Lance watched wide-eyed from across the room as Tony swung his gun so that it was pointing straight at JC. He wanted to scream out, saying anything that would make this man change his mind, but his tongue all the sudden seemed to thick, his mouth was to dry and no sound would come out. He was literally paralysed with fear and was about to watch one of his best friends die.
Everything appeared to happen in slow motion for Lance. The police sirens were blaring through the air but the only thing Lance could seem to hear was the slow pull of the gun�s trigger and moments later the loud sound of the gun going off. Lance�s eyes snapped up to see the look of pure fear on his friend�s face, he could have sworn JC�s eyes were following the slow movement of the bullet towards him but he still wasn�t jumping out of the way. That�s when he found his voice.
�NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!�
It was as if that word sent everything back into normal time. Faster than he could blink Ray appeared in his line of vision pushing JC hard to get him out of the way, the bullet hitting the bodyguard in the chest instead of JC. JC went falling to the ground unable to stop himself with his hands still tied behind his back. He landed hard on the ground, his head bouncing off the concrete of the floor and knocking him unconscious, Ray landing a few feet away from him bleeding.
Police swarmed the room yelling at the men to put down their guns and their hands in the air. Lance�s eyes snapped over to where he last saw Tony Collins eyes searching to find the man, startling when he realised that the lone shark was actually storming his way over to where Lance stood gun in hand. He vaguely heard the command of the police for Tony to stop where he was on put the gun down but the older man just kept advancing towards him and slowly started to raise his gun pointing it at Lance.
The sound of guns firing filled the air and Lance briefing closed his eyes bracing himself for the searing pain but open his eyes seconds later in confusion when he didn�t feel anything. Before him he witnessed Tony Collins collapse to the ground dead, the blood from several gunshots to the chest clearly visible on the man�s white shirt.
Lance collapsed to his knees fighting not to cry with the overpowering urge to be sick, wishing his hands were free so he could hold his head. Someone was at his side moments later making quick work of untying his hands and then wrapping him in a comforting hug. He struggled for a few moments against the hold until he registered the familiar voice. Realizing that the man holding him was in fact Lonnie, Lance completely broke down in the bodyguard�s arms as the tears he had been holding back overwhelmed him.
Several moments passed until Lance could finally compose himself again. When he finally did Lonnie helped him up to his feet, keeping an arm around his waist to support the weak kneed blond and started to lead them from the building.
�JC?!� Lance yelled out suddenly trying to turn around to where he had last seen his friend on the ground.
�Ssshh Lance its ok. They�ve already got him out of here.� Lonnie tried to sooth.
�Is he alright?� Lance asked still frantic, but turned around and kept moving as the bodyguard once again started leading them from the building.
�He�s fine. He got a really good bump to the head and is unconscious but the paramedics say he will be just fine. We are taking the three of you to the hospital to get checked out. Justin, Chris and Joey will be there waiting for you.�
�Three?� Lance asked confused.
�Yes. You, JC and Ray.� Lance gasped at the last name.
�Lonnie! Ray! There is��
�Its ok Lance. He was shot in the chest close to the heart. They won�t know anything until they get him in surgery.�
�No Lonnie you don�t understand��
�Ssshhh that�s enough now. I want you to calm down.� Lonnie said pushing the blond singer into a car and shutting the door effectively ending all conversation.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lance was whisked into the hospital and immediately lead into another room where a doctor checked him over regardless of his persistence that he was fine. Twenty minutes later he was allowed to leave the room once they were certain all he had was a few scratches and bruises, the worst being around his wrists from having been tied up.
He was taken to a small private waiting room a few doors down where he was told his three band mates were waiting for him. The minute he was through the door the three pounced on him one by one hugging him and making sure that he was in fact ok.
�We are just waiting until they settle Jace into a room. They say we can go in and see him right after.� Justin said sounding tired and Lance nodded at the information.
�So what happened Lance?� Chris questioned seriously.
�Well�� Lance shifted nervously unsure how to tell them what he had to tell them. He was saved from having to give any explanation for a few more minutes when a doctor entered the room.
�Are you waiting for Mr. Chasez?� The Doctor questioned.
�Yes we are is he ok?� Joey asked.
�Yes. Mr. Chasez is fine. He is all settled into a private room and regained consciousness just a few minutes ago. I do want to warn you though that he is a little groggy and out of it. But that�s to be expected for at least the next 12-24 hours considering he does have a mild concussion and what he has been through. He also has several cuts and bruises as well as a few bruised ribs and is likely to be sore for several days. But I assure you he will be just fine.�
�Can we go see him now?�
�Certainly. He is in room� 234.� The Doctor said checking his notes.
�Thank you.�
***
�Hey Jace.� Justin said sticking his head into the room then opening the door further. One by one they filed into the room surrounding the bed.
�Hi guys.� JC said leaning back and closing his eyes.
�How are you feeling?� Joey asked.
�I�m alright�. Sore.�
�What happened to you? You said they didn�t hurt you?� Chris asked concerned that it was his fault.
�They hadn�t when I told you that. I tried to escape they didn�t like it.� JC said shrugging wincing as the movement caused him pain.
�Oh Johnny says that both your parents and Lance�s are on a plane here to see that you guys are alright.� Justin said to JC and Lance and both nodded in acknowledgement.
�Did you tell them yet Lance?� JC asked looking at his green-eyed friend.
�Tell us what?� Chris asked confused.
�I tried to tell Lonnie earlier but he wasn�t really listening to me. And I was going to tell them when the doctor came in and said we could come in and see you now.� Lance replied.
�Tell us what?� Chris asked again.
�They should know sooner than later?� JC half questioned half stated.
�Tell us what?� Chris and now Justin asked.
�He saved your life you know�� Lance said hesitantly�
�Tells us what?� Three voices now chorused.
�He did? They still have a right to know though��
�TELL US WHAT?!� All three voices yelled in frustration.
Lance sighed and turned to his three confused friends.
�It was Ray.� Lance said quietly.
�What was Ray?� Chris asked still confused.
�He was the one that set this whole mess up.� Lance elaborated and waiting for the screaming that was sure to come.
�What!?� Three voices yelled and a minute later a nurse ran into the room to make sure everything was ok. She left a few minutes later when she was certain everything was fine but not before scolding the five men in the room for yelling like that in a hospital.
�What do you mean it was Ray that set the whole thing up?� Joey asked quietly once the nurse left.
Lance sighed again and explained everything. Right from the beginning, to when he followed Ray and Ray confessed, to his capture, to his conversation with JC and to the point where Ray saved JC�s life by pushing him out of the way of the bullet. When he finished it took several minutes for all the information to be digested and someone to speak up.
�So what do we do?� Justin questioned.
�We tell Johnny and let him deal with it.� Chris said with a shrug.
�I guess�� Lance said.
Several minutes passed as they talked quietly amongst themselves, JC dozing on and off in the hospital bed listening to his friends talk, before Johnny finally made his entrance into the room looking grave.
�Hey boys how are you doing?� Johnny asked.
�Fine� well alright. But there is something we need to tell you.� Lance started.
�In a minute Lance I have some bad news for you guys.� Johnny said pausing to make sure he had all five of their attention. �Well� uh� there is really no easy way to tell you guys this so I�ll just come out and say it. Ray� uh� Ray died on the operating table a few minutes ago. The bullet was just to close to his heart and he bled too much and they couldn�t save him.�
Johnny looked around at the five faces that were obviously shocked and speechless at what they had been told, as he had expected them to be. He could also however see the look of conflict on all of their faces but decided that in the meantime to just shrug off as part of the shock.
�Anyway� I wanted to tell you boys myself before you heard it from someone else. I have to go call his wife now and tell her what happened. I just don�t know how I�m going to do that� you know she called me the other day to ask me to give Ray a couple weeks off for a family vacation she was going to surprise him with�. She was so excited about it.� Johnny said shaking his head and turning to leave the room stopping short when he remembered something.
�Oh. Lance I�m sorry you wanted to tell me something?�
Lance startled from his shock with a look of a deer caught in the headlights of a car on his face. He wasn�t sure if he could bring himself to tell Johnny about what Ray did anymore� not now that� He looked to the faces of his band mates to see similar looks on their faces and one by one they nodded all thinking alike.
�Um� it�s nothing, don�t worry about it.� Lance said clearing his throat. �It�s not important anymore.�
�Are you sure?� Johnny asked having caught the looks between the five men.
�Yeah. You better go call Mrs. Adams, it will only get worse the longer you put it off.�
�Alright then if you�re sure. You boys take it easy I�ve arranged it so you have the next couple of weeks off to rest and everything so you be sure to take care of yourselves.� Johnny said and with that left the room.
�I�m sorry guys�. I just couldn�t� If he hadn�t pushed JC out of the way� JC would�� Lance tried to say but just couldn�t get the words out.
�It�s ok Lance. I don�t think anyone of us could have done that� not with Ray dieing when it so easily could have been Jace.� Joey said stepping up and putting an arm around the shorter man�s shoulders.
�Oh god his poor wife.� Lance continued. �I couldn�t do that to his wife� not after he died� at least let her remember him with dignity. He might have sold out our trust and friendship and put us through hell but he saved JC�s life and mine in a way too I guess and surely that has to count for something?�
�Of course that counts for something Lance.� Chris said from across the room. �On one hand if he hadn�t decided to organize this whole thing we wouldn�t have had to go through all of this. But on the other hand if he hadn�t gone back when he did then JC and you might not be here right now. And in my books that counts for everything in the world. Agreed?�
�Agreed.� Four voices echoed.
�So its over now?� JC asked sleepily from the bed.
�Yeah Jace. Its over.�
THE END
A/N � I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you who have read and reviewed this story. I really appreciate your comments and encouragement. I know I don�t really write fast, this story believe it or not was a year in the making, and was briefly postponed by the decision ff.net made in taking down the music category, but I sincerely thank all of you who stuck with me throughout it. I had a heck of a time finishing this story, I actually had about 3 different possible endings I was debating between and in the end this one won out. I hope I didn�t disappoint to much. Thank you again and Take Care.