She had trouble staying warm that night, tossing and turning, thinking about the body in the room next to her who had protected her, only to be the one hurt. She heard Justin getting up and moving around most of the night, soft murmurs from the two of them talking; heard Tiny outside her door as he spoke to Tim, JC's bodyguard. Every little sound of the city kept her awake, every little movement in the room next to her brought her more worry.

When morning came, she had never been so happy to roll out of bed and start the day. She was still worried about both men, especially JC; she had heard someone go in and out of their room once or twice during the early morning hours, heard every little movement from the shower being turned on to whoever it was that had gotten sick and flushed the toilet shortly after. Her senses were working overdrive, heart racing. It had been a fluke, had just been an unfortunate event that they were there at the wrong place at the wrong time. She knew they couldn't come back after them, they probably didn't even remember who it was they attacked; she still was on pins and needles.

"Hey, darlin'," Justin greeted as she walked out of her hotel room, he hugging her tightly as she sighed deeply. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

She pulled away, shaking her head and frowning. "I was paranoid all night; worried about you two."

"Ah, we're fine," Justin said, waving off her worry. "JC got sick in the middle of the night, but it was because the headache got pretty bad and he got nauseous. Johnny called for some prescription medicine at the outpatient care facility and he's been pretty good since. Argued with Johnny when he said he wanted to postpone the show, but he didn't want more people to get upset because of the money spent and us already being here. That's JC, though. He always hated having to hold off on things."

She frowned, glancing behind Justin. "What is he doing now?"

"Taking another shower to rid himself of the nausea. He still feels pretty bad, but he's keepin' on."

"Give me your room key," she said softly, he looking at her quizzically, "I want to check on him."

"Well, he's in the shower now -"

"It's not like I've never seen him naked or never shared a shower with him," she smirked as Justin laughed, handing her his key as she patted his arm. "Where are you going?"

"To find fresh coffee, not this stupid hotel crap," he smirked. "You want me to bring you some cider? I'm bringing some for C, too."

She nodded. "Thanks, J."

He kissed her temple, waving her off as he turned around, heading for the elevator with Tiny in tow. "Don't scare him shitless," he called as Tiny laughed, Audrina shaking her head as she turned, putting the card into the door. It signalled for her to go in, she hearing the shower water fall onto the ceramic, closing the door quietly behind her. Contemplating what she would do within the next few moments, she put her hand to the door knob, pushing open the bathroom door and shutting it behind her quietly.

She leaned against the counter, seeing his silhouette leaning up against the wall as the water fell down his body, blindly reaching for the faucet to turn the water off. She inhaled, waiting for him to open the curtain, waited for what could be an interesting argument. Taking a breath as she heard him grab the curtain, clenching her eyes shut and waiting for him to go off.

He didn't.

"What are you doing, standing in the middle of the bathroom?"

She opened her eyes, he standing in the shower, puzzled. Water was still dripping down his body, she biting her lip to surpress a comment, trying her hardest not to look at his body and just his gaze, it confused and slightly amused. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"And you couldn't wait somewhere else? Like say, oh, by the beds?"

"This was the only way I knew I'd have your attention," she said, voice quiet. How did he suddenly have the power to make her feel meek?

Probably because he was standing in front of her naked. Acting as if he were fully clothed.

"Well, I'm fine, so you don't have to worry about me."

She took in the bruising in the center of his forehead, closer to his right brow bone. "Are you sure? I heard you guys all night last night and -"

"I'm fine."

"I heard you throw up and -"

"Rina -"

"I was just really worried -"

"Rina, stop."

"No one has really ever stood to protect me like that before -"

"Rina -"

"And I care about you, regardless of how you think I feel about you -"

"Audrina, stop."

She stopped mid-sentence, watching as he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his slender waist and holding it at the edge. "What?"

He stepped toward her, hugging her one-armed as he pulled away, shrugging. "Any man would step in front of danger for a woman. Any man with a decent heart. I would have done it for anyone. It's nothing."

She sighed deeply, shaking her head and looking at him. "Do you not understand me, Josh? Do you not understand how hard it was for me to come over here? How hard it is for me to stand here now and not say all that I really want to say?"

"Probably just as hard as it is for me to let you go."

She froze, watching him as he ran a hand through his damp hair and began to brush his teeth. "What?"

He pulled the toothbrush from his mouth, shaking his head. "Never mind."

"No, Josh, what?"

"It's nothing."

She pulled herself up onto the bathroom counter, eyeing him as he kept contact with himself in the mirror. "Talk to me, JC."

He sighed, setting down his toothbrush and placing his hands on either side of the sink, looking down as he spoke softly. "I've tried hard to do just that for so long and it's not worth it," he said, shaking his head as Audrina frowned. "Audrina, the way I feel for you is none other than I've felt for a woman in ... well, forever. I was so sure that if I had gotten over myself that you'd be the one woman who I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with, but then all of this stuff just fell into my lap and I realized ... it's just not worth it. Do I want to be dragged around by my heart? Do I want to go by every day thinking that maybe today, it'll be different? No. To either of them. Do I want to be loved by you? Do I love you? Did I want to make it work because I know deep down that we're meant to be? Yes. But it's not worth the heartache, Audrina; it's not worth it anymore. It's not worth the grief, the stress, the questioning. We both can move on and find something that won't do this to us, that won't drive us crazy."

She sat there, staring at his hand that was resting on the counter, imagining it with a wedding band. They were meant to be; she knew it in her heart, and she knew that with all the things that had come their way: good and bad, it was all to make them stronger, make them realize that this is what would bring them here, this is what was totally worth all the fights, the drama, the tears, the silent treatments. It would all be worth it in the end. She knew it.

"So maybe we are already crazy," she said softly, he lifting his head slowly and looking at her curiously. "You ... you make me so crazy that sometimes I can't handle it. When you walked out of my life two and a half years ago, you dragged my heart out with you. You left with not only your belongings, but you left with my heart and I never fully got it back. People are supposed to be able to get over people they were in relationships with, but I didn't, I couldn't. I tried so hard to love AJ like I loved you and it was so devastating to me when he would look at me and tell me how much he loved me ... and when I answered, it wasn't how I would answer with you. Did I love him? Yes. Did I want to be with him? Yes, no ... maybe! If it hadn't of been for you, I wouldn't know what being in love with someone so much it hurt was and how much the past didn't matter because I wanted the present, I wanted the future with the one person who had my past. There's only one person for me, Josh. And you're it. You're the one person I want to continue this life with. I don't care about the drama or the career or what happened back then. I don't care about why you left, nothing. I don't care about anything but you and me."

"Audrina," he said softly, lifting his gaze to look at her, tears in his eyes. "Can't you see it's not worth it anymore? What we had is gone. What we had ... it left the moment we slept together. We used each other, abused each other ..."

"That's bullshit," she snapped, grabbing his arm, pulling him to look at her dead in the eyes, "you know it. How can you just stand there and look at me and tell me you don't love me?"

"It has nothing to do with love."

"It has everything to do with love and everything to do with us." She slid off of the counter, opening up the bathroom door and looking at him. "Have a good show tonight."

He cringed when the door slammed shut, it bringing on the headache that was slowly beginning to be just a dull throb back to a full-on migraine. With a sigh, he turned around, putting the shower back on to the hottest he could handle and stepped back in. This time, the shower wasn't just to ease the pain of the headache, but to ease the pain of his heart and the lies he continued to feed her. He wanted to wash his hands, his body clean of it all and he couldn't.

He remembered back when he released his first album and they hadn't gotten a chance to talk for so long. He was distant, so stressed and busy with his promotions that he never got to make time to be with her, to sit with her and let her listen to the album along with him so he could get her opinion on it. A song he performed during the club tours had started an uproar, a song that he was so happy with how it turned out and suddenly, one that was just written because of a mood he was in was fueling rumors that he and Audrina had called it quits. 'Dear Goodbye' made it to her ears before his own voice could, to tell her it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with just writing, with his imagination and she got a hold of a magazine with the two of them on the front stating, 'SPLIT! Behind the gory details of Hollywoods latest heartwrenching break-up between superstars JC Chasez and Audrina Littrell! How he broke up with her through a song, how she reacted!'

That silent treatment from her, those tears he got on his voicemail after she finally broke her silence (only to flip out on him) nearly drove him into a depression that would have probably ruined him. Now, with the split two years ago, he was still diving head first into a depression.

And it was his own stubborn ass that kept pushing him further and further down.

He stood on the wings of the stage, watching as she spoke with the audience, bright smile on her face. The only time she was truly happy nowadays was on that stage, performing, forgetting about the life she had.

It was nearing the end of the show, she now dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top, her favorite heeled boots over the denim and her hair up in the low ponytail, just the same as it had been in the photoshoot, something she had fallen in love with and had incorporated into her make-up and hair.

"She loves you, you know."

He turned, seeing Justin standing behind him with his arms crossed at his chest. "I know this," he said, moving over so that his friend could stand next to him. "I know this very well."

"And you love her."

He was quiet, watching as she accepted the chair they brought on stage for her, she sitting down and smiling widely as they set a guitar in her lap. This was new ...

"You can't deny it, JC. It's written all over your face."

"I'm not denying anything," he said, shaking his head. "I do love her. I love her more than life itself."

"Then why -"

"It's not easy. It's not easy at all, Justin." His gaze went back to the said woman, watching her take in all the energy from the crowd, it radiating off of her face.

This last song is something new to all of you; completely new and never performed before. I started writing this song the night of my heart attack, actually. It was inspired while I was watching some home videos and in them, the person who I was with told me I was difficult, that nothing was ever easy when it dealt with me and it's true. It's so very true. Everything in my life is very complex because I'm a complex person. I want to have it my way or no way and at the moment when I was writing that song, I didn't have what I truly wanted. To be honest, I still don't. I was in a relationship that was so comfortable, so predictable and that wasn't me, it never has been. This ... this song is written for that past relationship, for that one person who may just be a little more difficult than I am."

"He's been there for me through everything from the get-go. From my brother getting sick, through both of his operations; to my stubborn ass not ever letting him get a word in edgewise when we did argue; to my diagnosis so long ago. He was there when I appeared at his front door when I found out I was sicker, even though we weren't together anymore. He was the one that was there from the moment I had my heart attack to all the days after following my surgery. He's been there when he didn't have to be, he protected me last night when the inevitable happened. He's been my rock and the complete love of my life. I just wish it had been a lot more easier than it has been."

She pulled the guitar closer to her, adjusting her mouth piece as she looked down, voice soft as she began, the entire audience quiet.

"Right," Justin said softly, patting JC on the shoulder as she thanked everyone for coming out, especially in the bad weather, "it's so hard to be in love with someone who probably loves you more than you do her."

"That's not the case at all, Justin -" JC said, voice trailing off as Audrina made her way through the wing where he was standing, her eyes meeting his briefly as she walked quickly past him, accepting a new bottle of water as she grabbed a towel, draping it over her shoulders and walking to Justin whose arms were outstretched for a congratulatory hug.

"All right, y'all can get all the congratulations you want when you're on the bus. We need to move quickly because the storm is worsening and I don't think the three of you want to be stuck in a venue with all your screaming fans," Johnny said, taking Audrina by the small of the back and leading her out towards their dressing rooms, wanting them to grab their things quickly. "We're all going in one bus, the other is in the back, stuck in snow. So, Drina, you're stuck in JC's bus. Justin, I assume that's where you were anyway?"

"Then, I'm going to have to grab my things and -"

"No, we're leaving before it gets worse. You're just going have to wait to grab your belongings until tomorrow. Your safety is a little more important than your clothes on that bus. So c'mon, grab your things quickly, toss them all into a bag and let's go!"

Audrina followed Johnny, JC and Justin going into JC's dressing room and looking at each other, confused. "How bad does he think an actual snow storm in PA is going to be?"

"Well, it was pretty ... snowy when we got here, C," Justin said, standing on the chair to look out the small window and into the back parking lot of the venue. "Uh, yeah ... her bus ... it's completely covered. Who would have thought that in four hours, that much snow would fall? There has to be like, nine inches on the ground already!"

"That's crazy, Justin," he said, pulling his friend down so he could look. "Oh, shit, there really is!"

"Yeah, go on and don't believe the young one," Justin scoffed, giving him a slight smirk. "C'mon, Chasez, let's get to the bus."

JC grabbed his belongings, tossing them into his messenger bag and nodding. "Yeah, I can't wait until it's spring already. Snow can really just ... blow itself."

"Oh, nice insult," Justin cracked up, dodging a head swat from JC as the duo walked down the hall, Tiny waiting for them by the exit doors. "To the bus, my friend!"

JC eyed his friend, shaking his head as he watched Justin puff his chest out and point towards the doors, a wide grin on his face. "Justin, really?"

"Yes, really," he grinned, pausing as Tiny opened the door, both men gaping at the amount of snow falling. "Holy ... damn!"

He laughed from behind him, pushing him outward and tugging his coat closer to his body, burying his face into the fleece lining to block his face from the bitter cold and snow. "Damn, it is deep."

"Calling for a lot more, too. Apparently, the midwest was slammed all day yesterday and they got like, two feet. Looks like we'll be in Pittsburgh until this storm dies down and some of it melts. Might be too dangerous to even drive in it."

"Great. That's how I want to die. From snow."

"Car accident, dumbass," JC laughed. "Just get in. The hotel is only a a five minute drive."

"Yeah, and in ten minutes, I could lose my life."

"Justin, you could drop dead right here from a heart -" he stopped, Justin turning and looking at his friend wearily. "Nevermind."

"Jace -"

"Drop it, Justin."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Josh," Justin murmured, Tiny eyeing the two of them as he ushed them to the bus as Justin walked sideways, studying his friend's sudden depressed face. "Josh -"

"Forget I said that, all right? Just, forget it." He stepped onto the bus, Tiny standing on the stairs and waiting for Tim and Audrina to exit the venue so he could unlock the door, the two men walking down through the kitchen and sitting down at the table, JC staring at his hands.

"You didn't mean what you said and you know it. It is something that is common knowledge, Jace; everyone, and anyone could do just that. Hell, you could. I think the last person you have to worry about is her -"

"That's the thing, Justin! I worry about her constantly! She's always on my mind and I am forever worried if I'm not with her. I feel so stubborn that I want her for myself, but I don't want to deal with the consequences. At least, I didn't want to ... and now, suddenly, I'm scared to death that she'll die and I won't be there. But how would I handle it if something did happen to her? How would I handle a situation that I'm not ready for?"

"Um, JC?" Justin raised an eyebrow, studying his friend incredulously. "I seem to remember a certain woman having a heart attack when you were there. When you were the only one there. You knew exactly what to do ..."

"What if I find her dead?"

"Brian told me the doctor's expect her to live a happy and healthy normal life, JC. Expect her to outlive you. Me, even. She's been through hell, God owes her a few more years on her life because of that."

Both men stopped talking as they heard Tiny greet Audrina, her voice sweet and soft, sounding very tired as she climbed the stairs, meeting Justin's gaze. "It's times like these that I miss Kentucky."

"Why's that, Drine?"

"I could be out playing in this snow right now," she laughed, "now, I'm just stuck indoors under Johnny's watchful eye. He says he doesn't want me to stay out in the cold for too long because he doesn't want me to get sick. Which is codeword for, don't go out there and die."

"Aw, I'm sure he's just being daddy-like."

"Well, he can kiss my ass," she murmured. "I want to play in the damn snow!"

"You sound like your nine, not twenty-nine."

"And?"

"Just sayin'," Justin grinned, getting up and rummaging through the fridge. "Christ, C, your food habits haven't changed at all." He reached in, pulling a box of leftover food, opening it and chuckling. "Take out Chinese? Really?"

"I was hungry for it, shut up," he mumbled. "I'm going to lie down. My head hurts."

"Jace, it was a joke -"

"I know it was," he said as he walked past him, sliding open the door to the back open and shut quickly as he went through to the back, Justin looking on in confusion.

"I swear he's PMSing."

"Or ABLing."

"... What?"

"My initials, dumbass," she chuckled slightly, though a frown was on her face. "He's only cranky when I'm around."

"No, I'm pretty sure he's only cranky when you're not," Justin corrected. "This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with him, Drine. He's battling a lot of personal demons that even I don't understand." He shoved the leftovers onto a plate and then into the microwave, sitting down as the bus began to move, Audrina sliding in across from him. "I don't think he really understands, either. He's trying to make sense of it all, sort his brain out and he can't. I think that blow to the head knocked him back a few months of sorting, too."

"I gave up today," she said, shrugging. "We're not meant to be, is all."

"But that song you sang -"

"Based on what we did have. I wrote that song in my perspective all those years ago."

He nodded slowly, not thoroughly believing her story. "Well, it's true, though; he's ... he's difficult, too. He knows he is. He's also being a pain in the ass. You both are definitely two peas in a pod when it comes to being pains in the ass. Stubborn, too."

"Yeah, well this stubborn pain in the ass is playing in the snow if it kills her."

"Don't say that around him."

"Say what?"

"Anything about death. Scares him."

"Why, who died?" She watched as Justin got up, taking the plate of food and grabbing two forks, handing her one as he sat back down. "Something happen that I don't know about?"

"You almost died, Audrina." He took a bite, watching as the color drained from her face at the realization of what he had meant about not saying it in front of JC. "He's stuck on that. Really stuck. But, stuck in a different way. I don't know, it's hard to explain; he'd have to be the one telling you all this stuff."

She scoffed. "Like he's going to actually hold a normal conversation with me. He left the room when I came. Like that'll start anything."

"Give it time, Audrina."

"Time? Time?! I gave it two fucking years of my life, J! I think time is up! Expired, gone! I'm done giving it time!"

"Calm down, woman," Justin said, eyes wide with her sudden outburst. "Just ... a little more. You're more patient than anyone I know."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my patience is worn thin. My poor children, if I should ever have them, are going to hate me as a mother."

"You will, and no, they won't. They'll hate their father for making their mother wait around for so long."

"They're f-Justin, you're crazy." Audrina stood as they neared the hotel, the Square looking like a ghost town. "Oh, I just may be able to play in the snow after all! There's no one around!"

"Why don't I just put some snow in a bag and you can play with that?"

"And then when I'm done, I'll put the bag over your head."

"Smartass."

She chuckled, he getting up and poking her side as he walked to the front, calling for Johnny who was sitting up with the bus driver. It was an idea, though: playing in the snow, bringing back the kid in her and making her forget about everything ... at least for a little while. She was glad she took the majority of the clothes she had from the bus to the hotel room, knowing they were going to be staying there for a while and it would save trips to the bus numerous times for things she needed, glad she brought in the suitcase with all her sweaters and jeans, her boots already on her feet.

"Ready to go, m'lady?"

She looked over at Justin, his arm extended as she nodded, looping her arm through his as they made their way into the hotel room. "You going to come outside with me?"

"Girl, are you crazy? It's freezing out!"

"I don't care," she grinned, fishing out her hotel room key out of her purse, sliding it in and waiting for it to unlock, she stepping in and looking at him. "You only live once, J. Take risks."



He stood in the corridor just behind Tiny as he heard Justin and Audrina speak, her words imprinting in his brain like a brand. You only live once. Take risks.

If only it were so easy.

It's not so easy loving me ...

He frowned, putting his palms to his temples, fingers curled inward, almost wishing to rid himself of all thoughts. You're killing me slowly ...

Now, it was his words coming back, haunting him.

"C, you okay?"

He froze, eyes slowly moving towards Justin, who was approaching him cautiously. "Yeah, I'm fine, just ... trying to clear my head. This headache doesn't want to leave me."

He frowned, giving him a sympathetic look. "Ouch, sorry man."

"How is your stomach feeling?"

"My ribs are a little sore, but I think that comes with the 'I got socked in the stomach' territory. How about your chest and ribs? You're the one who got the foot into the torso."

"Still tender," he said, shrugging. "Hurts to rustle around. Coughing hurts. But, I'll live."

"Yeah," Justin nodded, agreeing, "we all will."

"All right, I'm going outside."

He and Justin both turned, looking at Audrina as she shut her hotel room door, shoving the key into her back pocket. She had almost the same exact thing on from the night before, only dressed in a deep red turtle neck, a scarf wrapped around her neck and coat on above. her jeans were tucked into her boots again and gloves stuck out of her front pockets. "Are you sure you should be going out there, Drine?"

"No, you don't need to be going out there." Johnny approached them, she looking at him in disgust. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Rina."

"I'm 29, Johnny! I'll do what I please, Jesus." She walked past him, the man not even trying to argue with her. "Not my father, not my boyfriend, not anything but my manager ..."

Johnny shook his head as he looked at the other two men in the hallway, Tiny getting up to follow her. "No, don't even bother."

"I'm going out there," Justin said, sighing in defeat. "There's no one around, we'll be fine. You guys stay warm while I kill her in the cold." He disappeared into the hotel room, JC thinking momentarily before he followed his friend in. "C, what are you doing?" He pulled on a hooded sweatshirt over his long-sleeved shirt, watching as JC pulled on his coat, already adorned in a sweatshirt and tugging on a pair of boots.

"I'm going outside," he said simply, cringing when his head began to pound some more. "Keep you company. Look after Audrina."

"Dude, you don't feel good. You should probably get some sleep and get rid of that headache. We'll be fine, I can look after her."

"Then, who's going to look after you?" JC asked, joking as he stood, eyes tired as he waited on Justin. "Just give me the benefit of the doubt, man."

"All right," Justin said, shrugging. "You get key duties, then. I'll lose it."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of how swift your key-keeping duties are."

"Be jealous my friend, be jealous."

JC rolled his eyes, following Justin out the hotel room and closing it, waving off Tim who stood. "We'll be all right, man. We held off two druggies, I think we can hold off some crazy fans for a little bit." He got into the elevator with Justin, sighing deeply. "Why do I feel like something is going to happen when we're out there?"

"I don't know, why do you feel like that?"

"I don't know; I had the eerie feeling when we were on the incline, too. Just, weird."

Justin frowned, shrugging. "Well, if something seems off, we'll come back in. But, I really don't think anything is going to happen. Besides, Audrina is faring well out there by herself. At least, I think so ..."

"Argh, why didn't Johnny send someone out there with her? She's by herself ..."

"She's a big girl, C. She's fine."

"Yet, we're going out there to freeze our asses off to look after her."

"Hey, I was going out first, you decided all on your own!"

"True." JC leaned his head back, yawning deeply and waiting for the doors to open once more to let them go outside. "Where do you think she is?"

"Probably right in front of the hotel by the Hard Rock or something. Well, that's little ways down, but it's still next door."

He nodded, stepping out of the elevator and walking somewhat quickly to the outside, the eerie feeling still in his body. And, as Justin had guessed, he immediately spotted Audrina on the sidewalk, packing snowballs and setting them aside, the crunch beneath their feet startling her as she screeched, putting a hand to her heart as she smirked.

"Ah, so my preparation wasn't done with spite!" She picked up a snowball, Justin ducking behind JC as she gasped, "chickenshit! Don't hide behind the smaller one!"

"Hehe, smaller one," Justin grinned as JC scoffed, Audrina tsk-tsking at him as she approached them, faking him out and nailing him in the chest, laughing as he cried out. "Stop trying to up your size, Timberlake. We all know you all busted his balls about always having a hard-on on stage."

JC looked at her, eyes widening as he laughed. "Hey!"

"Just because wardobe felt it was necessary to put him in the tightest pants possible does not mean they were trying to make the world take a gander at his manhood."

"No, just his girlfriend at the time." Justin grinned, grabbing snow and tossing it at her as she screeched, backing off. "Of course, fans enjoyed it, too."

"Dude, guys, I'm right here."

"I didn't have to look at him through the pants, I got in the pants, bucco."

"Seriously? I'm standing right here."

Audrina laughed, shaking her head and picking up another snowball. "What now, Trousersnake?"

"Oh, it's on, little girl!"

JC smiled, watching as Justin dove at her, nearly tackling her as she screamed, breaking free of his grip and taking off down towards the Hard Rock Cafe, Justin catching her quickly and grabbing her arm, smashing snow onto the side of her face and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, taking her down into the pile of snow next to them. Looking up, he saw more fat snowflakes falling, knowing that what they were standing in would be covered completely come morning. They definitely would be in Pittsburgh for at least a few days.

He jumped when he felt something hit him in the shoulder, looking down and seeing the remnants of a snowball and hearing Justin's infamous cackle. It was war. "Timberlake!" He knelt down, scooping up snow and packing it, watching as his friend took off running like a child, he shaking his head as Audrina stood, watching him, waiting for what he was going to do. Lifting his arm, he hesitated, thinking about what he was about to do and decided against it, taking off running towards his friend as Justin laughed, stumbling and falling on his ass as JC stood over him, the snowball waiting to be released. "Ah, to be a good friend or not," he said, trailing off as he debated. "I get slammed in the shoulder by my friend so I think that my friend needs some snow slammed on him ..." He grinned, bending down as Justin shut his eyes, waiting for the snow to fall on his face. Instead, he let the snowball roll out of his hand and land on his chest with a wet 'thunk!'

"Chicken!"

JC laughed, looking at his friend as he got up, opening his mouth to speak, but stopping when he saw Audrina walk towards the Cafe, tugging on the door as it opened, it still open for business. "Where the hell is she going now?"

"Into the Hard Rock Cafe," Justin answered dumbly, shoving his friend lightly as they both followed, seeing her talking to the manager who stood at the front.

" ... since I'm snowed in here, I figured that the people who were at the hotel would at least want to be somewhere else rather than there, but you are the only ones to even walk in since early this evening. There's karaoke over there and I have some coffee still brewing if you'd like some ..."

"Oh, coffee," Justin grinned, "I'll take some!"

"None for me, thanks," Audrina smiled, "I don't drink much caffeine anymore."

JC remained quiet, taking in the Hard Rock Cafe and smirking. What do you collect, JC? Hard Rock Cafe menus! Ha! God, he felt so old ...

"I'm totally doing karaoke."

"Did you not have enough serenading tonight? You just did a show."

"So?"

"I think you're worse than JC."

Audrina chuckled, going through the book and screeching. "Justin, you have to sing this for me! Please!"

"What, what song is it?"

She pointed it out as he snorted, they both looking up at JC, Audrina's eyes wide in a begging sort of way. "Jace?"

He shook his head, sitting down at the table. "I'm not doing karaoke."

"Please?" She jutted out her lip, he sighing in defeat. He never could resist her. "I'll let you pick a song for me!"

"Fine," he mumbled, getting up and looking at them both. "What song?"

"Must you question my choice?"

He smirked, knowing exactly what song it was that she had chosen: her favorite song back when they were dating. Granted, it probably still was her favorite song, because she always loved how much he got into the song when they recorded and performed it. She even knew the spanish version.

He got up onto the small stage, standing next to Justin and seeing the screen begin to note how many measures until the verse began, smirking to himself. "Oh, someone please help me, I don't know the words to this song!"

Justin cracked up, mimicking too. "God, I'm so drunk I'm going to screw up all these words!"

"I'm only singing this 'cause I know you love it," JC stated, looking at Audrina. "So, take deep consideration in that."

"Ooooh ..."

"Shut up, Justin."


Audrina felt giddy all over again as she witnessed the two voices behind the song preparing to sing it once more, probably for the last time. Mentally preparing herself to remember this moment, she couldn't help but grin widely as Justin began to sing, but couldn't help turning her gaze to JC as he watched her, reading her reaction to the entire thing.

And I promise you
Never will you hurt anymore
I give you my word, I give you my heart
This is a battle we've won
And with this vow
Forever has now begun

His eyes never left hers as he sang, she feeling the goosebumps form on her skin with his voice as she shuddered. Regardless of what mood she was in, he always had that effect on her. Richard Marx was a genius for writing it and sending it to the producers for them to sing.

Just close your eyes each loving day
And know this feeling won't go away
No, 'til the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you

You set me free
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you

And I would give everything I own
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
Just to have you back again

She laughed slightly as she heard Justin begin to sing with her, voice off-key purposely, keeping her grinning through the words, even though all she wanted to do was beat the other man in the head with the microphone.

She bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes as she sang the last sentence of the verse, missing part of the chorus as Justin continued to sing. She put a hand to her mouth, tring to control herself as the chorus neared an end and went off to the bridge, opening her mouth to sing and praying it didn't sound strained. The perfectionist in her was praying.

Is there someone you know
You're loving them so
But taking them all for granted

Her heart began to beat rapidly as she heard his voice begin to sing with her, harmonizing perfectly and taking the lower parts, she singing what had been Joey's. Her eyes cast over to him, he sitting in his seat with the microphone at his mouth, eyes burning into hers and singing the song just as he did on their album, voice overpowering hers as it often did with the held out notes in his range, she biting her lip and turning away, continuing with the song.

She grinned, beginning to sing the chorus again. Leave it to Justin.

I would give everything I own

She froze, hearing his voice over hers once more, this time bringing tears to her eyes as her hand dropped to her side, he singing the remainder of the song while all she could do was gape.

Everthing I own
Nobody can love you, love you
Love you, love you
Like I do

Everything I own
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
Everything I own
Everything I own
Just to have you back again

Just to have you back again ...

She inhaled a shaky breath, Justin looking between both of them expectantly as she blinked back tears, stepping down off of the stage and putting the microphone on the table in front of him. "It's your turn, Justin," she said softly, grabbing her coat and leaving the Cafe quickly, ignoring the sound of the chair scraping against the hardwood, the voice murmuring to the other as she tugging her coat tighter around her, walking quickly towards the hotel. She ignored the footsteps behind her that were walking quickly, ignored the tears that were falling down her face.

"Rina, stop."

She was too tired to fight, too tired to just keep walking. It was cold, she was upset; all she wanted was to crawl into bed and not come out until she was dead. She stopped, still facing the other direction as he continued to walk, circling around her to face her. "What do you want, JC?"

He reached forward, tugging at her hood and putting it on her head as he studied her gaze, studied the tears that riddled her eyes. He never wanted to see her cry again, never wanted to be the reason she cried. "Do you still love me?"

She looked at him, taken back by what he had just asked. "What does this have to do with -"

"Rina, do you still love me? Do you still love me like I love you?"

"I don't know how you love me anymore," she mumbled, eyes darting anywhere but into his eyes. "I don't know much about us anymore."

"Do you want to be with me, Audrina? Be with me forever like we planned?"

She swallowed her own gasp, looking over at him with wide eyes. "What?!"

He smirked. "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do," she said softly, still slowly catching up to his sudden interest. "But, wh -"

He stopped her, warm hand sliding across her jawline and cheek to the back of her neck, pulling her body flush against him and pressing his lips to hers, both hands coming up to her cheeks and wiping the tears away, feeling her hands gripping his coat at his hips, holding onto him tightly.

"It's about fucking time!"

She broke away from him, eyes catching his as the two of them turned to see Justin standing in the doorway of the Cafe, hands on his hips. They both laughed, he shaking his head in annoyance.

"I swear, my next step was handcuffing the two of you together and locking you in a bathroom or something," he called, waving them off as he turned back around, "I'll meet you back at the hotel ... later!"

JC turned her face gently, studying her face as she held onto his wrists, standing on tiptoe to kiss his wounded forehead gently, his eyes fluttering closed at her touch. "I love you, Audrina."

She lowered herself back to flat foot, smiling through her tears. "I love you too, Joshua."

"This isn't the end of this, you know," he said softly, reaching down and taking her hand, pulling her towards him as he put his mouth to her forehead, speaking into her skin. "There's a lot you and I have to talk about, a lot we need to figure out."

She nodded, he smiling even wider as her head made his head bob up and down. "I know."

"Just as long as we're both on the same page, I'm okay."

She pulled away from him, studying his gaze. "As long as I'm with you, I'm okay."

"Well, you'll be okay forever, then."