*Disclaimer - I do not own any of the members of 'N Sync (nor would I ever really want to - heck, I don't even know them), they belong to their respective owners (hopefully the people who signed their insurance policies). I do, however, own all fiction characters and the plot twists I put them through. Plagiarism is against the law. Do it and suffer the consequences. Thank you.

Justin raked a hand through the blond curls atop his head, gazing at his reflection in the mirror as he debated silently on whether or not he should shave. Some girls liked the unshaven look, and others couldn't stand it. He didn't know which Drusylla happened to be. He shook his head with a rueful smile, rolling his eyes at his reflection as he passed a hand over his cheeks, the stubble rasping against his palm. He shrugged a shoulder, reaching for his toothbrush bopping his head to a song running through his mind. Just as he shoved the toothbrush into his mouth and started scrubbing, the phone in his bedroom rang shrilly. He groaned, closing his eyes. He wandered into the bedroom, pulling the toothbrush from his mouth as he picked up the phone. He rolled his eyes when the answering machine picked up the call before he could get the phone to his ear. He shoved the toothbrush back into his mouth as he waited for the machine to take the message.

This is Justin. You know what to do. Beep.

"Justin.. it's Abigail. I had a great time last night and wanted to know if you'd like to get together tonight. A friend of mine is throwing the party of all parties. Everyone whose anyone will be there, and I thought you might like to go. It's invitation only, but that shouldn't be a problem since you'll come as my date. You have my number. Use it."

Justin made a face, sauntering back into the bathroom to finish his morning grooming. He couldn't believe Abigail was still interested in him after what had happened the night before. He hadn't been rude, but he had been distinctly unimpressed by her name dropping and socializing with everyone they came across, making it a point to introduce him to everyone with her arm linked firmly through his. It had been one of the worst and most uncomfortable nights in his life and he wasn't planning on living through it a second time, no matter how good the party would be. By the time he finished brushing his teeth and getting dressed, he still hadn't decided on what to do about his stubble.

"Hey, Jace!" Justin called loudly as he wandered back into his bedroom to grab his wallet and cellular phone, shoving each into the pockets of his jeans.

"Good God, boy. Why are you yelling at this hour of the morning?" JC grumbled irritably as he stumbled down the hall toward the staircase.

"Lemme ask you a question." Justin rested a shoulder in the doorway, folding his arms across his chest.

"If it involves thinking, forget it. It's too early. Way too early." JC shook his head, blinking rapidly to clear the sleep from his mind and eyes.

"What do girls think of shaving?" Justin rolled his eyes, snickering softly.

"If they're seeing someone, they do. If they're single they don't." JC shrugged, raking a hand through his rumpled hair.

"No, I mean, do they like when a guy skips a day of shaving? That sort of thing." Justin shook his head.

"Oh. That. All I know is, Mike doesn't mind. Has actually demanded I don't on a few occasions." JC shrugged, continuing down the hall. Justin nodded thoughtfully, flopping down onto his bed so he could pull on his sneakers. He glanced up warily when his phone rang again. He shook his head, letting the machine answer the call. He didn't want to be late for his date with Drusylla.

This is Justin. You know what to do. Beep.

"It's Johnny reminding you of the meeting tomorrow morning at nine-thirty."

Justin groaned, rolling his eyes as he reached for his car key, heading for the door. On his way through the downstairs living room, he waved to everyone at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Minutes later, he was in his car and heading toward Dru's small home. He reached over and turned on the radio, singing along softly to the song playing, sunglasses covering his eyes as he drove through the streets of Orlando. A small vendor selling flowers caught the corner of his eye and he smiled, pulling to a stop on the side of the road. He rarely had the sentimentality of buying a girl flowers, but he had a feeling Dru would appreciate and actually like the overly played gesture. After a moment of gazing at the dozens of different and colorful flowers, he chose a beautiful bouquet of multicolored tulips. Once he had the bouquet, he climbed back into his car and drove the remaining distance to Drusylla's small piece of the world. He glanced at the larger house, wary of running into Abigail on his crusade to bring Drusylla out into the town and chuckled softly to himself with a shake of his head. Abigail probably hadn't roused herself from bed yet. He hoped. He parked his car in the driveway and strolled down the walk to the guest house, holding the bouquet of flowers awkwardly in one hand as he struggled to push his sunglasses to the top of his head.

"Justin? Is that you?" Abigail's piercing voice caused Justin to sigh, head bowing forward slightly. Things never seemed to go right whenever he really wanted them to. He forced a smile, turning to face her slowly.

"Morning, Abigail." the blatantly forced cheerful note made him wince, wishing he could be a little less obvious in his displeasure of running into the younger woman.

"I called you not ten minutes ago and didn't expect you so soon. But I am glad you've decided to go to the party with me tonight." she gave him a devastatingly sweet smile, making his own teeth ache with the insincere qualities of her smile.

"Actually, I can't tonight. I have other plans." the excuse nearly burst from his lips, causing her mouth to drop open slightly. He groaned silently.

"Oh, well, I guess the flowers make up for it." she forced another bright smile.

"Actually, Abigail, these aren't for you. They're for a friend of mine." he flushed slightly, raking a hand through the curls atop his head, vaguely uncomfortable with the entire situation.

"Really? Who?" Abigail folded her arms across her chest as she lifted a regal, a faintly possessive note invading her tone.

"Drusylla. She and I are doing a day out on the town and I thought she might like these." Justin shrugged, shoving his free hand into one of the pockets of his pants.

"I never figured you'd be one to consort with the hired help." she sniffed, rolling her eyes heavenward.

"Well, you figured wrong, Abigail." he muttered roughly, turning on his heel. He sighed as he strolled down to the front door of the guest house and knocked softly.

Dru sighed, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, debating on what to wear for her excursion into Orlando with Justin. She grimaced, a finger of dread tracing her spine. He could be recognized, especially since he was home and people knew he was home. If he were recognized, things could get confusing and a tad bit terrifying rather quickly and she wasn't quite sure she wanted the world to know she existed. They would automatically assume the worst, thinking she was Justin's new flavor of the month even though they were just friends. She shook her head, mentally chiding herself for letting her thoughts stray to the possibilities of what this day would bring. She pulled on a white tank top and a pair of old, faded blue jeans, hoping it would do for whatever he was planning. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail then turned a critical eye to her reflection in the mirror. Soft tendrils of hair escaped the ponytail to curl gently around her face, giving her almost a childlike look. She shook her head with a soft groan, wondering why she couldn't look like the numerous models gracing the covers of hundreds of magazines.

She glanced up when she heard a knock at the door. Giving her reflection one last glance, she wandered over to the door and pulled it open. Justin, who had been gazing at the trees surrounding her little guest house, turned his eyes to her and smiled.

"Morning, Drusylla." his voice was soft, and as warm and thick as honey. She shivered slightly, mentally chiding herself for thinking such a thing.

"Morning." Dru returned the smile, holding the door open for him. He followed her into the house and into the kitchen.

"I saw these and thought of you." he murmured, pulling his hand from behind his back. She glanced up from the glass of milk she was pouring and her eyes widened slightly. He held blue, purple, pink and white tulips in his hand.

"How did you know I love tulips?" she inquired, shock threading her voice.

"I had a feeling." he chuckled, handing the flowers over to her. She closed her eyes, holding the sweet smelling blossoms to her nose and breathed deeply of their musky sweet scent.

"Thank you." she whispered, truly touched he had thought of her. No one had ever given her flowers before, and she wasn't quite sure how to act. "They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you like them." Justin smiled, leaning back against the kitchen counter, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her fill a vase with water. Moments later, the tulips rested in the vase at the center of the kitchen table, giving the room a more cheerful look in the midmorning sunlight. She glanced nervously over her shoulder at him.

"You ready to go?" he lifted an eyebrow. She nodded silently, reaching for her house keys. Minutes later, they were strolling up to where he had parked.

"So, where is it we're going?" Drusylla inquired as Justin unlocked the driver's side door.

"Actually, I'm not sure yet. Haven't made any plans in stone yet, but I thought we'd get brunch or something first." Justin shrugged, pulling the door open for her. She fumbled briefly, flushing slightly when he gave her a hand into the car, shutting the door as soon as she had settled into her seat. He rounded the back of the car, climbing behind the wheel.

"You like Orlando so far?" he glanced over at her as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Its all right, I guess. Most cities begin to look the same when you've lived in as many as I have." Dru shrugged, gazing sightlessly out the window. She hadn't imagined being with Justin would be this - uncomfortable. She couldn't help but think of the money she owed him, and here he was, planning to spend more money on her without even blinking. She sighed softly, raking a hand through her hair.

"Something wrong?" he questioned softly.

"No, not really. Just thinking." she mumbled, shrugging a shoulder. They fell into a slightly uneasy silence as Justin drove through Orlando, finally parking the car in the parking lot of a restaurant. He climbed out of the car, walking around to her side before helping her out of the car. He offered his arm to her, giving her a reassuring smile. She smiled, shaking her head slowly as she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"Do you like French food?" Justin inquired as he escorted her into the small restaurant.

"I've never had it before, so I wouldn't know." she murmured, gazing around self-consciously. The small café positively reeked of money. A small finger of dread trickled down her spine when a beautifully made up hostess greeted them at the door, asking how many people to their party. They followed the hostess through the small café to a table near the back in front of a large window overlooking the street. Justin pulled out a chair for her and she sat down with a grateful smile.

"We didn't really have a chance to talk the first time I saw you. And well, last night was just strange." Justin chuckled softly with a shake of his head.

"Strange? You came to my house and wouldn't leave until I agreed to go out with you today. Which, by the way, I'm still not sure of." Dru snorted, rolling her eyes as she gazed down at the menu she held in front of her. Everything was in French. She sighed inwardly, wishing she had stayed in high school long enough of the language so she could get by in life.

"Details." he waved a hand in the air, resting his elbows on the table. "I wanted to spend some time with you, find out how you're doing and what your plans are."

"My plans?" she lifted an eyebrow, shifting slightly in her seat as an elderly couple stared at them from across the room.

"Yeah, for the future." he prompted with a nod.

"I hadn't really thought about it." she shook her head, returning her eyes to her menu. Justin set his menu down, settling back into his seat as he watched her scan the menu, occasionally glancing around as if she were an errant child expected to be scolded for trying to play dress up in her mother's clothes.

"Let's get out of here." he suggested, lips twitching with barely suppressed amusement. Heaving a sigh of relief, she nodded with a giggle, quickly rising to her feet. He took her hand, gently pulling her through the café behind him. The waitress who was just about to take their order watched them leave, shock crossing her face. No one had ever left the restaurant minutes after arriving. Dru laughed softly as Justin ushered her back into the car.

"McDonalds?" he glanced over at her.

"Mmmm, I live for sausage muffins with no eggs and hashbrowns." she rubbed her quietly protesting stomach.

"McDonalds it is." he nodded, heading in the direction of the fast food restaurant. Twenty minutes later, the pair were sitting on the grass in a nearby park, eating their breakfasts from McDonalds and laughing over the completely floored look the staff had given Justin when he pulled up to the drive thru window.

"Do you get that often?" she inquired, pulling a piece of a hashbrown off and stuffing it into her mouth.

"More often than not. I've gotten as used to it as I can, as odd as that sounds. But when your face is all over the place, you begin wondering why the hell people are so attracted to you. I mean, its all based on looks. If people really knew who I am and what I'm really like, they'd know I'm the biggest dork." he chuckled, crumpling the wrapper of his second breakfast sandwich and tossing it into the empty bag.

"No. You?" Dru laughed, propping herself back against her hands as she gazed over at him.

"Honest. I am the biggest dork. When cameras are around, I act all cool like I know what I'm doing, but once the cameras turn away from me, I get all crazy and start doing things that just make people laugh. I'd do just about anything to make someone laugh. Its all about the people around me, you know?" Justin shrugged, gazing up at the sky. Huge, fluffy clouds filled the sky.

"What do you mean?" she lifted an eyebrow, breaking off another piece of hashbrown.

"There are some fans out there who have some pretty tough lives. Homes are broken, they don't get along with their families, whatever. If I can make that one fan smile when all that's really there is pain, then all this is worth it." he mumbled, flushing slightly with the admission. Drusylla gazed at him, slightly shocked by his statement.

"That's beautiful." she murmured, highly impressed by his reasoning. He was in the one situation most people would love to be in, one of fame and stardom, and though it wasn't the easiest life in the world to lead, he was doing everything he could to make the best of it. "Nah." Justin shook his head, making a face. "If I didn't think that way or act that way, I would be miserable. Privacy is absolute zero at this point. The papers print headline stories if I change my hair color or decide to be seen with a friend. And when I am seen with a friend, its blown up to epic proportions. I have to be dating every female I'm seen with, and it's hard because most of the girls I'm seen with are girls I've just met and are generally fans." he gestured helplessly.

"That's almost a defeatist attitude." Drusylla commented softly, squinting up at the sky as she watched the clouds drift by.

"Almost." he laughed softly, nodding slowly. "You should try being famous sometime. Cameras following your every move, your face splashed over the covers of dozens of magazines, it can be frustrating sometimes. Sometimes I just sit back and wonder what the hell is going on. All these people can't be screaming for me. I'm a dork. Just a regular guy. And the thing that really gets to me is, I'm a person, but people don't really see me as one. I'm a pop idol, therefore I don't make mistakes. I don't have feelings of my own and I'm always smiling. Its rough. I don't always want to smile, and I'm not always in a good mood."

"You can be a regular guy around me. I promise I won't expect sunshine all the time." she gave him a small smile.

"Yeah?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeah." she nodded, struggling quickly to her feet. She grabbed the paper bag filled with their trash and crumpled it up. "You want to walk around for a while?"

"Yes, I do." Justin climbed to his feet and held out a hand to her. She glanced down at his outstretched hand for a moment, then, indecisively placed her hand in his. He threaded their fingers together as she tossed the crumpled paper bag into a nearby trash barrel, then the pair started strolling through the grass, paying no attention to anything surrounding them.

"Tell me something true." Dru glanced up at him.

"Something true?" he made a face. She nodded with a soft laugh.

"All right. I hate carrots. If I have to eat them, it's only one small piece." Justin shrugged a shoulder.

"No, not something like that." Dru gave him a playful shove.

"Then what was it you wanted me to tell you?" he countered.

"Something about you no one else knows." she shrugged a shoulder, glancing around at the trees. Only a few other people were taking the opportunity of the beautiful midmorning to walk around the park.

"I live with four other guys eleven months out of the year. There's nothing secret about anything." Justin laughed, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Fine. Tell me something true that I don't know." she sighed in exasperation, tossing her free hand into the air.

"Okay, let me think for a minute." Justin's brow wrinkled slightly as he concentrated at the task at hand.

"Oh, come on, Justin. A few months ago, I didn't even know who you were. It can't be that hard to think of something I wouldn't know about you." she exclaimed loudly, tugging gently on his hand as they continued to stroll between the trees.

"Okay, okay. Jeez. I'm a romantic at heart. I love spoiling the women I love. I'm forever buying things for my mother and little brother. Not generally expensive things, but small things I see while on the road that remind me of them. The way his little face lights up when I pull something out of my pocket for him, it's priceless." he smiled, his eyes taking on a far off look.

"That's sweet." she grinned.

"Your turn. Tell me something true that no one else knows about you." Justin turned the question on her and she flushed slightly.

"All right, I cry myself to sleep most nights." she mumbled, pushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes.

"Why?" a concerned frown pulled the corners of his lips downward.

"Everything. I haven't had the easiest of lives, and sometimes it gets to me. More often than not, it happens at night when there's nothing left for me to do but think. Nights are always the hardest part of my day. When things get quiet, it helps to put you in the mood to look back at your life through twenty-twenty vision. Doesn't make for wonderful dreams." Dru sighed, the muscles in her back tensing slightly with the words that came tumbling out of her mouth. She had never left herself open and utterly vulnerable like this before, especially with a guy.

"I'm sorry." Justin murmured, pausing for a moment. "No one should have to suffer through anything alone."

"Don't be sorry. Everything that's happened has helped make me who I am today. One of life's many twists and turns." she smiled over at him, tugging on his hand gently to get him walking again. Music filtered over to them, bringing their conversation to an abrupt halt.

"What is that music?" Dru made a face, glancing around.

"Sounds like a circus or something. Maybe a carnival." Justin quickened his pace, heading toward where the music seemed to be coming from. A dozen loudly colored tents finally appeared, booths scattered between them. People milled about, gazing at everything in astonishment.

"Carnival?" Dru inquired, lifting both her eyebrows.

"Looks like it. Care to go?" Justin nodded, a slow smile playing with the corners of his lips.

"Sure." Dru nodded enthusiastically, tugging forward toward the tents. Animals of all sorts filled the first tent, giving the younger children, and the adults who refused to grow up, a petting zoo of sorts. The second tent held vendors of all sorts selling everything from jewelry to pillows and t-shirts. Interspersed between the tents, game booths and their attendants called out to people passing by, asking if they felt lucky enough to win at the various games being offered. The third tent they came across held a fortuneteller.

"We should go in." Justin suggested teasingly.

"Oh, come on. You don't believe in that sort of stuff, do you?" Dru demanded incredulously.

"Not really, but it's fun either way." he shrugged tugging her inside the booth. Beaded curtains hung in front of them, soft lilting music coming from deep within the tent. Dru giggled nervously, glancing around her, suspicion rising with each passing second.

"Justin, I'm not sure about this." she shook her head, trying to pull her hand from his.

"What's the matter, Drusylla? You scared?" he questioned, releasing her hand to fold his arms across his chest.

"Come in, come in. It isn't polite to lurk in doorways." a mysterious voice with a strong Russian accent called out to the pair, startling Dru enough to make her jump.

"You heard the woman. After you." Justin bowed gallantly, ushering Dru in before him.

"Please, sit down." an elderly woman gestured to a couple of empty chairs across the large circular table she sat in front of. She had long, straight ebony hair and startling gray eyes, wrinkles rested at the corners of her eyes and lips. A red bandana was wrapped around her head, keeping her hair from her eyes. She wore a long flowing broomstick skirt in black and gray with a white peasant blouse. Justin took a seat in front of the old woman, resting his hands on the table, glancing expectantly over at Dru, who still stood motionless. She flushed slightly, taking a seat in the chair next to him.

"Cross my palm with silver." the old woman demanded, holding out her hand expectantly. Justin reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet before he handed her the fee she requested. She shoved the bills into the bodice of her shirt, her hands moving to the crystal ball in the center of the table. She gazed into it for a moment, a frown of concentration puckering her brow.

"You are unhappy, no?" she glanced over at Dru for a moment before returning her gaze to the crystal ball. "I see you are searching for something. Something in which will complete you upon being found. You will not be happy until you find what you are looking for."

"And what is it I'm looking for?" Dru inquired skeptically, folding her arms across her chest.

"Family members. Siblings perhaps. The crystal ball is unclear. They were taken away from you when you needed them most, no? It tells me you've had a very hard life. But fear not, child. All will turn out well. You will find what you seek, but throughout your search, you will be plagued with heartache - unless, yes, I see a man in your future. A man unlike any other man. He will sacrifice greatly for you. And that is all I see." the old woman sighed testily, glaring mildly at the crystal ball in front of her. "Damn crystal ball. So temperamental."

Justin chuckled softly, climbing to his feet. Dru gazed at the woman for a long moment before joining him. She took the hand he offered, sighing softly. The fortuneteller had been right, but like all fortunetellers, she had been very vague, which obviously they had to be in order for people to believe in their sham. Justin peered down at her, faint worry crossing his face at her sudden silence.

"You all right?" he inquired softly, slowing their steps to a leisurely stroll.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Dru nodded distractedly, gazing at the people milling about the game booths, laughing and teasing each other with good-natured smiles.

"I thought you said you didn't believe in that stuff." a smile threatened and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from letting it show.

"I don't." she remarked testily, avoiding his gaze.

"Then why are you suddenly in a rotten mood?" he countered gently, slowing their steps to a halt. Drusylla shook her head, refusing to answer the question. She knew he would never understand. Losing her entire family had been the most devastating experience, causing her to become cautious around everything and everyone. But somehow, Justin had slipped through most of her defenses. He had penetrated numerous walls and had gotten under her skin, which was more than anyone had done in a very long time. Justin sighed softly, pulling her between two of the large tents, then turned an expectant gaze to her.

"What's going on, Sylla?" he inquired softly.

"Nothing." she shook her head, heart lurching at the new nickname.

"Don't do this." he sighed, a note of pleading entering his voice.

"Don't do what?" she exclaimed, finally lifting her eyes to meet his startling cobalt blue gaze.

"Shut yourself off from me. Tell me what's going on." he reached for her free hand, twining their fingers together. She glanced down at her hands, now engulfed by his larger hands.

"There's nothing going on, Justin." she asserted, refusing to take it any further.

"That's such crap. When we got here, you were laughing, in a good mood. And now, after seeing that fortuneteller, you're quiet and moody." he pointed out truthfully.

"I'm not moody." she countered, shaking her head.

"Girl, you are the moodiest person I've ever met." he muttered, releasing her hands. He raked a hand through his hair, gazing down at her.

"So I'm moody. Big deal. I have to be happy all the time?" she demanded, arching a delicate eyebrow.

"No." he chuckled ruefully, shaking his head slowly. "But I would like it if you talked to me."

"There's nothing to talk about Justin." she sighed in exasperation, tossing her hands into the air.

"Then why are you in a mood?" he countered gently.

"Would you like me to be mood-less? Would you like me to show no emotion whatsoever? It can be arranged." she muttered savagely, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"No, damn it." Justin gritted out through clenched teeth. "I like your moods. I just want you to talk to me."

"What do you want me to say? You want to know that every time I write or call various people in Social Services they tell me they can't release the information of my brothers' whereabouts? You want to know that they tell me I will probably never see them again? You want to know that it eats me up inside because I couldn't protect them then and I can't protect them now? Fine. Now you know. Can we please drop the subject now?" she demanded passionately, avoiding his gaze as she sidestepped him and took a step toward the main isle of the carnival. Without thinking, Justin wrapped his fingers around her upper arm, making her stop short.

"What else do you want from me?" she exclaimed, trying to yank her arm away from him. More than anything else in that moment, she needed space.

"Let me help you find them." he murmured the question. Her heart thundered to a stop and she shook her head.

"Why? So I can be more indebted to you? I don't think so." she stated icily, figuring the best way to get out of this situation was to be cruel about it.

"No. So you can have an extra pair of hands, another mind and possibly a shoulder to help hold you up when things get rough." Justin countered, releasing her immediately as his muscles tensed with the accusation.

"Thank you very much, Justin, but I don't need your help. I can take care of my own." Drusylla mumbled, shaking her head.

"What is it with you? Why is it so hard to take someone's help when it's offered?" Justin demanded incredulously.

"If I start depending on people to take of things for me, I'll forget how to do it myself and I can't let that happen. You won't be around forever, Justin, so I shouldn't expect you to be." she exclaimed, turning abruptly on her heel and storming out of the little alleyway created by the tents.

"Damn infuriating women." he muttered savagely under his breath, doubling his pace to catch up with her. He glanced around, sighing when she was nowhere in sight. So much for a really nice day.

He shook his head, strolling through the tents, making his way back to his car, hoping she hadn't left him all together. All he wanted to do was make things a little easier for her to cope with. She wasn't waiting for him at his car.

Dru ducked behind another tent, hoping Justin wouldn't follow her. She needed some time to clear her mind and she couldn't do that with him standing right next to her. The last thing she needed was to become attached to someone who would never be around, someone who was a threat to her mental and emotional well being. She heaved a sigh of relief when Justin wandered past her, not noticing her presence. When he disappeared from her view, she returned to the main isle of the carnival, head bowed. She didn't know why Justin was so stubborn on wanting to help her, but he had done more than enough. He'd done so much for her, she began to feel guilty. She already owed the young man money, adding emotional ties to that would only complicate things and make them more difficult for her to live with. She shook her head, pushing her hair from her eyes in an agitated gesture, having a quick thought of cutting her hair so she wouldn't have to worry about it again for a short while.

"Dru? Is that you?" a familiar voice inquired from a few feet away, startling her enough to force her gaze to the owner of the voice.

"Afternoon, JC." she forced a smile, shoving her hands into the pockets of her worn jeans.

"Where's Justin? He mentioned something about spending the day with you." JC folded his arms across his chest, removing himself from in front of a game of darts.

"I kind of disappeared on him. He should be wandering around her somewhere." she gestured vaguely with a hand.

"Disappeared on him? How come?" he lifted a curious eyebrow.

"I don't really want to talk about it. Where's Mike? I got the feeling the two of you were inseparable." Dru turned the line of questioning from her, hoping the subject would be dropped.

"Had an argument. She left a few minutes ago." JC grimaced, sighing softly.

"What about?" she inquired as the two began to stroll through the small crowds.

"That's the thing. I'm not really sure what it was about. As far as I can tell, it has to do with an ex-girlfriend or something." he shrugged, as they wandered over to another game. He reached into his pocket, pulling out enough money to play the game.

"That's too bad." she murmured, watching as he tossed a basketball towards one of the hoops set up a few feet away. He landed the first shot, the attendant returning the ball to him so he could take another.

"Sometimes I just don't understand women. Mike says ex-girlfriends will always be a threat no matter how much I love her. Said it had to do with women being on the prowl or something." JC sighed, taking his second shot. The basketball bounced off the rim, then tipped into the hoop. The attendant returned the ball to him for his third and final shot.

"In a way, that's true. Ex-girlfriends have a certain power over some men. Point is, you should do something to reassure her nothing will come between the two of you. Not even an ex-girlfriend on the prowl." Dru shrugged a shoulder.

"But, how do you convince someone of something they already know?" JC questioned, his voice holding a note of helplessness.

"That, I don't know. I'm new to the relationship thing, and have never been in the situation where an ex-girlfriend could pop up out of nowhere." she shook her head as he made his final shot, sinking the ball into the hoop.

"You have the choice of anything on the top shelf." the attendant informed him as JC gazed up at the top shelf.

"Well, which would you like?" JC inquired, glancing over at Dru.

"Doesn't matter to me, but don't you think you should give something to Mike?" she shook her head, shrugging a shoulder.

"I already know what I'm going to win for her, we haven't made it to the booth that gives them out as prizes yet, though. So this one is all you." JC held up his hands, a glimmer of a smile twitching the corners of his lips.

"Fine. The green teddy bear." she sighed in exasperation, pointing to the bear that had caught her eye. The attendant pulled it from the shelf and handed it to her with a smile. JC smiled his thanks before the two wandered away from the booth.

"Now that we've discussed my problems, what's with you disappearing on Justin?" JC inquired as they strolled leisurely.

"I'm not sure. Panic I guess. He offered to help me again. This time to find my brothers." Dru mumbled, eyes cast downward at the ground.

"And this bothers you? Why?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"It's hard to explain. Part of me doesn't want to find them, strictly because they could be better off and me just showing up out of the blue could ruin that for them. Another part of it is, the pain is mine and mine alone. I don't want to share that with anyone because it's the only thing that's truly mine. It could be taken away if he helps me. Besides, I don't want to become so indebted to him I feel the need to constantly repay him somehow." she gestured futilely, shaking her head.

"I can almost promise you he isn't in this for some kind of reward. He genuinely cares how you're doing. Justin's not the type of person to do anything for greater personal gain." JC glanced over at her, smiling when he saw her holding the green teddy bear to her chest.

"I guess I'm just terrified is all. Never in my life have I met anyone like him, so it scares me. He'd rather spend the day with me, than with someone like Abigail and that scares me even more." she stroked the fake green fur absently.

"That's Justin for you. He's always gone after the girls with substance. He likes to learn things from the people around him. I think one of the reasons he's so keen on you is you've lived through things he can only imagine. It's not that he feels sorry for you. He's impressed by you, and that doesn't happen very often." JC stated truthfully, hoping to clue her in on why Justin was acting so oddly around her.

"I guess what you said about women works for me in reverse. I'll never understand men." she laughed ruefully.

"Sweetie, I'll let you in on a little secret. Men don't understand other men either." he chuckled softly, shaking his head slowly.

"Oh, that's reassuring." Dru mumbled with a roll of her eyes, a genuine smile turning the corners of her lips upward.

"Listen, we have a concert coming up in a few days, why don't you come?" JC inquired as they stopped in front of yet another game booth, this one darts. He gazed at the prizes on the shelves, eyes landing on the stuffed Winnie the Pooh he knew Michaela would love. He paid for the game, determined to win the animal for his upset girlfriend.

"I don't know. Seems whenever Justin and I are in the same room, things get confusing and he always ends up offering his services." Dru shook her head, sighing softly.

"Just think about it. I know Mike would like to see you again. Actually, she's been trying to make time to talk to you over the past few days." JC shrugged, aiming with the first dart, trying to pop one of the balloons tacked to the wall a few feet away.

"I'll think about it." she promised with a nod. "Thanks for the teddy bear. I'll see you later." she waved with a smile before wandering off. JC shook his head in mild amusement. Leave it to Justin to find a girl who was as terrified of him as he was of her.

Justin sighed, raking a hand through the curls atop his head, gazing around his room in bewilderment. His mind struggled to come up with reasons why Drusylla would disappear on him the way she had, and nothing was adding up. She couldn't hide she was having a good time, at least until their experience with the fortuneteller, but she had told him she didn't believe in that sort of thing, yet she had become distant and remote afterward, making it difficult for him to talk to her. He shook his head, pacing the room slowly. He glanced around the room, a slow idea forming in his head as he reached for a light weight jacket. Minutes later, he was sitting in his car. He drove around for a while, giving Drusylla enough time to get back to the guest house, fine tuning his plan as he gazed at the passing landscape. An hour and a half later, he pulled into the driveway a few feet away from the guest house. He climbed out of the car, raking a hand through his curls in nervous anticipation. He shook his head with a slight grimace, forcing himself to walk briskly to the guest house's front door, rapping loudly with his knuckles. More than anything, he wanted an explanation on her disappearance. He sighed. If he wanted to be truthful, he wasn't as angry as he was hurt by her leaving. The door slowly pulled open to reveal a red-eyed Dru, gazing cautiously at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off with a quick shake of her head, ushering her inside and closing the door behind him. The last thing he wanted at the moment was Abigail noticing him on the grounds again. More than likely, she would pester him until he agreed to go to the party with her later that night.

"Justin, I'm really not in the mood to play hostess right now." Dru sighed, holding a hand to her forehead, wishing with every fiber of her being he would just leave.

"You've been crying. Why?" he inquired softly, leaning back against the closed doorway.

"I don't want to talk about it." she shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes as she turned her back to him, busying herself with tidying up the living room. Justin sighed softly, taking a step toward her.

"Sylla." he sighed softly, almost pleading with her to talk to him.

"What? What do you want from me? Why do you keep pestering me?" she demanded loudly, tossing a mild glare over her shoulder at him.

"Because as corny as it sounds, I want to be your friend." he smiled ruefully, shrugging a shoulder.

"I don't need a friend. I don't need a boyfriend. And if you want the God's honest truth, I don't need you in my life, so I don't know why you don't make yourself scarce." she gestured with a hand wildly.

"You're so full of crap, darlin', your eyes are turning brown." Justin commented dryly, unwilling to take her obvious hint and leave her alone.

"Don't you dare patronize me, Justin." she whirled around to face him.

"Wait a minute, shouldn't I be the angry one here? You're the one who left me standing at the carnival. You're the one who disappeared." he pointed out, holding up a hand to halt her words.

"I left a date I was pressured into going on." Dru gritted out through clenched teeth, refusing to let him see the hurt residing in her heart.

"I didn't pressure you." he shook his head.

"You wouldn't leave my home until I said yes, and that's not pressuring someone?" she demanded, laughing bitterly as she lifted a pious eyebrow.

"Damn it, Drusylla. I only want to help." he nearly shouted, his patience wearing more than a little thin.

"That's all everyone wants to do. You, JC, Mike, all of you. You all want to help poor, helpless little Dru. Well, I won't have it anymore. I borrowed money from you to help get myself off the streets, 'cause, lets face it, it's a lot cleaner than selling myself to some dirty old man who has a passion for young girls. That's all it was. I never wanted, nor have I ever asked for your friendship. I've been taking care of myself for the past few years, and I will continue to do so. Without you and your little Scooby gang to make sure I'm doing it properly." she finally paused for breath, turning her back on him once again to savagely fluff a pillow on the couch.

"I do not think you're helpless." Justin muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

"Then why do you insist on being my friend?" she exclaimed loudly, tossing the pillow back onto the couch.

"Because I want to get to know you. I think you're a wonderful person, beneath all the hostility toward me and my friends. I wouldn't presume to think I could take better care of you than you could, so don't lay that kind of thing on me just because you have some deep-seated fear of someone taking over the task of running your life." he ground out, finally having enough of the situation. He turned on his heel and strode to the door. He nearly yanked the door off it's hinges in his haste to leave.

"I'm sorry." her voice stopped him in his tracks, the notes of pain and vulnerability tugged incessantly at his heart. He sighed, head bowing forward as he closed the door once again.

"You don't have to be scared of me, Sylla. I'm not going to tell you how to run your life. Hell, I'm not sure how to run my own most of the time. All I'm offering is someone to talk to when things are good and when things are not so good. That's all. Why can't you trust me on that much?" he turned toward her, eyes silently pleading.

"Its too dangerous for me to trust anyone right now." she mumbled softly, taking a seat on the couch.

"Why?" he inquired, stepping further into the room.

"Its hard to put into words. I don't really know. All that makes sense is, when I think about giving into your friendship deal, my stomach turns icy and it feels like I've swallowed a lump of led." she gestured helplessly, shaking her head slowly. Gingerly, Justin took a seat beside her, resting his hands on his knees.

"The first time is always the hardest. I know you've had a rough life, all I want to do is help make things a little easier for you." he glanced over at her.

"Easier doesn't always mean safer. Justin, do you really want your name linked with mine? A homeless girl who lived on the streets for years?" she sighed, climbing to her feet in one swift movement.

"Do you honestly think I'd care about something like that?" he countered, watching as she slowly paced the living room, nervous energy practically radiating off her in waves.

"I don't know, that's the whole point." she mumbled softly, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she paced. She thought better when she was on the move, cleaning or walking, it didn't really matter. Silently, Justin climbed to his feet and stepped into her path. She turned a startled gaze up to his face. He lifted a hand, gently pushing an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"So many names are linked to mine, good and bad. It doesn't matter to me. The people who really matter know the truth." his voice sounded like warm butter and she shivered slightly. She opened her mouth to say something. Justin shook his head, gently pressing his thumb against her lips, his fingers fanned out across her cheek, stopping the flow of her words.

"Just accept my friendship. Whatever comes after that, we'll take day by day. All I'm asking for here is a little faith." he murmured, caressing the line of her cheekbone delicately with his fingertips. She closed her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath as she tried to still the erratic beat of her heart. She couldn't think when he was this close.

"Please?" he inquired, voice filled with notes of hope. She nodded wordlessly, unable to speak past the small lump forming in her chest. No one had ever worked so hard to get her to let them care for her. They had always been frightened off by their second or third encounter with her.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" a slow smile turned the corners of his lips upward. She opened her eyes, shimmering tears catching on her eyelashes. Justin made a soft sound, his heart breaking at the blatant fear in her eyes. He sighed, snaking his arm around her shoulders, bringing her against his chest in a light yet firm hug. She stiffened immediately and he silently cursed himself for reacting without really thinking about the consequences. His heart lurched in his chest when she relaxed slowly, nuzzling her cheek against his shirt, her hands crawling up to rest on the outside of his biceps. He closed his eyes, his arms tightening around her when the first of her tears bled through his shirt. His hand drifted up and down her back, murmuring intelligible comforting words to help soothe her. She shuddered in his arms, her fingers curling around his biceps as her knees became too weak to support her. He shouldered her weight easily, slowly easing down to the floor, settling her between his thighs as he cradled her against his chest.

"You're not alone anymore, Sylla." he murmured, lips brushing softly against her hair. He winced when his words brought the tears harder and faster. He hated feeling so completely helpless, wishing there was more he could do for her. Instead of speaking again, he started humming softly to her, rocking her gently in his arms. Minutes or hours later, her sobs slowed and she reluctantly pulled away from him, breath hitching as she tried to breathe around the lump in her throat.

"You want something to drink?" he inquired softly, lifting an eyebrow. She nodded wordlessly, shifting so he could stand. Minutes later, he returned with a glass of water, helping her to her feet. She drank until the lump in her throat disappeared then set the glass down on the coffee table beside her.

"Feel better now that you got all that out of your system?" he questioned, pushing her hair from her face, thumbs sweeping away the errant tears drying on her cheeks. Again, she nodded wordlessly.

"Come on," he murmured, taking her hand. She didn't protest when he strolled through the small house to her bedroom. He pulled back the covers on her bed, gently turning her enough so she sat heavily on the mattress.

"You should rest." he commented, urging her to lay down. She took a shuddering breath, curling up on her side, watching with luminous eyes as he tenderly pulled the covers over her slightly shivering body, gazing down at her with an affectionate half smile.

"I'll give you a call later tonight, see how you're doing. All right?" he lifted an eyebrow at her. She shook her head, causing Justin to groan softly. Dru took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of courage she possessed.

"Will you stay with me instead?" her voice was hoarse from the crying she had done. Stunned, Justin could only stand motionless for a moment before he finally nodded. She scooted to the other side of her bed and he gingerly sprawled out on top of the covers beside her, stacking his hands behind his head, unsure of what he should do or where he should place himself. Seconds later, her cheek was nestled against his chest, hand resting beside her face. Slowly, he wrapped an arm around her, fingers combing gently through her hair.

Sleepily, Dru nestled closer to the warmth beside her, unwilling to leave the sanctuary of her dream and wake to the much colder and harsher reality. The muted thunder of a heartbeat echoed in her ear, soothing her as nothing else could. The chest beneath her ear rumbled gently as a low hum filtered to her ears and she scrunched her nose, the vibrations tickling her. Finally, her eyes fluttered open, the dream images dissolving as quickly as awareness replaced them.

"Have a nice nap?" Justin's voice remained soft, his hand still stroking her back, his eyes oddly affectionate.

"Yeah. How long have I been out?" she inquired, struggling to a sitting position, holding a hand to her head as a fierce pounding settled between her temples.

"Just over two hours." Justin answered, stretching his arm with a grimace, trying to force feeling back into the numb limb. Dru groaned softly, climbing out of the bed. She stumbled into the bathroom, reaching into the medicine cabinet for the bottle of ibuprofen. She placed two pills into her mouth as she filled a small glass with water, swallowing them gratefully. She heard the bed creak softly and Justin appeared in the doorway seconds later.

"Do you want me to stay or leave?" he inquired.

"I think I could use some alone time, process everything rumbling around in my brain." she smiled gratefully at his obvious concern.

"All right. I'll call you later on tonight." he nodded, returning her smile. Drusylla nodded, walking him to the front door. She waved as he walked down the path to his car. She shook her head in bemusement, flopping down onto the couch. Justin was unlike any other guy she had ever met, but then, she had known that since her first meeting with the young man. She glanced up when the front door opened, groaning silently when Abigail sauntered into the small guest house, her eyes shooting sparks at the young woman sitting on the couch.

"Was that Justin who just left?" Abigail inquired briskly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yeah. Why?" Dru shrugged a shoulder, leveling the other with a sharp gaze of her own.

"What, exactly, are you doing with him?" Abigail answered the question with another question.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Abigail." Dru mumbled with a shake of her head as she climbed to her feet.

"Playing sweet and innocent to the end, are we Drusylla?" Abigail smirked, folding her arms across her chest as she followed the other woman into the kitchen.

"You and I both know I'm not sweet and innocent." Drusylla shook her head as she reached into the refrigerator to grab a can of soda.

"What makes you think he'd want anything to do with a piece of trash like you?" Abigail lofted a brow.

"I could ask you the same question Abigail." Dru laughed tonelessly, gesturing weakly with a hand, in no mood to play whatever games Abigail had in mind.

"I would certainly look better on his arm than you." Abigail tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Look at you. Even on your best day you look like death warmed over. Do you honestly think he'd want to be seen out in public with you?"

"He already has been seen out in public with me, not that its any of your business." Dru rolled her eyes, pouring the soda into a glass resting on the counter before taking a sip.

"I'm only going to say this once. Stay away from him. If anyone is going to be seen with him it's me." Abigail's voice took on an icy note, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I hate to break it to you, Abigail, but, Justin doesn't even like you. So what makes you think he prefers your company to mine?" Drusylla shot back, giving the other woman a gentle shove toward the front door.

"We'll just see about that, won't we?" Abigail smiled coldly, leaving the small guest house in a flurry of tossing hair. Drusylla sighed, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against the closed front door. This was all she needed - a rich, spoiled little brat who had a vendetta against her. She turned, taking a seat on the couch and gazed at the front door, half expecting someone else to barge into her home. Things were beginning to get complicated. Justin was a really sweet guy, though she hated to admit the knowledge, knowing if she did, she would fall head over heels for him. She closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath. She didn't think she could take another heartbreak, especially not from someone who always managed to crawl under her skin the way he did. None of it made any sense at all. Justin was famous, loved all over the world by thousands of people and he seemed to care more about what she thought of him than what his legions of fans thought of him. She shook her head in bemusement, wondering when this had all slipped from her control. She couldn't let him get too close. The people who knitted their way into her heart seemed to all lead to tragic endings, usually being forced from her life brutally. If that happened with Justin, she didn't think she could recover. She groaned softly, cover her face with a hand. This was asinine, crazy even. To think Justin Timberlake of 'N Sync would possibly have any affection toward her at all, other than friendship, was ludicrous. She gave a bark of humorless laughter, tossing her hands into the air. If things changed any more between them, she would do the safest thing she could. Extract him from her life as painlessly as possible.

Justin yawned, stretching luxuriously as he idly watched the people around him through a dark pair of sunglasses, the brim of his baseball cap pulled low over his forehead to obstruct some of his features from anxious viewers. He had been paroled for the day from the duties of meetings and various other 'group' activities because one of the other guys had made it known he was sick. So, he had done what any other guy his age would do. He went to the beach to check out what was going on. He had tried to call Drusylla from his hotel room, but had been informed briskly she was out with the kids and wouldn't be returning until later that evening. A flicker of regret passed through him. He wanted to hear her voice, find out how she was doing and to see if she had heard any news of her brothers. He shook his head, rolling his eyes heavenward at the directions his thoughts had taken. It was very rare when a woman could snare his attention for this long when doing nothing but rebuking him and his efforts to get closer to her. Was he going insane? He decided he probably was. There were thousands of women who would fall all over him if given the chance, women who wouldn't make his life as difficult. A grimace twisted his face when an image of Abigail flickered into his mind's eye. Then again, some women just make it way too easy. And those women just want to be seen on my arm, hoping to be known as a girlfriend or something, thinking they can increase their own popularity. He sighed softly at the thought, closing his eyes. Why friendship and love were the two most difficult things to achieve in life, he would never know.

He glanced up, his eye catching on a volleyball game taking place not too far away. The men wore baggy shorts and the women wore skimpy multicolored bikinis. A rueful smile turned the corners of his lips upward as he watched the women taunting the men. He wondered if Drusylla would taunt him the way the women in front of him taunted their male friends. With a sigh, he climbed to his feet and leisurely strolled the few blocks back to the hotel, hands stuffed into the pockets of his cargo shorts. He made it back to the hotel without being noticed, much to his relief, and headed toward his room. They had been on the road, setting things up for their next recording time in the studio, going to meetings and basically talking to all the right people. JC glanced up when Justin stumbled into the room.

"You have a phone message." JC mumbled distractedly, thrusting a piece of paper into Justin's hand, turning his attention back to the small computer set up in front of him, a music program open.

"Thanks." Justin sighed tiredly, glancing down at the slip of paper. His heart lurched in his chest and he immediately reached for the telephone sitting on the table resting between the two beds in the room. He quickly dialed the number, unaware he was holding his breath until someone answered the phone.

"Mrs. Winters, how can I help you?"

"Yes, this is Justin Timberlake. You returned my phone call earlier on a few kids you placed in foster care about three years ago."

"Cory, Tavis, Michael and Keith. Yes. I'm sorry, Mr. Timberlake, but I can't help you. The information you requested is simply unavailable for the children's safety."

"I understand that, Mrs. Winters, but Drusylla is a good friend of mine and she's worried about her brothers. Surely you can understand her pain when it comes to this. She's written dozens of letters trying to find out the well-being of them and has not heard anything. I can vouch that she's in a stable, well paying job and has a nice place to live in. She just wants to know they're all right."

"Mr. Timberlake, I really wish I could help you, but its just not possible. Not only will the safety of the children be at risk, but my job will also be at risk. I know how difficult this is for you and Drusylla. The circumstances back then didn't allow for the five of them to stay together. I regret not being able to find a home that would take all of them. But, separation was necessary."

"I'm not asking you to tell me where they are. I'm just asking you to find out how they're doing. Or, call the families and have them talk to me if you feel you can't give me this information. I'm only trying to help out a friend of mine."

"All right, Mr. Timberlake, I will call the families and tell them of the situation. But I am not promising anything. No phone calls, nothing."

"I understand, Mrs. Winters. And thank you." Justin smiled with satisfaction as he hung up the phone. A vague finger of guilt traced his spine. He hadn't told Drusylla his plan yet because he hadn't wanted her to get her hopes up only to have nothing come from these phone calls. He couldn't take witnessing her hurt and depression. He shook his head, raking a hand through his curls as he sat heavily on the bed.

"Hello?"

"Sylla, its me."

"Hey, Justin. What's going on?"

"Actually, a lot. What are you doing this weekend?"

"You mean the weekend that starts tomorrow?"

"That would be the one."

"I'm not sure, why?"

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