Kristen slowly looked up from her laptop as soon as she heard Brittney sitting down next to her with a huff.

"Something wrong?"

"Bastard."  Brittney mumbled, pulling her leg under her.  "I swear, I did jack shit and just because I'm his girlfriend he can bitch at me for everything.  Not my fault he didn't get a lot of sleep last night, hell I didn't either, but oo whooo cares."  Brittney kicked off her flip-flops before she continued. "I swear, it's the dumbest shit he is getting mad over.  The shirt he wanted to wear was all winkled so he got pissed over it, oh soo my fault I guess because it wasn't iron or something, THAN all of a sudden he is bitching how I have to much shit on the bathroom counter.  Um, never bothered him before and he has shit on there too.  Than he gets pissy because I talked back, um fuck that.  I'm not going to let you be an ass to me and let you walk all over me because you are in a bad mood."

"Damn.." Kristen whispered, pulling her hair back up in a ponytail.

"Damn is right, whatever is up his ass needs to get out, or just go lay it out on someone else.....God be glad you don't have a boyfriend right now."

Kristen's eyes traveled back to her laptop screen.

"Umm....yeah...glad."

"Shit...I...Shit I'm sorry."

Brittney wrapped her arms around Kristen, pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay, you slipped because your upset, no need to be sorry.  I know what you meant."

"Thank god your best friend."

"That's because no one else wants to be stuck with you."

"Oooo."  Brittney slightly pushed her shoulder as they both laughed.

"Brittney.."

Brittney looked up, seeing Lance standing in front of her.  Brittney crossed her arms giving him a look.

"What do you want?  Bitch at me more over something I sure as hell didn't do?"

Lance sighed and grabbed her hands, pulling her up from her chair.

"Can we talk?"

Brittney looked down at Kristen than back at Lance.

"Fine.  Let me get someone to sit with her while we go talk."

Kristen waved them off with her hand as she kept her eyes on her lap top screen.

"I'm not five years old, I can sit here alone.  Chris, Joey and Justin are up on the stage so I'm not totally alone."

Brittney looked over to where JC was standing than back towards Kristen.

"You sure?"

Kristen nodded her hear, pushing a piece of a strain of her hair that wasn't long enough to get in the ponytail.

"Go talk and fix this up so I don't have to listen to you two bitch."

"Alright."  Brittney took Lance's hand as he walked off to the other side of the stadium so they would have somewhat of privacy.  Kristen looked up to where the rest of the guys were standing on the stage, where they were talking about who knows what while they waited for Wade to show up.  Her breath caught in her throat when JC's eyes caught hers.  Kristen quickly swallowed the lump in her throat as she quickly looked back to her laptop.  She looked down at her hands, slightly shaking against the keyboard.

"Can you be any more pathetic Kristen?"  She mumbled softly under her breathe, shaking her hands and cracked her knuckles, anything to keep them moving and to concentrate on something else.

"Hey...you alright?"

Kristen looked up, seeing Justin sitting next to her than looked back to her laptop, nodding her head.

"Munchkin...Don't lie to me."  Justin hooked his finger on her chin and forced her to look at him.  "I totally saw what happen."

Kristen sighed, dropping her hands on the key bored just staring at the screen.

"I dunno Justin...I..I just dunno if I can do this anymore."

"Do what?"

Kristen quickly wiped the small tear with the back of her hand hoping Justin didn't see it.

"This..being here...with him...He..he could of hurt me last night..."

Justin stood up and pulled her up into his arms, hugging her tightly.  Justin rested his head on top of hers as he softly hummed while softly swaying them back and forth.

"Hey.." Justin whispered, leaning her back a little when he heard her sniff.  "What to go talk?"

Kristen nodded her head as she wiped another escaped tear.  Justin looked over towards Chris and Joey, who were standing there with worried look on their faces, and motioned that he was going out in the hallway.  Justin turned back around toward Kristen, draped his arm around her shoulder, and started walking towards the door.

"Come on hunny."

Justin pushed open the door, looked down both hallways before picking the lest busy one, and led her with him.  Once finding a nice spot where no one would bother them, he stopped and turned to face her.

"Sit."

Kristen leaned her back against the wall and slid down to the floor, pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms under her legs as she rested her chin on her knees while Justin sat down on the floor in front of her and placed his hands on her calves.

"Hey..Hey..." Justin said softly as he wiped the tear rolling down her cheek.  "Don't cry now.  You know I hate it when you cry."

Kristen drew in a shaky breath as she started playing with her fingers.  Justin laid his hand on top of hers and looked at her.

"Whenever you're ready; I'll sit here all day.  Don't worry about Wade, he'll live."

"I dunno Justin...I just don't know.  I never saw this coming; it totally just threw me off.  I was hoping I would wake up and everything would be just a horrible nightmare and that everyone was just handy dandy....but it wasn't...it really happened.  It kills me every time I see him, like...I feel my heart being torn over and over again...not only seeing him but even just....hearing his voice...I dunno if I can keep working at JIVE Justin...I dunno if I can keep doing this...It's just...Ugh!.."

Kristen wrapped her arms around her legs as Justin ran his hands up and down her arms.

"Who saw this coming?  I didn't, none of you guy's did.  Shit Justin I so thought he was the one.  We've even talked about it.  I've never...and I mean never ever felt like I did with Josh.  I've been in love before, but nothing like that.  Hell, I've been scared of getting married but when I thought about it with Josh, I wasn't scared.  Now, I'm scared to be in the same room as him."

Kristen sighted, looking up at Justin, resting her chin back on her knees.

"It's so weird...going from the guy that could easily brighten my day to the guy that now easily destroys my day."

"You know what I think is this calling for?"

Kristen looked at him. "Hmm?"

Justin smiled.  "A J-K night.  You and I eating ice cream while watching some ESPN.  You can just spend the night and sleep in the bed, and I'll take the couch...what you say?"

"The White Sox are on tonight..."

"Than that is what we are watching tonight."  Justin smiled as he brushed the last tear of her cheek.  "Ice cream, watching the White Sox play and just being bums; how does that sound?"

Kristen nodded her head.

"Good."  Justin kissed her forehead and lifted her head up to look at her in the eyes.

"You alright now?"

Kristen shrugged.

"Best I guess I can be....thanks for listening Just."

"Anytime."  Justin rubbed her leg before patting her knee.  "That's what brothers are for...ready to go back?"

Kristen nodded as Justin stood up and held his hands out, pulling her up off the ground into a hug.

"Two more days hunny...Two more days and we're back home in Florida."

Kristen sighed into his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm going to wash my face in the bathroom....Will you wait for me?"

"Of course."  Justin placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around towards the bathroom.  After seeing the bathroom door closed, Justin shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned his back against the wall, lifting one leg and planting the bottom of his foot against it.

"How's the munchkin doing?"

Justin coasted his eyes over to his side to find Mike standing next to him.  Justin sighed, looking back to the floor.

"She's hurting man...badly.  I've never seen her like this...She...She looks so frail, scared and hurt."

Mike clamped his hand on the young man's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.
"Everything will be okay."

Justin shrugged and looked door the bathroom door as Kristen walked out, taking her hair down from the ponytail it previously was in.

"Oh..Hi Mike."

"Hey girly, how are you on this lovely day?"

Kristen snapped her hair tie around her wrist and ruffled her hands through her hair.

"Eh.."

Kristen looked over towards Justin.

"How could you let me walk around with dark circles under my eyes?"

Justin chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they made their way back.

"That's what you get for the very little sleep last night that you got; and sweets, how many times have you seen me with them hmm?"

Kristen slid her arm around his waist, giving him a side hug.

"Love you."

"Love you too munchkin."  Justin pulled her into a tight hug before letting her go.

"Go shake what ya mama gave ya."

Justin chuckled and walked off to the stage, shaking his ass the whole way.  Kristen sat back down in the seat she was sitting in before and started to play with her hair tie with her fingers.

"So how did it go?"

"We're fine."  Brittney replied.  "He said he was sorry, I said I was sorry, we kissed and made up."

"That's good."

"Yeah....more importantly, you okay?"

Kristen shrugged, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"You know what," Brittney started packing her stuff in her bag.  "Lets get out of here; we don't have to sit here watching them sweat their asses off."

Kristen looked up as Brittney started to pack her stuff also.

"Let's go do something fun and get some food.  I'm hungry and you haven't eaten all day."

"I'm not really hungry."

"Tuff."  Brittney picked up the bags and looked at Kristen.  "Love you doll; I'm not going to let you get sick.  I'll go tell Lance and we'll jet."

"Ugh."  Kristen groaned while gathering her bag.  "Why am I friends with you again?"

Brittney laughed, walking to the stage while motioning with Lance with her hand to come to her.  Lance held up a finger to Wade, walked to the edge of the stage, and squatted down.

"Brittney this is rehearsal; stop interrupting."

"Can it Wade."  Lance shot back.

Brittney looked over Lance's shoulder.

"Bite me Wade."

"Hey hey," Lance shifted Brittney's head to look at her.  "Ignore him; he doesn't know what is going on."

"Right, anyways Kristen and I are going to leave...This is torture to her...well she hasn't said it to my face but I can read her and I know it is."

"I understand.  I'll call you when we're done."

Brittney nodded, gave him a quick kiss, and walked back over to Kristen, linking her arm with her and walked out the doors.

"So what to do..."

"I don't really want to do anything...Can we go back to the hotel and get my stuff out of JC's room."

"Ohh..yeahh that's right...So you can wear something else than Chris's clothes."

***

"Mmmm." Justin licked the Hershey syrup off his spoon before taking another spoonful of ice cream.

"Stop having an orgasm with your ice cream."

Justin laughed, elbowing Kristen in the side.

"It's just that good."

"Riighhttt."

Justin took another bit of his ice cream and wiped his moth off with the back of his hand.

"Man that was a nice play."

Kristen nodded.

"Wait till you see this next guys batting stance, I still can't figure out to this day how he can even make any contact like that."

"You are something else munchkin."

"What?"  Kristen placed her bowl on the table, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"Your study or whatever you want to call of with people's batting stance and how they pitch."

Kristen shrugged pulling her legs underneath her.
"I find it interesting.  I mean look how he is standing in the batters box.  The bat is so way over his head.  He will have to start swinging couple seconds before a lot of other batters because that swing will take longer to make contact with the ball since his bat is so high."

"True."  Justin said, finishing licking off his spoon and putting it in the bowl on the table.

"Hey...Justin.."

"Hmm?"

"Why me?"

Justin shifted his body on the couch to look at her.

"What you mean why you?"

Kristen leaned her head against the back of the couch and looked at the ceiling.

"Why me...I got the shit with my mom, than John, everything that happened my freshmen year...and now this.  Why me?  Why does everything horrible happen to me?  Why can't I just catch a break for a change?  When something good happens, it's like, just a dream because in a snap it's gone."  Kristen sighed, closing her eyes.  "What is wrong with me Justin?"

"Kristen nothing is wrong with you, don't you ever think that.  You are an amazing person."  Justin gently placed his hand on top of hers and rubbed it.  "Why does this all happen to you?  Good question, I wish I knew the answer because you do not deserve it any bit of it.  No one hates you.  God doesn't hate you, he is just...I dunno.  Maybe it's for a set up for the future.  Maybe you'll run into someone who is hit with this situation and he is going to use you to help them, who knows but Kristen don't ever think something is wrong with you.  All of us guys, Chris, Joey, Lance and I wish we could just take away your pain because it's not fair...Hell I know Brittney wishes she could take your pain also.  I believe in the saying that everything happens for a reason and I know you do too.  You're the stronger person I know, don't ever give up.  We are all here for you and always will."

"It's not fair."  Kristen wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"I know sweetie I know."

"Ugh...I'm so tired of crying."

"And we're tired of seeing you cry.  Trust me, if we could knock one to Jace, we would for Johnny would kick are ass and hell...have you seen him mad?"

"Who is scarier, Brittney or Johnny?"

"Oh mann..." Justin rubbed the back of his neck.  "That's hard..hmm..waiitt, stop changing the subject.  You're to damn good at that."

"I'm just...I think if I just ignore it and forget that it happen, just go in denial, I won't have to deal with the pain."

"Kristen...that isn't healthy."

"I don't want to deal with it...I'm done.  I'm tired of being hurt.  Over, done, finish."

"I wish there was something I could do..."

"Just keep him away from me."

"We already planned that if you liked it or not."

Justin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him into a hug after wiping a tear off her cheek.

"Where are you going to um, now live?"

"Tom and his boyfriend Richard...This afternoon while you guys were doing your stuff Britt and I did a conference call with Johnny and Tom and Tom said he and Richard were looking for a roommate...and he wants me to move in with them instead of some person they don't know and might be a freak."

"You are a freak."  Justin joked.

"Hardy har-har."  Kristen said dryly, her head lying on his shoulder.

"Just trying to get you to crack a smile doll."

"I know I know...I'm sorry."

"Oh hush don't be sorry.  Well I'm glad that you now have a place to stay.  The guys and I were wondering and if you didn't we were going to make you live with one of us."

"I've done enough living with you all for this tour to last a life time."

"Oh har-har jokester." Justin poked her side.  "I'm surprised you're not going to live with Lance and Brittney."

"Last thing they need is someone else with them twenty four-seven when they finally get to settle down and get alone time in their relationship."

"Eh, I see what you mean....Question."

"Hmm?"

"What are we doing with the press?"

Kristen sighed, sitting up while rubbing her face with the tip of her fingers.

"When we get back we are all having a meeting with Johnny and Tom.  They are trying to think of some cover story since well, they are not going to tell everyone what really happen, that can damage your guy's career and everything.  As of right now they said not to mention or talk about it if someone asks about it and just blow it off like nothing is wrong or happened till some story is made up and Johnny tells us what to do...Which you'll have to tell Trace also."

"Oh yeah...He already knows what happen.  He called this afternoon and I told him.  I'm supposed to warn you that he is going to attack you in the airport because he is picking me up."

"Oh dear lord."

Justin laughed, resting his feet on the table in front of him.

"So yeah there is your warning.  How are you getting back to your apartment?"

Kristen shrugged.

"I haven't thought about it really....I really should of, but opps."

"Well if you need a ride you can bum a ride with Trace and I."

"Offering before even asking Trace hmm?"

"Psh, whatever I say goes.  He lives in my house rent free he can drop you off at your apartment if he likes it or not."

"Bossy bossy bossy."

Justin smiled, resting his arm along the back of the couch.

"He'll live."  Justin ran his hand up and down her arm.

"Uh, does your dad know about um..the whole thing with Jace?"

Kristen shook her head.

"I'm just telling him we just had a messy break up.  If I mention what happen hell...I dunno what he do so I'm not telling him the whole thing."

"What about your sisters?"

"I couldn't lie to them if I tried.  We tell each other everything and can tell instantly when one is lying."  Kristen sighed, closing her eyes.  "They don't know yet...I wish they lived in Florida with me...I need them ya know?"

"Why don't you go visit them?  We got a two-week vacation; why don't you go up, stay for a bit, and hang with them for a bit.  You'll be far away from all this chaos and don't have to worry about running into Jace."

"Hmmm..Not a bad idea....I'll have to talk to them about it and make sure it's okay...But you know I don't get a two-week vaca like you all.  Brittney and I start back on Monday, four days after we get back."

"Dude Johnny will be okay with it.  If not I'll talk to him.  Anyways the guy loves you like a daughter; he'd probably push you to go before you snap."

"Are you all just trying to get rid of me?  Hmmm?"

Justin laughed; shaking his head.

"Nah, we'd be begging you to stay really.  Everything will fall apart with ya'."

"Rightttt."

"Who else is going to yell at my ass when I step out of line?"

"Brittney."

"Yeah but she doesn't have the eyes on the back of her head like you do, I swear.  You always like a step ahead of us when we go to do something."

"Mother-instinct."

Justin looked at her funny.

"You're not a mom....unless there is something you've been hiding from us."

"Oh god no."  Kristen laughed softly.  "No kid has popped out of me and none will for a wwhiiillleeee."

"Man when you have a kid....I'll feel sorry for it."

"I'd feel sorry for your kid if he gets this hair."  Kristen rubbed the top of Justin's head.

"Hey, you're jealous of the curls."

"Righhttt..Soo jealous of the fro."

"Hey I'm going to cut it when we get back so hush."

"Thank god.  That thing has a mind of its own."

"All I'm looking forward is me not having to do shit with it or deal with Jessica yanking on it."

Justin laughed at Kristen while she yelled at the TV over a bad play.  Kristen threw her hands up in the air and sighed.

"Son of a Bitch I could have made that catch....Dumbass."

"Uh huh I bet....Hey are you and Brittney going to our last show tomorrow and the after party?"

Kristen nodded while sitting back on the couch, watching the TV.

"Yeah because it's your last one, why would we miss it?  Now for the after party...Just...keep him away and we'll be fine."

"Oh hunny you don't have to tell me twice.  The guys and I will be yanking you on that dance floor all night till your feet fall off."

"Oh yay!"  Kristen said sarcastically.

And...free liquor."  Justin nudged her in the side with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows.  Kristen looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Justin if you're trying to get me drunk so you can take me to your bed it's not going to work."

Justin laughed.

"Noo, just trying to get you to be happy."

Kristen eyed his suspiciously.

"Oh no not like that, that came out wrong, you're like my sister."  Justin said quickly while laughing.  Kristen laughed, pushing him.

"Good to know you are not that kind of southerner."

"Hey that's so wrong..Soo wrong!"

"Not myyyy fault some of your southern peeps marry in their family."

"That's just disgusting and gives us southern people bad reps."

Justin stared at her body language closely as she sat there, her eyes focused on the baseball game on the TV screen.

"You know...You're pretty good on changing subjects right off the bat."

"I know."  Kristen leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knee and placing her chin in her hand, her eyes not leaving the screen.  "It drives Brittney insane."

"It's driving me insane."

"Suck it up superstar."  Kristen smirked as she leaned back against the couch, pulling a leg up underneath her.  Justin got up and walked into the bedroom; walked back and tossed a small box of playing cards on the table.  Justin sat down across from her at the table, on the floor, and opened up the box, shuffling them.

"Game time."

Kristen laughed softly and slid off the couch to sit on the floor.

"Bring it Justin, bring it."

"Oh it's been brought."

Kristen stared at his face before bursting out laughing.

"You did not just say that!"

Justin laughed while dealing the cards between the two.

"Let's keep that between us."

"Uh huh." Kristen rested her elbow on the table.  "What game are we going to play?"

Justin shrugged, picking up his stack of cards.  "Slap Jack?"

Kristen smirked, picking up her cards and holding them between her fingers.

"Be ready to go down Timberfuck."

***

Kristen groaned as Justin's hand slapped on top of the cards between them.  Justin threw his hands up in victory.  "SIX TIMES IN A ROW BABY!"

Kristen slapped her pile of cards from her hands on the table.

"I swear you cheat."

"Na na na na naaa!"  Justin pointed his finger in her face with a huge smile on his lips.

"Cheater."

"I did not cheat you sore loser."

"Cheater."

Justin raised his eyebrows, smirking, and leaned both of his arms on the tables' surface, leaning over slightly.

"Call me a cheater one more time...."

Kristen smiled.

"Chheeaatterrr."

"That's it!"

Justin jumped up as Kristen chucked his cards at him and started running towards the bedroom.  Kristen squealed as Justin tackled her to the bed.  Justin quickly pinned her arms to the bed with his hands and pinned her legs down with his legs; both of them laughing.

"Want to call me a cheater again jerk?"

Kristen sighed, and started laughing again.

"Cheater!  Now get off of me you bastard."

"Nuh uh uhhhh.  Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Kristen burst out laughing as she tried her best to wiggle free from his grips.  Justin laughed as he unpinned her and flopped down beside her on the bed.

"It's good to see you smile and laugh munchkin.  I know you're going threw a lot, but we've all missed that smile and laugh."

Kristen laid still as she caught up with her breathing.

"It feels good to laugh and smile; thanks broho."

"Anytime." Justin patted her arm before rolling onto his back, putting his arms behind his head.

"I can't believe you kicked my ass six times in a row..."

Justin laughed as he closed his eyes.

"I'm just that amazing."

"Lower the ego buddy before it sucks out all the energy out of this room."

Justin rolled his eyes, chuckling and poked her leg with his foot as she yawned.

"Tired?"

Kristen nodded her head as she rolled onto her side to face him.

"You need sleep.  We have a lot of shit to do tomorrow and it will be a late as hell night till we finally crash and I know you are running on extreme low of sleep from last night."

Justin kissed her forehead and rolled off the bed.

"Justin."

"Hmm?"

"Don't leave."

Justin turned around, looking at her confused.

"What do you mean, don't leave?"

"I..uh um...afraid to be alone like...anywhere...please..can you like. Um..stay?  You can sleep in the bed with me, it's not like we haven't before just..please..I-I can't be alone."

Justin just looked at her as he felt his heart broken.  Seeing her so weak was something new to him, to everyone.  She was such a strong girl and seeing her fall apart in front of their eyes was breaking everyone's heart.  Justin pulled back the blankets and laid back down on the bed.

"Of course hun, don't have to ask twice."

"Thank you."  Kristen whispered.

Justin rolled onto his side as he yawned.

"No need to thank me munchkin.  I said I'd always be here for you, and I'm sticking to my word....and yell I'm not going to take down an offer to lay in a bed instead of a couch."

Both of them chuckled.

"Goodnight Justin.  Love you."

"Goodnight.  Love you too.  Get some sleep."

Kristen nodded, sliding her hand under her pillow and closed her eyes.