Epilogue

"C'mon Kat, spill!" Jordan Mahoney demanded of her very content, very exhausted roommate. "Omigod! You had sex with him didn't you???"

"No, I didn't have sex with him," Kat answered calmly.

"Then what? You've been laying in the same position, just staring off into space with that god damn dreamy look on your face since I got back and I want to know what the hell is going on!"

"You need to calm yourself down cus you're starting to bug me," Kat replied, unmoved.

"Calm down? Fine." Jordan took a deep breath and planted herself on the foot of Kat's bed. "I'm calm, now please tell me what's going on with you and *Nsync."

"Nothing is going on with me and *Nsync."

"Now you're lying."

"One member doesn't mean I'm dating the whole damn ensemble."

"You're dating JC Chasez?!"

"Well what did you think, that I'm some groupie? You accuse me of have sex with him and then act surprised when I say we're dating..."

"You know I didn't it mean like that. But I see you here, clearly worn out and satisfied from something with an incredibly expensive silk gown hanging in your closet..."

"Well I wanted to look like one of those hookers you really have to save up for," Kat stated flippantly. "What the hell do you think of me, Jordan?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of what I said to sound like that," Jordan apologized, crawling under Kat's comforter to lay next to her and pulling the cover up over their heads. "You know I love you."

"I know," Kat smiled. "So how was your weekend?"

"Greg got plastered at a little get-together I had at my house and puked on my mother's oriental rug, Erin complained the whole time that she had work to do, and Lisa used up all my cell minutes talking to Dave. And those are the highlights."

"Sorry I missed it."

"So what ever happened to you going to Penn State?"

"I went and got into a fight with Sylvia and Rey and ended up taking the bus back."

"Wow, you got that pissed at them? What the hell did they do? I'll kick some ass!"

"That's ok. And I really don't want to talk about that right now. I'm in tranquil mode. I had an incredible night last night and I just want to savor the moment."

"You're the boss, Kit-Kat."

"I know."

Both girls busted out laughing under Kat's comforter. Kat began to think about all that comforter had seen that weekend when there was a knock at the door.

"Come on in!" both girls shouted, not emerging from underneath the blanket.

"Kat?"

Kat flipped the top of the blanket off her and her roommates heads and smiled brightly at the man standing in front of her.

"Hey get your damn hands off my girlfriend," JC kidded.

Jordan snuggled closer to her roommate. "Get your own, I saw her first."

"Why, would you two stop bickering over little ol' me. Its nothing a duel to the death can't fix," Kat declared in her best Southern Belle imitation.

"Anything for my lady's honor," JC chuckled, returning the accent.

"He wins," Kat shrugged at Jordan as she crawled out of bed and into JC's arms.

"Oh, get a room," Jordan mumbled pulling the covers back over her head.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to call me from the air."

"Well I was but I wanted to give you something," JC smiled, producing a small blue gift bag from behind his back.

"JC, you've given me way too much already," Kat protested, motioning to the gown hanging in the closet.

"This is different, and its something I really want to you to have while I'm away. My mom gave this to me when we left to record in Europe and I thought it might help you the same way it helped me." JC took Kat's hand and hung the string handles of the bag on her fingers. "Wait till I leave to open it."

"Anything else you wanted?" Kat smirked.

JC just looked at her, his eyes drifting down to her lips. Her knees felt weak feeling his gaze on her. "Jordan, why don't you go bother, Lisa and Erin?" Kat requested her eyes never leaving JC's face.

"Fine, I will go but I'll be back and I want details," Jordan exclaimed, throwing Kat's blanket to the side and exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as he heard the door click, JC bowed his head, closing the remaining few inches that separated the two. His lips captured Kat's, his strong hands gently griping her waist as her arms snaked around his neck, one hand still holding to gift bag and the fingers of the other running through his hair. The sensations they were creating for each other were so intense the rest of the world became hazy. The only coherent thought JC could summon up was, How the hell can I leave her after this?

Kat propped herself up onto her tiptoes to deepen the kiss. She was completely lost in the moment, with not even a single rational thought clouding the incredible sensations JC's lips and arms and hands were creating within her. JC took her cue and tightened his hold on her, bending his knees a bit before straightening up and pulling Kat clear off the ground. JC's mind screamed he had plane to catch. He knew if he let this go any further, he wouldn't be making a flight or any other commitment he had over the next three weeks. Any more of her touch and he'd be more likely to blow off his entire career than leave her embrace.

JC set Kat back down to the ground and backed off a bit placing feather kisses over her lips, moving up to her eyes lids and then, finally, the tip of her nose. Kat's eyes fluttered open to find JC's piercing gaze awaiting her own. "I have to go or I won't be able to leave at all," he whispered against her lips.

"I wish it were as simple as that."

"Me too."

"You better get going," Kat said placing light kisses up his jaw line.

"You better stop that so I can," JC breathed, half hoping should wouldn't stop, half knowing she had to.

Kat pulled away and looked into the gray depths she once thought were Gabriel's. She knew now that she was wrong the whole time. It wasn't a ghost. It wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. She was just recognizing something just as special in someone else and she couldn't allow herself to differentiate between the two without betraying Gabriel's memory. She could now. She and JC would have problems. They'd have some really tough times. Everything real has to deal with reality and pain is just a fact of life. But they wouldn't be haunted. She wouldn't allow the ghosts to come back. That was her silent promise to JC every time she looked in his eyes and saw only him.

She walked him over to the door and they exchanged another quick kiss before he disappeared out the door with a smile and a wink but no 'good bye'. Kat watched him disappear into the stairwell from her door before running back inside to watch him leave from the window. When his car disappeared from site she sat on the bed with the blue gift bag. The first thing she fished out was tiny box wrapped in silver paper with a little bow tied around it. She looked at it, wondering what could possibly be inside something so small. She dipped her hand into the bag again and found a small notecard. She opened it, the box still balancing in the palm of her hand.

I give you a gift
That you can never see.
The reason it's so special
Is just for you and me.

Whenever you are lonely
Or even feeling blue,
You only have to hold this gift
And know I think of you.

You never can unwrap it
Please leave the ribbon tied.
Just hold the box close to your heart.
It's filled with love inside.

THE END

BE SURE TO LOOK FOR THE SEQUEL: "I BELIEVE IN YOU"

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