This is yet another story about those hunky boys of the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync written by a straight woman. Therefore, please excuse my writings if they appear to be a bit screwed due to my lack of knowledge. This story is a work of FICTION (note the term FICTION) and is purely written for the sole purpose of entertainment and enjoyment. These events did not happen to the best of my knowledge and therefore actions taken in this story do not reflect the true nature of the characters involved. This story does not imply anything about the sexuality of the person(s) involved. And if you're an underage teenie or do not wish to read about male/male sexual relationships, this is now the time to shut your lap-top as there will be sexual explicit scenes throughout. Proceed with your own risk. Enough with the warnings, now on with the story.

Special thanks to JM for his contribution to the story. Other stories that have recently captivated my attention that you ought to read are: "Now or Never", "This I Promise You", "BSB-N Sync Chronicles", "A Love Like This", "'N Sync Saga", "The Price and the Prize(I think)", "Love Me", "My Lance", "Decisions", "Intimate Stranger", and of course many more. For a complete list, email me. Yet another plea for emails.

As Lance unveiled the true Lance Bass to the world, his fellow bandmates glued to the television screen. Tears in every pair of eyes, except in those of Justin. A smile crept on his face, indicative of his overwhelming love and pride for his bandmate. On the other side of the continent, the members of the Backstreet Boys watched, gloating over their accomplishment. As the press conference drew to a close, cries from Lance-loving teenies could be heard from miles away shattering glass windows in every house, school, and church. At the same time, cheers uproared in gay bars across America.

"I knew you could it." One patron in a bar in the heart of the midwest was heard saying.

Lance stepped out of the spotlight and made his way through the pack of wild wolves better known professionally as journalists. As many as there were, Lance managed to slip through the crowd and into a waiting a limo that would drive him around LA for the next few hours until it was time to leave all of 'N Sync behind. Finally, the limo rounded the corner stopping abruptly in front of the airport. Lance stepped out, followed by Randy, one of his favorite bodyguards. As soon as Lance found his seat on an empty section in the airport, Randy left only to be replaced by the youngest member of 'N Sync. Lance looked up, expecting to see Randy. Instead, he was met with Justin's eyes looking down at him.

"You don't have to leave?" Justin told Lance as he sat down next to his best friend.

"No. I do. I have already ruined 'N Sync enough." Lance said, getting up on his feet to leave when he was stopped in his tracks by JC.

"No. You are not walking out on us." JC told him. "We've been a group for way too long for you to just quit. How many times do I have to say that we are a group?"

"Yeah, Lance, there is no "I" in 'N Sync." Chris said.

"Lance, listen to me. We need you. We are a team. And I'll be damn if I let you walk onto that plane. I know that you don't want to. You feel cornered. You feel you have let us down, but I promise you everything will be alright." JC continued to explain as Lance's eyes began to well up with tears.

JC was right. He was always right. No matter what, they were a team. 'N Sync would cease to exist without all five members. Each member had a vital role to the group's harmonizing sound. Without one of the members, 'N Sync would, be lack of better words, out of 'sync.

Lance threw his hands up in the air, surrendering himself to his bandmates' embrace. As they dispersed, they were greeted by Melinda who informed them the latest on Lance's situation. Management had arranged for Lance to have an interview with none other than Diane Sawyer, during which he would publicly apologize for lying to his fans that he was gay.

The interview was to be held in an undisclosed location in LA. There would no media frenzy. Just an hour-long interview to be edited for 15 minutes worth of airtime on ABC. Lance walked into the interview, apprehensive about what he might say. When the time came, Lance spoke eloquently. He apologized to his fans for lying. However, contrary to management's arrangement, he apologized to his fans for keeping his sexuality a secret. He took the opportunity to apologize to his family as well as to himself for doing the same. He asked for their continual love and support as he learned to love himself for who he was. Lance walked into the interview a very scared little boy and walked out a courageous man. He was no longer a boy.

"No!" A screamed heard for miles away spontaneously lighted up all the rooms in a two-story house, waking up all of Kentucky.

Kevin, Howie, and Brian barged into Nick and AJ's room to check on their young friend. As they walked in, they found Nick who was sweating all over his body, sitting on the bed. AJ continued to lie on the bed as if he was still sleeping. Kevin rapidly approached the youngest BSB and took him into his arms as Howie woke up AJ from his sleep.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Kevin asked Nick.

"I...I had a nightmare. It was horrible." Nick buried his head into Kevin's chest.

"What was your nightmare about?" Howie asked Nick, sitting next to Nick on the bed.

"I dreamed that suddenly 'N Sync's fan base doubled over night. I was reading the Nifty Archive and every story about me was replaced with stories about Lance. They became even more popular today than before." Nick explained between sobs.

"Unfortunately, that was not a dream." Brian said, glancing down at the folded newspaper in his lap.

AJ grabbed the newspaper from Brian and looked at the headlines, "'N Sync Fan Base Doubled Over Night After Lance Bass Came Out of the Closet".

AJ's face contorted several times. He was disgusted by the turn of events. He tossed the newspaper at Nick's face. Nick bent down and picked up the newspaper, quickly browsing through the article.

"Why don't we come out and admit that we're gay, too. After all, don't boybands have a lot of gay fans? Just look at the Nifty Archive. They're always writing about me and everyone us. We can double our fan base, too." Nick was excited about the prospects of not having to conceal his sexuality.

"Are you brain dead?! What did I say about keeping your stupid comments to a minimum?" AJ hollered at Nick, sending Nick back on the bed. "That will only allow them to claim that we are copying them. Besides, it's those teenyboppers that keep us rich. We can't afford to lose them."

"What do we say we do next?" Howie asked.

"Next plan. We attack Joey and Chris." AJ said.

"You know that you won't get away with this." Brian said to AJ.

"Just watch me. Just watch." AJ said, smiling.

The Backstreet Boys were fast at work. They boarded the next flight out West to be closer to the action. This time, they would not come back to Orlando as failures. They were going to succeed at all cost.

Within hours of their arrival at LA, fans barricaded the airport exit, trapping the Boys at the airport. The fans who couldn't accept Lance's sexuality had boarded on the BSB bus and joined their former rivals. The Boys smiled and waved at their fans as they were swept by the fans by their entourage of bodyguards.

Meanwhile at the same time as the Boys were trapped at the airport, Danielle received a packet that was hand-delivered to her at her desk at the Los Angeles Fumanskeeto Office. She opened it without any hesitation, thinking that it was yet another gift from her boyfriend, Chris Kirkpatrick. She opened the package and found photos in the package. She dropped the photos onto the floor as she clenched her heart. Her heart was ripped into pieces when she saw the photos of her boyfriend in bed with an unknown woman. She reached for the phone and frantically called Chris. Without even hearing Chris's explanation, she ended their two-year long relationship.

"Who was that?" Lance asked.

Chris was speechless. He hung up the phone and fell to the couch. "That was Danielle."

"How is Danielle doing on "Boy Meets World"?" Joey asked Chris.

"That was my Danielle, stupid! And she called me to break up." Chris said, finally. "She mentioned something about some stupid photos."

"I'm sorry, Chris." Justin said, patting his best friend in the back.

Chris pushed Justin away from him. "I think I have to be alone right now." Chris said, before leaving his bandmates.

"What just happened here?" JC asked, taking off his earphones- just now realizing Chris's anger-driven departure.

"Danielle and Chris just broke up." Joey informed JC.

"What?"

"Yeah. Something about photos." Lance said.

"You don't mean- oh, shit!" JC exclaimed. "That happened over a year ago. How did those photos leak out?"

"I don't know." Joey said.

Joey, Justin, JC, and Lance sat in silence trying to comprehend what had just happened. Over a year ago, Chris had a one-night stand with a Las Vegas showgirl. Since it was Justin's birthday, the guys thought it would be a nice gift to video tape the sex and take pictures for Justin to see. However, Justin refused to accept the gift and they trashed the evidence. Now, a year later, everything showed up conveniently at Danielle's office only two weeks after the album release broke records and Justin being kidnapped and one day after Lance was forced to come out and reveal his sexuality.

"Something doesn't add up." A voice over their shoulders said.

Everyone looked up to see that Chris had rejoined the group in JC's room.

"Something tells me that we all have to be more careful from now. I can smell AJ's dirty boxers a mile away." Chris said. "And JC, if I catch you talking with Kevin anymore, you can consider our friendship over."

The members of 'N Sync soon retired to their respective rooms. They agreed with Chris to not cause yet another crisis. Thus far, Justin had been kidnapped and God only knew what ordeal he had gone through. Then, although, Lance's sexuality had not hurt their fan base, everyone was well aware of Lance's sudden change. He was becoming more and more withdrawn from everyone, locking himself up in his room and only coming out when it was mandatory for him to do so. Apparently, he had been trying to get in contact with his family, but had not succeeded. Now Chris was personally affected. They didn't want to take any other chances. JC woke up in the middle of the night. His thoughts weighed heavily on his mind. Could it be him? He thought to himself. Could it be Kevin's work?

JC looked across the street. There were hoards of reporters just waiting to tear them apart. Despite the huge number of reporters, JC had to escape into the night. Chris was right. He hated when Chris used his ingenuious brain. Why couldn't he be crazy all the time? He had to find Kevin and deal with the source of all their problems.

JC darted across the street, passing gregarious reporters. Some even began pursuing him down the street. He quickened his pace and lost them at last. He stumbled across several more blocks before falling flat on his face. He picked himself up and hid in the alley, where he remained for the rest of the night, crying.

The sun soon rose. It was morning again. A new day for a new start, JC would always tell himself. The intensity of the sun-rays was so bright, JC was blinded. He raised his right hand to shield from the sun when a gentle hand graced his warm shoulder. He looked up and saw Justin's smiling back at him. Justin then retrieved a pair of sunglasses from his jacket and offered it to JC.

"How long have you been here?" JC asked his best friend.

"Oh, not very long." Justin said, taking a seat next to JC in the rat-infested alley. "When you didn't come back last night with the rest of the guys, I snuck out and went looking for you. I asked around and this man told me that some guy was running around so spastic that he almost hit him in the face. I asked him where he'd gone and he said down the block and into the alley. And here I am with you."

JC smiled affectionately at Justin. Instantly, he started to run his fingers through Justin's curls. His hands wandered down to Justin's neck and slipped across the nape to the back, pulling Justin in for a kiss when Justin stopped him. Justin was still uneasy about the kiss from the other day. He never once doubted his sexuality, but in just a week, he had kissed two men, both of whom he cared deeply for. He was ready for anything else.

"We have to get going now before I get a spanking." Justin said.

"I wouldn't want that." JC said, joining Justin for a jog out of the alley to a waiting limo.

JC and Justin returned to the hotel room to find their bandmates waiting patiently for their return. They looked horrible as if they had not slept the night before. Of course, Joey was still recovering from another hangover. On the table lay a copy of the `National Enquirer' with the headline, `Sex and Lies and the Secret Lives of Chris Kirkpatrick'.

JC took the newspaper and began reading more into the article when Lance excused himself to the bathroom. Justin noticed Lance getting up and followed him into the bathroom, leaving only JC and Chris along with Joey was only half there.

"I'm sorry." JC said, finally.

"I know." Chris said. "What has been done is done. I don't want to hold a grudge against anyone. I know that what you did was in the name of love. Although, I'd personally would never divulge secrets about my bandmates to Danielle, everyone is different."

"Thanks for forgiving me." JC said.

"No problem." Chris said, relaxing on the couch. "Last night when you didn't return from your walk, Justin asked us why we hadn't gone out looking for you and then I told him that I didn't care to look for you, he started crying. Justin was crying by himself in his room. Just looking into his teary-eyes, I knew that when and if we find you, I'll have to forgive you. Besides, I called up Danielle and after hours of begging and offering half of the company to her, she agreed to give me another chance."

"Thank goodness." JC sighed- relieved that Chris had gotten back with Danielle.

"But unfortunately Lance is even more withdrawn. I couldn't get a peep out of him today. I just hope that Justin has better luck."

Meanwhile behind closed doors in the bathroom, Lance lay, slumped on his back against the wall. He didn't look up once, not even when Justin had walked in. Justin sat down next to him and held Lance close to his chest.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked his best friend.

"I called them again this morning and I got a hold of them." Lance answered, sincerely.

"Then that's great, right?"

"They were upset with me. They were disappointed in me." Lance cried out.

"Did they say that?" Justin asked.

"No, but I could sense it in their voice." Lance told Justin. "Justin, what am I going to do? My family doesn't love me anymore."

"That's not true. And you know it." Justin told his friend. "You just need to give them some time. In the meantime, you still have me and the rest of the guys."

"But it isn't the same." Lance shrugged away from Justin. "Chris and Joey are always hanging out together and you have JC. I'm usually the one left out."

"That's not true." Justin's voice trailed off, realizing that Lance was true.

Sure the men of 'N Sync are best friends. They would do everything together, go on vacations together, however, there were definitely closeness among the members of the popular band. Justin had always been close to JC. He was also close Chris, they had a lot of fun together. Sometimes when Justin wasn't feeling too well, Chris would be there to bring out the kid in Justin and then there was Joey. They, too, shared a bond when it came to hanging out and just having fun. So, where did that leave Lance?

"You can come with us to the mall." Justin offered. "I was going to take JC out shopping to ease him, but you can just as easily come along. Besides, I'm sure you'll be a better shopping buddy than JC will ever be."

Lance hesitated at first, but after much convincing from Justin, not to mention his pout, Lance agreed. He agreed only on terms of not interfering with his relationship with JC. He knew he could never replace JC and he wanted to make sure Justin understood perfectly clear. And Justin did.

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