AN:  I really wanted this to be one chapter but, I had to break it up.  The real fun is in 
the next one, sorry kids! :)  I'll have it out soon...

inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com



********************* Nightmare of a Lifetime: Chapter Twenty Four ********************



"Come with us..."

"No," Nicole said without taking her eyes off the episode briefs she was already reviewing 
for the tenth show.  

"Perry!" Joey whined as he draped himself ungracefully across her lap and pouted cutely.  
Or tried to.  

"If you don't get off me in about three seconds I am so gonna bitch slap you Fatone, I swear 
I will.  One..."  

"Pear Bear," he wheedled as he rested his head on her shoulder and looked adoringly up into 
her annoyed eyes.  Bill snickered.  

"Two..."

"Pwease?"  

"Three..."

"Ow!" Joey screeched as he scrambled to his feet, rubbing the red hand print on his cheek.  
"You didn't really have to slap me," he muttered sulkily.  

Nicole raised her brows and calmly turned a page.  "Yes I did."

"Fine, but, come with us.  This could be your last night out with us!"  

She sighed.  "I'm here for a week and a half.  Are you really saying this is the last time 
you will go clubbing between now and then?"  

"I'm saying this will probably be the last time I can get you to agree to go."  

She thought for a moment and shrugged her thin shoulders before throwing him a cocky grin.  
"Valid point Fatone.  All right, I'll go clubbing but we're doing it my way."  

Joey's smile of triumph faded as his brown gaze flickered to the cameraman.  "Translation?"

Bill shook his head, already pitying the five men of *NSYNC.  "Make sure you have bodyguards 
and, well, don't touch anything if you don't want STDs."  

Nicole snorted and rose.  "I'll go get changed."  

Bill nodded.  "Me too."  

Joey followed them helplessly as they drifted towards their closets and began to pull out 
various outfits in black and leather.  "Umm, guys, where are we going?"

"Somewhere fun," Perry called back as she rooted through clothing.  "Shoo, go get the 
kiddies rounded up, inform them of the change in plans, and make damn sure you are all 
dressed appropriately."  

Joey wrinkled his nose and stared down at his outfit, brown leather pants and a knit, 
clinging red top with button down ruffles.  "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"  

Nicole popped her head up and studied him, a small smirk twisting her dark lips.  "Try for 
something that doesn't scream 'I'm in a boy band, my ass is yours!' okay?"  

Joey choked for a second, and meekly went to carry out her instructions.

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

"I'm not going in that hell hole."  

Nicole glanced back as they descended down the very dark stairs to the even darker bar that 
served as the club and hot spot for just about every colorful character in this town.  She'd 
come once with Jason and a few of the crew from Ozz Fest and had had a blast.  Besides, 
*NSYNC needed a bit of culture shock in their dull little pop lives now and again. 

Justin was very firmly planted at the top of the stairs where the limo had dropped them off, 
deep in down town.  Nicole was in the lead with Bill, Lance, Joey, Chris, JC, and Dan the 
bodyguard in between them.  It didn't stop her from being intimidating.  

"Get your ass in gear Timberlake.  If you think the club is bad, hang out on the street and 
see what that's like when the gangs start to roam in packs."  

His face paled just a shade under the fluorescent lighting.  "You're shitting me Perry."  

She flashed him a killer smile that was even brighter against her crimson lipstick.  "I shit 
you not."  

Dan rolled his eyes.  

Justin started cussing, vividly, but obediently started to descend down the stairs.  Nicole 
hopped down the last couple steps and had a quick word with the hulking bouncer in black 
with nice silver body paint.  She held the door open and watched happily as the men filed 
past.  "Welcome to hell," Perry chirped happily at Timberlake who glowered.  She reached out 
and ruffled his growing curls.  "Good doggy..."

"One of these days when you're sleeping I'm going to kill you."  

"I'm way ahead of you... I already have my assassins hired.  Your multi platinum ass is 
going to get a hell of a lot more popular when you're six feet under, though you yourself 
will be considerably less attractive.  Decomposition does that to a guy."  

"Screw you."

"You wish."  

Joey reached back and smacked both of them.  "Stop fighting, we're here to have fun and not 
get killed.  Save the death threats for someplace they won't be taken seriously, okay?"

"Yes Joseph," they answered in perfect unison, sharing a small smile that had nothing to do 
with friendship and everything to do with a bizarre sort of mutual understanding.  

"You two frighten me," Joey said with a brief shake of his head.

Nicole snorted and rubbed her hands together expectantly as she turned her attention to the 
dimly lit club she had lead *NSYNC into.  They were certainly gathering attention- the other 
patrons blended in together simply by the fact that they were all sporting at least three 
tattoos and four piercings apiece.  Black and leather seemed to be a pretty much universal 
fashion statement.  

She sucked in a deep breath of smoke filled air and grinned.  It was almost like being home.  

Perry grabbed JC's hand as she skipped by, "Come on, go dance, drink, have some fun!"  Josh 
stumbled after her and the rest of their group, with looks of vague mistrust, followed.

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

It took everyone about an hour to get settled.  Nicole spent that time circulating the club 
meeting people and checking out the scene, JC in town simply because she didn't quite trust 
him not to get into trouble all by himself.  When she finally decided to check up on the 
boys she was pleased to find Chris in a drinking contest with a biker at least three times 
his size, Joey getting very cozy with some decidedly goth chicks on the dance floor, while 
Lance seemed very involved in a pool game that he was badly loosing to some guys who looked 
like they had been directly transplanted from Ozz Fest.  

Since she was babysitting JC, Dan was trailing Justin as he determinedly held court over a 
group of starry-eyed females who features accessories such as eyebrow rings, plugs instead 
of earrings, and blue mohawks.  He looked like he was having a wonderful time.  Bill looked 
worn out as he ran in between everyone, trying to get as much footage as possible.

Satisfied that no one was getting killed anytime soon, she turned her attention to JC.  
"Wanna dance handsome?"  

He stared down at her and blinked before smiling shyly.  "I feel like an idiot in these 
clothes." 

Nicole looked down and studied the butter soft black leather pants he had on, complete with 
silver studs and combat boots before critiquing the clinging black mesh shirt with vertical 
red stripes.  The faint eyeliner wasn't a bad touch either.  "You look totally hot man.  
Besides, I've seen you wear worse, MUCH worse, on your own damn free will."  

"Shut up," he commanded as he laughed.  

Perry sighed, "Come on, Joey is busy finding girls to warm his bed and smelly feet.  I need 
a dance partner."  

JC shrugged but let her drag him out onto the dance floor where they swayed in time to 
decidedly heavy metal music.  

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

They never would admit it later but the men of *NSYNC were having a blast enjoying the near 
anonymity of the hard-core club and bar.  Sometimes it was good to be a pop star.  One hour 
stretched into three, which in turn stretched into five.  By that time they were all at 
least pleasantly buzzed on alcohol, even Perry who usually wasn't much of a drinker, while 
Chris and Justin were well on their way to being plastered.  Of course, most of the 
remaining patrons were fairly soused as well so, they all fit in.

Well, sorta.  

Nicole was at the bar with Justin, Chris, JC, Dan and Bill when she noticed the very large, 
very angry looking man making his way toward Joey.  As Joey pawed up a rather pretty, if 
somewhat older woman, on the dance floor.  Ten bucks there was about to be trouble.

"Shit, shit, shit in a bucket..." she breathed as she rose from her chair and tried to peer 
over the heads of the meager crowd.  She watched as the giant reached Joey's side and tried 
to grab his woman.  Winced as Joey refused and started to argue.  

Perry climbed onto her chair and ignored all the guys drunkenly demanding to know what the 
hell she was doing.  The fight was too far away for her to make out words but, well, 
mountain man in leather was purple in the face and Joey, drunk as well, looked belligerent.  
Then she noticed a very determined Lance making his way toward the dance floor.  

"Not good," she murmured to herself.  Nicole sighed as Lance reached the small altercation 
and managed to make a bad situation worse by apparently yelling back at the enraged biker.  

"Is that who I think it is?"  

She jumped and looked over to find JC standing on the chair next to her as he watched his 
so called brothers get themselves into a shit load of trouble.  "Unfortunately," Nicole 
grumbled.  

JC frowned and jumped down.  

"Where the hell are you going?" she demanded.

JC smiled faintly.  "To help."  

And with that JC melted into the crowd and was promptly followed by Chris, Justin and Dan.  
She and Bill looked at each other helplessly. 

"This isn't going to end well," the cameraman said seriously.  

Nicole groaned.  "I know, I know.  Fuck it, cover me, we're going in."  

And with that she went and waded into the crowd to join the melee.