(May 15^th)

 He had left her sleeping, a fact he knew was going to get him in trouble, but when he had sat down beside her to say goodbye, she had looked so peaceful he hadn't wanted to disturb her. Staring out the plane window into the inky blackness of the pre-dawn sky, a sigh escaped him.

Yes, it had been true that he hadn't wanted to disturb her, but he had also know if he had woken her he would have asked one more time for her to go with him. That he couldn't do, so he had kissed her gently, smiled when she had sighed, then snuggled deeper into her pillow. She could and did sleep through anything, so he had indulged his need to touch her by smoothing her hair away from her face, then tracing the outline of one ear with his finger. They were small, delicate, like the rest of her. It was a miracle they supported the three earrings she wore in each ear, he'd thought, tracing a finger over the three diamond studs she'd been wearing. He had sat beside her, gently fingering the smallest one, watching her sleep, until Justin had knocked quietly on the door, letting him know it was time to go.

Kissing her one last time, he had tucked the covers around her snugly, knowing that she was always cold, then had quietly left the room.

The seatbelt light went out just as the captain's voice came over the speaker. His prediction that the flight will be a smooth one elicited a cheer from Lance who was sitting beside him. A cheer, that quickly turned into a groan, when the captain estimated that the flight would be thirteen hours in duration.

By the time they arrive in Nice, then made the drive into Cannes, it would be almost midnight there. It was five a.m. now, he'd been up since three, and he figured that by the time they hit the villa they would be staying at, he'd barely be coherent.

Ahh, the life of fame and fortune, he thought, unbuckling his seatbelt so that he could stretch out in the seat. The only good thing about all of this was, that they had a private plane that, including him, had only fourteen people on board. The four other guys, of course, Mari, a six-member flight crew, Joey's brother Steve, and Johnny.

Johnny was busily tapping away at his laptop, while Joey and Steve were watching a movie, they were never going to finish, if their drooping eyelids were any indication. Chris and Mari were snuggled under blankets in adjoining seats already asleep, and Justin was, hopefully, sleeping in the private bedroom the plane had. He had not been feeling well these last couple of days, it wasn't anything serious, only an annoying head cold, but that, combined with his inability to sleep with a lot of noise, had made them all decide that it was better for him to be in the back alone. The last thing they needed was his getting sicker. Knowing him, he had been out as soon as his head had hit the pillow, he had been barely awake when they had boarded the plane to begin with. Lance, headphones in place, was almost asleep, leaving JC, now wide-awake, alone with his thoughts.

Declining the drink, but accepting the blanket offered to him by the stewardess, he glanced at Lance when the plane bucked under them, noting his whitened knuckles gripping the armrest. Tapping him lightly on the shoulder, he motioned for him to remove his headphones.

"I'm almost glad Cait couldn't come with us," he joked, "I think the two of you together would make me nervous."

"Sorry, I hate it when it does that."

"Yeah, I know, but it's just air Scoop, you're safer up here than in a car, especially the way you drive."

"Ha, ha. I keep telling myself that, but so far it's not working." Inhaling sharply when the plane bumped again, he motioned the stewardess over, asking for a beer. At JC's raised eyebrow, he shrugged. "Maybe it'll help me go to sleep."

"You should just take something before you board, especially on a long flight like this. You'd end up sleeping the whole way, and you wouldn't notice it."

"True, but if we crashed I'd drown."

Shivering at his words, JC shook his head. "God, Lance. What a way to think. Remind me to let Chris sit next to you the next time."

Thanking the stewardess, Lance took a fortifying drink before answering. "Sorry. Let's change the subject okay?"

"Please."

"How was Caity when you left this morning? I know she really wanted to come with you."

"I didn't wake her up." At Lance's incredulous look, he defended himself, "She was so peaceful, I just didn't have the heart to."

"She is not going to be happy with you when she wakes up C."

"I know." His attention returning to the window, he murmured again, "I know."

Lance knew, that JC was also aware, that while Caity may be upset that she didn't get to say goodbye, she could never seem to stay that way, at least as far as JC was concerned, for long.

Thinking back over the past week since JC had told him he was in love with her and she him, Lance couldn't help wishing someone like that would come along for him. The separations had to be hard, yes, but you always had the reunions to look forward to.

"It's only three days, JC. We'll be back on Thursday. It'll fly by, you'll see."

"I'm sure you're right."

Easing the phone out of the console to JC's left, he handed it to him. "Why don't you call and wake her up. She has an eight o'clock flight. I'm sure she'd rather hear your voice as a wake up call than the hotel operators." Grabbing his beer, he headed over to talk to Johnny, leaving JC alone.

The ringing phone had her groaning, then reaching over to nudge JC. When her hand encountered an empty space, a cold empty space, she was instantly awake.

"Josh?" Calling out his name in the empty room, she listened, thinking he might be in the shower, but the room was completely silent.

"All right, all right." She grumbled, grabbing the incessantly ringing phone.

"What!?!" She barked into it, raking the hair off of her face. She was going to kill JC when she got her hands on him, which she now knew from looking at the clock, would not be until Thursday.

"You're going to scare someone answering the phone like that."

"Joshua Scott Chasez, how could you leave without waking me up?"

Wincing JC held the phone away from his ear. Damn, that girl was loud when she got mad. "Good morning to you too, Lady C." He joked, using the nickname he had given her just a few days ago. She had a habit, when she was annoyed, of adopting a very regal, princess like manner, so he had jokingly called her Lady C. Justin had heard it, told the others and it had stuck.

"Don't you good morning me. I can't believe you did that."

"Caity, if you stop yelling at me for a minute I'll explain."

"It'd better be good." Was her only reply?

Smiling at her grumpy tone, he pictured her lying in the bed. Her hair would be a wild tangle around her head, because she had left it loose last night when they had gone to bed. He had distracted her while she had been braiding it, by coming up behind her and kissing the back of her neck. The braid had been quickly forgotten, and she had fallen asleep with it spread out on the pillow around her, exactly as he liked it.

Her impatient "Josh" snapped him back to the present, and he answered quietly. "I didn't want to say goodbye."

Pouting, because his answer was too sweet for her to hold onto her anger, Caity sighed. "I wanted one last kiss to hold me over for the next three days, now I can't have one."

He smiled, his shoulders visibly relaxing at her words. "I did kiss you," he informed her, "twice actually. You slept through both of them."

"Aww, I'm sorry. Tell me how you kissed me," she said, her voice low. "That way I can close my eyes and imagine it."

"Cait." He growled.

"Come on Josh, tell me. You know you want to."

"Baby, this is so not fair, I'm thirty thousand feet in the air. Don't tease me."

"Who's teasing? Joshua, tell me." When he remained silent, she went on. "Okay, I'll tell you what, I'll describe a kiss, you tell me if I'm right." Snuggling deeper into the soft mattress, she closed her eyes, her imagination coming to life. "Let me see, I'm sleeping, you're…Umm were you sitting next to me or leaning over the bed."

"I was sitting next to you."

"Okay. I'm sleeping; you're sitting next to me. I can feel you pushing my hair behind my ear, touching my cheek with your finger. Was my face warm?"

"Yes." His voice was barely a whisper. He cleared his throat before trying again, "Yes."

"Mmm, k. You cup my cheek gently with your hand, then bend down until your lips are just barely touching mine. I can feel how soft your bottom lip is. Have I ever told you how much I love your bottom lip?" Grinning when he didn't respond at all she teased. "It's so full and soft. I love to rub my tongue over it almost as much as I love nibbling on it."

Groaning, JC shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. He couldn't believe she was doing this to him now, he really needed to tell her to stop, but couldn't.

"Oh, but wait, you're pulling away, don't go away. Ahh, okay, you're just checking to see if I'm awake, but I didn't wake up did I, Josh?"

"No baby, you didn't wake up."

"Tell me what you did then Joshua, did you kiss me again?"

"I traced the outline of your ear with my finger, and it must have tickled you a little cause you turned your head and rubbed against my hand. I bent down again, rubbed my lips back and forth across yours, but you still didn't wake up. I, umm, I…" He stopped when he heard Lance laugh, remembering exactly where he was.

"Baby, don't stop, tell me. Did you pull on my bottom lip with your teeth like you always do?" It never failed to make her gasp when he did that, gaining him access to the hidden recesses of her mouth.

"No, I didn't want to wake you. I kissed you again, softly, and you sighed, you know that soft little noise you make. I love it when you do that."

"Oh, you mean the noise I make when I'm about to…"

"Caitlyn!" Her tinkling laughter came clearly over the phone, making him ache to hold her. "Stop."

"Aww, I thought you'd like getting digital handsome." She laughed again when he growled at her. "I'm sorry, but you deserved it. I still can't believe you left without saying anything. It didn't have to be goodbye, but you should have woken me up."

"I know, I just... I was afraid if I did, I'd ask you to come with me again, and then you'd have hit me which would have totally spoiled the romantic mood."

"Very funny, Joshua." She glanced at the clock; it was only a little after six. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I don't know. I'll try to sleep a little after I talk to you."

"Good. So what's the plan when you get there?" She listened as he went over what would happen when he arrived in Nice, then to their plans for the next day in Cannes. she wandered around the room, packing for her upcoming flight to New York. When he asked what time, her friend Bryan White would be arriving in the city, she answered that he should already be there when she got in later this morning. They already had studio time booked for later today, and if all went according to plan, the first track should be in the can by tomorrow.

This short break had worked out well for her. She and Bryan had been having trouble coming up with dates when they were both available to record, until the guys had asked to move two dates so that they could go to Cannes. Bryan's being available on those days, however, had made it impossible for her to go to Cannes with JC. But she was realistic enough to know, that this would not be the only time something like this would happen.

When JC had complained, asking why they couldn't find another date to record so that she could go with him, she had calmly told him that she would do all that she could to be with him whenever possible. Spending time with him would be a top priority for her, but, if she were going to do that she also expected him to be equally as willing to do the same for her and she expected him to understand those few times when she couldn't make it happen. This was one of those times. He hadn't pushed the issue of her coming with him again.

"So, what time will you be getting into Cannes?"

"Umm, let me see, it's a thirteen hour flight so that will put us into Nice at around 11p.m. their time which would be 6p.m. Nashville time and then it's like an hour drive, so I think that will be midnight and seven respectively. Oh, wait, you're in New York, so it would be seven and eight to you, and midnight and one a.m. to me."

"I think I have a headache."

"Just think of it this way whatever time is it to you add five hours to, then you'll have my time."

"Okay, so I should hear from you at around nine my time. Damn that will be two a.m. your time. Maybe you should just wait and call me tomorrow sometime in the afternoon which will be morning for me."

"I'll call you when I get in Cait, we'll both feel better if I do. We don’t have to talk for long, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice was quiet as she packed the picture of her and JC she had been keeping on the bus. "I miss you already," she said tracing the outline of his face.

"I miss you too, baby. But I'll be back before you know it."

"I know. Just be careful."

"I will be, promise." He needed to go, so that he could try to sleep. Otherwise he would spend the next three days in a semi-conscious state. "Listen, baby, I'm going to go. You need to get moving and I need to try to get some sleep."

Her soft "Okay" tore at his heart. "I love you, Caity."

"I love you, too."

"K, I'll talk to you tonight. Bye."

"Bye."

"So, how many times has he called since then?" Admiring the bright red polish adorning her toenails, Dani laughed at Caity's reply.

"Four." Hobbling over to the bed, her toenails also wet, Cait thought for a second. "Yeah, four. When he got there, this morning, at lunch and then around nine tonight which would have been two in the morning to him."

"Awww, does he miss his wittle Caity."

"Kiss my ass, Danae."

Dani craned her neck, pretending to check out Caity's backside. "As cute as it is," she drawled wiggling her eyebrows," I think I'll pass." Dodging the box of cotton balls Caity threw at her head, she stretched out full length on the bed, completely relaxed. "So, it's five in the morning on Wednesday there right?"

"Yeah. And don't ask me how it's going to work time wise with them getting back. I have no idea how the heck the time difference figures on the way back. I mean I'm a smart person right?" Dani nodded in the affirmative so she continued, "But, all this adding this many hours to there, then taking them away when they get here, makes me feel stupid, so I've given up trying to figure it out. All I know is that the flight takes off from Nice at five in the morning their time, midnight ours, and it gets into Atlanta at eleven in the morning on Thursday. Which would be four in the afternoon in France."

"Okay, so they leave their at five, add eleven hours to that which would make it 4 in the afternoon there, then take away five hours which makes it eleven here. What's so hard about that?" Dani asked trying very hard not to laugh.

"Smart ass." Caity mumbled then laughed too, "It doesn’t sound so bad when you do it that way, it's the they leave there at five in the morning and get here at eleven in the morning that confuses me. I think it's JC throwing out all those five hours added here, five taken away there, thirteen hours to go over, eleven to come back scenarios, that is making me nuts."

"I can imagine, if he's explaining it in typical male fashion. I can just hear him, well it's five here, but midnight there which would make it eleven there but four here when we get there. I'd be confused too. Just do what I said kiddo, take the time they leave, add eleven then subtract five. It works every time."

Cait and Dani exchange a look of total understanding before both muttering, "Men!" collapsing into a fit of giggles after they do.

When they had both caught their breath Caity began to remove the cotton from between her toes, tonight had given her an idea. "I think when we're back on the road, we should definitely have a girl night. Maybe when either Mandy or Aaliyah is with us. You know, like we used to do with Jenna. Too much wine, too much junk food. We'll talk about guys, listen to music, and dance…"

"Be sick as dogs the next day," Dani added.

Shrugging Caity said, "Who cares, we'll have a blast doing it."

"Well, we'd better make it when Aaliyah is there then, if you want wine, Mandy's only sixteen isn't she?"

"Oh shit, yeah I forgot about that. K, we'll wait till Aaliyah joins us." Digging through her bag for her date book, she flipped quickly through the pages. "Let's see, she's going to be with us from the end of June so maybe we should plan it for like the 29^th. We're off that night so we'll be in Cleveland early. What ya think?"

"I think JC is going to say no way, when he finds out it's a night off, but I'll let you fight with him about that. It's sounds good to me."

Caity scribbled a note in the box, her mind on Dani's comment about JC. Somehow she doubted he'd object to her having a night with friends. They did try to spend as much free time as they could together, but they both had lives aside from this relationship, and friendships as well. Not to mention the fact, that if they spent every spare minute together, they were going to get sick of looking at each other. Well maybe not, she though, her smile going dreamy as his face popped into her mind. How could you get sick of looking at that?

Dani's long suffering sigh and sarcastic, "And there she goes, off to Josh land again," snapped her back to the present, where she promptly stuck her tongue out.

"Such childish behavior. Tsk, tsk. And here I thought you had outgrown that. I mean, it was cute when we were twelve, maybe thirteen, Caity-did, but you're almost twenty three, I think it's time to move past sticking your tongue out."

Cait's short, explicit, come back on just what Dani could do with her theory was met with a grin. "Now that's more what I was talking about, Miss Queen of Pop."

"Oh gross, please don't call me that. How long ago was that stupid Oprah interview and you're still bringing that up."

"One of the perks of a long term friendship, babe. You're allowed to tease you're best friend with things they'd love to forget."

"K, so that means I can still tease you about the summer when we were, what was it thirteen, and you jumped in the pool trying to show off for Colin and your bathing..." What she said next, was an incoherent mumble, because Dani had hurriedly slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Yuck. Blech, your hand tastes like polish remover. Gross." Jumping off the bed she hurried over to the mini bar. Bottles clinked as she rummaged through it. "You want a wine cooler or something?"

"Mmm, yeah. Do they have the berry ones?"

More clinking followed, then a triumphant, "Yes!" when she located what she was looking for. "Berry for you, Golden for me."

"What time do we have to be up tomorrow?" Dani asked, drinking directly from the bottle.

"Umm, I have to be back at the studio for nine."

She groaned, loud and long, then glanced at Cait with a calculating gleam in her eye. "Technically, I don't have to go with you, I mean you’re the one recording the Christmas album not me."

"That is true, but," she paused, munching on a Dorito, "no studio, no shopping." And that, she knew was enough to ensure that Dani, no matter what time it was would be up and ready to go to the studio.

"You are such a bitch."

Smiling sweetly, Caity examined her nails, "Yeah, I know." Holding the bag out, she laughed, when Dani stuck her tongue out at her. "Now who's acting like a teenager?"

"Speaking of teenagers," Dani said, "Are there still web sites out there dedicated to the hatred of one blonde Pop Star who's supposed to be dating Joey, but in reality is getting freaky with JC."

"Yeah, they're still there and how do you know I'm getting "freaky", as you so elegantly put it, with JC."

"Gee, I don't know, could it be that glow you seem to have 24/7, or wait, maybe it's the fact that when you disappear, for no apparent reason, he does too? No, that can't be it, hmmm, I know it has to be the fact that you, Mari, and I were supposed to share a room, and the guys were all supposed to have their own, but Mari is with Chris and I'm sleeping in the room that's supposed to be JC's while he's….hmmm, imagine that, he's sleeping where I'm supposed to be." Padding over to the bar to grab two more wine coolers, Dani dropped one on the bed in front of Cait. "I wonder what my first clue was?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from each word.

Her gaze traveling from the bottle in front of her, to the clock Cait shrugged, grinned and opened it anyway. "Okay, so I'm getting freaky with JC, so what?"

Her eyes wide, Dani plopped on her stomach in front of Cait. "So what? What do you mean so what? Details girl, I want details." She grinned evilly when Cait choked on the wine she had just swallowed. Patting her none to gently on the back, she waited until her coughs turn to gasps, then went to the bathroom for a towel. Tossing it at Caitlyn, she dryly remarked, "I can see you still haven't learnt how to drink", then grimaced when the wet towel hit her in the face.

"Nice Chief, thanks a bunch." Tossing the offending towel on the floor, she took in Caity's bright pink cheeks. "Don't even tell me you're embarrassed." She was shocked when Cait turned a deeper shade of red.

"Caitlyn Marie! We've know each other since we were five years old."

"Okay, okay I know, don't have a tizzy. You just surprised me is all." Then shaking her head, she admitted, "No, that's not true. Jesus Dani, I can't tell you what I, what we," stammering she yelped when Dani smacked her on the head.

"You are such a moron, I swear." Hands on hips, she stood glaring at a, still, beet red Cait. "I didn't expect you to give me the gory details for crying out loud, you idiot." Moving Cait's hand out of the way, she took over rubbing the spot she had just hit. "Sorry about that, but you made me mad."

Stretching out on her back, she rested her head on the small of Caity's back. It was a position the two of them had used so many times in their friendship, Cait lying on her stomach, Dani on her back using Cait for a pillow, one knee bent, the foot of her other leg resting on it. It was how they talked, it always had been, from the first time the two had had a sleepover at Cait's house, when they had been eight years old.

Getting comfortable, Dani tapped her on the back. "So spill it, does he look as good naked as he does with his clothes on?"

"Danae." Her body shaking, she began to giggle. "Better." She finally answered, making Dani groan.

"Oh, don't even tell me that." Groaning again, Dani shook her head, then grinning asked, "Better how?"

Cait dropped her empty bottle on the floor, then pillowed her head on her arms before answering. "Well, he has these amazing muscles in his stomach. It's all rippled, which is just, Mmm, I don't know. I just love how it looks."

"Does he have hair on his chest?"

"Umm, no not a lot. A little on his belly, but it's soft."

"Okay. God, don’t tell me anymore."

Giggling sleepily, Caity glanced back at her. "I've barely said anything Danae."

"I know, but it's enough. If you tell me anymore I'm liable to go out into the hall and attack the first unsuspecting male I find."

They were both laughing helplessly by the time she had finished speaking. Holding onto her aching stomach Dani changed the subject. "I bet Mar is having fun."

"Yeah, she seemed to be when we talked to her earlier, didn't she?"

"Uh huh. She said the villa was beautiful, and she had never seen anything like the yacht before. Did she say what she was doing tomorrow?" Yawning Dani allowed her eyes to drift closed.

"Umm." Sighing, Caity fell asleep, leaving the question unanswered.

 She was bored out of her mind, and seriously contemplating killing Chris. It was hours after Dani and Cait had sleepily wondered about her, and several hours after he had told her they'd be back.

Waking this morning, Chris had told her that he and the guys would be spending the hours between nine and one giving various interviews. Hearing that, Mari had elected to stay behind at the villa, then venture out shopping. She had had a grand time poking into all the elegant shops along The rue d'Antibes, then moving on to the smaller more homey shops along The rue Meynadier, it's quiet streets, reserved for pedestrian traffic only. Her feet had been killing her by the time she had arrived back at the villa a few minutes before one.

Ordering lunch, she had waited a full forty-five minutes before giving up and eating alone. It was now approaching four with still no sign of Chris or the others. They had to be ready and out of here by seven, if they were to make it to the Festival on time. Rolling her tense shoulders, she walked over to the balcony overlooking the water. It was so beautiful here, she hoped that someday she and Chris could come back for a longer visit, one that was purely for pleasure.

The footsteps behind her had her whirling around. Expecting Chris, she was surprised to see, instead, JC walking towards her.

The clearly angry woman in front of him, made him want to turn right back around, find Chris and tell him to find someone else to distract her. He had no idea what Chris was up to, all he had gotten out of him was a mumbled "I need to do something, go talk to Mar," before he had sprinted off in the direction of the kitchen. Thinking if Mari didn't kill him, he was going to, JC walked over to give her a hug.

"Hey beautiful, how's it going?"

"It's going."

"You mad at Chris," he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"How can you tell?"

"Oh, I don't know, the steam coming out of your ears might have given me a clue."

She laughed, relaxing against him. "Did he not have his cell phone with him or something. I mean you guys are like three hours late and no one called."

Ducking his head, he admitted. "None of us could remember the number."

"You're kidding?" All it took was one look at his face, to see that he was not. "Oh my God, JC! There are five of you, how could you not have the number?"

"Umm, well, we all thought someone else had written it down I guess."

He smiled when her shoulders began to shake with laughter. Gasping for breath she stammered, " I should have known. That is so you guys it's amazing, how could I have not known?"

"How could you have not known what?" Hurrying over, Chris sent JC a thankful look. However he'd done it, he had Mari laughing, something which Chris would be forever grateful. He couldn't afford to have her mad at him, especially not today. The best thing to do in a situation like this, he knew was to keep her off balance, and so Chris, well became Chris.

The quick hug, kiss, then mile wide smile he gave her had her raising an eyebrow at JC, who merely smiled, as Chris began to babble on, a mile a minute, about nothing.

"Did JC tell you that none of us remembered to write the villa phone number down? I figured you'd be out shopping and probably lose track of the time anyway, so you wouldn't care. Did you find any good shops?" Bouncing between the railing of the balcony, the table where JC was sitting and a long table the staff has set up with assorted food, Chris never stopped talking long enough for her to answer.

"We must have answered the same questions a hundred times today. I swear, if someone had asked me one more time if this movie was going to be a "Spice Girl" type of film, I was going to deck them. Did you hear that one guy start talking about." When he began to ask JC about a particularly annoying reporter, she allowed her mind to drift, watching him, trying to figure out why he's so hyper.

It could just be that he'd been cooped up all day with reporters, so he had a lot of energy to burn off, but somehow Mari didn't think so. He'd been different this trip, though she hadn't quite been able to pinpoint how. Any fan looking at him now would think nothing of his behavior, he was bouncing and, after all, wasn't that Chris?

But she knew better. Yes, he could be hyper, yes he hated to be confined, but he was also capable of long periods of calm. He couldn't head a business like he did, handle Rons' career, not to mention his own, if he were anywhere near as inattentive as everyone made him out to be. It really bothered her at times, this impression the world had of him. He was so much more than the hyper, silly man they made him out to be.

He was however, at this moment, doing his best to live up to the reputation. If he didn't stop pacing, she was going to tie him to a chair. Something was definitely up. She had asked him several times in the last few days if everything was okay, and everytime he had assured her that things were great. He had been so happy when she had agreed to come on this trip with him; she had really felt it was a major turning point in this "new" relationship they were building. In fact, she would have told anyone who had asked that things were better between them now, than they had ever been. Even better than those wonderful first few months when they had met.

Yet, ever since they had arrived in Cannes, he had been acting weird. He was either hyper, as he was now, or very quiet. Those quiet times were scaring her. Again, it wasn't that he was incapable of being quiet, it was just, he was normally a different quiet than what she had been seeing here. Here he was drifting off even when he was around others. She would be talking to him only to find he had gone off somewhere on his own. And everytime she had brought it up he had shrugged it off; he had a lot on his mind, he was tired, and the last time it had been because he was running behind, or so he had said. Mari was beginning to fear that maybe all their togetherness was beginning to wear on him, and he was unsure of how to tell her. Wouldn't it be ironic if, while she was loving being on the road with him after all the time she had fought it, he who had always wanted her to be with him, now that she was, no longer wanted the same thing. Maybe, while these last few weeks had shown her how much she truly loved him and wanted them to be together, it had shown him the opposite. There was only one way to find out, and she had decided today while waiting for him to get back, that when they got home, she was going to bite the bullet and ask him. Suddenly aware of the silence surrounding her, she looked up to see both JC and Chris eyeing her strangely.

"You okay, babe? We must have said your name five times."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I was daydreaming I guess." Absentmindedly smiling, she glanced at her watch, exclaiming. "Wow, it's almost five thirty. I have to go shower."

"I'll be right up," Chris told her, squeezing her hand as she walked by. When she was out of site, he turned to JC, "Thanks C, I owe you."

"No kidding. She was spitting fire when I came out here. So, you want to share what the hell is going on Chris? What was all that about?"

Scanning the area to make sure they are alone, he leaned forward in his chair, filling JC in on what had been making him so distracted lately.

The moon was full, the air soft. Every star in the sky seemed to be shining tonight. It was a night for romance, and for Chris, for what he had planned, it was perfect.

His hand trembled, slightly, as he offered it to Mari, helping her from the car. It was midnight, the beginning of a new day, and if all went as he hoped, the beginning of a new life for him. Leading her into the house, he asked softly if they could go out onto the balcony for a minute, the night, he told her, was too perfect to end just yet.

His fingers clumsy, he fumbles with the latch of the door, struggling to open it. Finally getting it and moving out onto the balcony, his relief was a palpable thing when he looked out over the terrace. JC had, once again, come through.

Softly burning torches have been carefully placed over the terrace, adding to the romance of the night. There was a bottle of champagne chilling on the table beside two long stemmed crystal glasses. The small stereo in the corner was playing softly, just as he had asked. Chris had planned all of this before he had left; it was what he had been doing when he had sent JC out to distract Mar. He had planned it, but JC was the one who had come back before them to make sure that everything was in place. It was perfect. Now if he could only clear this lump from his throat, he'd be fine.

Guiding Mari out through the double doors, he smiled when she gasped in surprise, then questioned uncertainly, "Chris?"

Stopping next to the table, he saw that the box was there, exactly where he had asked JC to place it. His heart quickening, he looked at the woman standing in front of him. She had changed his life, maybe even saved it. He had been so lost before he found her. Yes, he had had the group, and his family, but he had still been so alone. All of the fans, the fame, hadn't been able to fill the empty place he had always carried with him. She had changed that. By seeing past the façade he showed to the world, by accepting him for whom he was, she had filled that emptiness inside him. It still scared him to realize how close he had come to blowing it. But that was behind them now, they had gotten past it, and tonight was not for looking back, but for moving forward.

His hand reached out to gently brush away a stray hair that had blown across her face. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

"Chris." Her stomach filled with a million butterflies when she looked at him. The love he had for her was shining in his eyes. It took her breath away.

Indulging himself, he cupped her chin in his hand, drawing her face up to his. His touch gentle, he drew the kiss out softly, sweetly until he felt her sigh, her body swaying against his. Her arms moved around him on their own accord as he slowly began to move, dancing with her, their lips still touching. The song he had wanted for this moment began to play, just as he had planned. He would owe JC big after this, but this moment was worth any price he had to pay.

"Do you remember the first time we danced to this song?" His quiet question had her eyes drifting open. It took her a moment to focus on what he had asked. He knew the exact moment her mind cleared, and the music registers, because she smiled.

"It was our third date," She remembered, "we had decided to rent a movie, watch it at your house. It was "Robin Hood", and when it ended this song came on." Swaying with him, her eyes closed as she remembered, "I remember my heart was pounding when you stood up, held your hand out to me, then pulled me off the couch. You never said a word, just pulled me into your arms and started dancing."

"And when the song ended?" he asked.

"You kissed me. It was so soft, at first I thought I had imagined it."

"You sighed, I can still, if I close my eyes, feel your breath against my lips. I think I fell in love with you right then."

"Oh, Chris."

"It seemed appropriate to have this playing when I asked you to marry me." Stunned when he knelt before her, Mari lifted trembling hands to her mouth.

Chris was forced to clear his throat several times before he could continue. "Mari Therese Perez, would you do me the honor of sharing my life?"

Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks when she softly whispered "Yes", and then down his when he placed the ring upon her hand.

"God Mari." He choked out, before pulling her hard against him. "I love you so much."

Tenderly sipping the tears from his cheeks with her lips, she whispered against his skin, "I love you, too."