Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 06:53:50 -0500 From: Kris Eshleman Subject: Lance Meets an Angel: Chapter Seven Okay Kids, I'm back after all this time. Sorry about the wait but real life took a few hectic turns and then I had writers block and god knows what else. Anyway on to the stuff I have to say. Disclaimer: I don't know anyone famous and especially not the famous people I'm writing about here. This is just a story and isn't meant to imply anything about any real people mentioned, its just fiction for people's enjoyment. If you aren't old enough to read this don't... If you don't like male/male relationships, you somehow ended up in the wrong place and should now leave peacefully... Yeah I think that is all... on with the story *~*~*~* "Hi I'm Kurt Loader and this is an MTV News Brief. NSYNC fans around the world today cried out in a single voice of anguish. One of the band's members, Lance Bass, was hurt in a harness accident at their latest concert in Wilmington, North Carolina. Details about Lance's health, and the cause of the accident are not available at this time. None of the other band members have made any statements, and the only thing that Jive is saying is that the tour will be canceled for an "indefinite" period of time. That's all the news for now, stay tuned at ten to the hour, every hour." *~*~*~* Tiernan paced back and forth in the hospital lobby. He wasn't sure exactly how long he had been waiting. He was harrowed by what he had seen take place at the concert, and the feeling it left him with tore at his insides, images of Lance falling, the sounds of so many people starting to scream in fear and panic. He imagined he could hear the harness cords snapping. He remembered seeing Lance's body hitting the stage, remembered the pain and fear that shot through his own body. He stopped pacing when a doctor came out and headed in his direction, but resumed once more as the doctor stopped to talk to someone else in the lobby. He was frustrated beyond measure. The other guys were back with Lance, but he had not been allowed to go. The only reason he knew that Lance was even at this hospital was because Justin had called him and let him know. He wanted to scream in frustration but instead simply quickened his pace. *~*~*~* Darkness... pain... burning fire in his head... sharp spiking agony in his leg... harsh painful light... where was he? What had happened? He could open his eyes, but he decided against it. He could hear people talking... he listened but his mind was blurred and he didn't understand everything they were talking about. "Is he going to be alright?" "We think so, his injuries are serious but not life threatening." "When will he wake up?" "Soon probably, he suffered a slight concussion and his left leg is broken. The longer he sleeps the better." Slowly he started to open his eyes, and the first thing he focused on was JC's concerned face leaning over him. He could feel someone holding his hand and knew that that was JC as well. He reached up with his other hand and brushed his fingers down his friends tear streaked cheek. "What's the matter Josh? Have you come to bury Caesar? " JC smiled and laughed a little, that put Lance more at ease. He didn't want to see his friend upset. He closed his eyes again as JC called to the other guys. "Justin, Joey, Chris, he's awake!" There were sounds of people shuffling closer to the bed and he opened his eyes once more. Justin was on his right, and Chris and Joey stood at the foot of the bed. JC still stood to his left. He saw the doctor observing from near the door. "How do you feel?" Chris asked, his eyes full of concern. "Like I fell out of an aerial harness and plummeted to a hard stage." "So, done moping? Wanna go play some basketball?" Lance smiled at Justin, but deep inside he wished that was possible. He was now well aware of the cast on his leg. "I was bad enough before, now you wanna take advantage of the fact that I can't even walk!" "I'll push your wheel chair for you, and we'll even let you get away with not dribbling. I mean we let you get away with that while you `re healthy so this won't be much different." Lance stuck his tongue out at Chris and wished he had something to throw at him. However, with JC still holding onto his hand like a lifeline, and one broken leg, he was pretty sure that Chris could take him. He turned to look up into JC's eyes again, and realized his friend was crying. "Josh I'm fine. I'm going to be up and around in no time." JC nodded and backed away from the bed, excusing himself and heading out of the room and down to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. Lance watched him go and felt a little sadness at the loss of JC by his side. Suddenly though something snapped into place, something was wrong, someone was missing. "Guys, um... is Tiernan here?" Justin looked to where JC had disappeared to, Chris looked at the ground, which left Joey to answer in a very small voice. "Um... yeah he is... he's in the lobby." "What? Why? Why didn't he come in here with you four?" "Uh... security wouldn't let him... and neither would Josh..." "What! Why?" "I don't know... you would have to ask him." "Joey, could you please go and get him for me?" "Josh?" "No Tiernan." "Uh... sure." Justin retreated to the door with Chris and the two of them left with Joey. Lance turned his eyes toward the bathroom. Why wouldn't JC have allowed Tiernan to come back to the room with the rest of the guys? Surely he didn't think Tiernan would talk to the press about what happened. He locked eyes with JC as he came out of the bathroom looking a bit better than he had before going in. "Why wouldn't you let Tiernan come back and wait with you guys?" "He isn't one of us..." JC said with definite venom in his voice. "What?! What are you talking about?!" Lance couldn't believe he had heard that. It didn't matter whether or not Tiernan was a member of NSYNC, Tiernan was important to Lance and he knew that if the situation were reversed he would be worried sick about what happened. "Josh what the hell are you thinking! Tiernan is my friend!" Something changed in JC right before Lance's eyes. He started to clench and unclench his fists and his face became flushed in anger. "Oh really? Is that why he tried to force himself on you?" "What?! What are you talking about?!" Lance could barely control the shock in his voice, but he made no attempt to hold back the anger that welled up in him at JC's accusation. "Tiernan didn't do anything like that. What in God's name gave you that idea?" "The message he left on your computer!" "Josh that message was private first of all, and second he was saying he was sorry that he didn't give in to my drunken attempts at throwing myself at him." Josh stepped back and blinked a few times, but before he could say anything an extremely anxious Tiernan ran into the room, followed by three extremely cautious boy band members. The first thing Tiernan did was go directly to Lance's side. "Are you okay? I was so worried, they wouldn't let me come back and I didn't know if you were okay and..." Lance silenced Tiernan by placing one hand against the side of his face and pulling him down so that he was eye level with himself. "Baby I'm going to be fine, it's not as bad as everyone thinks it is." Lance's heart broke when he saw tears well up in Tiernan's eyes. "Can I kiss you?" "Only if you promise to be really careful." "I think that is our clue to leave..." Joey's voice snapped the other four band members out of their daze. One by one they headed out, both Justin and JC wearing looks of extreme hurt. Tiernan and Lance however never noticed. Ever so slowly and carefully, as though he though Lance was made out of glass, Tiernan leaned forward and placed his lips to Lance's. They both closed their eyes as Lance's tongue pushed against Tiernan's lips. With a soft sigh Tiernan allowed Lance entry into his mouth, using the bed railing for support as Lance's left hand started to caress the back of his hair and neck. With a small noise of disappointment Lance broke their kiss. "Tiernan... I'm so sorry to have put you through all of this." "It's not your fault." "I know I just... I..." "What? Its okay baby you can tell me anything." Now it was Lance's turn to cry. He looked away from Tiernan and out the window. How was he supposed to say that he didn't want to leave Tiernan; that he wanted them to be together? Right as he turned back to look into those lovely cobalt eyes his phone rang. Shocked he looked at Tiernan. "Can you hand me my phone?" Shocked himself, Tiernan walked over to the table set off in the corner to retrieve the phone. He smiled a little as he handed it to Lance. "Even in a sickbed you still have business." "Lucky me huh?" Looking down at the caller ID Lance realized it was the band's manager on the phone. "Hello... Yeah I'm fine... Broken leg and slight concussion... No I would imagine not... Really... I don't know what to say... No I'm not sure what I'll do... I'm not sure what any of the others will do either... It's great though... we needed a vacation anyway... Yeah I sabotaged my own harness and risked death for a break from the tour... Yeah you know me... Okay thanks again... Bye." Lance shut his phone and starred at it for a few seconds in shock before turning to look up into a bewildered Tiernan's face. He couldn't help but smile as he did so. "Management just told me that we have to cancel the tour for a couple of months until I am up on my feet again, and until they are sure I won't be risking further injury from dancing." "Perfect. I know exactly how you can spend those months." Lance tilted his head quizzically at that comment. "Tomorrow is the last day of recording for this season, and then I am completely free until four months from now when I start work on a new movie." Tiernan sat down on the bed beside Lance and placed his hand over Lance's. "You're coming home with me to New Orleans. The plantation is huge and I can rehire a new staff to help Marcus and Lhiandran. That way we can spend time together, I can take care of you while you're hurt, and neither one of us will have to cook or clean." Lance's face lit up at the suggestion. "Are you sure?" "I have never been more sure about anything in my life." "Won't it be expensive to hire a complete staff?" "Yeah but I have the money, and my sister could come visit us." "It sounds perfect but..." "But what?" "What about the other guys?" Tiernan smiled as he leaned down and kissed Lance gently again. "Bring them! The manor is big enough. I will stay in the master bedroom; you can have my old room that is right down the hall, four guys can stay in either the east or west wings, and one could even live in the building behind the manor if he wanted more privacy." "Really? You don't mind?" "Not at all, it would be nice to have the place whole again. Besides Mardi Gras is coming up and you should be able to walk by then." Lance leaned forward to enter into another slow kiss. Afterwards he pressed his forehead to Tiernan's so that they were eye to eye. "Alright you've sold me. I don't know if the other guys will want to or not, but I'm going with you." "Great. I'll go get them so you can ask." "No don't worry about it, I'll just call Josh's cell and ask them to come back, our manager has probably already told them about the free time." Tiernan couldn't control himself while Lance picked up the phone to dial it; he started to kiss down Lance's neck, extra careful not to put to much weight on him. Lance's murmurs of appreciation were all the encouragement he needed. *~*~*~* That is all for Chapter Seven, please email me with comments about what you thought, and or suggestions for the upcoming chapters at uninspired_teen@yahoo.com Thxs everyone who has been so great a support to me. I'm working on creating a message board and possilbly a complete sight for this story and my others. If you are interested in seeing it or maybe helping, I'm going to have contests and such for plot twists readers would like to see in the story. If interested please email me at the above yahoo address. Thank you all.