Riley scanned the crowd as she ran around making sure everyone and everything was situated. It was the morning of the ceremony and it was going to be a long day. 

The streets were wall to wall with *NSync fans, and there was a constant buzz of noise and activity as everyone waited for the festivities to start. 

Riley was on overdrive. 

All five members of *NSync waited in a small reception room for their cue, and Justin was nervous. REALLY nervous. His leg started bobbing up and down and the slightly older man sitting next to him slapped his arm lightly.

“J...You cool, man?” JC asked

“Fine, man...fine…”

“Pffft. Liar..What’s going on…”

Justin sighed “I know we talked at dinner the other night. Got some stuff out and all, but...Man...None of them out there know that…”

“Do you want them to?”

“No of course not. I just- It’s been awhile since we...Since they saw us...Like this ya know?”

JC sighed. “Yeah it has...but you’re our brother, man...that never changed. We’re good. All of us...We’re good, man...”

Justin took a deep breath and smiled “Thanks, C…”

“Guys...10 minutes!” Riley got their attention and walked off to check on something else. 

JC grinned, looking at Justin as she hurried off “What’s going on there, dude…”

“With Riley? She’s my assistant, I told you…”

“Uh huh...and…”

“And what?” Justin asked.

“Annnd you dragged her out to guys’ night so we could sing Happy Birthday to her…” JC mentioned, suspicious.

“She was an *NSync fan...I thought it would be nice…”

JC smiled “She’s pretty cute…”

Justin blushed a little “Uh...I guess so.. I mean if you wanna…”

JC shook his head “Yeah..Yeah Jen would LOVE that…” he laughed. “Come on, Justin…”

“What?” Justin smiled “Drop it, nothing’s happening…”

They had promised each other, after all. 

“Whatever, dude...” JC chuckled. 

He knew his friend too well to believe him.

**

Riley positioned herself near the “friends and family” section, available should anyone need anything. 

“Honey SIT DOWN..” a voice approached her. 

She looked over “Oh I’m ok..” she smiled. 

“You’ve been runnin’ around all day. Those boys are fine. Sit down. My son works you too dang hard!” she insisted in her southern drawl. Lynn was not going to take no for an answer. 

“If you insist…” Riley took an empty seat on the row, noticing how her feet immediately thanked her.

Anticipation was in the air, and Riley took the opportunity to take a few pictures for Katie and Emi, who would undoubtedly kill her if she hadn’t. 

“This is so exciting, right?” the woman next to her said. 

“Yeah it is...They really deserve it..”

“They do,” she beamed. She was really pretty. Had to be there with one of the guys. Her dark hair was perfectly styled and her kind eyes were alert with pride. “I’m Jen...Riley, right?” she asked. 

“Yeah, that’s me…”

“He’s stubborn, huh?” she continued, noticing Riley’s focus on Justin. 

Riley laughed. “Justin? Yeah. He makes my job...interesting.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet…”

Another voice spoke up from next to Jen “Yeah...that runs in the group…” she laughed.

Jen laughed “This is Karly...and that’s Nash…” she smiled at the adorable little boy in Karly’s arms. 

Recognition hit Riley “Chris’s family…”

Karly smiled “That’s us…”

Jen focused her attention back on Riley.  “He asked you to come out personally for this?”

Riley answered her “Yeah. All hands on deck, ya know. Big day and all…”

“Right. Well, I’ll bet he’s glad you’re here…Keep him in check, yeah?” she winked. “It’s nice to meet you. ”

“You too,” Riley smiled back. 

Jen was looking at her like she knew something, and Riley briefly wondered just how much of his life Justin shared with the other guys. Pushing the thought away, she recentered herself and sat straight and alert in case anything came up.

**

Justin looked around him. He heard the words being spoken by Carson Daly and Ellen Degeneres as speeches in their honor were made, but it was a bit of a blur. This was all so surreal. It felt like the old days. The cheers and screams were for the group- all of them, and he smiled as his mind drifted back to a much younger version of himself and a much different reality. 

Breaking him from his daydream, JC nudged his side. “Dude...Look …”

The overhead sound system had been playing music between speeches, with the excited crowd singing along. “Tearin’ Up My Heart” had just started, and JC directed Justin’s attention to the friends and family section.

Justin looked over and saw Riley, calmly bopping her head along to the beat, silently mouthing the words. A small smile crept across his face as he and JC shared a look.

“I told you she was a fan…”

**

Riley watched as one by one, the members of her favorite childhood band spoke, recalling memories and expressing their gratitude. There were plenty of laughs and tender moments as JC, Chris, Lance, and Joey all thanked their families, each other, and the fans. She had to admit, this was pretty cool. 

It came time for Justin to take the podium and she shifted slightly, trying to gauge his nerves. 

“Come on Justin...come on…” she whispered under her breath as he opened his mouth to speak.

“This is...Uh...This is so surreal…” He began as he stared into the sea of screams. “You guys are the best fans in the world.”

Riley smiled. She hoped he felt the love she could see in the fans’ faces.

“These four guys mean so much to me,” he said looking back at his bandmates. “We’re really a family...and the memories we have made...and the families we have built… I don’t think I can put into words how much the four of you mean to me...Through hard times. Through unbelievable times. Times we were like ‘What the fuck…’ I love you so much…”

NAILED IT, JUSTIN… Riley thought. She was really proud of him, and couldn’t help but take a moment of satisfaction in watching the 5 men 11-year-old her loved so much, hugging and being a family again. It was a moment she, and so many others, had waited for for so long.

**

Riley stood on the side of the stage, hidden from view, as she watched Justin speaking to Ellen. 

It had already been a long day, but getting him set up for the interview on her show had been relatively calm. Getting them packed and off to the airport tomorrow would be tougher, if only because of the tight timing.

“You think they have any idea we’re here?” Lance asked her softly from behind the stage wall. 

Riley smiled “...I mean…*NSync fans are pretty clever...Probably…”

Joey flashed a wide grin “MAN...Can’t get anything past them, huh?”

Riley chuckled, thinking of the countless times Katie and Emi had played detective and been right about Justin’s whereabouts. Both of them had successfully confirmed the mini *NSync reunion at the 2013 VMAs days before it happened.

“Not usually,” Riley shook her head “Besides, you were all LITERALLY just on the same stage together.”

JC’s look lingered on Riley briefly “Did you have fun?” 

Riley looked at him, noticing his mischievous eyes. She silently wondered how many times he had gotten himself into trouble with those eyes. They were almost unnerving.

“Sure... Pretty cool work day,” she played it cool.

JC grinned “Yeah...not so bad, I guess...J says you were a fan...How’d we do?”

Riley felt herself flush a little. Cover blown. 

“You made a lot of dreams come true today, boys…” She directed her sarcastic glance across all of them.

JC chuckled to himself. Justin was a goner with this girl, for sure.

Riley heard Justin’s cue. “Ready to roll?” she asked the guys as she heard him walking over. 

All five stood in a line and waited for the wall to slowly lift, revealing them as Justin’s “special gift” to Ellen. 

The audience lost their minds, jumping and hugging each other as the guys waved and made their way to their seats. Riley managed to get a small clip on her phone from backstage. 

The show was progressing well, but Riley couldn’t help but notice Justin’s quiet demeanor. What was he thinking about? He had done so well all day, but she wondered how hard he was fighting himself. The solo part of his interview had gone well, and he was doing fine, but his mind was clearly partially elsewhere. 

They had moved on to a game of “Never Have I Ever” with answer paddles, and Riley shook her head smiling as they dodged answers about hookups and lyric flubs. 

“Never have I ever joined the mile high club…” Ellen read from a question card.

“WHAT’S THAT...What’d you say...The mile high club?” Justin reacted as he leaned forward uncomfortably.

WHAT did she say…?  Riley thought as her heart started to race.

She watched as he took a beat and then held up “I have never” quickly.

Oh My God.  Riley looked down, hoping no one could see her face.

Four sets of eyes were on him as Ellen protested. “That is not true, Justin…”

He rolled his eyes, reluctantly flipping the paddle to “I have” as he looked away, and took a deep breath. 

As he looked down, hand on leg, Riley wondered if there was a way for her to disappear. 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck… She thought. Of ALL the questions to ask.

She took a deep breath and sighed. It was going to be an interesting trip home.