JC threw up during the recess.
Somewhere in between Nikolas and Jive's lawyers talking about how pleased they were that the judge seemed so interested in the numbers and them pondering how long she would take, JC had stood up, politely excused himself, and all but run to the bathroom. Lance, who had been sitting a few feet away from the group so as not to raise suspicion, followed.
He found his boyfriend hunched over, worshipping at the throne of the porcelain god. "Josh?" he said uncertainly.
JC grunted in reply and reached up to flush the toilet. "I. Never. Want to. Do that. Again," he said slowly and deliberately.
"I know, Josh," Lance said. "But it's almost over."
"I don't know if I want it to be. If there's an injunction...if he wins, it'll be the end of us, Lance, don't you get it?"
"There can't be," Lance said stubbornly. "She was so interested in all the numbers, and numbers don't lie."
JC sighed. "I know." He groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Never again," he said again.
Lance kneeled down next to him. "I'm sorry," he said.
JC finally turned to look at him. "Bellicose," he said. "Trying to make trouble." His eyes were bloodshot. "I never wanted any of this, Lance. All I wanted-- All I..." he sighed in frustration. "I didn't want to get burned with this like I did in LA. I didn't need to never have a moment of privacy. I didn't want any of this money shit. I didn't wanna be dragged through the mud and have these guys call me warlike. All I wanted to do was sing, Lance. That's all I ever wanted to do."
"I know," Lance said, sadness flashing in his green eyes. "But those guys are assholes, Josh. They're assholes who don't know anything about anything. They're just jerks hired by Lou so they could cover his ass."
"Big ass to cover," JC grumbled.
Lance smiled softly. He wrapped his arms around JC's shoulders. "You okay now?"
JC nodded. "Sure," he said. "Sure."
Lance ran his fingers through JC's hair. "You could use a re-gelling," he pointed out. JC muttered something unintelligible. "What was that honey?" Lance asked sweetly. "I said you try puking and see how nice you look."
Lance grinned. "No thanks, I'll leave that to you." He pulled JC away from the toilet. "Come 'ere," he said.
JC sighed and buried his face in Lance's suit. "I wanna go home," he said. "I wanna go home and sleep with you and pretend this never ever happened."
"Me too," Lance agreed. He helped JC up. "Let's get you cleaned up."
There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Guys?" they heard Justin call softly. "I come in peace."
"Come on in," Lance sighed.
"I come bearing gifts, too," Justin added with a grin.
Lance rolled his eyes. "What'd you bring, Curls?" he asked.
"Gel. Nikolas said you might need it. Actually, he said that James might need it, but--"
"That little--" Lance cut himself off. "And you--"
"Thanks," JC interrupted. He held out his hand and Justin tossed it.
"It's not like your hair looks bad anyway," Lance grumbled. "It looks fine the way it is." "Just an added incentive, Lance," Justin said, watching JC gel his hair. Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed some gel from JC. He sighed as he re-spiked his hair. "She make her decision yet?"
"Nope," Justin said. "Close to it though, I think," he began.
Joey opened the door. "Hey guys? She's..."
"We're coming," Lance said. He turned to JC. "You okay?"
"Sure," JC said. "Since I no longer have any food in my system--" Justin grimaced. "Watch it buddy," JC told his cringing friend. "You weren't the one barfing up your stomach. And as long as I stay away from that damn stand I'll be fine."
Lance laughed a little. "All right," he said. "Let's go." He hugged JC once more before they left the bathroom.
They walked back to where everyone else was and sat down quietly. "We should have a good chance--" Nikolas was saying, but he was cut off.
"Y-y-ye-yeah," they all heard a voice say. Six heads whipped around to look. "Es-especially s-s-since St-Stutter Boy g-gave such a c-c-convincing t-t-testimony."
JC looked ready to cry. Lance and Chris stood up angrily. "Damn you, Ken--" Lance began.
"Lance," Joey began.
"I swear to God, Ken," Chris interrupted. "If we weren't in a courthouse right now--"
"Chris!" Justin said, pulling him back. "We don't need this. Not now."
"Get your hands off me," he said to Justin. He turned back to his former friend. "You have no right--"
Ken ignored him with a roll of his eyes. "What's the matter, Josh?" he asked, emphasizing JC's real name. "Can't defend yourself? Or does you boyfriend have to do it for you?"
Lance moved forward. "You asshole--"
Joey jumped up. "Lance, beat him up later, man."
"Let me go!" Lance said, swinging his elbows. He had almost succeeded in getting out of Joey's grip when Nikolas put a hand on him. He was much stronger than any of the guys, but no match for Nikolas. He stopped struggling and just glared at Ken.
Ken laughed cruelly on his way by. "See you later, girls," he said.
Lance moved his arm but Joey grabbed onto it. Lance and Ken stared at each other, and Lance's green gaze glared after Ken long after he had disappeared.
"James," Nikolas said softly, releasing his hold on the quasi-angel, "That wasn't--"
"I don't care," Lance snarled. He was finally able to pull out of Joey's grip now that Nikolas had let go. He kicked the wall. "That asshole...I can't believe--" He looked over at JC, who was staring at the ground. He kicked the wall again. "I can't even hug him or anything, cause of the damn--"
"James, stop it. Calm down, we have to go back in," Nikolas said quietly, putting a hand on Lance's shoulder.
Lance scowled and touched his foot to the wall once more. "Fine," he said. He turned to JC. "Want a hug?"
JC smiled a little. "Okay," he said softly. Lance frowned and hugged him, deciding the fact that it wasn't "brotherly" could be ignored. "You okay?" he asked. "Want to sit down?"
"When we get in there," JC said, ignoring the first question. "Then I can sit."
"You okay?" Lance repeated.
JC shrugged. "Was I really that bad?" he countered.
"No," Lance said, eyes widening. "You were fine. Ken's just an ass."
JC flashed him a tightlipped sarcastic smile. "Sure, I believe you," he said.
"I'm serious, Josh. You did great."
"Yeah, great," JC muttered. "Stutter Boy."
"Stop," Lance admonished. "You didn't stutter."
"Too much," Chris snickered.
"Chris, shut up!" Lance said. "You stuttered."
"I didn't," Nikolas threw in proudly.
"That's cause you aren't human," Lance told him. He turned back to JC. "Seriously, Josh, if I'd been up there I would've been worse."
"No, you would've been perfect," JC grumbled. "Cause...you..."
"JC?"
"What?"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
*****
Lance couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had she just said "...Deny the injunction against *NSYNC?" Had she? Had they really won? He saw JC turn to him, eyes bright, wide, sparkling, and knew it was true.
They had won.
"And I strongly suggest negotiations for a settlement...A trial for this could take years..." The judge's words flowed through Lance's head. He heard them, but didn't process them.
They had won.
He vaguely heard the pound of the gavel and then, suddenly, he felt JC's familiar arms around him.
"We did it, Lance," JC said. "We did it."
And suddenly, all five guys were hugging each other and even Nikolas was grinning, pale blue eyes sparkling. "Come on, you guys," he said. "Press time."
*****
Chris sat in the limo with the other guys and idly thought about how ironic it all was. They had arrived, not knowing what the outcome would be, in the limo. They were being sued for $150 million, and they were riding around in a limo. He grinned at the thought.
"Whatchu laughing at, Chris?" Justin asked.
"Nothin," Chris said, still grinning. Justin rolled his eyes but left him alone. Chris surveyed the limo, seeing Joey staring out the window, a smile on his face that hadn't faded since the judge read her decision. Justin was staring at him, he was certain. He looked over at Lance and JC, and his smile grew. They had one side of the limo, and Lance was lying down with his head in JC's lap. They were talking quietly about something just for them. He looked at Justin and quirked a brow, then jerked his head. Justin furrowed an eyebrow but followed his gaze, and he too saw Lance and JC. Lance was laughing about something and JC was smiling.
Justin turned back to Chris. "Those two are so adorable it's sickening."
"Yep," Chris agreed.
"Hey," Justin said suddenly. "What if we'd lost?"
The limo quieted and JC and Lance both looked up. "Well," JC said, "This ride would be a lot different."
"This ride would be our last in a limo," Joey said, still staring out the window. "Probably."
Chris opened his mouth. "And I wouldn't be singing right now," he said.
"You aren't," Justin pointed out.
"Sure I am," Chris said. "This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends..." Justin laughed and JC groaned. Lance just looked puzzled, but Chris continued.
Justin joined in. "Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll just keep on singing it forever just because this is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was and they'll just keep on singing it forever just because this is the--"
"Stop it!" JC groaned.
Chris laughed and started bouncing in his seat. Justin waved his arms like a conductor. "Song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends..."
Joey finally caved and sang too. "Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll just keep on singing it forever just because--"
"JC, join in!" Chris shouted.
Lance poked him, laughing, and JC grudgingly joined in. "This is the song that never ends..." he droned.
"Never mind," Chris said. "You're killing it. Shut up."
"You aren't making Lance sing it," JC complained over the noise of Justin and Joey.
"Lance doesn't know it, do ya Lance?" Chris asked.
Lance shook his head. "Nope, sorry babe. We sang different songs. And no, I don't remember," he added quickly.
Chris shut his mouth. "But it's not that difficult," he said to Lance instead.
"Stop singing the damn song," JC said to Justin and Joey, holding his head.
"We can't," they said in unison.
"Why not?"
"Because it's the song that never ends," Justin said.
Chris grinned and sang obnoxiously again. "Yes it goes on and on my friends...some people started singing it not knowing what it was..."
