They talked. They talked for three hours straight. Mostly they talked about her disease. She thought it would be awkward but nothing matched the feeling of letting everything out. JC was better than her therapist, better than any friend she'd ever confided in. Neither really knew why. She told him about her childhood with her mother, before and after she began to drink.

When she told him about her suicide attempt, the look on his face was one of pure, unadulterated fear until she assured him that she was recovered and was a different person than she'd been all those years ago. The relief wasn't total but that was to be expected.

When he asked about her boyfriend, she gave him the most basic details only: they'd met in therapy, both had the same disorder, and that he'd relapsed. She wasn't ready to talk to JC about Gabriel in depth, though she knew if their relationship lasted any significant amount of time, that she would have to talk about it eventually. She didn't know if it was her perpetual loyalty to that man who'd given up on life and her or just her desire to save this man from having to bear any more than was necessary at any given moment. Either way it was neither the time nor the place. And they continued to talk.

They talked until James came knocking on the door saying that the other four had sent him to see if the coast was clear.

"So this is the famous, Kat McBride," James smiled, sincerely.

"Yes, it is," JC beamed. Their conversation had been intense. There were many tears, but by this time Kat had completely relaxed into JC presence. It was amazing the clarity that came with post-catharsis. "Kat, this is James," JC said motioning with his left hand to the man who'd made three cautious steps into the suite; his right hand resting comfortably against the small of Kat's back. "He's a member of our management, more of a big brother really," JC explained, pausing before adding, "When he's not being a pain in the ass, that is."

Kat smiled at the man she'd so flippantly sparred with on the phone earlier that day, a slight blush painting her cheeks as she realized some of the things she'd said when she didn't entirely believe he was who he said he was.

"Nice to meet you Kat," James smiled giving her a look that suggested it would be better if JC didn't know they'd spoken earlier.

Catching on, Kat smiled back and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, too, big brother."

"Can we help you with something, James?" JC questioned, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, first off, you have an appearance at this charity ball tonight, and should be getting ready right about now, as should the rest of your cohorts who have invaded my room, refusing to leave until I came here to make sure it was ok they come back, because they are cowards."

"That was a mouthful," JC smirked as Kat giggled, wide-eyed at the amount of words the man was able to fit in to that sentence. "I'm scared to hear what 'second off' will be."

"Second off," James grumbled eyeing Kat, "Is what you two have to tell me. I don't want to butt into your business but, as you know JC, its not really just your business anymore."

"Well," JC started reluctantly, "Me and Kat are going to give 'us' a shot. Now my question is what do you have to tell us."

"All right, we should probably sit down and have a talk," James motioned for them to sit. "I don't think I have to tell you, Kat, that dating JC isn't like dating Frat-Boy Joe. Basically, for *Nsync, the proposition of JC dating openly is a PR nightmare. However, this is the deal we've come up with."

Kat listened, amazed that she even found herself in this position. For those few days, though she knew who he was publicly, when they were together it was like JC was a normal person. The only time his celebrity entered her mind was when they weren't together and her insecurities took over. After the talk they'd just had, she was more relaxed with him than ever. There were no secrets. He'd taken everything she'd said in and still wanted to be with her. And he was still willing to go through all this trouble to do so.

"We acknowledge that sooner or later we're going to have to admit that you guys are, indeed, human, and will, indeed, be likely to want to spend time socially with members of the opposite sex."

"What are you? A cyborg, James? Get to the point," JC smirked, trying to mask his annoyance with sarcasm, all the while holding onto Kat's hand, stroking her thumb with his own. He wasn't sure where this was going and he wanted nothing more than to reassure Kat of his presence.

"Well, this is what we propose," James started taking a breath. "As you know with other relationships in the past, we've requested total secrecy of you boys."

"Requested?" JC mumbled under his breath, noticing how pointed James' comment was. Out of all the guys, his relationship with Jaclyn was the hardest to keep under wraps.

Ignoring JC's comment, James continued, "We feel at this point in time, you boys have begun to break away from most of the other acts out there and therefore are entitled to some leeway. Therefore, we're prepared to offer you a choice."

JC raised his eyebrows skeptically, shooting a sideways glance toward Kat, who was equally intrigued although for different reasons.

"Given the fact that Kat has already become known in the Metropolitan Area and on the Internet, it is foolish to think that we can just deny everything and move on, keeping your relationship under lock and key. So here are your options. We can go public with your relationship. 'Yes, JC has a girlfriend and she is Miss Kathryn McBride. You were all right. Blah, blah, blah.' Or we make the statement that you are just good friends. That way, though its not entirely believable, you can be seen out together without Miss McBride being chased with torches."

"Thanks for the visual," Kat shuddered.

"Then," James continued, "if its even still a factor, when you have a more secure footing in the industry, we can gradually introduce Kat into girlfriend territory. This is what I recommend, personally. But its your choice."

"So your not going to fight me on this?" JC questioned James, suspiciously.

"I'm not but there are four other people are going to be affected by your decision. So you should discuss this with them before you decide."

"And in the meantime?" JC countered.

"Well there shouldn't be much 'meantime'. I need you guys to make your decision by the tomorrow morning. I need to get a statement out for Monday."

"What about tonight?" JC asked softly.

"What about tonight?" both James and Kat countered, confused.

"Well, since we're leaving tomorrow, I'd like to spend tonight with Kat," JC replied softly.

"JC, you can't pull out. This thing starts in two hours. What-"

"What I meant," JC interrupted, "is that I'd like to take Kat."

"You would?" Kat asked, not sure why it was such a surprise.

"Of course," JC said, nudging her with his elbow. "James?"

"If that's what you want, then you should talk to guys now and make your decision. If you show up at such at public event with Kat already in the media playground, we're going to have to have a story ready." James stood, adjusting one of his cuffs, absentmindedly. Kat studied him subtly as both she and JC rose, following his lead. He was sincere. She wasn't sure how to take him on the phone. The voice can play tricks but body language is the easiest way to tell if someone has an alternate agenda. James was real. She almost couldn't believe it. But then again, she'd been making a lot of incorrect judgments lately.

"Well, I guess I'll send the rest of the tribe in," James chuckled running a hand through his thick brown hair. He was trying to show a positive attitude about all this but it was taking its toll on him. He wasn't very old- late twenties, early thirties, Kat concluded. But his job definitely affected his appearance. He was attractive but worry lines had begun to form on his crisp facial features and his stature was slightly hunched.

This whole thing was going to have a huge strain on the group and the people backing them. James really felt sorry for the PR people who'd have to deal with the brunt of the media situation. Nonetheless, he hadn't seen this spark in JC's eyes since the night he left the studio to surprise Jaclyn.

As James exited the room, JC sat back down on the couch, pulling Kat down next to him. He really wanted to pull her onto his lap but he thought maybe that would be a bit presumptuous considering the circumstances. "What do you think?"

Kat, absently wondering why JC hadn't pulled her onto his lap instead, rose her eyes to meet his gaze. "Well, personally I don't think I'm quite ready to have the number of people hating me escalate to the millions over night. I already have a thing about people not liking me and this could definitely give me a full blown inferiority complex," she chuckled, leaning her head against his shoulder. He shifted a bit in his seat so that his chin rested on top of her head, her cheek resting against his warm skin. "Plus," she added, her lips lightly moving against the skin of his neck, "I may be inconvenienced by whatever decision we come to, but you guys are the ones who really have something to lose. You all know better what to expect from all this than I could hope to understand right now. I'll agree to whatever you decide."

JC listened intently, willing himself not to be distracted from the feel of her lips and breath against his flesh. "I just want you to be comfortable. I know that seems a little impossible given the circumstances but it gets easier to deal with all the people. Hopefully what we build together will help ease the strain my life inevitably creates." His brow furrowed, thinking of Jaclyn's words to him months before.

"You are never here! You don't have time for me. All you care about is your music and your fans- all those little girls who want to marry you! Little do they know what they'd be getting into!"

JC pulled back to bring Kat's eyes up to his. "The last girl I was involved with was one of my best friends before we were ever a couple. Her name was Jaclyn and I trusted her completely. A few months ago, I left the studio early to surprise her and she surprised me with another guy. I don't know if I never should have trusted her or if I turned her into what she became by never being able to do the normal things this guy could do with her. In fact, up until I locked eyes with you on the floor at the Hard Rock, I was still walking around devastated. I'd gotten a lot better but right after me and Jaclyn broke up was like a nightmare. I made everyone's life miserable and almost destroyed our chances at any of this. I think that was what I was subconsciously trying to do. I blamed this for possibly ruining my shot at true love. I don't want my life to change you. Please promise me that you'll tell me everything your feeling. Don't tell me things are ok when they're not or that you understand when you don't. I don't need my feelings spared when it comes to you or anyone else I'm learning to trust. I need the truth, brutal or not."

"I'll promise if you you'll promise me the same thing," Kat breathed, a tear rolling down her cheek. JC cupped her face, brushing the tear away with his thumb. "My life, though drastically different, is just as, if not more, crazy and difficult to understand. Anytime you don't know why I'm saying something or doing something, ask. If there is one thing being how am is, its complicated. Asking questions is the only way to understand. I might not always offer an explanation for myself but I promise if you ask, I'll never lie."

"I promise, too."

JC's hands moved down, one snaking behind Kat's neck, the other delving into her sable hair. Kat's eyes fluttered shut as JC pressed his lips against hers tenderly. Her hands pressed against his chest and abdomen, her right hand clenching a bit of his T-shirt in an attempt to pull him closer. They were lost in the brand new sensations they were creating for each other when...

"Ahem," someone coughed, subtly behind them.

They broke apart abruptly, Kat's cheeks flushing red. "Sorry to break this up, lovebirds, but James said we needed to talk about something."

JC chuckled, not all that embarrassed at being caught, but dreading the jokes he'd be the butt of for weeks, maybe months to come. He motioned for Lance who stood in the doorway, the rest of the guys trying to see around him, to come in.

The four young men made their way in, treading lightly. Joey and Justin fought valiantly to keep their childish giggles to a minimum while Chris didn't even bother to try and suppress his. Lance smiled brightly at Kat, though still a bit reserved about whether or not a relationship with her was best for JC.

"Hi, Kat," he started, the others clearly not able to speak quite yet. "Great to see you again." His mannerisms betrayed none of his reservations and Kat smiled back warmly, instantly feeling at ease with him.

"Same here," she replied trying to straighten her slightly mussed hair, still tied back but teetering precariously, about to fall out of her barrette. "Lance, right?"

"That's me," he confirmed taking a seat. He glanced over at JC as the others managed their own greetings. James had been right. There was something different. Something that had once been missing that was back with a passion. He eyed Kat as she bantered with Joey about how Jordan, or the "scary one", as Joey had been referring to her as, was doing. Please be for real, he pleaded in his head as JC began the discussion about how to handle his new relationship with Kat. Every time he said her name, his eyes shone a bit brighter and Lance only hoped that she had what JC saw in her.

JC had one of the Plaza-employed drivers take Kat home as he and the guys got ready. It was decided that Kat would be "a good friend of JC's" for now. It seemed the best decision for all those involved. She'd accompany him to the charity ball, as his friend.

She'd protested that she had nothing to wear to a ball but he insisted that whatever she found lying around would be perfect. Hesitant, she decided to try out this newfangled trust thing, though she still didn't know what she was going to do as she mentally tried on her entire wardrobe and vetoed everything. She only had a little over an hour to find something, shower, and get ready before the limo was supposed to be picking her up. Things were looking pretty grim.

The few hours she'd spent with JC seemed to, at least temporarily, wipe out all of the problems that were plaguing her. Her head was still swimming, not only from the mind numbing kisses they'd shared, but they way they'd trusted each other with so little basis for such faith. It was definitely not something she was used to and it was clear that trust was a major issue for him as well. She just hoped they each deserved what they were offering each other. Only time could tell but at that moment Kat felt like anything was possible. For someone who once thought that death was the only answer to her lot in life, this was a tremendous achievement.

The driver pulled up to the front of her dorm and got out to open her door. She dug out what loose bills she had in her recovered bag, not even bothering to see which denominations they were and tipped the older man who then tipped his hat to her and returned to the driver's seat.

She let herself into the building with a swipe of her card, nodding to the familiar faces who sat out on the stoop, smoking. When she arrived at her door there was a new message on he dry erase board next to Jordan's, which had been left only because of Kat's own laziness.

Surprise.

Her eyes widened a bit, shaking her head in disbelief. No way could he have pulled this off, she thought as she let herself inside, hastily flipping on the overhead light.

Sure enough, on Kat's bed lay two glossy black boxes, each tied with a silver ribbon. She dropped her bag at the foot of her bed and crawled up next to the boxes. She knelt next to them, staring incredulously. She touched one gently, gliding her fingertips over ribbon, as if it would break if handled to roughly. She worked her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes wide looking like child Christmas morning who hadn't yet been given permission to open her presents.

She took a deep breath and pulled at the velvety ribbon of the larger box, the knot giving easily. She lifted the top off and spread the delicate tissue paper to reveal to most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. Her breath caught in her throat, her mind still trying to wrap around the fact that JC could have possibly managed to do this. She pulled the ice blue silk masterpiece from its confines, the words to describe what she was feeling completely escaping her.

She stood up, moving to the mirror hanging on the back of her door, and held the dress up to her body for size. It was perfect. She immediately stripped out of her clothes and stepped into what felt like pure heaven. It was floor length with a loose boat neck, the bottom flaring just enough for the material to flow with her every movement. In the bottom of the box was a matching wrap, perfect for the warm September weather.

She looked over at the second package, clearly a shoe box. The open-toed sling-backs she found inside where the exact shade of blue as the dress, making her once again wonder how the hell JC managed to swing all this when she was with him the entire time.

She resolved to temporarily shrug the mystery off when she caught sight of the clock, and reluctantly took the dress off, setting it gingerly on her bed , in order to shower.

JC smirked at his reflection in the mirror as he straightened his bow tie. Kat had to have found the dress by now and was probably driving herself crazy trying to figure out how he pulled it off. He wouldn't tell her though. Not tonight. No matter what look she gave him, not the puppy dog eyes or even the dreaded seductive glance would make him crack. He gulped when he thought of the seductive glance that he hadn't yet seen from her but was certain she could do very well. Someday he'd tell her. The day he became sure what the had was real would be the day he revealed all of his tricks. Well maybe not all of them.

"You ready, loverboy?" Justin inquired, poking his head in the doorway.

"Yeah," JC said making his way to the door, satisfied that hid tie was now perfect.

"Forget something?" Justin asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Huh?" JC asked perplexed before the realization that he was without pants hit him. "Oh, Jesus," he growled in disbelief. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"One guess," Justin said, laughing outright by this time.

"She's got me spinning, man," he sighed, shaking his head ruefully as he pulled on his tux pants. "You know I'm not one to kiss and tell but I just have to say... wow."

"Wow, huh?" Justin smirked, still chuckling.

"Ever have one of those kisses where everything else just drops away. I thought I had but today was a whole new ball game. I know I've been saying this a lot lately but its was like nothing I've ever felt before. I know its stupid to put my heart on the line like this again, especially so blindly, but its like I can't help myself. We're both putting a lot into this already on faith alone and I know its as hard for her as it is for me but its like we see something in each other that makes it ok. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?"

"Not really," Justin said honestly.

"Well I hope you do someday because I think even if I were to get my heart broken in the end here I'd be thankful forever for what I got to experience today."

"I'd love to get philosophical with you here, my friend, but we are running late so zip your fly and lets get a move on."

"Yeah ok," JC smirked giving himself one more look in the mirror. "You're just jealous cus you don't have date."

"Your absolutely right. Can we go please?" Justin replied rolling his eyes.

"I wouldn't want to keep my lady waiting, would I?" JC beamed.

"Nope," Justin chuckled as JC began to pass him out the door. Justin stopped him with a tug at his arm. "And for what its worth, I hope I get a chance to find out what you're talking about someday, too."

JC grinned and slung an arm over Justin's shoulder, leading him out of the room. "I do believe our little Curly is growing up."

The limo pulled up outside of Ruggles just as Kat had peered out the window to check for it. She had just finished her last minute touchups and stood in front of her mirror, assessing the finished product. She smiled at her reflection, feeling like a princess and finally knowing what all the little girls had wanted to be when she was busy in therapy and hospitals.

Minutes later she emerged from the main entrance to see JC standing outside the limo, a single sterling rose in hand. She almost melted on the spot at the site of him in a tux.

He was having similar sensations as she came into his view. He knew the dress had her name written all over it but the sight in front of him was something he'd never imagined. Her hair was loose and cascaded down her back in graceful waves. Her pitch locks hallowing her face and the color of the dress made her eyes leap from the rest of her features almost creating a completely separate entity. Her light makeup only contributed to the angelic image before him. He knew she was beautiful but this was ridiculous.

"I was looking for Kathryn McBride. Know where I can find her?" he smiled.

"Well you could check the cafeteria or the library, but I don't think she's classy enough for that ride you've got there."

"Oh no?"

"No way. I know her quite well."

"Well, you seem to be all dressed up."

"And no place to go."

"I'll tell you what. How about if Miss Kathryn doesn't show up in the next ten seconds, you get her seat."

"Only if you can settle on a 'Kat'."

"That sounds ok to me."

"You know," an impatient voice called from inside the huge stretch limo, "this is all very cute but we do have an event to get to!"

Kat and JC both broke into grins as they heard Chris bellow from inside the limo. JC took Kat's hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently before stealing a soft kiss from her inviting lips. "You look amazing," he breathed handing her the rose.

"I don't quite know how you are going to top this magic trick, Houdini," she smirked. "But I'm enjoying this illusion far too much to ask how you did it. Like you'd tell me anyway."

"I'll let you in on the secret of my mystical powers someday, but you're quite right. It won't be tonight."

"I knew it."

He motioned for her to take a seat inside the limo before taking his seat next to her.

"Glad you could make it," Chris smirked. "If this is what you two are going to be like, I think I want to change my vote."

"Too late," JC sighed. "Too bad, gramps."

"You are going to call me gramps one too many times and then you'll all say you were surprised when I go all 'disgruntled-postal-worker' on a group of unsuspecting prepubescent girls."

"What is it with you people an the disturbing imagery?" Kat questioned, shaking her head.

"Must we remind you about the cheese?" Joey inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"That wasn't quite as disturbing as images of me being chased with torches like Teenyboppenstien or Mr. A-K 47 over here."

"I dunno," Lance started, "I think whole 'old-lady getting spraying in the eye with a produce hose' thing was pretty disturbing."

"Point taken," Kat admonished. "And might I add, good memory."

"We don't call him 'Scoop' for nuthin'" Justin piped up. "He just seems to always know stuff, like God."

"I just pay attention, unlike some people."

JC smiled, seeing Kat interact with his best friends. As uncertain as their future was, this was definitely a good start. They all seemed to be getting along quite nicely and management wasn't throwing the temper tantrum he expected. As long as I can get her through these first few weeks we're apart we might just have a shot at this.

The ball was a benefit for a new foundation which took its cue from the Save the Music Project only it was specialized to the New York City Public School System. Her father, Charlotte, and their daughters had often attended events like it but Kat was always discouraged from coming. She was never forbidden but it would have been hell explaining Andrew Da Nate's illegitimate child to the Park Avenue crowd. Kat never felt more like Cinderella then on those nights- wicked stepmother, wicked stepsisters, and never welcome at the ball. Whether JC was Prince Charming or not still remained to be seen but at least for one night, he was more than any Prince Charming could ever be.

They kept up the appearance of pure friendliness all night. They behaved as friends, danced as friends, and spoke as friends. To everyone else, they were friends. But every time their elbows brushed or their hands met while reaching for a glass, the electricity was just as intense as it ever was. Stolen glances confirmed to each other the reality of their relationship. And no one was the wiser.

Towards the end of the night, JC leaned over to Kat. "We have a little performance we're going to do in about 15 minutes so we have to go warm up. I asked to change the song and its for you so I hope you enjoy."

Before Kat could respond, JC and the others disappeared in the sea of bodies lingering around awaiting for the closing remarks of the evening. Like clockwork, 15 minutes later, a regal-looking woman appeared on the platform at the front of the ballroom.

"Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Grace Curtain and I am the chairwoman of the Stephanie Gill Foundation. Thanks to your generous contributions tonight, the Foundation has collected over a half a million dollars to help keep music in our public schools. It is a great start and it is people like yourselves that keep the dreams of children citywide alive. Throughout the evening you've heard amazing stories of extraordinarily gifted children whose only hope to realize their dreams lies in the contributions like those made here tonight. This struggle doesn't end here but knowing that there are people out there who care makes the future of the Stephanie Gill Foundation bright as any star. To end our festivities tonight, we'd like to welcome a very talented group of boys you know just how important music is. Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome *Nysnc."

The din of applause as the guys took the stage died down as music began to fill the air. Kat's mouth was gaping as Justin began to sing, the notes dripping from his tongue like honey.

Kat's breath caught as JC began to sing. He was singing to her and the words weren't just lyrics to some pop song. Not to him. It was how he felt and what he wanted to make her see.

She hated the thought of leaning on anyone and she always did. She was always the strong one but she was exhausted by the pressure of be so strong. She was lost in the music and was in no hurry to find her way back.

Their talent was astounding; their voices blending, smooth as the silk of her dress. But what touched her the most were the lyrics. JC had switched whatever they were going to sing to this song for her benefit and it fit perfectly. She fought to keep the tears back but for some reason, since she'd let those emotions out that afternoon, she'd lost the ability to bottle them back up. It was a day full of firsts and as JC locked eyes with Kat from the stage, she knew that this was just the beginning for little Kit-Kat McBride.

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