Chris sat in the armchair that was near the couch where Alice was sitting with Justin. Well, actually she was more an extension of Justin - curled up against his side. She was quiet, her eyes fixed on the television. But he wasn't convinced that it really had her attention.

It'd been about a couple hours already since JC had left and about an hour since she suddenly fell, her face scrunched up in pain as she asked for her mommy. Chris had fought to keep himself calm, not only for Alice but for Justin as well as the concern on his face had been veering on panic. Surely it had been terrifying hearing Alice crying and not knowing exactly what was going on - how bad things actually were. But Chris had been unable to find a cause as to why she was crying. There had been no bruises or cuts that he could see, and yet she'd continued to cry, asking for her mommy in-between sobs.

In the end, Chris had done what he could to comfort her and reassure her that she would see her mom soon. He'd held off on telling her that JC had gone to talk to her just because he wasn't sure what the outcome of it would be and he didn't want to promise her something that wouldn't happen. There was no telling what would come from JC's talk with Beth and whether or not it would result in Beth coming to pick up Alice or JC having to watch her a few more days.

Chris was beginning to get worried. JC had been gone for a while, but he hadn't said exactly where he was going or how long he would be. That was what Chris kept telling himself anyway, trying not to let his mind go to thoughts of JC in the middle of some crazy domestic dispute. Though, it was much harder than it sounded because he just kept picturing Beth not being alone when JC showed up to meet her and him getting into it with her ex-boyfriend. It was an unsettling thought, and one he tried repeatedly to keep at bay.

As a way to try to help distract himself, Chris turned towards the TV and the cartoon he'd found for Alice to watch. He vaguely recognized it from seeing it on in passing in the few hours of downtime they got in their hotels sometimes when they were on the road. When he was home, it was very rare he was up early enough to even flip past the Nick Jr. shows.

It only took about five minutes for him to lose interest in it, and he thought about suggesting he put on a movie instead. Alice certainly didn't seem all that into the show either. But before he could even begin to voice the question, the sound of the front door opening derailed that thought.

He wasn't the only one who'd heard it either. Justin had turned his head in the direction of the front door. Alice, for her part, didn't seem to have much of a reaction. Her eyes were half closed and Chris couldn't tell if she was falling asleep or just out of it, but he got his answer a second later when he rose to his feet.

Alice turned her head, looking up at him from the couch. It only lasted for a moment before she began to push away from Justin, moving like she was going to get off the couch and follow him. Knowing he needed to talk to JC without worrying about what she'd hear, he quickly said, "Stay here and keep an eye on Justin for me, okay? He gets in trouble when left alone."

"Hey!" Justin protested. Chris was sure that while he was playing along for Alice's benefit, he also took offense to what he said. But all that mattered right then was that Alice nodded, agreeing to stay put until Chris returned.

He left them in the living room, walking down the small hallway to the foyer. Almost immediately his eyes fell on JC, who was leaning against the door with his head bowed. Chris slowed, coming to a stop a couple feet away from him and frowning in concern.

"JC?"

JC looked up and alarms immediately went off in Chris's head. Blue eyes stared emotionlessly at him and the redness surrounding them seemed to just enhance the color of the irises. His nose was red too, which stood out when compared to his flushed cheeks. It almost looked like he'd been crying. Something had obviously gone very wrong.

"What happened?" Chris asked, forgoing asking if he was okay. There was no point in it because he knew JC would say he was fine, which would be a complete lie.

JC shook his head slowly. "I left her there," he said, his voice so quiet it was barely above a whisper.

"Did you guys have a fight?"

Chris had honestly expected JC to return with Beth. He hadn't figured JC would be able to let her go off on her own again given how she'd all but disappeared the last couple days. Not when it was so obvious how worried he was about her. He knew from experience how JC could be when he was like that, and he was sure she wouldn't be able to say no to him. Though, it looked as though she'd found the power to somehow.

"No," JC said softly, his eyes lowered.

"Then what happened? Why do you look like you've been crying?" Chris pressed.

There was a pause before JC raised his eyes to look at him as he answered. "I feel like crap." As if trying to prove what he said was true, he sniffled right then and Chris had to grimace at the sound of the mucus that'd clearly clogged his nose.

Chris couldn't dispute what JC said. He certainly looked like crap. Though, that didn't mean he was sold on the idea that there wasn't anything else to it. In fact, the uneasy expression on JC's face as he swallowed roughly reinforced that thought. It almost looked like he was both trying to work up courage to say whatever it was he was holding back and was trying to keep himself from vomiting right there. But before Chris could even press him and try to get him to explain what'd happened, JC changed the subject.

"How's Alice?" he asked. He didn't even give Chris a chance to answer before he fired off another question. "Have you guys eaten lunch yet?"

"No," Chris said, a little thrown. Was JC really going to dismiss his questions and pretend like he hadn't just disappeared for a couple of hours to talk to Beth?

Apparently he was because with Chris's answer, he moved away from the door for the first time. Chris followed the younger man into the kitchen and watched with a bit of confusion and curiosity. He was sure he was looking for something to make for lunch, but he didn't understand why he was acting like this was normal. Nothing about this situation was normal and there was no doubt that he didn't even know the half of it.

Chris sat at the table, studying JC as he moved about the kitchen. He glanced briefly into the living room just to ensure that Alice was still sitting with Justin and he was happy to see that she and Justin were talking. It looked like Justin was doing his best to keep the little girl occupied, and he was grateful for it.

As he turned his attention back to JC, he felt his concern kick up a notch. JC's back was to him, but he could clearly see that things weren't as good as JC tried to make them seem. His shoulders were slumped and his head was bowed. Even though he was in the middle of cutting up an apple, Chris knew him well enough to know that the body language had more to do with whatever was on his mind than focusing on slicing the fruit. But when JC's hands began to shake, that confirmed that something was definitely wrong.

Chris was on his feet in an instant and crossed the room in a couple of quick strides. By the time he reached JC's side, his friend was practically quaking from head to toe. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he knew that JC seemed on the verge of breaking down. He couldn't let him do that when Alice was just in the next room; it wasn't something JC would want either. So Chris grabbed onto JC's arm and made him drop the knife he was still holding before quickly pulling him away.

The study was the closest place, but Chris sensed JC's bedroom would be a more appropriate place for this. There would be no chance of Alice hearing anything, and given the state JC was in already, the bedroom would be more comfortable for him. He just knew that once JC got whatever it was off his chest, he wouldn't be up to making lunch for Alice anymore; he'd need some time to pull himself together.

It only took about a minute to reach the bedroom and once they were inside, Chris pulled the door closed to effectively ensure nothing would carry down to the living room. As soon as the door clicked into place, JC slipped out of his grip and crashed to his knees as he began to breathe heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He looked like he was going to cry, but no tears came. It was like he was trying to keep them at bay, though Chris wasn't sure why.

Chris came over and knelt next to JC. "What's wrong? What happened?"

JC shook his head weakly as he wrapped his arms around his midsection. He was still breathing very quickly, and Chris was beginning to worry that he was going to hyperventilate.

"C'mon, JC. Tell me. Whatever it is, it's clearly tearing you apart." Chris put a hand on JC's shoulder and squeezed. "JC..."

JC took a few gulping breaths, struggling to take in oxygen given how fast his chest was rising and falling. Finally, he managed to speak. It came out as practically a whisper at first, so soft that Chris wasn't sure JC had even said anything. He leaned in closer and JC repeated himself, like maybe he'd known Chris hadn't heard him.

"She's dead!" he cried, and there was no longer any question what he'd said.

Chris felt his chest tighten painfully as he pulled JC into a hug without any hesitation. His pain didn't have much do with Beth as it did with his friend. Of course he felt terrible that she died, but he hadn't known her. He hadn't even met her. What he felt was sympathy for JC, knowing just how he felt about her and what she meant to him.

JC was now sobbing - almost hysterically - and his breathing remained as ragged as it had before. The only difference was now he was no longer trying to hold anything back. He clung to Chris tightly, his hand fisting the back of his t-shirt. Chris rubbed his back and spoke to him softly, trying to soothe him. He was terrified of what would happen if he couldn't calm JC and get him to breathe regularly again. It would surely result in a trip to the hospital and he knew that wouldn't help things at all. Not for JC and certainly not for Alice downstairs who was still oblivious to what'd happened to her mother.

Thankfully, JC did manage to regain some control over his breathing. Chris continued to rub his back and offer what comfort he could. He still didn't know what'd happened, but it wasn't important right now. The whole story would come out eventually. Right now all that mattered was doing what he could for JC.

When the crying began to subside, Chris gently started to pull away from JC and saw that he was practically asleep. He gently shook JC to try to keep him awake just a little bit longer. "Not yet. C'mon, let's get you into bed first."

JC didn't argue or fight him as he stood up, pulling JC up with him. Chris carefully shuffled them over to the bed where he lowered JC onto the soft mattress. Because JC's eyes were already half closed, it only took a few seconds for them to close completely and his breathing to even out in sleep.

It wouldn't be peaceful, but Chris knew rest was the best thing for him, especially given how much the cold had already taken out of him. Hopefully JC would stay asleep for a while because the longer he was asleep, the longer he could avoid the heartache he would no doubt endure when he awoke.

**************

JC was in the middle of one of those dreams where you knew you were dreaming. He was walking through the empty halls of a high school - his high school. It'd been years since he'd been there, and he didn't understand why he was dreaming of it. As he wandered through the halls, he looked for any clue as to why he was there or even when it was. He got his answer as he turned a corner and began walking down the hallway where the foreign language classes were.

There was a poster that helped to take the mystery out of the dream. It had the words "Class of ‘94" on it, advertising the senior prom. So he knew when the dream was taking place, but he still didn't know why he was in his high school. Even in spite of the poster, he wasn't exactly sure of the date and if the prom had already happened or not.

With no other clues around, JC continued down the hall. A couple minutes later he found himself in front of the library near the auditorium. His feet began to move - almost on their own accord - as he walked into the library. He wasn't really sure why he was heading into the small enclosed part of the school, but he figured there was something the dream wanted him to see that would only be found in the library.

He walked in and almost immediately he recognized the slight moldy scent that reached his nose. He'd almost forgotten the musty smell the high school library had, especially during the warmer months of the year. It was largely due to the poor ventilation of the air conditioning and subsequently resulted in the library being almost freezing during the winter.

As he stepped towards the fiction section of the library where several tables were, he quickly realized he wasn't alone in the room. It took him only a second to recognize the person sitting at one of the small tables with several books laying haphazardly in front of her. It was Beth.

It seemed like she sensed his presence because she looked up and immediately smiled when she saw him. "You get all caught up with Mrs. Thompson?"

Finally, things began to click for him. Beth looked exactly as she had as a senior in high school and what she said also sparked something in his mind. This was an actual memory. Though, he felt like he was reacting to everything for the first time, as if he hadn't already lived through all this once before. But what was really weird was that things began to change from how he remembered.

"Yeah," JC said, pulling out a seat at the table and sitting next to her. "I mean, I guess."

Beth quirked an eyebrow. "You guess? Was there something else you wanted to talk to her about?"

"No, but I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay..."

Beth gave him a look that told him he was being weird, but she waited patiently for him to speak. This was a moment he remembered clearly, but this was where things began to turn out differently.

JC took a deep breath, staring into her green eyes and said, "I think I'm in love with you." He then immediately shook his head and quickly amended, "No, I know it. I'm in love with you."

As he waited for her reaction, his heart beat loudly in his ears and painfully against his chest. He hadn't said this the first time around and he wasn't sure why he had now. In the back of his mind he knew this was still a dream and none of this was real, but the anxiety he felt waiting for her to say something felt very real.

A long moment passed and JC began to feel the panic in his chest build, the silence getting to him and nudging him to just take back what he'd said. He'd been prepared to do just that - to try to bluff his way around what he'd told her - when she finally spoke.

Beth looked at him seriously for a second before her face broke into a soft smile. "I know," she said. "And I'm in love with you too."

Before he was able to process that she'd known he loved her, she leaned into his space and pressed her lips against his. He was surprised by the move, but it only took him a second to register that Beth was, in fact, kissing him before he kissed her back. As he did, he felt a rush of emotions stirring within him. He'd wanted to do that for a long time and he was in disbelief it was actually happening.

The kiss went on for several seconds and JC was convinced that when they finally pulled away that they'd end up sharing a couple of breathless laughs. But that wasn't how it happened at all. Beth was the one to break the kiss, and as she pulled away, JC could clearly see the love in her eyes. It was a look he was sure was being reciprocated back to her. He could tell something was different though, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

It was only when she severed all physical contact with him that he realized they were no longer sitting in the high school library. Instead, they were standing in a large homey kitchen. Then he looked back at Beth and he smiled at her even though in the back of his mind his mind was trying to make sense of the shift in the dream.

"How do you do that?" she asked, smiling back at him.

JC moved closer to her, pulling her close to him once more. "Do what?"

"Look at me like you're seeing me for the first time."

"Maybe because I fall in love with something new about you every day," he whispered in her ear before gently kissing her on the side of her neck. She squirmed slightly, laughing. He smiled as he pulled back and put a hand low on her slightly rounded stomach. "And I know it's going to be the same with this little guy."

She looked amused as she said, "Just how do you know it's gonna be a boy?"

JC shrugged a little. "Just a feeling I have. I called it the last time so I'm pretty sure I'm going to be right this time."

As if on cue, there was an excited cry of "Daddy!" just before there was the sound of excited footsteps. Alice ran into the kitchen, holding a picture she'd colored to present to him and Beth. JC picked her up and held her close as he let her chatter on, feeling happier than he could ever remember.

Then, without any warning, he jerked out of the dream. He woke up feeling disoriented, unsure exactly where he was or what was going on. Though, it only lasted a second as he remembered everything that'd happened and the grief that washed over him was like a knife to his heart.

The dream just made it even worse. He hated to think that all of this could have been avoided if he'd just told Beth how he'd felt about her back in high school, especially before he moved away. He hadn't because he hadn't wanted to mess up things with her and Billy because even though he was a jerk, she'd seemed happy with him. And if he was honest with himself, he was afraid that she'd stop talking to him if he objected too strongly. Now he wished he had. If his dream was any indication, things could've been so much different. At the very least she wouldn't be dead.

Dead. It was one single word, but it had such finality and it tore at his heart. Never again would Beth get to see her daughter, tell her how much she loved her, or watch her grow up into what JC was sure was going to be a beautiful woman. She'd been robbed of life at such a young age, and it wasn't fair.

"Oh, God..." JC whispered, his voice choking the words as a sob rose up in his throat. Tears threatened to fall and he would've let them if it wasn't for the voice that spoke.

"JC?" It was Justin. "Are you okay?"

It was a stupid question and JC didn't have to look at Justin to know he recognized it as soon as the words left his lips. He turned his head and saw Justin was sitting in an armchair that was situated over by the large windows. He wasn't exactly surprised to see him, but part of him wondered how Justin had managed to get there. Then again, he'd gotten upstairs and to JC's bedroom on his own yesterday.

He almost asked Justin what time it was out of habit, but he stopped himself in time and looked at his alarm clock on the nightstand instead. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was nearly eight o'clock. He couldn't believe he'd managed to sleep for so long - it certainly didn't feel like he'd gotten nearly eight hours of sleep. The entire day was gone and it was nearly Alice's bedtime.

The thought of the little girl had him flying to a more upright position. His body protested the sudden move as his vision swam and his stomach churned, but he ignored all of it. Somehow in all of his grief he'd forgotten about Alice. The girl he'd sworn to take care of for Beth.

"JC, what's wrong?" Justin asked, his voice concerned but he didn't move from the armchair.

"Where's Alice?" JC demanded. He could only assume that she was with Chris given that his oldest friend wasn't in the room, but he didn't like not knowing for sure.

Justin looked like he wanted to get up and come closer to try to comfort JC, but he remained where he was. JC wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid to move or if he was trying to give him some space. Though, he didn't really care. All he wanted at that moment was to know where Alice was and if she was okay.

As if Justin could sense the impending panic, he said in a low voice that JC was sure was meant to be soothing, "Shh, JC. Calm down. She's fine, I promise."

"That's not what I asked."

"She's getting ready for bed."

JC snapped his head over to the door when he heard Chris's voice. His heart rate increased as he saw him standing just inside the doorway. He'd been banking on the fact that Chris was watching her and while she wasn't in much danger in the house, she wasn't old enough to be left unsupervised.

He actually opened his mouth to reprimand Chris for leaving her alone when Chris held up his hand and said, "Joey and Lance are helping her. They're giving her a bath right now."

JC couldn't help the relief he felt and he fell back against his pillows, suddenly completely exhausted. Chris stepped further into the room, shutting the door behind him like he'd done earlier when he'd pulled him upstairs after he'd first returned. He sat at the foot of the bed, looking down at him.

"What happened, JC?"

JC had no doubt Chris wasn't asking about the brief bout of panic he'd just suffered from; he was asking for details about how Beth had died. It wasn't something he really wanted to talk about. The fact that it just kept playing out over and over in his mind was bad enough. He'd never be able to erase the image of her lifeless body. It was an image that made him sick and he swallowed roughly, silently pleading with his stomach to settle and not expel its meager contents.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't feel up to it," Justin said, his eyes narrowed in Chris's direction.

JC appreciated what Justin was trying to do, but he knew he had to tell them. He owed them an explanation, especially since he was sure this was going to change everything for the five of them. Well, the six of them really if he included Alice.

"It's okay," he told Justin. He took a deep breath, trying to psych himself up for it as he knew it wouldn't be easy. Chris and Justin said nothing, which seemed to make it a little easier. Finally, he sighed and pushed himself to sit up with his back against the headboard before he began...a little more blunt than he'd intended. "Gabe shot her."

"Her ex?" Justin asked.

Chris's reaction had been a little different. "What? He showed up when you met with her?"

JC shook his head slowly, trying not to bring on another dizzy spell. He cleared his throat, trying to dislodge both the thick mucus and the emotion that threatened to overtake him. "It was her ex, but he wasn't there." He paused and added, "At least I don't think he was. But he sent some people to bring Beth back and they..."

"They were the ones who killed her?" Justin asked gently.

JC nodded, swiping at his eyes as he sniffled. "They...they shot her in the back. We were trying to get away..."

Chris held up his hands, signaling for him to stop. His forehead was crinkled in confusion. "I think you better start from the beginning."

A tear fell from JC's eyes and he quickly wiped it away. He knew it was necessary in order for them to understand what'd happened, but he wasn't sure he could explain everything to them without breaking down. Though, he had to try. Beth deserved for people to know how she'd really died and understand why she'd done the things she had. That and he was pretty sure he was going to need help if he wanted to get Alice away from Gabe. So he took a deep breath and began again.

"Gabe is the leader of a cult."

Chris lowered his eyes, shaking his head sympathetically. "Oh no."

"A cult?" Justin repeated. "Like the KKK?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to think of one of the worst cults. They're not all like that, but they all have one person imposing their ideals on other people."

"Did Beth know about that?"

JC looked away even though Justin's blindness kept him from actually locking eyes with him. He hadn't reacted well when he'd found out that she was part of a cult and he doubted they would either. But most of all, he didn't want to admit it because he didn't want it to change their opinion about her.

"Justin," Chris began. He sighed. "She knew because she was in it."

"What?" Without looking at him, JC could tell that Justin was confused, surprised, and no doubt well on his way to judging her for it.

JC raised his head, glancing over at Justin before looking at Chris. "It wasn't her fault. She had no idea what she was getting into."

"We didn't say it was her fault," Justin began to object, but JC cut him off.

"No, but you're judging her for it. If she'd known who he really was, she wouldn't have gotten involved. He took advantage of her when she was vulnerable."

"That's how it usually works, but I promise you, we're not judging her," Chris said.

Justin nodded his head. "Yeah, if anything it makes us more sympathetic to what she was going through."

JC sighed. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he rubbed at his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew they hadn't meant anything by their questions, but he still felt compelled to defend her. "I just..."

"We know," Chris assured. There was a brief moment of silence, which JC was sure was meant to give him time to realize they weren't trying to antagonize him. After nearly thirty seconds, Chris spoke again and tried to get the conversation back on track. "So what happened? What made her realize the truth and that she wanted out?"

JC hesitated. He didn't really want to tell them what Beth had told him because he knew they would have a hard time even believing it. Hell, he certainly had and if he was honest, he was still struggling with it. But he had to say something because he had to make sure they knew Alice couldn't go back to Gabe.

"She didn't like how he was treating Alice," JC said at last, hoping he could get away with being vague.

Chris leaned forward, his eyes narrowed just slightly. They weren't narrowed in anger at him but at the thought that some man - a man who was supposed to be her father no less - had purposely hurt an innocent little girl. "How was he treating her?"

JC shook his head, realizing his mistake. He knew how Chris felt about people who abused their kids, whether it was physically or verbally. It was something that always made him see red, and JC was really regretting bringing out that kind of reaction. He did his best to gloss over it and redirect Chris's attention.

"She didn't explain and we were interrupted before I could ask."

"By the guys Gabe sent?" JC nodded and then quickly realized that Justin wasn't able to see a nod so he vocalized his agreement. Justin continued, "What did they want?"

"They wanted to take her back to Gabe." JC sniffed, unsure if his nose was running because of his cold or the unshed tears that burned his eyes. "I guess he had her followed. She tried to get rid of me, but I grabbed her hand and forced her to run with me. And then next thing I know, they..." He took a shaky breath and was unable to stop the tears from falling this time. "They shot her in the back."

Instantly, Chris moved from the foot of the bed to sit next to him and wrap an arm around him. JC leaned into him, tears streaming down his face and his body quivering just slightly at the effort to keep himself from breaking down completely. He heard Justin get up from the chair and carefully make his way to the bed before he lowered himself down on the other side of JC. He put a hand on his back, doing his best to offer support.

"We're here for you, Jace," Justin said. "We'll help with whatever you need."

JC was silent for a long moment, trying to will his tears to stop so he could pull himself together. He knew he needed to mourn her properly, but there were things that needed to be taken care of first. Like the funeral.

"Where was she taken? Did the news say?" JC asked, raising his right hand to wipe the tears off his face. His sinuses were now clogged and already his head began to pound from the pressure it caused.

Chris shifted uncomfortably next to JC, and he was sure that if Justin had been able to see that the two of them would've exchanged uneasy looks. As it was, Chris just heaved a heavy sigh and said, "It wasn't on the news. We haven't heard anything about it all day."

"What?" JC's heart clenched painfully. No way was that possible. "It happened in a public place! We were at a train station. They had to have found her!"

Justin gripped his bicep, putting a slight pressure on it - not enough to cause pain but to get his attention and keep him from completely panicking. "There's been no mention of it. No one even called today except for Lance to say that he and Joey were on their way from the airport."

JC's stomach churned uneasily as he came to the only realization that made sense. "They must've taken her with them."

There was a heavy silence that lingered between the three of them for a minute before it was broken by Chris clearing his throat. "We need to get the police involved," he said.

"No!" JC jerked, pushing himself away from Chris and simultaneously pulling out of Justin's grip. "We can't! She asked me not to."

Chris let out a short breath, looking slightly annoyed. "JC..."

"She thought he had friends at the police. It's why she didn't go to them before. She didn't want to do anything that might put Alice at risk, and neither do I." JC glanced at Justin, wishing selfishly that he could see because it was always harder for him to ignore JC's pleading gaze than it was for Chris. But he turned that look on Chris. "Please."

Chris stared at JC and JC did his best not to look away. He needed to convince him that holding off on the police was the right move. At least for now until they knew whether or not they could really be trusted and weren't on Gabe's side.

"Fine," Chris said at last. "But you should at least get Lonnie and maybe a couple of the other security guys over here. Those guys must know who you are and it sounds like Gabe is the type of person to do whatever he thinks is necessary to get his daughter back."

Justin's forehead creased with worry. "You really think he'll send those people here to get Alice?"

"Yes, I do," Chris said but his eyes were still locked on JC's. JC felt sick, knowing what Chris was saying was a very real concern to have. He could only hope that Gabe and whoever those people were wouldn't find out where he lived. But if they did, he knew one thing for certain:

He would die before he let them take Alice.