and grabbed the stairs before getting into the car. Lance and Justin were against the wall and panting.
�Are you two okay?� Chris asked, checking them for injuries.
Lance nodded. �Yeah, we�re okay.�
Justin grew teary eyed so Chris hugged him and did his best to make the boy laugh. Lance opened the newspaper and smiled.
�Boy evades town; Police baffled.�
People are wondering how twelve-year-old James Bass, who goes by Lance, was able to leave the state of Mississippi without causing people to see him. Some people, who claim to have seen the young boy, say there was a younger kid with him, possibly the missing orphan, Justin Timberlake.�
Lance smiled. �Cool!�
Chris shook his head. �If you two get found, I will so be in trouble.�
�Why Chris?� Justin asked.
�In a way, this is kidnapping, no matter if you went willingly or not. We�re going to have to be careful, you two. If anybody does ask, we�re brothers. Step brothers, if that.�
Lance and Justin nodded.
�We�ll stick together, all right?�
Lance and Justin smiled. �Together!� They both cheered.
Chris smiled back.
~*~
Lance sat down beside the door of the train and looked out into the night sky. He looked over at Justin and Chris. They were both sleeping in the corner with their bags at their heads and some blankets Chris had. Lance looked out and looked up. He sighed, hoping his parents were watching him and protecting him.
�Mama? Daddy? Please don�t let me be taken to a foster home. I don�t want to go. Nobody can take your place. Take care of Stacy. Let her know her little brother loves her. God? Please take care of my mom, dad, and sister. Don�t let them worry about me. I�ll be okay. I don�t know where I am going or what will take me there, but what I do know is that I am meant to be somewhere and it isn�t at home, where somebody can take me away to a new life. I will always love you. I�m sorry I didn�t go to your funeral.� A tear fell down his eye and fell to the ground, splashing on a small puddle. Lance made a cross and went back to sleep next to Justin.
The next morning, Lance woke to Justin crying. He sat up and saw Justin�s arm waving from the outside. �Chris!� He yelled.
Chris opened his eyes and sat up. �Justin!� He jumped up and went to the door. Lance ran after him. Justin was hanging onto the stairs and was trying to pull his feet. �What did you do buddy?� Chris held on to the side of the car and grabbed Justin�s hand. Lance grabbed Chris�s waist and pulled him back. They all fell back with Justin on top of Chris and Lance under Chris. Chris sat up so Lance could move and hugged Justin tightly.
�What were you doing, Justin?� Chris stroked his hair.
�I was trying to sit down when the train jerked. I almost fell off but I grabbed the stairs and I couldn�t get back. I�m sorry, Chris, I didn�t mean to be bad.�
�Sh, it�s all right, Justin, it�s okay. I�m not mad, we�re not mad.�
Lance gulped and moved over so he could hug Justin also. He didn�t know what to say.
Three hours later, Chris looked out and saw that they were heading into Baltimore. �Oh great.� He sighed. �Justin, Lance, get your things.�
Justin and Lance looked over at him but didn�t question. They just got their bags. They walked over to Chris. Chris grabbed their hands and they held on tightly.
�One.�
�Two.�
�THREE!�
They jumped off at an embankment and rolled down a hill. Justin started crying when he landed a few feet from Chris. Chris got up and picked him up to sooth him. Lance wiped off the grass and dirt from his jeans.
�D�j� vu.� He muttered.
Chris smiled and they got their stuff and started walking.