Only in Your Dreams Chapter 16
Jan and Joey looked at each other as they both realized that their decision to share nightmares�to bare their souls as it seemed, was going to take time to prepare for.
�I want both of us to get some rest before we get started Joey. I�m going to need a clear head.� Jan wearily rubbed her eyes and looked at Joey.
�I know you must be tired Jan. Why don�t go lay down in Lynn�s room and get some sleep,� said Joey with concern.
�No can do Joey. Chrissy is asleep there.�
Joey�s eyebrows raised as a slight grin played upon his face.
�Isn�t that sacrilegious or something?�
�Either great minds must think alike or you and Chris just have sick minds.� Jan giggled as Joey displayed a pouty face.
�Hey, we resemble that remark.�
�Which one?�
�What do you think�no, wait a minute�I probably don�t want to hear that do I?�
Both Joey and Jan laughed at that remark. The old Joey was starting to come through. Joey seemed to be able to read Jan�s mind.
�It feels good to be able to laugh Aunt Jan.�
�It�s good to hear you laugh sweetheart.�
�Well, back to sleeping�where is everybody right now?� Joey asked, trying to find out where Jan was going to get her rest.
�Justin is downstairs on the couch. JC is next door and Lance is down the hall.�
�I guess that doesn�t leave you too many options, huh.� Joey looked at the empty bed beside his, not knowing whether or not Jan would feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as he.
�Yeah�that�s okay. I�ll just wait it out and catch a nap a little later. We�ll have our talk when we�ve both had a little more rest.� Jan stood up and gave Joey a tired smile as she began to leave the room.
�Aunt Jan?�
Jan turned around to face Joey once more as she stood in the doorway.
�Yes?�
�You could always sleep in the extra bed in here�I mean�I wouldn�t mind at all if you wouldn�t mind.� Joey sounded a little less than convincing for Jan but as far as she was concerned at that point, the invitation was just too good to pass up.
�I thought you�d never ask,� she said with a sigh as she walked back into the room and practically collapsed onto the spare bed.
�Good night Joey,� Jan said as she reached over and pulled the edge of the bedspread over her shoulder, putting her back to the surprised young man.
�Night Jan.� Joey sank back under the covers of his bed and listened to the quiet, even breathes of Jan before succumbing to sleep once again.
Hours later, Chris stood in the doorway of Joey�s room, taking in the scene before him. In the bed closest to the door he could see Joey�s sleeping face framed by the bedcovers that he had drawn up over his body. In the next bed he could see the back of Jan�s red head sticking out from under the bedspread that she had simply pulled over her body.
�Hey, J�I found her,� Chris whispered out into the hallway.
�Where?� asked Justin as he walked up to join Chris in the doorway.
�In here with Joey,� was the amused answer that Chris gave.
Justin looked over Chris� shoulders and saw that his aunt had indeed found herself a place to rest.
�I felt pretty guilty when I realized that all of the rooms had been taken,� admitted Justin sheepishly to Chris.
�Yeah�me too. I�m glad she�s finally getting some rest.�
�Me too Chris�me too.�
�Do we need to wake them up pretty soon?�
�Nah�let�s just let them sleep J�� The phone ring before Chris could finish his sentence.
�Get it quick,� hissed Chris at the retreating form of Justin as he rushed into his mother�s room to answer the phone.
�Hello?�
�Hey Justin�it�s Marty.�
�How are you doing man?� asked Justin. It had been a long time since he had last spoken to Joey�s friend who lived in LA. Joey and Marty had been working on a movie deal along with a television deal for quite some time.
�Great�great. Hey, is the mighty Fatone there?�
�Yeah, but hasn�t been feeling too great and he�s asleep right now.� Justin was afraid to tell too much and he didn�t feel like he was actually telling an outright lie to Marty for the moment.
�That�s too bad. Will you give him a message for me then?�
�Sure, no problem.�
�Tell him that the deals fell through. Another flame�s been snuffed out man.� Marty laughed at his joke, but Justin suddenly had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had heard Joey use words similar to those when describing some of his nightmares.
�Listen, I gotta go Marty. I�ll give him the message. Bye.� Justin hung up the phone without waiting for an answer from Marty.
�That was pretty rude J.� Chris had heard the entire conversation. He changed his tune though when a very pale faced Justin turn around to look at him.
�Justin�sit down�now.� Chris quickly made his way to the young man�s side and gently pushed him down onto Lynn�s bed.
�That was Marty,� said Justin in a whisper. �He wants me to tell Joey that the deals fell through�another flame�s been snuffed out.�
Chris let out an audible gasp as he realized what Justin was saying.
�The candles in his dreams�do you think that�s the connection. His movie and television deals falling through all the time?� Chris asked in disbelief.
Justin only nodded then a thought suddenly occurred to him.
�What are we going to do?� asked Justin as he began to feel a slight bit of panic.
Chris could hear the distress in his voice and quickly put his arm around Justin�s shoulder.
�We�ll tell Jan when she wakes up. She�ll know what to do. But first, I think we need to have a group meeting with JC and Lance.�
�Are you up to it Chris?� Justin asked as he looked at Chris�s profile, seeing a small portion of the bruise on his face.
Justin gently cupped Chris� face in his hand and turned it so that he could better see the massive black eye that covered the left side of his face. Chris gave a slight, half-hearted laugh at the thought of what their manager, Johnny Wright, was going to say in two days when they would be returning to the studio. He, JC and Lance were all going to catch if for the various bumps and bruises they were now sporting.
�What�s so funny?� asked Justin.
�Nothing�well, I was thinking about Tuesday and Johnny,� admitted Chris.
�Oh, man�I had forgotten all about that. But are you up to a group meeting right now?�
Yeah...I am the one who suggested it J. What about you?�
�I will be until I take that next pill�which I should have taken already. I vaguely remember Jan saying something about me staying drugged up for the next 24 hours.� Chris wrinkled his nose at that though and then grinned.
�Man�� was all Chris said as he thought about being able to sleep for 24 whole hours. Justin didn�t notice his grin.
�I�ll take it after we�ve talked with the others.�
�Yeah, you better or Jan would tan both our hides. Your hide for not taking it and mine for not making you.� Chris smiled at Justin as they both rose and made their way out the door and down the hallway to Lance and JC�s rooms.