They cornered Justin in the men’s room. They were at a venue in Cologne. Or was it Bonn? Maybe it was Munich. By this time, a month after recording “I Want You Back,” the boys were so exhausted, physically and mentally, that they were never sure exactly what city they were in. But through this past month, Chris, Lance and Joey had noticed a change had come over Justin with regards to the youngest member’s relationship with JC. Oh, sure, Justin’s eyes still followed JC’s every move, and at night, Lance reported, Justin still spoke JC’s name in his sleep. But for all intents and purposes, Justin had stopped pursuing JC. Chris, Lance, and Joey wanted to know why. They figured that now would be the best time to find out. JC was in their small dressing room, asleep on the floor. The other three followed Justin into the men’s room, locking the door from the inside and waiting until Justin had exited the stall before pouncing. Justin paused, eyeing his band mates with surprise. “What’s up?” he asked, moving to the sink and washing his hands. “We were wondering the same thing,” Chris said, handing Justin a paper towel. “What’s up with you and JC?” Justin wiped his hands dry, then balled the paper towel up, tossing it into the trash. “There’s nothing between me and JC, Chris,” Justin said simply. “He broke it off, remember?” “Yeah, yeah, we know that,” Joey said, joining Chris to stand next to Justin. “But what we don’t know is why all of a sudden you seem so accepting of that.” “Considering how much you fought it when it happened,” Lance observed, leaning against the locked door. “Something happened that night, didn’t it?” Chris asked. “What night?” “The night we went out and you didn’t,” Chris reminded him. “The night you found JC in the shower.” “Nothing happened that night,” Justin insisted, though his blush said otherwise. Chris and Joey looked at Justin expectantly. Lance’s face was a mask. “Okay, something did happen, but I can’t talk about it.” “Sure you can!” Joey said. “Was it dirty?” Justin blushed even harder. “It was!” Joey exclaimed. “If something happened, why aren’t you together?” Chris asked. “Something else happened. Something besides sex.” Justin paused a bit, then nodded. “Yes, something else happened. But I don’t want JC to know that I know, so you have to promise not to say anything.” As if choreographed, all three men around Justin crossed their hands over their hearts. Justin looked at each in turn, locking eyes with Lance. “You can trust us,” Lance told him. Justin took a deep breath. “I found out why JC broke up with me.” A long pause. “And?” Chris asked. “It’s because, I think, I mean.” Justin stammered. “JC said, after, well, after we, uh, never mind what we did. Anyway, he said something, then I said something, then I saw something, and I heard something, and now I understand.” Joey and Chris exchanged a look. “At least one of us does,” Joey joked. “In English, please,” Chris said. Justin sighed. “That night, after we, well. Anyway, JC got all scared and pushed me out of the room, insisting I get out, that he’ll see.” “He’ll see?” Chris repeated. “Who?” “That’s what I wondered, too,” Justin continued, jumping up and sitting on the sink. “Then, when I was going into our room,” he nodded to Lance, “I saw Lou get out of the elevator and stop at JC’s door. I watched as he knocked and JC answered. Lou said he was checking up on JC, and JC answered that he was alone, and Lou said good, keep it that way. So, there ya go.” Another long pause. “There ya go, what?” Chris asked. “Isn’t it obvious?” Justin rolled his eyes. “Lou somehow found out, and he told JC to end it with me. Probably said he’d get kicked out of the group if he didn’t.” Chris and Joey exchanged another look. “Can he do that?’ Joey asked. Chris shrugged. “Probably.” He looked at Justin. “And you’re okay with this?” he asked Justin. Justin nodded. “I mean, it’s not a great idea, not being together, but I understand why he did it. This is a pretty big thing, and I know how much he wants it.” Justin smiled slightly. “Besides, I know he still loves me, no matter what he says. I can wait until it’s safe for us again, safe for JC, I mean.” Justin jumped off the sink and walked to the door. Lance didn’t move, but faced the other three, shaking his head. “No, that’s not right,” he said cryptically. “What’s not right?” Joey asked. “It doesn’t sound like something JC would do,” Lance explained. “Admittedly, I don’t know him as well as you do, Justin, or even you, Joey. But to me, JC doesn’t seem to be the kind of man who’d buckle under blackmail like that, no matter what he might lose.” “I did hear Lou and JC that night,” Justin insisted. “And JC was scared. Really scared we’d get caught.” Lance shook his head. “I’m not doubting you, Justin. I’m just wondering about his motives. If it were me, and Lou said I had to give you up or get fired, I’d tell him to go to hell and just try it.” He looked at each of them. “Wouldn’t you?” Chris and Joey nodded, and after a while, so did Justin. “Then why?” Justin asked. Chris suddenly slapped his hand on his forehead. “Shit, we’re stupid.” They turned to him. “He’s doing it to protect one of us!” Lance nodded. “That what I figured, too.” “That makes more sense,” Joey agreed. “But who?” “Probably all of us,” Lance said. “You know how he is with us, even you, Chris, though you’re older. Acts like a…” A loud knock came on the door. “Why is the door locked?” someone called from the outside. The boys exchanged a glance. “Um, we’ll be out in a minute,” Chris called loudly before lowering his voice. “So, what are we going to do about JC and this threat?” Lance smiled, wrapping his arms around Chris’ and Joey’s shoulders, pulling them all in close to Justin. “I have an idea…” *** Justin watched as the flight attendant closed the door, signaling the end of passenger loading. Luckily, JC was engrossed in a book, headphones attached and turned away from Justin to notice that he and Justin were the only Nsync members to board the flight. He looked out the window, spying Joey, Lance and Chris waving at the plane, blowing kisses and giving Justin the thumbs-up sign. Justin blocked the window and waved back. The plane engines started, and soon they were up in the air, flying back to Sweden. Justin leaned back in his seat and smiled. *** Lou looked up in surprise as Joey, Lance, and Chris entered the office. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked. “We’re here to have a little talk,” Chris said, sitting on one of the chairs. “About Justin, and JC, and things you can and can’t do.” Lou raised a brow. “Watch your tone, Chris. I can pretty much do what I want where they’re concerned.” He sat down heavily in a chair. “Besides, I’d think of all people, you’d want them broken up. If it ever got out there were two fags in this group, there goes any chance of success you’ve got.” “Don’t call them that,” Lance said softly. Lou rolled his eyes. “Not you, too.” Chris and Joey looked at Lance, then back to Lou. “We’re going to be a success regardless of them being, shall we say, together. We work hard, Lou. And we’re good. We’re damn good.” “And you know it, too,” Joey said. “Or else you would have kicked JC out, or Justin, and not looked back. But you know that it’s the five of us that makes this group work. Not four of us and someone else. But us five.” “And you need us more than we need you,” Lance said. “Especially now that we have RCA and Johnny.” “So, I think it’s time you headed back to Florida, Mr. Pearlman,” Lynn said from the door, closing it behind her. “Because you’re not wanted, nor needed, by us anymore.” “Lynn, what do you mean?” Lou stammered. “I made this group, you can’t kick me out of it.” “We’re not doing that,” Chris explained. “And we’ll be forever grateful for the start you gave us. But telling JC that he can’t be with Justin isn’t part of the deal.” “You making a huge mistake,” Lou said. “They’ll get caught. Just watch. And then where will this group be?” “We take care of our own, sir,” Lance said, his voice deep with conviction. “JC and Justin will be fine together. We’ll make sure of that.” Lou looked at all of them, then held up his hand in submission. “I can’t fight you all, now, can I?” he said simply. “Though I’m surprised you’d go along with this, Lynn. Considering Justin’s age and all.” Lynn merely smiled. “I trust JC implicitly.” “Was it Justin you threatened?” Joey asked. “Because you knew JC would do anything to protect him?” Lou laughed. “Sure, it was Justin. And you, and Chris, and him.” Lou pointed at Lance. “Kept him guessing, not knowing who’d I’d get rid of.” He looked at all of them. “I’m going to give you one more chance to change your minds.” “We don’t need any more chances, sir,” Lance said. “We’ll take care of Justin and JC.” “Fine.” Lou rose and grabbed his suitcase from the closet. “What? You think I like staying in crappy German hotel rooms, when I could be in Florida?” He started stuffing clothes into his suitcase. “I’ll see you all in a few months, when your tour is over here.” They started filing out of the room. Chris paused, his hand on the door, looking back at Lou. There was something wrong, he thought. It was too easy. “Lou, we mean it,” Chris said. “Leave them alone.” Lou paused in his packing. “Don’t worry, Chris. I’m out of the relationship side of the group. From now on, I’ll stick to the business side of things.” His smile widened as he shut the door in Chris’ face.