Chapter Fifteen
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Justin was thrilled that the Meet & Greet had gone so well, so on the ride back to Johnny's house, mayhem reigned supreme while he and the guys celebrated success.  Then the five of them agreed to go to work for a few more hours, and try to finish the song they had been working on.

It was nearly 9 PM when Justin finally yawned so loudly that JC had to let them go.  Lance, Joey and Chris thanked him profusely for being the one to break JC's concentration.  As he walked out of the studio, his cell phone rang and he answered it through another yawn.  He heard Breana's voice say, "Are you yawning, Justin?  I've been trying to call you for a couple hours but all the calls just went to voicemail."

Justin said, "Yeah, we've been working and I shut the phone off so we wouldn't have any interruptions.  I just turned it back on.  Tomorrow, I think I'm gonna be here very late, so we might not be able to meet.  Since it's so late now, maybe we can just bag it tonight too."

Justin, tired as he was, couldn't wait to get home and try to sleep.  It had been a big day that had gone very well, with his confidence rising, but he was exhausted.  He didn't think he could stay awake long enough to meet with and talk to Breana.  They made plans to talk on the phone in the next few days.  Things were going to be a little hectic from here on out and if he needed any sessions with Breana, he promised he'd contact her.

Before he left Johnny's, he went back in to go over the plans for the next Meet & Greet with Melinda.  This one was going to be a little larger, having 25 contest winners and was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.  And then after they finished with that, Lance and Joey were going to head up to Toronto, Canada, to work on their movie.  JC planned to stay in the studio and Justin and Chris were meeting up with Britney in New York to attend the Janet Jackson Icon show.  Justin knew that this would be a test of sorts.  They weren't performing, but he would be on stage in front of an audience, and that did make him a little antsy.  There was also an instore appearance at Planet Hollywood that would test Justin's confidence in a crowd too.

When Justin got home, he had a message from Britney.  Daily phone calls had been a common thing before she went back to LA, but this time, he hadn't heard from her since he'd put her on the plane the week before.  As he listened to the message, he rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes.

"Justin, it's me.  I know I haven't talked to you for awhile, but I have been so busy.  I miss you, really I do.  Please call me when you get in.  I'm going to bed early, but I don't care how late it is.  Just call, ok?  I love you," Britney's message said.

It wasn't too late, so he dialed Britney's number and waited for her to answer.  "Hello," she said, slightly muffled.

"Hey, baby...It's me.  You must be sleeping," Justin said softly.

"Yeah, but I'm so happy to hear your voice," she said sleepily.  "How are you?"

Justin shook his head as he thought about all the things happening right then.  "Things are poppin'.  We just did the video for the Icon thing and the album is almost finished," he said.  "Now for the new video for the single and then the tour."

Britney woke up a little and said, "How are you and Dr. Gallagher getting a long?  Has she helped?"

Justin said, "It's gone very well.  I don't know how much of it is from talking with her.  The stuff Johnny said made a lot of sense.  Between the two of them, I'm getting my head screwed on straight, I think.  We had a Meet & Greet today, which went very well.  We had no problems and the fans weren't freaks.  There's another scheduled for day after tomorrow."

Britney sighed.  "I knew you'd do it, J.  You just needed some time and attention," she said sadly.  "I miss you."

Britney's voice filled his mind and he was right back to where he'd always been... dumbstruck with love.  He actually thought it'd be awhile before he heard from her again, so getting her message had been a pleasant surprise.

"I miss you too, baby," he said, just happy to hear her voice.

Britney said, "So what else have you been doing?"

He smirked, and said, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah, I would," Britney said softly.  "I still love you.  Nothing has changed."

Justin leaned against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor.  She had left him without warning, feeling more alone than ever, but he couldn't seem to stay angry with her.  She had finally called.  He sighed loudly, and said, "I still love you too."  He paused and then added, "Brit, if I stay in a hotel, can I come back to LA with you?"

"Just..." she started to say.

"I'll just hold your hand, that's it!" he said in a pleading voice, half serious.

Britney sighed and said, "Justin, I'm not going to banish you to a hotel.  When you come to LA, you're not sleeping alone, I promise.  And if you don't hold my hand, I'll kick your ass!"

Justin laughed.  That was the Britney he knew and loved.  "So I'm forgiven, for real?" he asked softly.

Britney just chuckled, adding, "Like I'd ever turn you away, Justin."

"So, you're going to be my date to this Icon thing, aren't you?" he asked.

Britney said, "I better be!"

They made plans to meet up in New York the day before the show.  After they said goodbye, Justin missed her more than ever.  Two days!  Two days and he'd be with her again and that was enough to give him an extra boost of adrenaline he needed to lift himself up off the floor and crawl into bed.

* * * * * *

Justin awoke the next morning after a night full of strange, disjointed, confusing dreams involving himself, Britney and Breana.  His head, pounding when he woke up, was full of frenzied thoughts that he knew would distract him all day.  Talking to Britney the night before brought her back front and center in his mind again.  He really didn't know what was worse, this confusion when Breana would pop into his thoughts or the anxiety the nightmares brought on.

The day was spent working on the album again.  With Lance and Joey already off to Toronto, and Chris gone on a Fuman Skeeto promotional trip, that left JC and Justin in the studio, mixing and remixing and meeting with the producers.  They were too busy and too involved in the album to talk about personal things, so it all went smoothly.  Justin knew Breana was probably expecting a call but he didn't feel like dealing with her expectations, so he put it off and immersed himself in the creative process.

Melinda was busy with the latest Meet & Greet.  Justin was too busy to worry about that either.  He wasn't dealing with anything other than the music.  He wondered if perhaps he was catching some of JC's studio bug that always seemed to take over when they recorded a new song or album.  In a way, this album was going to be Justin's baby.  He'd written several songs over the past year and they'd already recorded some of them.  The final cut hadn't been made yet, but was to happen sometime in the next few weeks.

Late afternoon came and went with JC and Justin still working in the studio.  Justin added some vocals to a few of the tracks as did JC.  Around mid-evening, Justin's phone rang and he answered it.

"Finally, you answered," he heard Breana say.

"Hi Doc.  JC's such a slave driver.  We've been here in the studio all day," Justin said, weariness suddenly overtaking him.

Breana said, "Ok, I was just checking on you.  Do you want me to go to the Meet & Greet tomorrow or not?"

Justin, mind immersed in the song he and JC were working on, said, "Well, I think there's going to be around 25 this time and it's at the same place at the same time.  I'll leave that up to you, ok, Doc?"

"Do you want me there?" was all Breana said.

"Yes, sure, it'll be good to see you there.  I have to go.  JC has no patience these days, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Justin said.

Breana said goodbye, feeling his distance, not knowing for sure what it meant.  For Justin, the next few days were a whirlwind of studio work, radio and tv interviews, the Meet & Greet, and preparation for the trip to New York.

**************

When Justin arrived in New York, he was shuttled to a little bungalow about an hour north of the city.  It was deserted but quiet and the air was calm and cool.  He explored the house and ended up on the deck that overlooked a man-made lake.  He leaned on the railing and closed his eyes.  He stood there for a long time just soaking in the springtime sun and smelling the fresh air, reflecting on the most recent Meet & Greet with a smile.  It had gone better than the first one and he had signicantly relaxed while he talked and laughed with the fans.  It felt good, at last, to feel at ease in a small crowd.  At the same time, the thought of the Icon show was daunting to say the least.

He hadn't talked to Breana much, although she had attended the Meet & Greet and an impromptu autograph signing the day before.  He intended on calling her before he left but his time wasn't his own these days.

Britney, dropped off by her ride, walked in the front door and looked around, before noticing Justin standing on the deck.  She could barely contain her excitement as she left her bags on the sofa and tiptoed up to stand behind him.  He looked so sexy standing there, wearing his usual tattered jeans and a red t-shirt.  She had missed him terribly and had been waiting in delicious anticipation since he'd asked her to join him.

Britney tentatively reached her hand out and carefully moved her hand up under his t-shirt, touching his back softly with her fingertips.  She knew it must have sent a shock through him because his skin under her fingers developed goose bumps and he turned around slowly, exhaling slowly before saying, "Hi babe."

He immediately wrapped her in his arms and hugged her to him, as she slid her arms around him.  Several moments later, when he drew back, she saw the huge smile on his face that made her heart physically ache from the love bursting out of it.  "I've missed you so much," Britney said, burying her face against his chest and holding him.

When she looked up into his eyes again, she saw a sexy grin spread across his face as he said, "Kiss me, Brit."

He didn't need to make another request as Britney threw her arms around his neck and licked her lips in anticipation.  One of the many things she loved about Justin was kissing him; his lips always drove her mad.  She had kissed other guys in her lifetime but Justin did seem to have that special touch.

As Justin kissed her, she melted against him.  It had only been a week, but it had been a long one.  Having to leave him like she did the week before hadn't been easy.  Now, as she found herself back in his arms, she wondered why she had left.  This was where they were both the happiest...kissing each other silly.

She opened her eyes and found him looking back at her with nothing but love and longing written all over his face.  It was times like this that Britney didn't care what his jealous fans said.  They belonged together.  No one knew her or loved her like he did and he proved it in every way he could.  She just reveled in holding him and said a little silent prayer of thanks that she had him in her life.

Justin locked his eyes on hers and said, "I've missed you.  Let's never go a whole week without seeing each other again."

Britney smiled and reached up to stroke his face.  "You have a deal," she said softly, a little of her Louisiana drawl slipping through.

She tore her gaze away and glanced out over their surroundings.  "It sure is peaceful and beautiful here.  Where is Chris?"

Justin looked into her warm, brown eyes.  "He's coming in late tonight.  It's just us, Brit.  Whatever shall we do to pass the time?" he said with a slight grin, before he leaned in to kiss her again, this one lazy and deep.  They stood there, for several minutes, lost in each other, before Justin finally let her come up for air.

Britney said, "Do you think there is any food here?  I'm starved."

Justin took her hand and led her into the kitchen area where they found cupboards and a refrigerator full of food.  Smiling, Justin started exploring the kitchen, and Britney searched for the dishes and silverware.  Neither of them really being cooks, they managed to boil some water for the spaghetti and throw together some tomato sauce mixture.  They even found a little red wine to drink with the meal.

After dinner, they cleaned up from their cooking adventure and retired to the sofa, rapidly becoming sleepy from the bottle of wine they'd consumed.  They almost immediately fell asleep, lying together, with Justin's arms holding Britney close.  When Chris arrived a few hours later, he stopped by the sofa and just shook his head at the two of them.  Then he said, loudly, "Hey, you little lovebirds, go to bed."

Chris reached down and shook Justin to wake him up, which woke Britney up too.  "Chrissy, you made it.  What time is it?" she mumbled as she crawled out of Justin's arms to give Chris a hug.

"It's way after midnight and we've got a huge day tomorrow, right!?  Justin, come on," Chris said as he walked into the other bedroom.  Britney woke Justin up and they both went into the room where Justin had thrown his bag.  Britney watched him yawning and stripping down to his boxers and then pull on a pair of pajama bottoms.  He couldn't look any more sexy sweet as he sleepily brushed his teeth and crawled into bed.  She joined him a few minutes later, snuggling up to him so that he woke, kissed her lips softly, and put his arm around her as he fell asleep again.  Britney watched him for several minutes, hoping that his dreams weren't disturbed as they had been the last time they'd been together.

************

Morning arrived and Justin woke to hear birds chirping outside the open window.  He quietly got out of bed and walked out onto the little balcony off the bedroom.  He noticed the potted flower gardens and a loveseat swing, just big enough for a couple.  The air was cool and crisp and the breeze beckoned him awake.  He took a shower and got dressed, then made his way down the footpath toward the dock that floated on the lake and stretched out 20 feet toward the center.  There was a rowboat tied to a ring that sparked his interest.  It had been too long since he'd had time to go out in a boat and although it wasn't a speedboat, which he preferred, this would do fine.

The next order of business was waking Britney up.  He grinned and licked his lips as he trudged up the path to find her still sleeping in their bed.  He sat down beside her and tickled her nose with the ends of her hair.  He grinned as she swatted at her nose and sighed.  He brushed her lips with the hair next and watched her turn her head to the side.  He leaned down and kissed her sleepy lips five or six times quickly.  He then traced her collarbone with his finger lightly before he leaned into her neck and blew in her ear.

Before he knew it, Britney raised up and putting one hand around his waist and the other hand on the inside of his thigh, she flipped him over.  He found himself lying on his back, looking at the ceiling fan.

Britney, looking a little devilish, was leaning over him with a grin on her face.  She leaned down and kissed him, softly at first, and then deeper as she nudged his lips open and explored his mouth leisurely with her tongue.  Justin, still in shock at the rapid turn of events, let her control the pace and met her wet kisses with his own.  It was so erotic to him that it was Britney, pressing him into the blankets, forcefully kissing him rather than the other way around.

Britney's unruly, sleep-mussed hair, tumbled down over him as she touched his face with her fingers and continued to kiss him.  She had draped her body over his and continued to smother him with hot, wet, deep kisses.

She had missed Justin and felt bad for how they had parted, so she just wanted to show him how much he meant to her.  After a long night, spent touching him and nuzzling against him, she had woken to find him gone.  Her sensual dreams still fresh in her mind, all she wanted was to lose herself in him.

Justin's body was reacting to the feel of Britney against him, clad only in a dark purple t-shirt he recognized as his own, packed by him the day before.  As he ran his hands up the outside of her thighs to her hips, his fingertips noticed she had no underwear on and he gripped her legs in surprise as he moaned against her persistent lips, "Brit, you don't have any underwear on?"

The thought of her sitting on him like she was, pantiless, exploded through Justin's brain and he wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled her over, resting tightly between her legs.  Her eyes closed and he felt her instinctively arch her back against him as she murmured against his lips, "I was just about to take a shower when I heard you coming back."

He felt her mold herself around his body and pull him closer as she mumbled, "Now, Oh.....God, this feels so good."

He could see her eyes opening and fluttering closed and that she was getting very in to the feeling.  Her lips parted to moan again.  She kissed him and trailed her lips to his neck as she said, "This is where we belong, J. I love you."

He knew from experience that she didn't intend on leading him on, but that she didn't intend on going further than normal either.  It was his turn to be the level headed one, though at the moment his head was spinning and fuzzy with the knowledge that all that laid between them was the fabric of his jeans.  As he lost himself in what he told himself was the last of her fiery kisses for the morning, he said, "Brit? I think..."

She mumbled, "Don't think," and kissed him deeper, unconsciously grinding herself against him.  Justin, close to losing control, pulled away far enough so that she opened her eyes and tried to focus on his face.  He stroked her cheek with one hand while extricating himself from the tangle of her arms and legs, to sit on the edge of the bed.

Britney, immediately, wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his neck in a rush of warm breath.  "Where are you going?" she whispered.

Justin, wondering what kind of erotic dreams she'd had that night, stood up and said without turning around, "I'm going to take a cold shower."

Britney watched him walk away and slam the door.  As the steamy events of the morning swirled in her mind, she felt a little embarrassed for attacking Justin the way she had.  She had always put up a good front, being the good little southern girl, not wanting to break the rules she'd grown up with.  But nothing really prepared her for falling in love with Justin either.  Or what it meant.  Long separations didn't help the feelings that built and the frustrations that pent up inside her until she saw him again.  She knew it made it doubly hard, when they finally did get to see each other, not to ravish each other like wild animals.  Those feelings, always there, always boiling under the surface, always having to be quelled, roared forward sometimes and she felt powerless to stop them.  In some ways, living a continent apart was easier.  She knew that hurt Justin and didn't help him deal with the other pressures of his life.  She also knew she was running away from him by doing that.

The door to the bathroom opened a crack and Justin poked his head out. "Babe, can you hand me my bag?" he said, his expression unreadable; his jaw tight.

Britney got off the bed, smoothing the t-shirt down and carried the bag to him.  As she handed it to him, she said, "I'm so sorry, J.  I love you so much, I can't...."

He cut her off as he took the bag, saying, "Come closer."

She leaned forward, her face an inch or so away from his, so close that she could lose herself in his dark blue eyes.  "What?" she said as she searched his eyes with her own.

"C'mere, closer...." he whispered against her lips as he kissed them softly.  As he pulled back, his eyes sparkled as he said, "I'm never sorry when you kiss me.  Just don't stop..."

He quickly disappeared, shutting the door in her face, leaving her gaping at where his face had just been.  As she contemplated what just happened, she shook her head and said, "He makes me dizzy."

After he was done in the bathroom, she got her turn, and Justin left to look over the breakfast prospects in the kitchen.  He found Chris already making breakfast and looking at him with one eyebrow raised.  "What have you two been up to?" Chris said with a snicker.

"Why do you ask, Chris? Justin said tersely.

Chris snickered again and said, "Well, you don't look too cheerful this morning and for being the guy who sleeps with Britney Spears, I'd think you'd have a grin a mile wide in the morning."

Justin shook his head and laughed.  "Shows how much you know..." he said as he perused the breakfast Chris had started cooking.

Justin drank a glass of orange juice, and watched Chris frying eggs, bacon and hash browns.  Since he was sitting at the counter in front of the toaster, Justin was put in charge of toast.  Britney joined them a few minutes later.

Chris had to tease her too.  "Brit, you don't look very chipper this fine, beautiful, crisp morning.  But you do look gorgeous," he said, noticing her simple jean skirt and blue tube top.

"I'm just hungry, that's all," she said, as she stood next to Justin, who was looking bored and staring at the toaster.

She put her hand on his shoulder before leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.  He looked back at her as he slid his arm around her and kissed her lips with a loud smacking noise.  "What are you doing today, babe?" he said.  "We have to go to Planet Hollywood at noon, right Chris?"

Chris said, "Yes, noon it is. What are you wearing tonight, Britney?"

"I'm going to figure that out today, while you guys are doing that.  I love to shop in New York.  We can just meet at the show, I guess," she said.

With the mention of the word 'show', Justin sighed dramatically and rested his forehead in the his hands.  "How many people do you think will be there?" he said softly, with his eyes closed.

Chris noticed Justin's jaw clenching and said, "Justin, don't freak out.  I'm thinking there will be around a thousand in the audience plus the performers and guests.  We've done crowds bigger than that, J.  This will be nothing like Rio, believe me, or even the Super Bowl."

Justin nodded and concentrated on buttering the toast.  He was just trying to calm the butterflies that had started fluttering in his stomach.  In fact, toast was about all that looked appetizing.  "Don't make me any eggs or bacon, Chris.  I might barf," he said as he got up and walked outside.