DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction, meaning everything is not true. 'Nuff said
Thanks a lot to the people who wrote Mwah Previous chapters and other stories can be found at http://jcchasez.ifrance.com
ARTIFICIAL LOVE CHAPTER 3 by Rick - jc.chasez@gmx.net
JC woke up under the worried looks of his bandmates. "Are you okay, JC?" asked Joey. "How many fingers do you see?" asked Chris, with his usual dumb comments. "I'm all right... where are we?" whispered JC. "We're still at Wang Industries, JC" replied Lance. "Dr. Wang is telling Wade how to teach Justin the dance moves". It all came back to him. "God, I thought it had been only a fucking nightmare" "JC, you need to get used to the idea. We have to take Justin with us" "Shut the fuck up, Lance!" JC cried angrily. "That thing is not Justin, it's not even human!" "I'm sorry, JC. You're right... It's just that it looks so much like Justin... besides, we have to call him that from now on." JC started crying. He wanted to beat the shit out of Lance... no, not Lance, somebody else... anybody... he just didn't want to believe this was happening.
When they were done with the necessary paperwork and after hearing all the instructions they had to follow, they got ready to leave. JC overheard Dr. Wang telling the manager he strongly suggested that JC went to visit a psychologist. JC felt so angry, how could that bastard think he knew what JC needed or didn't need? The only thing he needed in the world was to have his angel back.
JC lay on his bed that night staring at the ceiling. // Just kill yourself // // How would that solve anything? // // Well, you wouldn't have to take this shit // // What if Justin wakes up? Who will take care of him? // // Do you think he'll ever wake up? // // I don't know. I can only pray he will //
JC was staying in Joey's house for the night. He just couldn't will himself to go to his house, the empty house he used to live in with Justin. Every time he walked by Justin's room, he knew he was the reason why Justin wasn't there anymore. JC had to go get a glass of water. As quietly as he could, he went downstairs to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed a pitcher with water. He looked for a glass, so he turned the light on.
"Jesus fucking Christ!!!" he yelled and dropped the pitcher to the floor, breaking it in a thousand pieces. "What the fuck are you doing here?" cried JC. Justin was sitting at the kitchen table when JC had come in. Joey had agreed to keep him as long as he didn't get in the way, but he hadn't told JC. He knew JC would be very upset and he thought he wouldn't even notice. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you would come in" JC was suddenly speechless. He didn't think the robot would reply, because he didn't know what it was capable of. "Are you ok?" asked Justin, standing up. "Don't come near me! I'm fine"
"What's going on, JC?" Joey was at the kitchen now, the noise had woken him up. "Joe, you sonofabitch, why didn't you tell me this thing was here at your house?" "Oh, God... I'm sorry, JC... I was planning on getting him out of the house before you woke up" "I can't believe this, I seem to be the only one who remembers this is a machine and not Justin," said JC bitterly. "JC, please, be reasonable... we have to get used to the idea, Justin won't be with us for a long time and we have to live with him," he said turning to look at robot Justin. JC looked at him too and thought he actually looked sad. His heart throbbed painfully for a moment. He couldn't bear to look at Justin's face looking sad, he had never been able to do it. Robot Justin spoke: "I'm sorry, JC. I know you all lost the real Justin. I wish it wasn't like this, but don't think I will hurt you or will try to replace him" JC froze for a moment. He never thought the robot could... think? His body started shaking and the tears began to flow. He bolted out of the kitchen and ran to the guest room upstairs.
The next morning, when JC woke up and went downstairs again, he didn't see the robot anywhere. He wondered what had Joey done after the argument they had the previous night. After having breakfast, Joey and JC drove to the studio where they were going to rehearse. The first thing JC saw was Chris and Lance talking to Justin. It was a familiar scene, the three of them chatting about silly stuff. He didn't know what to make of it. JC didn't greet any of them, he just stood in the middle of the dance floor waiting for Wade to tell them what to do. Wade arrived and said hi to all of them, then he told them he had been working with Justin and that they should be ready soon. The music started and JC was surprised to see how good the robot really was, it was like looking at Justin master the steps in no time while the others struggled, the way it had always been before.
During the break, JC pretty much kept to himself and went to sit in a corner eating his lunch. He was thinking of going to see Justin at Cryotech after the rehearsal when he noticed someone standing in front of him. He looked up and saw it was robot Justin. "Hi, JC" JC frowned. "Hi," he said coldly. "I want to apologize again for scaring you last night" "Um, never mind... I just didn't expect to see you there" "JC?" "Yeah?" he replied looking up and meeting Justin's gaze. He felt shivers down his spine. "Do you think you'll ever be able to be my friend?" JC's eyes began watering. "I don't know... maybe" Justin kneeled and put his hand softly on JC's thigh. "I hope so," he said flashing JC a smile. JC knew he would go to the end of the world for Justin, just to see him smile... this machine looked exactly like him, what was he going to do? He felt that if he let the robot be his friend he would be betraying the real Justin. Would Justin ever be back with him?
After a while, JC saw that the others kept talking to the robot just like it was his angel. He still felt upset, but then decided that since he needed to live with him anyway, he might as well try to be nice to him. It still amazed him how the machine was able to carry on a conversation with them. He also learned really quickly about the things Justin did and all the facts he needed to know when they were doing interviews and stuff. They were done for the day and all of them were going to Joey's house to chill, but JC wanted to go visit Justin. He was saying goodbye to all of them when the robot went up to him, "Thanks for everything, see you tomorrow, Josh" JC snapped. "What the fuck? Listen to me, you... thing... don't ever call me that! Justin was the only one allowed to call me Josh, got it?" "I'm very sorry, JC. Really sorry" "Whatever, just get the message" and he left angrily.
Later, JC sat next to the device Justin was lying in. "Please, Justin... come back to me" he said crying. "I... I love you, Justin"
TBC?
Feedback is greatly appreciated :-)
-- ---[ Rick ]--------------------------------------------------
My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot -------------------------------------[ jc.chasez@gmx.net ]---