“What?”

Darcie rolled her eyes and turned around to turn the volume down. When she turned back to repeat what she had said she came face to chest with the remaining member of NSYNC, her hand hitting him hard in the stomach.

“I think I just broke my nose.” Darcie muttered, her voice muffled by Justin’s chest.

Justin stared down at the top of Darcie’s head and then up at Chris and Ami. “Hiring fan-girls to do your dirty work now Chris?”

Darcie scoffed and pushed herself away from Justin, “I am hardly a fan girl Timberlick.”

Justin shot a glare at her, which was quickly replaced by a look of shock once he had a good look at her, “Darcie?”

Darcie grinned at him and pretended to bow, “The one and only.”

“Dang girl, you got fine!” Justin exclaimed, taking her hand and spinning her in a circle.

Darcie giggled and finally managed to get a good look at his head, “Cornrows?” She exclaimed, “Are you trying to win worst hair of the year?”

“It’s easier to maintain.” He muttered, running his hand over his head.

“So is shaving it!” Darcy muttered as the other three guys entered the room, “Well now that home boy is here, you guys get to move in the heavy shit while Ami and I sit and watch.”

“Stare shamelessly is more like it.” Ami pointed out.

Darcie snuck a glance at JC and saw him looking at her, “Well maybe not shamelessly.” She said as they locked eyes.

Darcie jumped when Ami suddenly clapped her hands together, “Come on boys, give the two of us and the fan girls in the surrounding area a show and take of your shirts while doing it, k?”

“Ami!” Darcie hissed.

“What?” Ami asked innocently, “If I’m going to stare shamelessly I want something to stare at!”

Darcie shook her head, “I’m going to go get a beer, does anyone else want one?”

She groaned as everyone else’s hands shot into the air, “I’ll help you.” JC offered, following her into the kitchen and opening the fridge, “Leave it to Chris to not pick up twist offs.”

“Oh Jesus, and I bet that he doesn’t have a bottle opener anywhere around here.” Darcie muttered, “I should have worn my belt buckle with the bottle opener in it.”

“I don’t know how the hell we’re going to open these.”

Darcie rolled her eyes and took a bottle from him, looking around the kitchen before walking over to one of the drawers. She slid the bottle under the drawer handle and worked on loosening the cap.

“You’d have thought that it would kill him to step into a damn dollar store to buy a temporary bottle opener, hell even one at the liquor store but no, he needs a diamond encrusted one.”

Darcie looked back over her shoulder to see JC watching her amused. A small release of air announced the bottle was open and she put it on the counter, holding her hand out for a new bottle.

“So how have you been Darc?” He asked, hoping up on to the counter and raising the opened beer to his lips as she began working on opening the other six bottles he had taken out. “I haven’t seen you since we recorded the album.”

“If not longer then that.” Darcie told him, “But I’ve been good, living and all that.”

JC sighed and studied her as she grabbed a new bottle, “I’m really sorry that I didn’t stay in contact.”

Darcie made a face as she struggled with the fourth bottle of beer, “Well that’s the life of a pop star, you get famous and forget about the little people.”

“Chris didn’t.” JC muttered.

“Well, Chris is old.” Darcie joked, “He can’t spend those long nights at the bar meeting new people like the rest of you.”

“There are other ways to meet people aside from the bar.”

“Yeah but with his age, he’d forget names, faces, how to get home.”

Darcie was startled by JC’s loud laugh as she slipped the final bottle under the drawer handle. “God I missed you, even though you’re almost like a completely different person.”

“Is that bad?” She asked nervously.

“Not at all, just takes some getting used to I guess.”

Darcie cleared her throat, “Well I’m here now so we can spend some time catching up right?” She asked with a tight smile.

“Of course!” JC said, sounding genuinely happy over the prospect. “So is it just you and Ami living in Orlando?”

“No, mom got a little home sick for her family and managed to get herself transferred out here.” Darcie told him, “My sister got married about a year before that and stayed in Toronto.”

“What about your dad.”

Darcie gasped as the bottle that she had just opened splashed down the front of her. She released a few curses as she pulled her t-shirt over her head, not wanting the beer to soak through the tank top she wore underneath.

“Good thing I layer.” She giggled as she set the bottle down and turned to rinse her shirt out in the sink.

Darcie jumped when she felt JC’s finger touch her shoulder. “What’s this from?”

He asked, his finger sliding against the large scar that was peaking out from her tank top.

“It’s nothing, an accident in gym class.” She said quickly, adjusting her tank top to hide the ruined flesh, “Want to grab me another beer since I’m wearing half of the other one?”

“Uh, sure.” JC said, still trying to see the mark on her back.

“Though I suppose I could always just pour water into it and give it to Chris,” She muttered, “Not like he’d notice.”

“I heard that.” Chris said as he walked into the room and made himself known, “What’s taking you so long; I’ve already had to keep Ami from molesting the Timberlake Hiney.”

Darcie stared at him, blinking in shock, “Did she say that or did you come up with it?”

“I believe her exact words were ‘Hold me back before I do something to that ass he’s never experienced before.” Chris told her.

“What in the hell made her say that?” Darcie muttered, “Wait, did he take off his shirt?”

“Yep.”

Darcie groaned and shook her head, “I’m going to go and smack her back into the days of Team Carter.”

JC and Chris watched her walk from the room, Chris shaking his head, JC staring in amazement.

~ * ~

“Team Carter?” JC asked as Darcie disappeared around the corner.

“Yeah, it’s from back in the day when they liked Backstreet over us.” Chris told him, picking up one of the old beer bottles, “Those bitches.”

“Better not let them hear you say that, I have no doubt that Darcie and Ami could take you out.”

“Who said I was referring to Darcie and Ami?” Chris asked.

“Fair enough.”

“So what exactly was taking you two so long and why is she down a layer of clothing?”

JC rolled his eyes, “We were talking and trying to get the bottles open since someone didn’t buy a spare bottle opener.”

“Of course I didn’t buy a spare one; Ami’s wearing a belt buckle that has one on it.” Chris told him.

“Anyway, Darcie spilled some beer down the front of her shirt and she took it off to rinse it in the sink.”

Chris’s right eyebrow arched in suspicion, “So she just dumped beer on herself?”

“No the bottle slipped.” JC insisted, “I know that look and you can wipe it off right now. Her shirt is still in the sink if you don’t believe me.”

“Just watch yourself Josh; she’s still the same person she was when you told her that you loved her like a little sister. She is still the same person in the pictures we all have in every photo album and every picture frame.”

“I think you’re being slightly over protective and possessive.”

“For good reason, I saw how you guys were all looking at her.” Chris practically growled, “Don’t forget that if it weren’t for me, none of you would know her. She has always been like my little sister, from the minute I met her I’ve had to look out for her.”

“Chris what the hell are you talking about?”

“She’s been through things that you guys can never understand, why do you think I brought her on the tour as much as I could.”

Before JC could ask they were interrupted by Ami and Darcie walking into the kitchen. “I don’t care how hott he looked, you do not just grope the rear end of Justin Timberlake, his ego is big enough as it is.”

“Oh please he’s not that bad and you did not see what I saw.”

“Don’t forget the beer!” Justin shouted from the other room.

“Why don’t you just float over here on your ego and get it yourself.” Darcie shouted back.

“Oh lord she’s breaking out the ego insults, what did he do?” Chris asked.

“Well Ami just had to go up and grind herself against his ass and then smacked it and told him it was cute.” Darcie told him.

“And what’s wrong with that?” JC asked as the Darcie grabbed a beer from the fridge to replace the one she had spilled on herself.

“Because he stuck it in Darcie’s face afterward and asked her if she wanted to tap it too.” Ami giggled as Darcie slid the bottle under the drawer handle. “What are you doing?”

“Chris didn’t get a spare bottle opener.”

“Of course he didn’t, I’ve got your belt buckle on.” Ami said lifting her shirt to reveal the belt buckle that had a built in bottle opener.

Darcie’s jaw dropped as she slowly looked from her belt buckle to Ami’s face, “Ami! I spent two hours looking for that this morning!”

Ami’s face broke out into a large grin, “I know, why do you think me and your mom were laughing so hard.”

“You’re so dead.” Darcie muttered, advancing on her friend.

“You can’t hurt me, I have beer.”

“Watch me.” Darcie told her, chasing her out of the room.

JC shook his head as he walked from the room, “This isn’t over Chasez.” Chris told him.

“Yeah, whatever.”