It was December. Snow had fallen more than she ever remembered, and unfortunately, shows following the one they had two nights away in Pittsburgh would be postponed until they could get a flight out with the snowstorm that was already pounding the midwest where they were due to be in the next four days.

True to his word, JC had not spoken to her since that evening in parking lot in New York City, Aundrea and Aubrey leaving to give her space a few days ago. She had been on her own since. Even Rebecca had been acting funny towards her.

Not that she blamed anyone with her recent outburst.

Of course, the what the film crew had caught (part of the outburst, the screaming match between her and Johnny and all that entailed before and after) made it onto MTV and was still being buzzed about by everyone. The media was questioning when her mental breakdown would occur, the state of her mental health, the medications she was on for her heart.

'This is not the same Audrina Littrell that left us just months ago before having that heart attack. This is not the sweet, down-home girl that the world fell in love with. This is bald Britney with an umbrella to a car, only with hair.'

They thought she had lost her marbles, lost all sense of herself. In a way, she had. In one day, she was told to never come around JC, AJ broke up with her and left; then, in another, she gets the silent treatment from everyone she cared about because of a simple flick of a switch, she had lost it; lost all strength she had and just had a melt down.

Lying on the couch in the back of her tour bus as they stopped at a refueling station, she stared at the wall, eyes burning from not blinking. Brian had just called, checking in on his 'crazy' sister as he had dubbed her, only kidding, but still concerned as she sighed, reassuring him it was just homesickness and not having him around. With a few assurances that she'd call that night and every night after, he hung up and she was again left alone.

"Did someone call for the Timberlake love?"

She startled at the voice echoing through the front of the bus, hearing footsteps approach the back of the bus as she closed her eyes and quickly turned on her side, not wanting to deal with the man she knew so well.

"Drina?" She felt him behind her, his hand sweeping over her forehead to rid the bangs away from her face. A dramatic sigh escaped his lips as he sat down at the edge of the couch, she still feeling his eyes on her. "What am I going to do with you, huh," he asked softly, thumb caressing her cheek as her eyes fluttered open with his touch, being greeted with a weak smile. "Hey, sunshine."

She gave him a half-smile, tucking her legs close to her body as she got up, eyeing him wearily. "Hi."

"I was in the area visiting Chris and I thought I'd drop by to check on Dumb and Dumber," he said, arching an eyebrow at her. "What's going on with you? JC told me about your freak out. He's really worried about you; said you shut out everyone, including Aundrea and Aubrey."

"Nothing is going on with me," she said, averting her eyes away from his as he took her chin in his hand, turning her to look at him. "Justin, please."

"God, why can't they see this," he said soft as she looked at him, confused. "Why can't they see that this isn't a branch waiting to snap, this is a dam ready to break." He studied her eyes, studied the bags under them and frowned, "how much sleep have you been getting?"

"Little to nonexistant," she mumbled, watching as he rummaged in his bag that he had dropped on the ground in front of them, pulling out a bottle of pills and setting them in her hands. "Justin, what's this?"

"A sleeping aid," he said softly, she shaking her head at him, "Audrina, just listen to what I have to say, all right? This stuff, it's not bad. My doctor gave it to me when all that stuff happened between me and Cameron and I couldn't sleep or function. It helps your body's own chemicals and it doesn't have any narcotics in it. It's not addicting. I wouldn't give it to you if I thought it was. I just ... you need to sleep. You look like hell, you sound like hell -"

"Gee, thanks, Justin."

"I'm being serious, Audrina," he said softly. "You aren't taking care of yourself, and I'll be damned if I see you end up in the hospital again for something. I'm not going to go down that road with you, just like I wouldn't go down that road for myself. You're far more important to me than I am to myself, so you should feel a bit superior in that aspect."

"Oh, golly," she said, rolling her eyes as he swatted her shoulder. "Justin -"

"I know it's hard being on the road with him," he said softly, "hell, it was hard for me. When you weren't around, he was the biggest asshole in the world. He missed you so much he didn't know what to do with himself. And it has to be even harder now with the two of you so crazily in love with each other but being so annoyed with one another and not being able to do anything about it because the timing is way off. But everything happens for a reason, Drine. Everything will fall into place exactly how it was supposed to be."

"I know," she said softly, "I just don't want to be here anymore. I can't be on tour when all I want to do is go home ..."

"Did I ever tell you about the time we met you? The first time?"

She shook her head, he smirking as he began.

"After you left, all he could talk about was you. You were known as the untouchable Backstreet Sister, and he had made it his goal to change that. He wanted you from day one, wanted to be in your life from day one. I really think he was in love with you right then and there, too. The way he looked at you, the way he spoke about you ... we all bet him he couldn't get you and damned if he didn't try until you gave in and kissed him that day at the beach. I don't think you understand just how hard that man fell for you, how happy you made him just being there, just holding his hand. How happy you made him when before this all started, you'd throw a smile his way and he was little a little prancing freak on cloud nine."

"Is this supposed to make me happy, Justin? Because it's not -"

"Let me finish," he chuckled, reaching over and wrapping an arm around her, she leaning up against his chest and sighing deeply as he continued. "Then, when Brian got sick and all hell broke loose because you were having panic attacks and he was flipping out because you refused to let him get close to you because you were so scared, I have never seen him take on the role he did like he did in my entire life. He became so many things in one: protector, counselor, nurturer, brother to Brian, lover to you, sympathetic, comedic relief; he knew how to handle himself in a crisis. And then, you. You got sick and his whole world broke and shattered all around him. He tried so hard to be the strong one, the shoulder. And I know that the whole world saw the footage, but did they ever see him in the footage? The completely lost, completely broken man that watched as the doctor diagnosed the one woman in his life he'd gladly give up his life for? Drina, he called me crying the night you found out, scared that you'd end up like Brian. And then, when you did end up in the hospital, he didn't leave your side for one minute. And then your heart attack. I don't think he's fully recovered from that, yet. He walked in expecting a normal night but walking in on you collapsing against him. He saw how gray your skin had turned, saw how wide your eyes became. Your lips were turning purple, and you looked like death. He thought you were going to die in his arms. He thought his worst fear was going to happen. The one fear that drove him to run away from you in the first place -"

"Wait ... what?"

Justin stopped, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "You - you didn't know that?"

"I may have," she said softly, shaking her head as she looked at him, "but I really don't remember him ever telling me that ..."

"His biggest fear isn't needles anymore," Justin said, half-joking, "it's losing you. It was losing you when he was with you. He couldn't take knowing that he was going to ask you to marry him and he didn't know if you'd make it years into the marriage. He was so afraid he'd end up a widower way before he was supposed to. He planned on going first, planned on making sure you were always happy and healthy and then suddenly, you got sick and his whole perspective turned around. You were the most precious thing in his life, Drina; losing you would absolutely kill him. If something happened to you that day, I don't think he'd be here right now."

"I think I'm going to be sick," she murmured, hearing just how freaked JC had been, how much he had gone through with her made her feel horrible. "No wonder he doesn't want to be with me."

"Doesn't want to be with you? That's a complete fabrication," Justin said, waving it off. "He loves you madly. He'd do anything to be with you, but right now, he's so confused, with you ... kissing him and then kissing AJ like nothing ever happened and -" Justin stopped, looking at her as she avoided his gaze. "He did the same thing when we talked about this. Audrina, did something else happen that he won't tell me?"

" ... no."

"Liar," he said, poking her arm as she bit her lip, shaking her head. "Don't lie to me, Littrell."

"We slept together," she said softly as Justin cried out in amusement. "It's not funny, Justin!"

"I knew that was it!" He stood up, pacing back and forth as he studied her. "That's why he's so fucked up! You guys slept together. What happened after it happened?"

"I told him to go home. It was a mistake."

"You slept together, you told him it was a mistake. You kiss him weeks later and then suddenly kiss the man you were with after kissing him. He thinks you're only doing this as proof of the power you have over him. You have to prove to him that's not it at all."

She frowned, shaking her head as she lie back down, not wanting to hear anymore. "I want to be alone, Justin."

He disappeared, moments later resurfacing with a glass of water. "Take a pill, Audrina."

"Justin, it's seven o'clock at night!"

"So? You need sleep." He thrust the drink at her, she sighing deeply and accepting the cup, he picking up the pill bottle from the floor and opening it, handing her a pill. "Take it."

"Fine. But when I'm up at three o'clock in the morning and can't go back to sleep, it's your damn fault."

He nodded, watching as she knocked back the pill and swallowed some water to chase it. "I'm going to go sit with JC for a while. I'll be back to check on you, all right?"

She nodded, lying down on the couch once more, already feeling the affects of the pill. "Damn, this works really ... fast."

"Yes," he said, nodding. "It's almost immediate." He walked towards her, placing a kiss to her forehead and getting back up. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Mmmhmm."

"G'night, Drina."

She waved him off, yawning dramatically as her eyes began to drop heavily. "Leave, Timberlake."

He laughed, shutting off the light and closing the door, hurriedly leaving the bus before they left the stop they were at. Maybe there was hope for them yet."God, I give up, I give up!"

He grinned against the skin of her cheek, fingers digging into her sides as she fought against him, arms gripping his as she laughed, legs thrashing about as he got her most ticklish spot, they both suddenly crying out as they rolled from the couch to the floor, he landing with a big ‘ooph!’ as he held to her, keeping her from falling off of him.

"Are you okay," she asked, laughing. His eyes were slightly wide, she lifting herself up and studying him, realizing she had kneed him in the crotch on the way down. "Oh," she said, biting her lip to keep the smile at bay as his hand slowly trailed down his body, cupping himself. "Sorry, baby," she murmured, reaching down and helping him up, placing a kiss at the crook of his neck as his hand released himself, skirtng across her hip and gripping her, pulling her against him as she continued kissing him, his head lulling back as he swallowed hard.

"Hey," he said, tugging at her hand to stop her, she looking at him, confused. "You keep doing that and I’m going to have to take a very cold, very depressing shower."

She smirked, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him, hands raking down his chest to the hem of his shirt, sliding beneath the fabric and touching the tensed muscles of his stomach. "Who says it has to be depressing and cold?"

His eyes fluttered closed as her fingers kneaded into his skin, lifting the fabric up and away from him, her hands splaying across his chest. "I do," he said, swallowing hard as he felt her kisses trail down his jaw and to his neck, slowly making their way down his chest and to his bellybutton, he pulling her up and studying her face. "Don’t start something you’re not ready to finish, baby," he said softly, studying her face as a nervous smile tugged on her lips. "What’s that look for?"

"What if I want to finish it? What if I want you to ... finish me?"

He looked at her, startled from the question. "You’re going to have to elaborate on that, Rina."

He watched as she bit her lip, hands going to either side of her and lifting her tank top off, his eyes widening. They had been together for more than a year and a half, and through those months, there hadn’t been more than her playing the shy girl, touching him through his pants and he going up her shirt, nothing ever going past that; she wasn’t ready.

But here she stood, dressed only in her favorite pair of running shorts and a blue lace push-up that he swore she wore because she knew this was coming. And, in typical Audrina fashion, she put her hands on her hips, looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to make the move.

"Rina, are you sure?"

She laughed, reaching forward and grabbing him by the waistband of his jeans, pulling him to her as she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips against his. "I’m ready if you are," she murmured, lips dragging against his skin as he opened his eyes, lifting her and holding her to him, feeling her lock her legs around his waist as he kissed her again, her skin warm against his. "Bedroom," she said, pulling away from his mouth as he nodded, tightening his grip on her as he turned, heading through the entire downstairs to the stairs that lead to his bedroom.

She slid from his hold, reaching back herself and opening up his bedroom door, gripping his hand and tugging him in. He shut the door, watching her slowly creep towards his bed, body evident of that of a dancer, though, he had noticed, she wasn’t exactly built like a dancer since she had stopped taking her classes when she began to tour; her body began to curve, breasts seemed to have grown slightly larger (not that he was complaining) and she had welcomed it with a shopping spree buying all new bras and underwear.

He smirked. She had this planned.

"Well, are you going to come here?" She crooked a finger at him as the smile on his face widened, he walking towards her and lowering himself onto the bed, settling between her legs as he kissed her deeply, her fingers holding his face as she leaned backward, head on the pillow.

Breaking the kiss, he studied her face, she watching him contently. "Are you sure about this? If you’re not ready, you’re not ready, Rina; I’m not forcing you to do this."

"No, I’m pretty sure I was the one that initiated it," she chuckled, her hands sliding down the front of him towards the button of his jeans and undoing them. "I’m ready, JC. I’m not as afraid of this as you think I am."

"I never said you were afraid," he murmured, taking her bottom lip between his own and sucking gently, hissing as her hand slipped between the fabric and his skin, gently stroking the head of his penis. "I just thought -"

"Don’t think anymore," she teased, "it’ll hurt that pretty little head of yours."

He chuckled, sucking in his own bottom lip as she continued stroking, dropping his head to her shoulder, feeling her other hand pull at his jeans, lowering them off of his hips and down towards his knees, her feet pushing them off the rest of the way. "I love you, you know that?"

She smiled, nodding as she kissed him again, he moaning against her mouth as she began to pump slowly. She pulled away, pushing at his shoulder as he rolled onto his back, curious. "I want to see you," she whispered, mouth kissing a trail down his body, pausing as she took his size in, eyes widening. "Good God, JC," she murmured, her fingers running along the underside of his shaft, "no wonder the guys always made fun of you when you were in leather pants."

He laughed, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her waist, hands traveling up her back and unhooking her bra, pulling it away from her and between them as he placed kisses to her collarbone. Her head tilted back as an invitation as he assaulted her skin, free hand slowly sliding down her side and to her shorts, touching her through the fabric as she inhaled sharply. "You’ve gotta lose the shorts, baby," he said lowly, she pushing him to lie back down as she stood, pulling the shorts and her panties down all at once, slowly shimmying out of them as his eyes never left hers, watching as she lowered her body onto his, body pressed to every part of him. She felt his erection against her belly, a smile forming. She had caused that.

"You, my love, have been the cause of a lot of cold showers," he said, almost as if he was reading her mind. "But it was worth it." His hand reached between them, touching her gently as she sucked in at her lip, body reacting to him.

"Josh," she said, hand reaching between them and grabbing at his wrist, eyes burning into his, "I want to feel you inside me."

"Baby," he said gently, reaching up and tucking a hair behind her ear, "it’s going to hurt, I’m not going to lie to you. Are you sure you don’t just want to continue like this and wait?"

She shook her head, laying up against him and rolling them so that he was on top. "I love you, I trust that you wouldn’t hurt me intentionally. I want to feel what I’ve been missing for so long."

He chuckled, pressing kisses to her face as she locked her legs around his hips. "I'm going to take this slow, okay? Tell me to stop if you need me to."

She nodded, he putting his forehead against hers as he positioned himself at her entrance, her heart beating fast and crying out at the initial pain, he stopping and watching her face, it red as she held her breath.

"Look at me, baby," he said softly, her eyes opening as he cupped her cheeks. "If you want me to stop, I will. Just tell me."

She shook her head, pushing at his backside with her heels, he slowly entering her as her eyes clenched shut, she feeling him placing warm, gentle kisses to her face, kissing away the stray tear that fell through her lashes. Once he was fully in, he placed his mouth to hers, letting her body get accustomed to him. "Are you okay," he asked, voice sweet as she opened her eyes, nodding slowly. He held her gaze as he slowly began to move, kissing down from her lips to the hollow of her throat, feeling her swallow hard as he began to thrust.

"I love you," she said softly, he looking up at her as he paused, wiping her hair away from her forehead and kissing in gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby."

She awoke, heart pounding as she took in the darkness of the room, knowing she was still on the bus. She was warm, covered in two fleece blankets that she hadn't put on herself, and through the cracks of the blinds, the moon shot an illuminating light to the floor next to the bed that was on the bus, she seeing Justin's sleeping form curled into a ball.

"J," she said softly, he murmuring in his sleep and turning over, facing the other direction. "J," she laughed, reaching behind her and grabbing her pillow, tossing it onto his body as he groaned, pulling the pillow away from his face and looking up at her. "Get your ass up here and sleep. Don't be stupid and freeze your tail off on that floor."

"I was actually quite comfortable," he said, voice raspy. He got up anyway, grabbing the sweatshirt he had used as a pillow and lazily falling into the bed next to her, face buried by the pillow as she studied his face. "What are you looking at me like that for," he asked, eyes slowly blinking as she shrugged, he pushing himself up and holding his body up by his elbows, disbelieving. "No, there's something you're thinking about and you want to say it to me. So ... spill it."

She sighed deeply, playing with her fingers as she spoke softly. "Even if we tried again, we wouldn't last, would we?"

"I think you would have lasted the first time if his fear wouldn't have gotten in the way and our big mouths didn't overhype him," he said honestly. "You just gotta prove to him that it's him you want and not just want him as a puppet."

"I never treated him like that."

"You cheated on AJ with him; went back to AJ like nothing was wrong. Kissed him and then kissed AJ like it was an everyday occurance. I'm pretty sure he feels like he was just played by the one person who he cared about most."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to be proving something he's known since the beginning."

"It'll all happen eventually."

She lie back down on the bed, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. "I told you I'd be up at three in the morning."

"It's actually nearing five," Justin corrected. "So you slept like, ten hours."

She gasped, shocked. "If only my life were that easy."



He stepped off of the bus, hand at his mouth to generate heat into his skin as he looked up at the fat snowflakes that had begun to fall a few hours ago, now a few inches already coating the ground. It was beautiful, the scenery he was taking in at the moment. They were in the heart of Pittsburgh, he looking up in the midst of all the city lights and in awe. Regardless of how many years he had been in the business, he was always blown away by simple scenery. And Pittsburgh, it definitely was a beautiful city at night.

"The bellhop is going to take your bags to your room. Looks like we'll be here for quite some time if the storm doesn't blow through," Johnny said as he got off his cell phone, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep them from the cold. "Your rooms are all taken care of and as soon as you're ready to go in, the front desk will have the key for you. Luckily, with the weather, no fans have camped out or staked a spot inside the lobby waiting for you guys so you can enter just like a casual patron."

JC nodded, waving Johnny off as he looked back up, blinking away some of the flakes that had rested on his eyelids, a small smile crawling across his face. He missed the winter season in Bowie.

"Hey, C!"

He turned, watching as Audrina stepped off the bus, dressed in a pair of jeans, white snow boots over the denim and a creamy white v-neck sweater on, she holding her coat as she glanced over, watching as Justin trudged through the snow, greeting him. "What's up, J?"

"Audrina and I are going to look at the city lights in Mount Washington. You coming?"

He glanced back at Audrina who was now putting her coat on, shaking his head. "I'd rather not."

"Oh, come on, man," Justin urged, "you two need to move past this whole teenaged-drama thing and just play fair. You both love each other. Why am I the one being the mediator? I'm the baby of the three of us!"

"I don't know. Why are you even here," he asked, laughing as Justin gave him a slightly hurt look. "I didn't mean it like that, J; relax. I just know you've got other stuff going on ..."

"And now I'm stuck here with you two," he said, grinning. "I'm not taking no for an answer, so grab your cell phone and let's go. We're taking the incline up."

"Justin, I have been on a bus for more than 24 hours. All I want to do is -"

"Go be in a hotel room for another 24? C'mon, man."

JC sighed, it a losing battle with his younger friend. "Fine. Whatever, man." He zipped up his hoodie, tugging his winter coat to his body tighter. "If I get pneumonia, I'm blaming you and making you take care of me."

Justin grinned. "Deal."

He walked in silence as Justin spoke of the last time he had been in the city for his tour, how he had never gotten a chance to leave his hotel room and how he was glad he got to this time. Audrina was next to him, bundled in her Eskimo coat, as JC had dubbed it, the hood up over her head and shielding her from the wind. He was already regretting agreeing to come. He knew there was only bad to come from their little adventure.

He shook his head. Thirty two and questioning a little walk he took with his twenty-nine-year-old ex-girlfriend and twenty-seven-year-old best friend. Yeah, he was chicken.

"Did I ever mention that I hate heights?"

He turned his head, looking at Audrina as the entered the little platform that took them up the steep hill of Mount Washington, Justin grinning as he hit a button, confusion written in JC's eyes. "J, how did you get them to open the incline? It's already past 11."

"I'm Justin Timberlake, I get what I want," he grinned, both he and Audrina rolling their eyes as he stepped up, taking Audrina's hand and helping her up, she holding tightly to him as Justin's eyes stared out into the city.

He had to admit, heights weren't really a favorite of his either, but the view was magnificent. He saw the lights of the stadium, beautiful skyline and all the bridges over the river. Station Square was just below them, remembering going into a club back in 2004 with Chris when he had come to visit him for his birthday. Station Square was also where they were staying, since the hotel they had originally been booked went in over capacity and the Sheraton was the only hotel within radius of where they were performing that had enough room for their crew.

"Good grief, how high are we going," she mumbled, Justin chuckling from beside her as he smiled weakly, turning away and trying not to look at her, watching as the incline rose and finally came to a stop, she the first one off.

They walked little ways, Justin stopping and spreading his arms out, showing the city for them to see. "And here we have, Mount Washington!"

"It's beautiful," Audrina murmured, stepping slightly next to Justin, JC stepping up on his other side and taking in the city. From where he stood, it looked like he could see beyond forever with the city the way it was.

He heard footsteps coming up from behind him, an eerie feeling casting over him once more as he took a step sideways to turn, crying out when a fist met his face. A startled cry from Audrina rattled in his ears along with Justin's arguing, he holding the side of his face and feeling his heart race as he watched Justin begin to argue with a man, larger than the three of them put together, Audrina behind him, helpless.

"Don't even think about moving."

His eyes darted towards the voice that was fast approaching him, he swallowing hard when he saw the knife in his hand. "Take it easy," he reasoned, "you can have whatever you want. I've got money, do you want the money?!"

"Justin, please!"

His head darted towards the other two, only at most, five feet away, she gripping his upper arm as the man struck him, he nearly toppling into a heap. "Fuck," he murmured, "fuck!" Without thinking and on sheer instinct, as the man approached him, his foot shot out, kicking the man hard in the stomach as he grabbed at Audrina, pulling her towards him, she gripping onto him tightly. "Call 9-1-1," he said softly, loud enough for her to hear. "My phone is in my back pocket. Take it out, put it on speaker. Call 9-1-1."

"Josh," she said, voice shaking. "What if they -"

"I'm not going to let them hurt you, Audrina," he said, swallowing hard as the man slowly got up, feeling Audrina's hand quickly go into his back pocket, the soft beep of speaker being turned on, shaking fingers dialing as quickly as she could, cursing under her breath as it took moments to connect.

"9-1-1, what is your emergency?"

"Josh!" She cried out as the man swung at him, Justin screaming for help as he played the duck and run game with the bigger man, swift on his feet and quick to move. JC and Audrina seemed to be playing the tango, for every step they took, the man took, mirroring them. JC gripped her from behind him, talking to her once more. "Tell the woman we're on Mount Washington. Tell her to hurry. Get my wallet, Audrina. Talk to her and get my wallet."

Audrina did as she was told, JC watching the man in front of them looked at him with wild eyes. He was high. High off of some crazy drug and he was going to take it out on three innocent people who hadn't even dabbled in whatever drug made them act like complete morons.

"He has to be coked out," Audrina said, almost as if she was reading his mind as she spoke to the operator, the man's eyes furrowing in anger as he realized what she was doing. "It's three of us. There are three of us and two of them and they've got knives -"

"Fuck, C, watch out!"

JC's listening to Audrina speak nearly threw him off of where he was, pushing Audrina away as the man's fist met with the center of his forehead, pain ripping through his face quickly as he was sent backward and onto his back, Audrina crying as she threw the cash she had on her at him, threw the money in JC's wallet at him. "Take it, get the fuck out of here, go!"

Justin cried out in surprise as the man socked him in the stomach, sending him to his knees as the same process was done with his own cash, cursing the man. "Take the fucking money, asshole," he groaned, coughing as he threw up whatever was in his stomach. "Take the fucking money!"

Sirens were head off in the distance, JC crying out in pain as the man's foot connected with his midsection, light bursts flying across his eyes. He struggled to get up, nauseous and dizzy as the man stepped towards Audrina, she cornered between a tree and the edge. "If you even fucking touch her," JC groaned, too weak to get up, "I will fucking track you down and kill you. You touch her and I'll rip every fucking bone from your body one by one. He pulled himself up by some grace of God, shoving the man to the ground, grabbing Audrina and pulling her close to him just as the red and blue lights of the police danced across their faces, both of the men running against the protests of the police as they ran after them, two officers approaching them quickly.

"Are you guys okay?"

He was nauseous just sitting up on his knees like he was, but it didn't matter. They didn't hurt her, didn't hurt the woman who was crying into his chest, arms wrapped tightly around him. Justin was struggling to stand as an officer helped him up, he coughing roughly, face red from struggle. "C, Rina," Justin let the police officer lead him towards them. Justin's body began to sway, he blinking hard, thinking it may have been his friend, but it wasn't. Swallowing, he released Audrina and fell off of his knees to his backside, suddenly dizzy and ready to throw up, hands over his eyes, praying for the spinning to stop.

"JC -"

"Josh," Audrina's voice overpowered Justin's, she kneeling over him, hand resting on his chest as he groaned, feeling the bile rise in his throat. "Josh!"

"I'm going to throw up," he groaned, just as Audrina turned him on his side, he catching his body and holding himself up with his hands as he lost whatever was in his stomach from that entire day. "Oh, my God ... who the fuck were those people?"

"Let me help you up, son," one of the police officers said gently, a hand going underneath his arm pit and the other gripping his wrist, tugging gently as he stood on his feet, immediately reaching for Audrina, the sense of danger still near. Or was it just the nausea?

"Let's get you over the bus," the policeman said, he confused. Why would he want to be on a bus? Buses didn't - he stopped, seeing an ambulance pulling up behind the squad car. Oh.

He sat on the bumper of the ambulance, hearing Justin on the phone with Johnny, visibly upset. Audrina was arguing with the policeman, shaking her head. "I'm fine," she argued, "JC kept me behind him, they never touched me.  He pushed me away before something could have happened - I'm fine!"

"Can you follow the light of my flashlight, Mr. Chasez?"

He turned his head slowly, the headache forming one he knew would make him feel like death shortly. He nodded, following the light with his eyes as the medic checked his forehead and mouth, nodding to the medic beside him. "You're gonna have a hell of a fat lip, hell of a goose egg or bruise on your forehead, too. Best thing for you to do is take some pain killers. Doesn't look like they did too much damage. You're very lucky."

"Yeah, lucky," he mumbled, standing up as Audrina left the embrace she had been in with Justin, nearly running to him and though it hurt with the pressure to her chest as she threw herself against him, holding to him tightly, he didn't complain, just winced as he wrapped his arms around her, happy that the three of them had managed to stay in one piece; though it felt like the headache he already had was going to split him in two right down the middle.

"Johnny is coming up," Justin said, walking up to him and studying him. "You okay, man?"

JC nodded, Audrina still holding tight to him as he placed his chin to the top of her head and sighing deeply. "I just want my bed. I just want my bed and sleep. And a lot of pain killers."

"I hear you," Justin mumbled, JC now noticing the shiner that was already visible to his left eye. "I swear, you never hear about this shit around here. What the fuck was that?"

"Cokeheads coming down from a high," a police officer stated as he walked back from his squad car, "a really bad high. Needed money for more coke and didn't have any. Decided to try anyway and were walking to their dealers when they saw you three and recognized you, ma'am. Knew you had money, I suppose."

"It's my fault," she murmured as Justin and JC both shook their heads. "For once, it's not one of you two getting recognized, and when it is me, you get your asses kicked."

"Almost every man wants to kick my ass anyway," Justin shrugged. "At least, now I'm prepared!"

Johnny arrived not even five minutes later, they all standing in the freezing cold answering questions and making statements for another half hour. She had not left JC's side, though she wasn't sure he wanted her to, his grip on her hand tight as he sat in the back seat of Johnny's rental, head on the back of the seat as he swallowed hard, eyes clenched shut. The headache had been immediate, though it worsened as time wore on. Justin and Johnny were up front, speaking lowly, ice on Justin's eye, his head also on the back of the seat.

He had protected her. He was true to his word, true to his promise that he'd never let anyone hurt her. Of course, the snow had cushioned her fall when he pushed her away, she only cold and soaked through, but it was a small price to pay compared to what the two men got.

Justin, she knew, had gotten an initial blow to his stomach, and as he tried to fight back, got an elbow to the face. He was quick enough on his feet that he missed getting hit numerous times and got a jab or two on the man on the side of the face, cutting him just below the eye.

JC had been frazzled the moment he had gotten hit, thankfully it being on the side of his face as he turned. That, he noted, wasn't the cause for his pain, but the blow to the center of his forehead was, where all the pain had gathered. She saw the man hit him while he was down, bring up his foot and stomp on him flat-footed.

"Security will be tight tonight," Johnny stated as they all got out, JC leaning into Audrina, he squinting painfully at the bright lights of the hotel lobby and letting her lead him to the elevators, Johnny already having their room keys. "Justin, you're crashing with C tonight. You need to keep an eye on him."

"I'm not a baby, Johnny," JC mumbled, "I don't need looked after."

"If you've got a concussion, yes, you do need looked after," he corrected. "Do you want me to be in that room with you?"

JC scoffed. "No offence, but I'd rather have Justin."

Johnny smirked, nodding in response. "I figured. Audrina, Tiny will be sitting outside your door. If you need anything, he'll be there in an instant."

She nodded, waiting as the elevator took them to the top of building to their private rooms, she getting handed a key as well as Justin. JC was oblivious, staring at his feet and swaying slightly. The doors opened, they all stepping out, Johnny putting the phone to his ear as he answered it, disappearing into the ice room as Tiny stood by her door, Justin opening up he and JC's door, leaving it slightly ajar for JC.

"Josh," she said softly, he looking at her with half-lidded eyes. His hands went to either side of her head, smoothing her hair and giving her a weak, tired smile. "I'll be fine, Rina. Go to bed."

She opened her mouth to speak, bewildered at his sudden character change as he placed a kiss to her forehead and slowly made his way into his room, closing it without even looking back.

She sighed deeply, looking at Tiny as he shrugged, she putting her key into the door and opening it, saying a quiet goodnight to her bodyguard and shutting the door.

She had only been there a few hours and already hated Pittsburgh.