Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 10:39:40 CDT From: mega nick Subject: NSYNC and the House of Dark Challenges: Part Two NSYNC and the House of Dark Challenges By Mega-Nick Part Two: Thursday Evening 6:00 PM Nick's Mom's House The Coming of the Storm Copyright 2000 Ok this is my first attempt at a slash story. You guys be kind or I'll hunt you and haunt you and hound you until hell freezes over! The obligatory disclaimer: I have no clue as to the sexual preferences of anybody in this story. This is fiction and if you don't believe it, get a life! If you are underage according to the community standards of where you live then you shouldn't be at the Nifty Archives at all, and you certainly shouldn't be reading this story. The author takes no responsibility for the actions of the irresponsible. Dedication: this second part of the story is dedicated to my good friend and inspiration, Jeany aka Nsyncgrrl. Acknowledgements: special thanks to Schuyler, CJ, Rachel, Karen, Josh, Kyle, Little Jon, DLS, Dark Seraphim, Kat, Superchris, Jay Cee, Jeff, Em, Eric, Superjoey, ScottyT and all the guys at Boy Band Chat for their warm welcome and wonderful friendships and kindnesses. All comments and quality constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated. Who knows? If you're real sweet you might make a friend for life! You can reach me at mega_nick@hotmail.com "I just got off the phone to the airport in Orlando. Justin's plane is already in the air and Justin is on the plane." Lance said. He looked not apprehensive, but in fact just plain, downright scared. "Cubby, take Lance into the kitchen and get him something hot to drink. Would you please?" Nick made it sound like a polite suggestion, but Jay knew it was an order that Nick expected to be obeyed. Jay grabbed Lance by one hand, and took his cell phone away from him with the other hand. He placed the cell phone on the coffee table, and then pulled Lance toward the kitchen. As the pair entered the kitchen Jay looked out the window and saw the first drops of rain hit the windowpane. He went to the pantry and pulled hot cocoa boxes out, and asked Lance what kind he wanted. Lance shrugged his shoulders, not really caring. Jay put the boxes down on the counter. He walked slowly over to Lance, reached up and put his hands on Lance's shoulders, maneuvered him over to the kitchen table, and slowly sat him down into one of the chairs. Lance's face was ashen and for just a second, Jay thought he'd pass out right there, but the moment passed and Lance just slumped a little in the chair. "Wait right here. It'll only take a moment to make your chocolate for you." He turned back to the cabinets across from the sink area, selected two large mugs, brought them over to the counter by the sink and then opened packets of the designer mix hot cocoa, white chocolate macadamia for himself, and raspberry chocolate for Lance. He poured the mix into the cups and then turned and looked at his favorite gadget in the kitchen. Nick's mom had one of those boiling water dispenser faucets next to the regular faucets in the sink. All you had to do to get boiling water was turn on the tap. Jay got a kick out of it. The device made instant coffee or chocolate or Quaker Oatmeal really instant. You didn't even have to take the time to boil the water. He took a spoon from the drawer and stirred the hot cocoa and carried the mugs over to the table. He handed one to Lance and then sat in the chair next to him... "Nick, you think little Cubby can handle Lance when he gets like that?" JC asked. "Yeah, Cubby can handle him. You saw how he just grabbed Lance and dragged him into the kitchen." The wind began to pick up and the rain came down. A huge wave of thunder rolled over the house. Everybody but Nick looked startled. Then Joey, and JC looked right at Nick. "This doesn't bother you?" JC asked. "Uhm no not really. I was born here. I'm used to weather like this." "I'm scared to death. I hear tornados are frightening and dangerous. I'm worried about Justin flying into this mess." Joey spoke casually and tried not to let the real worry inside him show. He'd not moved from his seat after he first came back with the sandwiches. JC was still leaning against his knees and oh did that ever feel good. Joey thought to himself, why do I kick and scream about him and Kyle? It was my own fault. Somebody better than me deserves JC. I hope for JC's sake that Kyle is the right one. Then Joey thought about this little trip to a haunted house that Nick invited them too. Joey didn't believe in ghosts, well not at this time. Then he thought about Justin, alone on that plane and flying from sunny and dry Orlando into this monster storm conjured from the nightmares of the tormented in Hell. He felt the house shudder as the wind picked up even faster and more thunder roared out of the southwest. He shuddered in his soul thinking about what Justin was about to go through at 36, 000 feet. As he thought of Justin on the plane, Joey saw a picture in his mind superimposed over Justin's face-a picture of an old, dark, forbidding, house. Joey felt uneasy because just for a moment it seemed the house watched him, and he saw a glimpse of another picture. The picture was of Justin, lying on his back, at the bottom of a hidden stairwell, in the middle of a large pool of his own blood...and Joey felt something give inside him, as if something important in his life just fractured and fell away into nothingness. With the second series of thunder from out of the southwest, Lance sat up straight in his chair at the kitchen table. Sweat beaded on his face. His eyes went wide in part because of the spectacular power of the storm, but also from the fear coiling like a snake around his heart. He looked out the kitchen window and saw a line of massive, anvil-head, thunderstorms heading straight for him. "Cubby!" Lance tried to yelp, but surprised himself at how small and far away his voice sounded. "I'm here Lance." Cubby said, and tried to hide the fear he also felt. He reached out and laid his hand on Lance's hand that rested on the table next to the cup of hot chocolate. "I'm worried about Justin." "I know you are, Lance. Don't be. Justin, among other things, is the luckiest guy I ever met. Nothing will happen to him. I promise." "You say that like you know it for a fact." Lance then gave Cubby a rather old sort of look, saying with his eyes, "...and don't torment me with what you can't possibly know..." "Look at me. I know. I'm telling you that Justin will be just fine. I bet his plane even comes in early." "Are you psychic or something, Cubby?" "Yeah. I am. Trust me. I know that Justin is and will be safe on his journey to us. Stop worrying, and drink your chocolate. If you're still a basket case when we go back into the living room, then Nick's gonna skin me." Lance tried a smile, and he was more or less successful. He turned his hand so that he could clasp Cubby's hand with a friendly squeeze. He marveled at how brave his little friend appeared in the face of the coming of the storm. Something deep in Cubby's character produced this brave and talented young man, Lance thought. He's just as frightened of the storm as I am, but he doesn't show it so he can be strong for me. I'm supposed to be the strong one here Lance chided himself. Some leader I make. Well I don't care right now. I'm scared and it feels nice to be here with Cubby. Nick is so lucky, but then that was something Nick held in common with Justin. Cubby spoke the truth when he said Justin was lucky. Lance also knew that the real reason he was so frightened had nothing to do with Justin or the storm or his own fear or how neat a guy he thought Cubby was. He kept saying the one word over and over and over in his mind like a mantra that would protect him and guide him and keep him safe through the coming storm and the adventure to come. Chris. If Lance was worried about Justin, then he was just freaked by the fact that if this storm kept on through the night and into tomorrow, then Chris would have to fly into it as well. Chris. Lance lifted his chin to hide his sinking spirits, and he smiled at Cubby, and thought over and over, Chris. Chris. Chris. A third series of thunderclaps sounded with a deafening roar. JC practically leaped out of his skin and suddenly found himself sitting in Joey's lap. Joey looked at JC with a curious expression, but he saw the fear in JC's eyes, and something else deep underneath the fear. Joey believed he saw the embers of longing and of lost opportunities there, somewhere deep inside JC's eyes. Joey's knee-jerk reaction was to laugh and dump JC on the floor, but he couldn't. He merely wrapped his arms tenderly around JC's waist and pulled him in close so JC could lay his head down on Joey's strong shoulder. He felt JC sigh from his whole body and being. Joey just sat there, and held his friend close. Nick looked at the pair in sheer astonishment. He would have never dreamed that he would see JC sitting in Joey's lap like old times. They're still in love, Nick thought. Sheesh! This weekend was already more complicated than he bargained for and the adventure had not yet even begun. Nick suddenly felt cold and clammy. He found that he'd broken out in a cold sweat. It felt like a large and venomous spider crawled up his spine. Nick shuddered and shook off the feeling. Sometime this imagination of mine will get me into a lot of trouble he thought. He tried to stand, and the world went whirling and his stomach heaved with the nausea, his head felt like a monster with an axe just split it wide open, and then everything went black. He saw a fireplace and the limp form of Lance lying in a puddle of ooze and black blood. Chris stood over Lance breathing hard and brandishing the iron poker from the fireplace. Chris screamed in both triumph and anguish. Nick saw the leaping flames of the fire in the fireplace reach out and wrestle with Chris, and then he saw the flames pull Lance's lifeless body and Chris' living body into the pit of the flames. Chris looked up at Nick and said, "forgive me" as he and Lance disappeared into the fire. "No! No! Nooooooooooooooooo!" Nick heard himself shouting as his eyelids fluttered and opened. He was in his bed upstairs in the room he shared with Jay. He focused his eyes, and there was Jay holding his right hand, and with a deeply troubled look on his face. Nick turned his head and saw Joey and JC standing at the foot of the bed he and Jay shared. Then he felt his left hand squeezed by another hand. He looked over to the left side of the bed and saw Lance holding his left hand. Nick looked back over to his right. "Cubby?" Nick tried to sit up, but Jay gently held him down. "Steady Nick. You took a nasty tumble out in the living room." "Cubby, where's mom? What happened?" "You're mom's downstairs making you some chicken soup." Cubby said. "What happened?" Nick repeated the question. "Easy Nicholas. You got a nasty bump on your noggin. You must have hit your head on the edge of the coffee table when you fell." Cubby said as the rain outside continued to intensify. Thunder crashed and lightning strokes flashed across the heavens. Cubby caught his breath and bit his lower lip to take his mind of his fear and to remind himself to be strong for Nick. Just as he began to speak again, the first balls of hail started popping on the roof and the lawns outside. Nick looked into the startling green eyes of his boyfriend. He could tell Cubby knew fear and tried to hide it. Nick hoped it was more from the storm than from anything that had happened to him. He wanted to scold Jay for making such a fuss, but he saw only love and beauty and hope in the older boy's eyes. "I love you Cubby." Nick said. "I know. I love you too, Nicholas." "You only call me Nicholas when you're mad at me or I've done something stupid." "I'm not mad at you Nicholas, and you haven't done anything stupid." Cubby said, and the concern in his heart overflowed and the tears spilled down his face. Joey rushed around to the side of the bed and put his arm around Cubby's shoulders. "Here Jay. You sit down next to Nick. I'll tell him the rest." Joey said and looked sharp at Cubby to make the boy obey him. Cubby always felt comfortable around Joey. He sat quietly on the side of the bed and held Nick's hand as if he would never let go. "The rest of what?" Nick asked with a quizzical look on his face. "Nick? Are you some kind of seer or prophet or something?" Joey asked. He did it with a sober and straight look, so Nick would know he was not joking. "I think so. If what I think has happened then yes, it's happened before. Sometimes I see things or feel things that nobody else can see of feel. What did I say?" Joey continued. "There was a huge thunderclap. JC jumped up into my lap. Then you looked at us both kind of funny. You stood up and said, 'it knows about us. It knows we're coming.' Then you screamed. You yelled out something about Chris killing Lance and then both of them being eaten by a fire. Your face turned green. Your eyes rolled up and you laughed like a maniac. And then, then you fell to the ground shaking and crying and then you gasped and lay still. I thought you'd had a heart attack. We only just carried you upstairs and had just turned the lights down when you came to. Your mom said she tried to call the paramedics, but the phones are out. The cell phones are out too. I felt for your pulse and it seemed strong enough and regular, so I asked your mom to fix you something hot to eat and drink. Then I carried you up to here. Cubby ever see you do this before?" Nick said no, but Cubby nodded yes. Nick looked questioningly at his lover. "Yeah. He did it once before that I know about. We were in bed at the room we stay at in Justin's house in Orlando. It was the night before you and JC split up Joey. I thought he was having a nightmare. He screamed and groaned and then he sat up in the bed and had this wild look in his eyes. He said that you and JC were fighting and that you guys would break up and that a year would pass with a lot of hurt between the two of you, and then the hurt would end. That was a year ago this very night." Cubby stopped crying, and the tears were replaced with a strange look of amazement and apprehension. The room seemed quiet for a moment in spite of the raging storm rising around them. Joey looked suddenly old for his years and very tired. JC looked at Nick and then at Joey. JC let his heart run free and felt the warmth grow inside. He thought of Kyle and knew he honestly loved Kyle. What a mess. I'm in love with both of them, he thought while he looked into Joey's eyes. What am I going to do? Nick once again tried to sit up in bed. As he moved his head felt like a grenade exploded inside it. He swore angrily under his breath, and still fought his way up into a sitting position. Cubby tried to protest, but Nick waved him off. Nick looked over at Joey and said, "Would you be kind enough to carry me back downstairs?" Again Cubby started to protest that Nick shouldn't be moved, but Nick silenced him with a look and said reasonably, "I'll be more comfortable on the couch, and I want to be downstairs when Justin arrives. If you guys will feed me and give me a hand, maybe I won't look so bad when he gets here. I don't want Justin walking in and feeling like there's something wrong with me." Joey looked hesitantly at Nick and then he caught Cubby's face out of the corner of his eye. He saw Cubby nod yes. Then Joey leaned over and scooped the very lightly built Nick up into his arms and asked JC to open the door. He carried Nick down the stairs and through the den into the living room. He gently put Nick down and asked Cubby to fetch a blanket for him. Justin looked out the window of the Jumbo 777 as he fidgeted in his first class seat. Everything worked smoothly at the airport in Orlando from checking his bags in, to getting his boarding pass, to finding his seat on the plane. The take-off was also smooth and effortless, but as the plane flew westwards the ride turned rough and bumpy. The western and southwestern skies began to darken and ominous roiling black clouds loomed closer as the plane flew on towards the great intercontinental nexus of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. As Justin tried to get comfortable in his seat the Captain announced the "Fasten Seatbelts" warning lights would be left on, and for all persons in their seats to keep the seatbelts buckled properly because the plane would encounter turbulence on their approach into North Central Texas. An hour and thirty minutes into the flight, and one hundred miles out from DFW International, and now firmly in the grip of the winds of the out-flow boundary of the giant storm, lightning struck the plane. The lights all over the jet blinked and went out, the main control system and the back-up control system for the left wing ailerons failed, and the plane fell from the sky in a long, shallow dive. The Captain radioed into the DFW International Control Tower, that he was declaring an emergency. He reported structural damage to the plane and apparent damage to the left wing control surfaces, and that he was losing altitude. The plane lurched hard as the Captain fought the electronics to regain control of his falling jet. The Creature lurked deep in Its lair, hidden in the House where only the loving could ever find it, and the Creature would see that no loving would ever happen in this house. The Creature was not all-powerful, but it was powerful, and it seethed with anger and hate. It knew that it could not hide everything from the three psychics in the group that would come to visit on the morrow. So It decided to allow a picture of a possibility for the one called Justin to appear as a fleeting image in the mind of one of the three. Then it showed another scene for a possible future for the ones called Lance and Chris. These two were not psychically aware and would pose no real threat and could therefore be eliminated easily. And all this just to hide the first real attempt on the loving one, the one called Justin. He posed the greatest potential threat because of the greatness of his heart. He loved everybody yet was loved by no one. This wellspring of greatness of the heart was a thing the Creature was dearly afraid of, but that mattered nothing to the Creature. It hungered for the sustenance of the energy It fed on from the dying life force of the innocent. The Creature willed itself to forego the energy the one called Justin. That one was better dead before it arrived than it would be for food. Then the Creature would only have to face the threat posed by the three psychically aware ones. The one called Nick was the most dangerous of the three. The one called Nick had experience in these matters, the Creature knew. Something to keep that one occupied while I take care of the first threat. With the one called Justin dead from a plane crash It was content to allow the other to come to the House. The Creature gloated in Its tormented being. It summoned up all its diabolical energy and lashed out across time and space to hurl a killer lightning bolt at the plane the one called Justin rode within... The plane lurched to the right in a violent shifting of the wind, and another lightning bolt struck the jet. The plane fell faster and faster. Justin thought to himself, oh God I don't want to die. And like the plane, his spirits fell.