(Based on the song "Feels So Right" by Janet Jackson)
The room was silent when JC returned to the suite fifteen minutes later. The room was still scattered with the remains of the morning, informing him that no one had packed yet for the flight back to Florida. He had decided what to do about the situation he was in and walked quickly to his room to pack his things but was startled when he almost ran into October, who was already packing her clothes.
"Hey" he shyly said as if it was the first time meeting her.
"Hi" she bluntly answered, not looking at him as she continued to pack.
"Whadya doin?" he walked towards her.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she replied with an attitude as she stopped and looked up at him.
"Well, I know what you are doing, but I mean, what are we doing?"
"I dont know what you are doing, JC, but I'm going back home" she slammed the top down on her suitcase and pushed down on it so it would close.
"I'm going home too" he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the floor.
"Well, I've decided to go back to New York, so I have to get my packing done" she turned around and gathered her things in the bathroom.
"You're what?" he got up quickly and followed her into the bathroom.
"I just dont know what else to do" she responded as she grabbed a few things off the sink.
"Stay with me" he stopped her, placing his hands on top of her upper arms.
"JC," she looked into his puffy, bloodshot eyes. "I could never make you choose me over the group. That's impossible"
"You arent making me choose. I decided what is right, and you are right. I want to be with you" he pleaded to her.
"JC, you can't" she looked away and walked back into the room.
"I can and I did. If I lose you now then I lose everything" he followed her.
"The group will always be there, you won't lose everything"
"I'm not going back to the group without you and the group won't be complete without me, therefore making the rest of the guys hate me for breaking up the group, so, yes, I will lose everything" he finished.
"You cant do that to them" she replied, putting more things into another suitcase.
He stopped her from packing and turned her towards him. "I know I can't but I have to. You are way too important to me. More important to me than them or the group."
"What about Lance and Erica?" she changed the subject.
"I don't know. I guess that's up to them. I know what I want and I know what I have to do"
"Well, I have to be there for her, no matter what happens" she sat down on the bed, JC followed.
"I understand" he paused. "I think we oughta find the rest of them and see what's going on"
"Not yet. Just stay here with me for awhile. It's so quiet...." she trailed off as she layed down on the bed and relaxed in the silence of the morning."If October can't come with then I'm not going back with everyone else!" JC exclaimed as everyone including the tour managers, congregated in the suite, an hour later.
"Then thats your decision" the one manager replied and walked towards the other man waiting by the door. "But, whatever you decide, we will be leaving in two hours with or without you"
"Are you telling me that there is no other way around this?" JC questioned.
"No. The decision is final. You either come back with the group or you stay with her" he finished.
"You know, that is so childish. It feels like an elementary fight on a playground" he shook his head.
"Oh, there is no fight, Mr. Chasez. This is all one sided" he replied and walked out the door.
"This is a bunch of shit!" JC cursed and looked out the patio window.
"Well, what are you doing?" October finally spoke to Erica.
"I'm not sure yet. I don't know what Lance is doing yet" she replied and looked at Lance.
"By the way, Lance. You don't seem to be too worried about the whole situation" JC said, turning towards him.
"Thats because I don't have anything to worry about" he replied confidently.
"Whadya mean?" Erica asked as she crossed her arms. The rest of the guys sat around the room, listening curiously.
"I'm allowed to bring you with" Lance answered, lowering his head, afraid to see JC's expression.
"You're what?" JC exclaimed.
"I'm allowed to bring Erica with only because she didn't cause any problems on the last tour" he looked up at JC's rage filled eyes.
"First of all, October didn't cause any problems on the last tour, and second, I don't think Erica could have caused any problems when you didn't even know her then!" he paced the room, combing his hair vigorously with his fingers.
"Hey, don't yell at me. That's just what they told me. I guess since you left in the middle of the tour to be with her, they didn't want to deal with the drama again, I dunno" he assumed.
"This is really bullshit! C'mon, Opie" he grabbed her hand and walked towards the door. "I need to figure out what's going on!"
They walked back down to the conference room but stopped when they heard voices inside. They were the voices of the managers.
"This is going to mess everything up. Maybe we should let October come with" the one finished.
"She can't come with. It's bad enough that we left Erica come along. We just can't have the trouble we had from last tour. We can't risk canceling shows at the last minute because JC misses his girlfriend. The group is too important and too big right now"
"But, what if he decides to stay with her and not come back to the group?"
"He won't. He won't let his friends down. He's not stupid. He'll come to his senses, and by the time its time to go home, he will be coming back with us and she will be on a flight back home"
"This is going to be a disaster. Just think about Erica, though. She won't leave her best friend hanging and if she decides not to go with Lance, then Lance will leave too!"
"No, it's not going to happen like that. She'll stay with Lance. Just to get any share of the spotlight? Of course she'll stay. JC will come back, October will be out of the picture and everything will be fine. You'll see" he finished, confidently.
"I hope so" the other reassured himself and took another sip of his water.
"Did you hear all that?" JC whispered to October.
"Yep. I say the hell with these backstabbing managers and find our own way back to Florida. Once we are there we can decide what to do" she replied with a twinge of hostility in her voice.
"That's my girl!" JC smirked and they quickly went back down the hall."Are you happy?" Lance asked Erica as they packed in their room.
"Whadya mean?" she quickly replied.
"I mean with me" he stopped and looked at her.
"Of course, why would you ask that?" she looked back at him.
"I guess because of all this drama and because October can't come with on the tour and you can"
"Why would I not be happy with you because of that?"
"I dont know. I'm just feeling a little insecure because of all this. I'm sorry. But, I'm really happy with you" he started to pack nervously.
"Well, I'm glad you are happy," she stopped him from packing and turned him towards her. "Because I am very happy with you and I always want to be" she finished and kissed him passionately.
"So what's your decision?" the manager said to JC as he and October entered the suite a half an hour later.
"Geez, can't you give me a second to walk in the door?" he replied with an attitude.
"Actually no, we dont have time to babble. We have to get back on schedule. So, you are coming back with us?" he finished with a smirk on his face, thinking that he won his battle.
"No" JC smirked back and walked towards the kitchen area.
"No?" he repeated. Lance and Erica joined all of them in the living room. The rest of the guys were amazed by JC's answer.
"That's what I said"
"You're not going to abandon this group. You are coming back with us" the manager demanded.
"No, I'm not" JC defended. "If October can't come with then I'm not going either. We'll find our own way back"
"Are you serious?" Justin jumped in.
"You are gonna screw us all over?" Joey added.
"Well, whatever has to happen is gonna happen. I'm not going anywhere without October. I've left her too many times and I won't do it again!"
"So, she is more important than us?" Justin jumped in again.
"Actually, yes, she is. And if she can't be a part of this, then neither am I!"
"So be it then" the manager finally talked. "The rest of you, get ready, we have to get going in an hour. JC and October, have a nice trip to wherever" he finished and walked back out the door.
"Asshole!" JC cursed loudly, making the guys give him mean looks. JC walked into his room and grabbed his and October's bags. Without a word to the guys, he walked out the door, October right behind him. The rest of the guys sat in silence as they watched him leave.Two hours later, JC and October secretly stepped onto their plane, heading to Florida. JC hid underneath a baseball cap and sunglasses as he slid down the seat near the window.
"This is so difficult" JC whispered as he looked around the isles.
"Not used to being without bodyguards?" she questioned.
"Heck no. But, I think I'm gonna have to get used to it"
"I don't think so. Things will be settled when we get back and everything will be fine" she leaned towards him and held his hand.
"Yeah, that's if the guys dont hate me already"
"They don't hate you, they are just probably really confused right now"
"They arent the only ones" he finished and looked out the window.
"This doesnt feel right without JC here" Lance said as they walked around on their private jet. They were almost halfway home from flying for two hours and he was the first one to say anything.
"Tell me about it" Justin replied. "This really sucks"
"What are we gonna do without him?" Joey jumped in.
"They wont keep him out of the group. We wont be left hangin" Lance answered.
"What if they replace him?" Joey asked again.
"He can't be replaced. And anyway, I don't remember hearing Johnny's name being mentioned at all. Wait til he hears about this" Lance grabbed a water out of the small fridge and sat down.
"But, do you think they would do all that and risk the consequences after Johnny finds out?" Justin asked.
"I don't know. I'm really confused right now. What do you think Chris?" Lance asked him as he sat in a chair, staring out the window.
"What? Sorry, I wasn't listening" he looked at them quickly.
"Are you ok?" Justin questioned, concerningly.
"Yeah, I'm fine" he replied and looked back out the window.
"Ok?" Justin said under his breath and they all sat silent once again.
"I hope we don't get kicked out as soon as we get in" JC said as they were driven down the lane to the house.
"We won't get kicked out. Stop being so hard on yourself. Everything will be okay" October reassured him as the limo stopped in front of the steps.
"Opie!" Erica yelled and ran down the steps to meet her.
"Hey girl!" she replied and gave her a hug.
"So, how are you two holdin up?" she backed up and looked at them as JC joined October.
"We are fine and hopin things are gonna work out once we get in there" JC replied as he looked up at the front door.
"Well, the guys miss ya. They are talkin to Johnny about it right now" she said and started to walk up the stairs.
"They're talkin to Johnny?" JC asked as he caught up to her. "Maybe I dont want to go in"
"Everything will be kewl. Lets just talk to him, okay?" October put her arm around his and dragged him up the rest of the stairs.
"JC?" Justin asked as he entered into the foyer. "Hey how ya doin?"
"I could be better. My whole life in hangin here" JC replied nervously as he shifted his feet slowly towards the living room.
"JC, glad you could join us" Johnny motioned towards him.
"Sure" he replied quickly, not knowing what to say.
"Don't act so shy, everything will be fine" Johnny said as the tour managers entered the living room.
"JC?" the man looked at him sternly, not yet noticing Johnny in the room.
"Well, since we are all here, I will take up a brief moment of your time and everything will be resolved" Johnny spoke.
"Johnny?" the man looked at him and turned away.
"So, I heard there was some miscommunication in L.A. and JC was temporarily kicked out of the group without my knowledge or authorization?"
"I can explain..."
"Don't" Johnny cut him off quickly. "This whole situation was totally uncalled for. And, as far as October and Erica goes, they can both go along on the tour. You are here to make sure the tour runs smoothly. I make the rules"
"I'm sorry. I got a little out of hand"
"A little? You're lucky JC and October even came back. What would I have done then?" Johnny paused. "I want you to go back out that door and don't come back"
"What?" the man repeated.
"You heard me, now go" Johnny finished as he walked out the door.
"So, now what?" JC finally spoke.
"Everything is fine and as far as you go, October, " he turned his direction towards her. "You can stay with us as long as you like. You are part of this big family now. You too, Erica"
"Thank you" October and Erica replied.
"I must go now. You guys rest up. You have a big schedule ahead of you" Johnny finished and left. JC and October followed him out onto the foyer to let him out.
"I told you everything would be fine" October said as she hugged him.
"Yeah. This feels right now. You can stay with me forever, I mean if you want to stay that long" JC said and looked down at her.
"Well if I can stay forever, then thats how long it will be" she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling once again.