Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 17:32:42 GMT
From: Diana Martin <callista_martin@hotmail.com>
Subject: Intimate Stranger III: The More Things Change (Prologue)

Intimate Stranger III: The More Things Change

By Diana

Author's Notes: Sorry for the extended delay, but I've been recuperating from
a minor accident on top of a major workload at work, and haven't had much free
time. Anyway, this is the series' finale. I'm guessing six to seven chapters
(not including the prologue). This story is preceeded by "Intimate Stranger",
"Kidnapped" and "Shattered" (in that order), and for the benefit of new
readers, the prologue will serve as a recap from JC's POV.

My comments on the VMA 2000: I was actually able to attend in person (didn't
exactly have the best seat in the house, but I brought binoculars with me
*grin*), and here's what I thought (of course, if you're just interested in
the story, skip down a few paragraphs).

Macy Gray was hilarious, Jim Carrey was his usual delightful self, Robert
DeNiro should try memorizing the script next time, and in all honesty, the
Waylon brothers were kinda weak. MTV should have made Chris Rock host again.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I was surprised to see Britney and Christina
on the same stage, but I didn't start screaming and cheering until Whitney
made her grand entrance.

As for the performances... I have to say right now that Britney Spears was
absolutely hideous. The fact that she ripped her clothes off was no big
surprise (let's face it, it's the only way she can divert attention from her
helium-enhanced voice), but her mockery of "I Can't Get No Satisfaction"
really steamed me. Girl, put your clothes back on and stick with "Lucky".
You're no Rolling Stone.

(And while we're on the topic of Britney, if she's really with Justin, then
all the best to them. But to quote one of my best e-mail buds, "I won't
believe the bitch till my Curly says so himself!" *wink*)

On the flip side, Christina Aguilera was simply amazing. Sure, she showed some
skin too, but at least she didn't look like a two-dollar prostitute on 5th
Avenue. I was blown away when Fred Durst came on stage, but ended up kind of
disappointed that they didn't perform an actual SONG together. They would've
brought the roof down.

And last but not least (in any way), N'Sync. It started out well enough (and I
was glad to see Justin finally cut his hair, 'cause the 'fro just wasn't doing
it for him), but I kinda got lost after they dropped the monitors down. Sure,
it was impressive, but too distracting. It was like 70% dance and effects, and
30% singing.

*shrug* Well, that was Diana Martin's review of the VMA '00. I now return you
to your regularly scheduled programming. ;)

Disclaimer: I'm not going to apologize for thinking JC and Justin have a
certain chemistry... truth is I think they're about the cutest-looking twosome
on TV. I'm also not going to proclaim that N'Sync is an entirely heterosexual
group, 'cause I don't know that for a fact. So let's just say that this story
is fiction and the events depicted within didn't happen. Whether I'm on the
mark about their sexualities or not, we'll probably never know. Personally, I
think it's better that way... knowing for sure would take all the fun out of
writing fanfics, wouldn't it?


Prologue

Joshua Scott Chasez would later look back on this day and remember it as the
day he learned some of life's cruelest lessons. Like the fact that all the
things he KNEW, all the things he took for granted, could disappear in a
matter of seconds. And no matter how bad his life seemed at the moment, there
would always be something worse waiting in the wings.

In all fairness, his life hadn't exactly been ideal lately. It had, in fact,
been a bunch of highs and lows clustered together, with no respite. The
insanity had begun five months ago, upon discovering that Justin Timberlake,
his best friend, had fallen in love with a man. A man who was jealous, abusive
and manipulative. A man named Jack Matthews, who was forcing Justin to pull
away from his life with N'Sync.

JC had always known he was a survivor; he could lose his fans, his bandmates
and even his family, and still go on. But he had never once considered the
possibility of losing Justin. Their friendship was supposed to be forever; it
had outlived the Mickey Mouse Club, and would outlive N'Sync as well.

But Justin was fading away, slipping through JC's fingers like sand. The older
teen fought to reclaim his friend, driven by an unknown, unnamed urge that
became clear one night, after falsely (or so he thought) propositioning the
volatile blonde.

Their relationship was based on one simple fact: Physically and mentally, they
were polar opposites. JC had grown up with a close, loving family; Justin's
parents had engaged in a Cold War for years until finally divorcing. JC had
had an adult's mindset at 16; Justin, nearly twenty, was still prone to
childish outbursts. JC was a workaholic; Justin hated getting up before noon.
The only thing they shared was a love of music.

Thus, they complemented each other perfectly; JC provided his friend with
emotional stability, and Justin still remembered how to have fun. They'd been
inseparable for almost a decade, through thick and thin, always together. They
were soulmates. It was the perfect love story, with one catch: Their gender.

Justin had come to terms with his own sexuality long ago. But it had taken JC
eight years to accept his attraction to his best friend. Once he did,
everything else fell into place. Soon he and Justin were making love,
sweat-slick bodies covered in rose petals. Their friendship had ended that
night, replaced, for better or worse, by love. A love that only grew stronger
with tiem. A love that was cemented by marriage (clandestine, but a marriage
nonetheless).

Their future had been so promising, so bright, that it had blinded them to
another sudden change. Their friend, James Lansten Bass, had always been a bit
of an enigma; none of his bandmates could figure him out. On one hand, he was
a perfect Southern gentleman and a good Christian to boot, believing in hard
work and discipline. But on the other hand, this was a man who could outlast
Chris at any bar, and his idea of a good time would make Joey cringe. There
was always a sense of duplicity about him, as though he only let them see what
he wanted them to see.

After JC and Justin got together, Lance started to show a different side of
himself. He grew colder, more distant, almost aggressive. At first they'd all
been sure he was just adjusting; after all, he'd been raised to believe that
homosexuality was a sin against God. And he wasn't hostile or anything like
that; in fact, he'd ignored the relationship entirely. In the public eye, he
was nothing but professional, and in private he just kept to himself.

But he was, in fact, a ticking time bomb. Despite his beliefs, despite his
religion, Lance was also infatuated with a man. Specifically, Justin's man.
Lance grew to resent his curly-haired bandmate, blaming Justin for his own
loneliness. And slowly but surely, the resentment blossomed into hate.

When Lance finally cracked, when his emotional meltdown finally came to pass,
all hell broke loose. Obsessed with JC, the jade-eyed blonde tracked down an
emaciated, insane Jack Matthews and struck a deal with him: Lance would lead
Jack straight to his ex-boyfriend, and all Jack had to do in return was make
sure Justin would never return to N'Sync again. Unfortunately, Jack's violent
nature got the better of him and he resorted to kidnapping, holding Justin
hostage in an abandoned warehouse and torturing him. Though Lance had been
displeased at first, he eventually went along with it.

Ultimately, their plot had failed. Lance had gotten careless, leaving behind a
clue that helped JC figure it out. Dragging his traitor bandmate with him, JC
had gone to rescue Justin.

His memories of what happened next were still a little blurry; he'd been
knocked out after setting foot in the warehouse. But the end result was clear
as crystal: Lance had been shot and injured, Justin had somehow lapsed into
catatonia, and Jack... Jack had committed suicide. The bastard was probably
still lying on a slab in some LA morgue, covered with a sheet. Bagged and
tagged and that was it.

Jack's death should have changed something; it was over, they were free. He
would never hurt them again. But another adversary quickly rose to take Jack
Matthews' place: his own mother-in-law, Lynn Harliss, became convinced JC had
betrayed her son. Swooping in, she whisked the comatose Justin away to
Orlando.

JC and his bandmates had followed her to Florida, staying aboard the tour bus
for fear Lynn would do something rash to keep them away. Help finally came in
the form of Britney Spears, who convinced Lynn of JC's innocence. The elder
woman grudgingly invited JC to help take care of Justin, and JC immediately
took the offer.

And here he was, standing at the Harliss' front door with a backpack slung
over his shoulder. Things were at last starting to look up: Lance had
confessed to his crimes, thus clearing JC of all suspicion. Jack was gone, and
now Lynn was on his side again. Soon Justin would be on his feet again, and
they'd finally have the happiness they'd been denied.

Taking a deep breath, JC knocked on the door and immediately came face-to-face
with a tired-looking Britney Spears. Her face brightened slightly as he smiled
at her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm glad you're here." she whispered.

"How is he?" JC asked, stepping into the house and dropping his backpack on
the floor.

Britney closed the door behind him and shrugged, pulling her hair back behind
her shoulders. "No change." Her lips perked upwards again. "But now that
you're here..."

Before she could finish that sentence, an alarmed cry came from upstairs,
followed by the sound of breaking glass. Both teens jumped, startled, and JC's
eyes widened in panic as he realized the sound had come from Justin's room.

Without a second thought, he leapt up the stairs, dashing towards Justin's
room at breakneck speed. For a moment it seemed he would plow right through
the door, but instead he skidded to a halt and swung the door open before
stopping dead in his tracks.

Sitting in bed before him was Justin Timberlake-Chasez, with his arms around
his sobbing mother. Coffee was splattered on the floor, along with bits of
glass.

The sight of his husband finally awake flooded JC with relief and joy. This
was a sign, he knew it; they could at last start over and know the peace they
were always meant to have together.

Justin's sapphire eyes fell on his husband's form, and he gently pulled away
from his mother, locking his gaze on JC's face. JC smiled slightly, taking a
step forward to embrace his man.

And three words, a sentence, halted his advance. A question, asked in a tone
of confusion and unfamiliarity.

"Who are you?"

To be continued...

Afterword: Yeah, I know, "so what's new?" Well, nothing, that was the point of
the prologue. The REAL fun starts in Chapter 1, the rough draft of which is
already complete. Ladies and gentleman, Diana Martin is out of traction and
back in action! ;)