Chapter 5

"Hi, I'm at 1622 Oak Park Lane....I need an ambulance right now. Please hurry....my girlfriend, she...she was going down the stairs and I tried to reach out and grab her-"

"Sir, slow down. What is your name?"

"Justin. My name is Justin and her name is, is, Danika. Danika McCaulter."

"Ok Justin, and where is Danika right now?"

"She's right here, she's on the floor....she...Danni, wake up please!" He said frantically.

"Sir, can you explain to me what happened? Ambulances are on the way....you said she fell?"

"Yes, well, I reached out to grab her-"

"You were trying to grab her?" The responder said.

"Sort of. We had an argument and...and...she's pregnant."

"You said she's pregnant, sir?"

"Yes." Justin replied sadly. He knew how this was looking. He felt sick to his stomach. He hung up his phone and went over to Danika, who was still laying lifelessly on the floor. He could hear the wail of ambulance sirens in the far distance, getting closer and closer.

"I'm so sorry baby....but maybe you wont be having that baby after all..." He said to her, gently touching her face with the back of his hand.

*~

Johnny Wright couldnt believe what he was hearing. His client, Justin Timberlake, had an argument with his girlfriend, Danika, who had just told him she was expecting a child, presumably his. She claims he attacked her, she ran down the stairs, and she can remember feeling a push on the back of her left shoulder, causing her to tumble and loose her balance. She struck her head on the landing, and was knocked unconcious.

"God fucking damn it son of a bitch!" was Johnny's response upon hearing about the incident from a report on the nightly news. He buzzed his secretary.

"Krystal, get Harvey on the phone right NOW!" He hollered, not meaning to frighten her. He was refering to Harvey Levin, head of gossip and celebrity outlet TMZ, which broke the story.

Meanwhile, Justin was sitting in LA County jail. After Danika was taken to the hospital and awoke from her unconcious state, she was able to give her side of the story, and Justin was promptly arrested, tenatively charged with 2 counts of assault and battery. Bail was set at 30,000. That night he was able to make a few personal calls.

"Hello?" Lynn answered, hoping to God it was Justin. She had to hear about it on the news as well.

"Baby, what....what is going on?"

"It's bad, Mom. I need you to post 30 grand for bail so I can get out of here." He said. His voice sounded raspy and horse, and his tone was that of someone who had gotten little sleep.

"What are you in jail for?" She asked.

"Assault and battery...." He said as she gasped at his words. "So its true? You...pushed-"

"Mom, please....I didnt push her. I tried to reach out and I hit her shoulder...she lost her balance."

For the first time in his life, he heard his mother break down sobbing, and it was because of him. It was his fault, for all of this.

"Mom, please...dont cry." He begged unsucessfully.

Then Lynn did the hardest thing she'd done in what felt like forever.

"I cant help you baby. I cant...."

She softly hung up the phone and fell to the floor in her kitchen in a fit of tears.

Paul, her husband, tried to comfort her, but she pushed him away, covering her face with her hands.

"Dont! Dont! Leave me alone Paul...please!" She cried. He stepped away and watched her cry, his own eyes welling up with tears. He thought that he may not be able to forgive Justin, who was like his son, for what he had done to his mother.

*`

Sarah was watching a movie at home that night, but truth be told her mind was far from the TV. All she could think of was, could it really be true? He pushed her so they would loose the baby? Really? No matter how many times she tried to accept that as true, she just couldnt. She couldnt get her mind around him being abusive. It just wasnt him. And why hadnt he contacted her? She was really worried.

Strangely enough, just after that thought, her cell phone was ringing. It was a number she didnt recongnize.

"Hello?" She answered, sounding a bit bewildered.

"Sarah, oh thank God." Justin said. Sarah breathed a sigh through her nose.

"Justin..." She said, realizing she wasnt sure what to say.

"I can explain. It's not how it looks...and it looks really bad."

"Did she loose the baby?"

"No. The baby is ok, actually." He said, sounding far removed from the word 'baby'. He didnt sound relieved nor disappointed. He just sounded empty. "I'm so scared, Sarah."

"Whats bail?"

"30 grand."

Sarah took a deep breath and was silent for a moment.

"I'll be down."

With that, she hung up.

She sat there on the couch for several minutes. Why was she doing this? Did he really push Danika? She could easily be making this up for publicity, Sarah wouldnt put it past her to do something like that. Even though she had an uneasy feeling about this, she got up from the couch and put her shoes on to go and bail him out.

*~

Danika laid in the sterile hospital bed and stared blankly at the TV mounted on the wall across her room. She was thinking about their baby. This was all going according to plan, well, mostly. But there was one thing that she wasnt expecting, and that was falling inlove with Justin.

She thought about how he may have looked when they arrested him for pushing her. In her heart of hearts, she believed he didnt mean to push her. He wouldnt do that. He just isnt that kind of guy. Her moment of caring evaporated quickly as she thought about how rich this baby was gonna make her and Josh.

Chapter 6

Josh was Danika's husband of 5 years. They had a daughter, Emily, who was 6. She wasnt even sure how she ever got the idea to meet Justin and cause him to fall inlove with her. She and Josh had been struggling to make ends meet before the birth of their daughter. And when she arrived unexpectedly, it threw their unsteady financial situation into overdrive. They would fight constantly and didnt agree on how to properly take care or raise Emily. Danika moved to Arizona and left Josh to care for Emily for a couple years. It was there that she met Justin. She worked at a high end resort in Phoenix and Justin came for a week and instantly was attracted to her. For having his string of relationships with bombshell blondes from Britney to Cameron, he really thought the dark haired and mysterious girls were the hottest. And when he liad eyes on Danika at the resort, where she was working a receptionist, he knew he just had to have her. She knew little about who he was, but at the same time she recognized him right away. He aws funny and whitty and atrractive of course. He asked for her number the day before the end of his vacation there. She apprehensivly gave it to him, not even expecting him to ever call. But sure enough, a few days later, he did. He said he was going to be in Phoenix on business and wanted to see her. They went on their first date and they went back to his hotel room. At first she regretted sleeping with him that first night, but as they saw eachother more and more and eventually became offical, she let that night slip from her mind.

Everything was working out great, but then Josh wanted her back. Before she knew it, she was cheating on Justin with her ex. He wasnt even aware that she had a kid. Justin was out of the loop since day one. But she saw the potential of living a life that included shopping sprees, attending celebrity events, eating at restraunts she couldnt have ever afforded with Josh, nice cars, a huge home. Anything she could dream up Justin could provide her with. But Josh was her soul mate, her lover, the father of her baby. She loved him for who he was not what he could give her.

*~

Sarah walked up and rested her arms on the cold steel surface of the desk where she was going to bail Justin out.

When the lady behind the protective glass walked up, she asked her how she could help.

"I need to bail an inmate out."

"Last name?" She said coldly.

"Timberlake."

"Ok, hang on." She said into the microphone, reminding Sarah almost of a bank teller. She could see the lady walk away and approch an officer in a navy uniform. They exchaged a few words and then she came back.

"We can do that for you today. It's gonna be....$30,000."

Sarah wrote out a check for the full amount and was told to have a seat while they readied him for release. A few minutes later she heard a buzzing sound and Justin walked through a heavy security monitored door, escorted by a policeman. He had to sign release forms and was given what little was taken from him at the time of his arrest. His watch, car keys, etc.

"Justin!" Sarah said when he turned to leave. She didnt think, just jumped up into his arms. He hugged her but put her back on her feet without saying a word. His demeanor was cold and standoff-ish.

"Justin, whats the matter?"

His beard was outgrown and scruffy around his neck and his eyes were bloodshot from no sleep.

"I just want to get out of here." He said.

"I know, lets go." She said softly, taking his hand. No sooner had she grabbed his hand did he wiggle it loose.

"Sarah, really. Not right now."

"Excuse me?" She said, a hand on her hip.

"Come on," He moaned. "There's a bunch of photogs sittin' out there just waiting to pounce. And after the whole thing with Danika, I dont need to add fuel to the fire by them snapping me with you."

"I'm your assistant, it's not like I'm your new girlfriend or something." She said defensivly.

"What?...Whatever. Let's go. I need to see her."

"Danika?" Sarah said, stopping yet again. Justin didnt miss a step, and it forced Sarah to catch up.

"Justin, your gonna see Danika?"

"Yes," He replied, still walking and looking straight ahead. "She thinks I pushed her down the stairs, of course I have to see her. I have to tell her I didnt mean to touch her, much less push her."

Sarah's eyes welled with tears and she felt like a little girl as a tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away but another one fell just after it.

When they got to the car, Justin gave her the bad news.

"I have to let you go, Sarah."

"Let me go? What?"

"I have to fire you. I'm sorry, but..."

That was it. She'd taken as much as she could from him but that was the last straw.

"Who gave you that demand? Danika?"

"Dont even bring her into this."

"Well it's probably true so just admit it, Justin."

Justin laughed, but in the back of his mind he knew she was on the money.

"You know what...we're done. That's it. I cant have you as my assistant because I was getting into a romantic situation and I just...dont have room for that with Danni being pregnant and all."

His words made her sick to her stomach. God, she thought, I go and bail him out for this?

And on top of all of that, she still had to drive in the car with him?

She breathed a heavy sigh.

"Where am I taking you?"

"Just drop me off at the hospital."

As bad as she wanted to speak up, she didnt. She just started up the car and drove him to the hospital.

*~

Danika had been napping when a nurse gently woke her up.

"Feel like having company?"

Danika smiled and told the nurse to send them in. Her heart fluttered when Justin came into the room. When he saw her, his eyes lit up.

"Hey," He said, coming up to her. "How are you? I'm sorry about...you know..."

"Justin, baby, I know you didnt mean to push me. I knew it all along. If I would have known the police were gonna arrest you I wouldnt have said a word. I'm sorry."

He leaned down and kissed her lips, then grabbed a chair and pulled it closer to the bed and sat down.

"How long are they gonna keep you?"

"Just another day they said. They just wanna check on the baby...Justin, about the baby.."

"I'm sorry Danni. I shouldnt have acted how I did, I'm just scared. I'm not ready to be a Dad. I wanted to save that for my 30's. This is way ahead of schedule."

"You cant schedule life, honey. What happens...happens."

Justin was quiet as he thought about just how much was about to happen.

"I cant believe your pregnant."

Danika was sick of hearing him moan and complain. Why couldnt he just be happy?

"Cant you just be happy for us? I mean, it's not like we're broke and cant support him...or her."

"Thats not the point," He gruffed back with a shake of his head. "I...just..."

"It's me, isnt it. I'm not your precious little Sarah."

Justin felt as if steam was coming out of his ears.

"I'd feel the same way if it was Sarah." He said in a harsh tone. "You're not above or below her."

"Oh save it. If your little assistant whore was pregnant you'd be all over her. But if its me who's prengnant, huh-ho!" She laughed. "Then your fucking WORLD is crumbling!"

Justin didnt think just reacted and reached over and grabbed her by her jaw.

"You can just shut the fuck up..." He growled, releasing her from his grip with a shove. Her eyes welled up with tears and Justin didnt need to say another word.

"I hate you Justin, go to hell."

"See ya there..." He muttered, causually putting his hands in his pockets as he turned the corner and was out of her sight. Her jaw still stung from his grip, and she rubbed it.

Justin waited until he was checked in, showered and settled in his room to make that call to Sarah. He needed some form of release and she was gonna be his accomplice, without even knowing it.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hey." He replied. "It's me."

"No shit." She said flatly. "What do you want?"

"I'm at The W. Why dont you come and see me?"

"Why?"

"You were right about Danika. I cant be with her...I didnt see her. I walked all the way to the hotel."

He smiled, knowing he had her right where he wanted her.

"Good Christmas, Justin why didnt you just call me?"

"I wanted to do some thinking....your the one I want."

Oh God am I inlove with this man, Sarah thought to herself.

Oh God am I good, he thought to himself.

"I'll be there in 20...."

"No panties." Justin commanded. "And I say so, cuz I'm your boss."

Sarah was turned on at his words.

"Yes, sir."

"Thats better, see you soon. Text me when your parking and I'll meet you."

"Ok."

They hung up and Justin sat back with a boastful sigh. He was so good at getting any girl he wanted to do exactly what he wanted.

Justin was lazily watching TV on the bed when his phone buzzed. Sarah had texted him.

I'm here

Justin texted her back,

210 tell the front desk your chasing the black dog

He was referring to the code name she would have to provide the front desk in order to get a key.

A minute later she texted,

Ok. C U soon lover.

About 5 minutes later he heard the clicking of her room key in the door and then she came into the room. The smell of aftershave hit her and she could still feel the humidity from him having just taken a shower. She walked further into the room and peered over the side of the wall and saw him laying there shirtless with just a pair of boxers on. He lifted his head up and leaned over and turned a light on.

"Hi." She said, coming over to the side of the bed. Justin pulled her by her wrists down to him. They began to kiss and Justin's hands started to roam. Sarah was going to give herself to him, but not before she asked him one more thing.

"J," She whimpered as he kissed on her neck just hard enough to make her tingle but not hard enough to leave any marks. She pushed on his chest to get his attention.

"What?" He asked, staring into her eyes.

"Promise me you wont go back to her."

"I promise you. I-Sarah, I have to tell you that..." He struggled, looking down at his hands then back up into her eyes. "I love you."'

Sarah grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.