Dean threw his head back and laughed. "I thought I’d surprise you. I was at my cousin’s and a friend of hers was there and said she knew your boys of *N SYNC and invited me. I had been thinking of you all summer, all though you already knew that, and decided to take her up on her offer. So here I am." He closed the gap between them and placed his arms around her and began to lead her to the beat of the slow song.

Gina looked at him quizically. "Who’s your cousin’s friend?"

Dean looked around them until he spotted her. "There she is." Dean pointed behind her. "She’s talking to one of the guys now."

Gina turned around and her stomach started churning. "Heidi."

"So you know her?"

"You can say that."

"By the tone of your voice it doesn’t sound like you like her."

Gina raised her eyebrows. "Like her? She never gave me the chance to. She was rude to me the first time she spoke to me."

"Now, now, Heidi doesn’t seem all that bad."

"All that bad? Come on. She’s been nothing but mean and spiteful to me."

"That’s because she thinks that you are going to go after her boyfriend."

"Well, she has nothing to worry about. I can’t even stand to be in the same room with JC much less go after him. She has nothing to worry about." Gina snorted. "And all this time she’s spending on me is making her ignore her relationship with JC. I almost feel sorry for the guy."

"Almost?"

"Well, no one deserves to be treated like that. Even king JC."

"King JC? Sure you don’t have feelings for him?"

"Feelings for him," Gina scoffed. "Sure I have feelings for him. None that you want for someone."

She glanced over Dean’s shoulder as Heidi pulled JC onto the dance floor and caught her gaze. Heidi shot Gina a triumphant look then pointed to Dean and gave her the thumbs up sign. Gina rolled her eyes and turned back to Dean.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "So you have no feelings of attraction towards him?"

Gina shook her head. "None whatsoever."

"Good. Then you shouldn’t mind me doing this." Before she could respond he dipped his head and kissed her.

Across the floor all five members of *N SYNC saw the couple kissing. Four of them could tell Gina was not enjoying it. The last could not and got angry.

"I can’t believe her!"

Heidi pulled back in JC’s embrace. "What’s wrong, babe?"

"Her and her boyfriend," JC nodded his head in Gina and Dean’s direction, "they’re all over each other. Right now they’re in a major lip lock." He shook his head in disgust.

Heidi put a hand on JC’s cheek and turned his head away from the couple. "You almost look jealous. So she and Dean like each other. Why do you care?"

"I don’t care and I’m far from being jealous. Actually I’m surprised you aren’t saying anything. You are usually all gung ho for talking about Gina. What’s different about tonight? Did you just say Dean? How did you know his name?"

"He’s my friend’s cousin and he knows Miss Gina and is head over heels for her. Since I was coming I invited him so he could finally get her and it looks like he did. Personally, I’m happy for them. Now she’s out of the way."

"Out of the way? From what? Me?"

Heidi stroked the hair at the base of JC’s neck. "Yup. Now I know I have you all to myself."

JC took Heidi’s hands from his neck. "You’ve always had me to yourself. Now I have to do something about this. I can’t stand it anymore." He dropped her hands and stormed over to Dean and Gina and tapped her on the shoulder.

Grateful for the interruption Gina pulled out of Dean’s strong hold. Her happiness was short lived when JC opened his mouth.

"What do you think you’re doing? You’re in a public place. You should know better than to make out now. But then again look who I’m talking to. You and this Italian buffoon."

Gina saw the look on Dean’s face and from experience she knew it could lead to trouble. She placed a hand on his arm. "Dean, can you leave us alone, please? I need to talk to JC for a minute." She interrupted when Dean opened his mouth. "Please leave us alone. This has nothing to do with you."

She waited until he was safely across the room talking to Heidi before continuing.

"What do you think you’re doing? I don’t care if you insult me but not the people I’m with. I can handle it-"

"Guys," Justin interrupted Gina’s speech.

"What?" they both whirled their heads to the blonde.

"You guys are in the middle of the dance floor and causing a scene. Either take this somewhere else or start dancing or something while you’re out here. You two can dance while you argue. You can do everything else while you’re arguing." Justin walked back to the table with a satisfactory smile upon his face. Even fall in love.

JC looked around them. "I don’t know where we can go. Uh-oh."

"What?"

"Well, there’s this fan who approached me when I was talking to Heidi and asked me if she was your girlfriend and didn’t quite believe me when I told her no."

"She didn’t believe you when you lied to her? What a surprise." Gina feigned surprise.

"Well, she’s coming over this way and I’m afraid she might ask me more questions or even ask me to dance. So what this is boiling to is lets take Justin’s advice and dance while we talk, or argue as the case may be."

"Normally I would turn you down flat but it looks like Dean is about to make his way back over here and I can’t take another second with him." She hung her arms loosely around JC’s neck.

"Trouble in paradise already? You just hooked up with him and now you want out. Figures. What, you change your mind and are going to go crawling to Justin?" JC unconsciously tightened his arms around her waist.

"First of all Justin and I are nothing more than friends. We both know that so what can’t you get it through your thick skull? And, secondly, Dean and I are not now nor will we ever be together. He’s been after me all year and I have absolutely no feelings towards him. He just doesn’t seem to take a hint."

"Then what was that kiss about? It looked pretty serious."

"It was all one sided. After all the times he’s either tried to kiss me or forced his mouth on mine I would think he’d get it. Obviously, I was wrong."

JC rolled his eyes. "Obviously. But I’m not surprised a girl like you attracted such a buffoon. They’re probably the only ones that would be interested."

"You didn’t just say that. I’m going to pretend like I didn’t hear that. Now back to the basis of our argument. I can handle it when you insult me, I’m used to it. But when you do that to someone just because they are with me is inappropriate and completely rude."

"Rude? I’m the one being rude? You’re standing on the dance floor with a guy’s tongue down your mouth and I’m the one being rude."

Gina’s face turned red. "I said before I had no control over that-"

"Of course you didn’t."

"JC, I didn’t. He is really strong and I couldn’t pull away. Even if I got my lips from his I couldn’t have gotten out of his hold. Maybe if I hadn’t been too busy stating that you and I hate each other then I would have been able to prepare for his sneak attack."

JC’s eyes widened in shock. "You get that too? You get told there is something between us too?"

"What do you mean ‘too?’ Does that mean that people other than Miss Ice Princess over there think we might like each other?"

"All the time. You?"

"Every hour if Justin has a chance."

He cocked his head and looked at her. "So there really isn’t anything between you and him?"

"Nothing. Now do you believe me? He spends most of his time telling me I’m ruining a good thing."

"Huh? I get the same thing. I wonder where they get this from. We do nothing but fight."

Gina shook her head. "I don’t know. I guess they’re all blind."

What JC and Gina had not noticed is their bodies slowly pressed up against one another as they fought and were moving in prefect rhythm.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Lance felt a nudge at his shoulder. He looked over at the girl beside him and placed a hand on her knee. "You summoned?"

"Who is that girl JC’s dancing with? They look pretty cozy."

Lance followed her hand to where JC and Gina were dancing and smirked. "That’s Gina. She’s interning with us this summer."

"Well their bodies are moving like they belong together. Did he and Heidi break up? But wait, I saw Heidi earlier."

Lance shook his head. "Nope, they haven’t broken up."

"Well, I have a feeling that they are just about to. Look over there."

Lance looked back over to see Heidi pry JC off of Gina and lead him onto the balcony. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at its owner.

Justin smiled victoriously. "I think this is one victory in the battle of JC and Gina."

"So, smarty pants, you’ve gotten rid of Heidi but what about him." Lance motioned to Dean who was reapproaching Gina.

Justin groaned. "Damn, I forgot about him. By what I’ve seen I’m guessing that is Dean."

"Who’s Dean?"

Justin turned around. "Dean’s some guy that has been after Gina all year and hasn’t let up. He’s from New Jersey so I’m guessing he’s staying with someone he knows up here."

"Where are they? I haven’t met Gina yet."

"Oh, sorry, TJ. There they are." Justin pointed to the couple.

"She doesn’t seem happy to be with him."

"That’s because she isn’t."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"It looks like your partner has disappeared. I’d be happy to take his place." Dean placed his hands on her waist and held her tight.

Gina shivered at his touch. "Damn, Dean, you have cold hands. What have you been doing, sticking your hands in ice buckets?"

Dean balled his fists. "Nope. They don’t feel cold but your hands are sweating. I can feel it all the way through my shirt."

"Really, I guess it’s because I was just fighting with JC, and that tends to happen while you’re excited."

"Uh-huh. Now back to where we were before we got interrupted." Dean started to lower his head when he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. "All I’m trying to do is kiss a girl and I keep on being interrupted."

"I’m sorry but I’ve been meaning to talk to Gina all night. I lost her earlier and now that I’ve found her I really need to talk to her. It’s an emergency."

Dean sighed. "All right but I’m reserving a later dance so we can finish what we started."

Gina watched Dean walk away and looked at her savior. "I’m sorry, but who are you?"

"I’m hurt. You don’t recognize me?"

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

JC followed Heidi outside. He knew by the look on her face what he was going to end up doing after the tour was about to come sooner than he planned.

"You looked pretty comfy cozy with Gina in there."

"We were arguing in there. Nothing more."

"Nothing more? I’m not blind. There’s something else going on. You told me there was nothing going on between you and Gina and I can tell that there is."

JC took a deep breath before continuing. "Heidi there is nothing between Gina and me. I have a question for you. When did you stop trusting me?"

"JC, it’s not you I don’t trust. I don’t trust her," she explained as she nodded toward the ballroom.

"If you think that I might fall for her then you don’t trust me. It’s okay for you not to trust her but when you go on like you’ve been then you’re not trusting me and I’m getting tired of it."

"Joshua Scott Chasez, you are not the one doing the breaking up here. I am."

"Okay, you can do it but just tell me one thing. What reason do you have for breaking up with me? I haven’t cheated or wronged you in anyway."

"But you have cheated. You’re falling for Gina. Even if you’re not acting on your feelings you have cheated in you mind and your heart."

JC waved his hands in the air. "It’s hopeless. You can’t see the truth if it bit you on the butt. I am not falling for Gina. Even if I was attracted to her, which I’m not," he added, "I wouldn’t allow myself to do anything while I’m with you.

"Do you know how easy it would be to have a girl do whatever I tell her to do, no questions asked? Very easy but I don’t do it. You want to know why? Because I was with you. I could never cheat on you or any of my girlfriends. I think that is wrong. I am only with one girl at a time. In the recent past it’s been with you." He looked up at her with pride. "Now I’m a free man again until I find someone new."

Heidi stared at JC in shock. "That’s it? We’re through?"

JC nodded. "Yup, we’re done. I knew we were going to break up when I got back from this tour but now I can go through the rest of the tour in peace and not have to worry about what I have to do when I get home. It’s already done. You can’t trust me and now I can’t trust you so the basis of our whole relationship has gone down the tubes."

"If that’s what you want then fine. We’re over." She turned around defiantly and walked back into the ballroom.

JC sighed and looked at his hands. "Okay, so that’s over with. Now what?"

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Gina studied the face in front of her. "I’m sorry but I can’t place the face."

"Try the voice. I bet you’ve seen pictures of me but you know me more by my voice."

The light bulb in Gina’s head was flickering but she was not sure if she was right. He caught her expression and decided to help her.

"Gina, it’s me. Tyler Chasez."

She stepped back and looked at his face and laughed. "So it is. I have seen only a few pictures of you but the voice I’d know anywhere. Glad to finally meet you."

"The pleasure’s all mine. Who was that lug?"

Gina’s face darkened for a second. "Oh, that was Dean. I know him from school and he’s been a bit obsessed with me. I tried being nice to him but that just encourages him more. I can’t get rid of him."

"Well…" Tyler looked up and saw his brother coming towards them. "What’s wrong, big brother?"

JC sighed and ran his hand along the back of his neck. "Well, Heidi and I just broke up."

"Really?" Gina and Tyler asked simultaneously.

"Yup. She and I are over."

"How come you don’t look that sad, Josh?"

"Well our relationship had been through for a while but now we officially ended it. To tell you the truth I’m kinda glad."

"Oh no."

Both Chasezes looked at Gina.

"What?"

"It looks like Dean is trying to make a threepeat performance."

Both brothers followed Gina’s gaze and saw Dean making his way over to them but he never made it. Heidi crossed his path about ten feet before he got to them.

"Come on, Dean, lets go. There’s nothing here that interests me anymore."

Dean threw her a confused look. "Well, Gina’s here so there’s something that interests me."

Heidi glared at the three figures and grabbed his arm forcefully. "Forget about the little tease. I’ll show you what a real woman is like." With that she dragged him out of the party.

The three of them shared stunned faces as they watched Heidi pull Dean’s head down for a kiss as the elevator doors closed.

"I can’t believe that. We break up one minute and the next she’s in an elevator kissing that buffoon. And Gina I’m not in the mood to fight with you. Especially something we’ve already fought about tonight." JC got out when he regained his ability to speak.

"Don’t worry, JC, I’m not about to fight you on that. He really is a buffoon. Hopefully now that Heidi has her claws in him he’ll leave me alone."

"Talking about being alone I think I’m done for the night. I can only handle so much excitement."

"Don’t tell me you’re leaving."

JC placed his hand on TJ’s back. "I’m afraid so, little bro. This Chasez is hitting the road. I’m going to see if anyone else wants to go back with me."

Gina dropped her arms from Tyler’s shoulders. "I think I’m ready to call it a night. Do you mind if I join you, JC?"

"Not at all. I think we’ve both had big nights and aren't in the mood to fight."

"You got that right. Come on lets see if anyone else wants to leave."

The threesome made their way to the table to find it half full.

JC picked up the glass in front of Lance and took a sip despite the protests he got from his younger friend. "Gina and I are going back to the hotel. Anyone want to come?"

Chris yawned and opened his mouth to speak but changed his words after being kicked under the table. "I think I’m going to stick around for a bit. I think there are still a few girls I have yet to dance with."

"Ya sure, old man? You look kind of beat."

"I’m sure. I’ll see you later."

"Okay, anyone else?" JC scanned the table.

"Nope. I met two girls around my age and promised them I’d bring a friend. Up for it, TJ?" He asked Tyler.

TJ smiled. "Bring them on."

Gina rolled her eyes and made her way to the female sitting at the table. "Do you believe these guys? They are such boys. By the way, I’m Gina." She stretched out her hand.

"Jackie. Yeah they are all boys."

"Hey!"

Jackie leaned against Lance. "But sometimes you gotta love ‘em."

"That’s more like it. Cone on. Let’s dance." Lance pulled Jackie out of her seat and they made their way onto the dance floor.

"Okay, well, we’re off. See you guys later or tomorrow whatever the case may be." JC and Gina walked side-by-side to the elevators.

Chris rubbed his shin and glared at Justin. "What was that all about? You didn’t have to kick me."

"Well it looked like you were about to say you’d join them and I wanted to make sure you stayed."

"I figured that out, Einstein, but why do you want to do that? I’d be afraid that they’d kill themselves before even hitting the limo."

"I don’t think either of them are in the mood to fight," Tyler interjected. "With Gina dealing with Dean and JC breaking up with Heidi, I don’t think they will be speaking much less fighting."

Chris looked up trying to figure out the situation. "Heidi and JC broke up? With the way they’ve been going I’m not completely surprised. What was she doing here anyway?"

"Oh, I invited her," Justin stated proudly with a huge grin on his face.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

JC sat against the limousine seat and sighed. It’s over. It’s finally over. Now I’m a free man. But what do I do with this freedom?

JC’s thoughts were interrupted by Gina.

"So Lance and Jackie seem like a good couple."

He sighed again. "Yeah, they met a few months ago and it was instant attraction. I think this time they’re actually going to start something. I know Lance was too scared to do anything before, and I think she was too, but after tonight I think all fears are going to be gone."

"It seems that way. They were completely comfortable around each other. I hope to find someone like that someday."

"Me too." JC stared out the window and mumbled, "At least one of us can be happy."

They rode the rest of the way in companionable silence.

When they arrived at the hotel they rode the elevator in silence and wordlessly entered their rooms. Neither one of them were ready to go to bed. They changed into what they were going to sleep in and prepared to talk to the one person who would listen to the night’s events and understand everything.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

senorita78: hello

sleepygoof: hi. what’s up?

senorita78: nothing

sleepygoof: what's wrong? you usually ask me that back.

senorita78: you know me so well. i just had a run in with that guy from school.

sleepygoof: the italian?

senorita78: yup. the one and only.

sleepygoof: ouch. if it makes you feel any better i just broke up with my gf.

senorita78: you did? wow...

sleepygoof: yup. she's out of my life

senorita78: rough but that's a great song though

sleepygoof: you listen to 98*?

senorita78: 98*? no. michael jackson? yes.

sleepygoof: ahhh. gotcha.

senorita78: so you finally got rid of her or did she do the dumping?

sleepygoof: well, she started but i finished it. after all i'm the one with a reason.

senorita78: good point. there must be something in the air.

sleepygoof: why do you say that?

senorita78: bc a guy i work with broke up with his gf also.

sleepygoof: maybe we can talk and bad mouth our ex's together.

senorita78: it's the jerk.

sleepygoof: ok...maybe not.

senorita78: good choice.

sleepygoof: what happened with the italian?

senorita78: well i think he won't be bothering me anymore.

sleepygoof: that's good why? uh-oh. my bro is visiting and wants to use the comp and i know he'll whine if he doesn't get it. 17 and still whines like a baby.

senorita78: he's male. he's going to whine. =)

sleepygoof: so funny i forgot to laugh.

sleepygoof: adios senorita

senorita78: ciao

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

JC turned signed off and pushed his computer towards his brother. "Here you go, TJ. I wonder what you're going to do." JC wiggled his eyebrows.

"Nothing that you don't do, Josh. Nothing you don't do. Hey?"

JC looked over at Tyler. "Yeah?"

"Now that Heidi's out of the way are you going to go after your Spanish chick?"

JC walked behind his brother and gave him a swift hit on the head. "I don't know senorita. How could I fall for anyone I don't know, much less go after one?"

"You'd be surprised how frequently it happens."

"Are you talking from experience, lil bro?" JC raised his eyebrows.

Tyler signed on and smiled. "Of course not, big brother."

"Whatever." JC turned and crawled into bed.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Gina sat on her bed for a few minutes before deciding it might be a good idea to go to bed but before she moved to turn off her computer something flashed on her screen and she smiled.

If Lisa's sending me a chat invitation I bet I know who else is in the room. Gina checked her buddy list. Yup. They're both on. Gina clicked on the box and said hello to her two friends.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

senorita78 has entered the room

senorita78: hey roomie. hey kristen.

craziebabe: hey gina!

lovenotwar: hey, ginsters. what's up?

senorita78: you two will never guess who i saw tonight.

lovenotwar: who?

craziebabe: who?

senorita78: dean

craziebabe: you didn't?

lovenotwar: you gotta be kidding me

senorita78: i'm telling the truth. *crosses heart*

craziebabe: what happened?

senorita78: well, he shows up out on nowhere at this party we were at and starts dancing with me...

lovenotwar: did he try to kiss you again?

craziebabe: uh-oh. sounds like trouble.

senorita78: it was. he did kiss me and was holding me so tight i had no choice but to stand there and take it. then the worst thing happened.

craziebabe: stupid italians. no offense.

senorita78: none taken.

lovenotwar: then what happened?

senorita78: someone came to rescue me but it was jc and he began yelling at me for kissing in the middle of the danced floor. but that's not the worst of my evening.

craziebabe: what came next?

senorita78: since we were trapped in the middle of the dance floor and a fan was approaching jc and dean looked like he was coming back and we danced...

lovenotwar: dancing with jc chasez doesn't sound so bad to me

craziebabe: me neither. but you and him have never gotten along.

lovenotwar: that's right. you told me about that but dancing with him still doesn't sound all that bad.

senorita78: no we haven't and tonight was no exception. well at the end of the song jc's gf grabbed him and led him to the balcony.

lovenotwar: jc has a gf????

craziebabe: that's right. her name's heidi right?

senorita78: her name is heidi and now it's ex-gf.

craziebabe: poor boy. why don't i come and cheer him up.

lovenotwar: you won't do. he needs a real woman.

craziebabe: and i'm not?

lovenotwar: nope.

craziebabe: and just who is this real woman who can take all his pain away?

lovenotwar: me

craziebabe: now that's a laugh.

senorita78: guys, guys, calm down. he's not worth fighting over .

craziebabe: is too!!!

lovenotwar: is too!!!

craziebabe: you take him. i got all the man i need in the e-mail i just got.

senorita78: ohh la la. lisa's got an on-line bf. lisa's got an on-line bf.

craziebabe: and i'm not the only one.

lovenotwar: i know you can't be talking about me. you must be talking about senorita and her goof

senorita78: goof is not my bf. we are just friends. plus he has a gf. oops they just broke up too.

craziebabe: there we go. now that she's gone you can take her place.

senorita78: i do not want to take her place. i have never met him so therefor we can be nothing more than friends.

craziebabe: if we go by your reasoning then this guy and i aren't anything more than friends.

lovenotwar: bamboozled by you own reasoning, huh, gina?

senorita78: ok, you got me there but there is one thing i have on her.

lovenotwar: what?

craziebabe: what do you have on me?

senorita78: i've danced with two chasezes in one night.

craziebabe: tj's with you guys? damn i have to meet him also. when are you going to be in town?

lovenotwar: what about jc?

craziebabe: if things don't work out with me and jc i'd like to have a back-up and tj's perfect. same family, same genes.

lovenotwar: i'm sure the guys would love to hear that theory. especially tj. he's probably tired of people going after him bc they can't get his bro. now me on the other hand would get jc no problemo and i would let you have tj. for a small price, of course.

craziebabe: why thank you so much, queen kristen. i'm soo happy to be thought of so highly by you.

lovenotwar: anytime.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Gina sat on her bed laughing at her closest friends. She missed the old times they spent together. She could not wait to see them again. She was about to interrupt their spat when her phone rang. She checked the caller id and groaned. She clicked it on, brought the phone to her ear and sighed.