Kidnapped 2
By Diana
Author's Notes: Attention, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Fasten your seatbelts and make sure your trays are in their upright and locked position, we are about to encounter... omnious rumble Turbulence! grin This is where the action starts, so brace yourselves! And now for some bad news... as some of you may have noticed, my Westlife-Boyzone collab with Irda Majere, "Bad Boys", has been put on hold indefinitely and removed from the site. We'll get back to it in a BIG way later.
The sound of heavy rain hammering against the window woke Justin up the next morning. He snuggled deeper into the warmth of his husband's arms, noticing that JC was deep asleep. Justin smiled faintly as he remembered what a light sleeper Jack had been. The slightest shift or noise would wake him up...
Justin bit his lip, disgusted with himself. Even though he should have been just a distant phantom by now, Jack Matthews was anything but forgotten. Though the mental and physical scars of Justin's abuse were fading fast, the memories weren't. Every now and then, Justin would catch himself thinking of Jack, and not as the abusive monster. He could envision with unwanted clarity their first night together. He had been so afraid, so willing to service Jack and make him come. But Jack had insisted that it be good for both of them. Justin's happiness was the only thing he'd cared about. It had been awkward, but also magical, surreal. They'd climaxed together, simultaneous orgasms rocking their bodies, their cries merging and melding...
Stop it, he insisted inwardly. He's out of your life. You're with JOSH now!
Those memories made Justin sick to his stomach. Thinking about Jack that way made him feel like he was cheating on JC.
Gently squirming out of JC's embrace, Justin slipped out of bed and grabbed a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He needed to get out of here. He needed to think, and that meant being alone. If he talked to Chris or Joey, they'd tell him he was imagining things. And JC would just smile and make everything okay again.
But things WEREN'T okay. Not by a long shot. And it was only when Justin was alone that he could concentrate on that.
Grabbing his car keys, the blonde dropped them into his pocket. Taking one last look at his slumbering husband, Justin walked out the door.
The rainstorm was so intense that he didn't get very far. After making a turn onto the highway, he pulled over, turned the engine off and sagged back in the driver's seat, staring at the wavering world beyond his windshield.
He couldn't honestly say that he regretted getting together with JC. Since that fateful night four months ago, when he made love to his lifelong friend, Justin's life had been almost perfect.
Almost. Something was missing. After years of hopeless wanting, Justin finally had JC's love. But it had cost the blonde his freedom. He had lived most of his adult life calling his own shots. On the road with N'Sync, no one could tell him what to do, or even what he SHOULD do. He had come to enjoy the independence. If Joey was going to a nightclub till three in the morning, Justin could tag along, get stinking drunk and love every second of it.
Things were different now. JC was always there, looking after him, checking up on him. Sometimes Justin appreciated and even enjoyed the attention, but more often than not it got on his nerves. He understood that JC cared about him and only wanted to make sure Justin was all right, but sometimes it annoyed him nonetheless. It was almost as if JC had stopped seeing Justin as his strong-spirited best friend and instead saw a helpless baby who couldn't even stand on his own two feet.
At least Jack had let him live his own life. He'd been protective, and psychotically jealous, but he had always respected Justin's need for privacy. If Justin wasn't in the mood, Jack would back off. JC would just turn on that irresistable charm, and Justin would give himself up willingly, because he loved Joshua Chasez and that's all there was to it.
That had been his only rationalization when he accepted JC's proposal. The teen looked at his wedding ring and twisted it slightly. Marriage. He must've been crazy. He loved JC with all his heart, but he had said no and meant it.
Yet here he was, Mr. Justin Timberlake-Chasez, barely twenty and already bound to JC for the rest of his life. That wasn't really a BAD thing, since it pretty much proved that they would be together forever, just like Justin wanted. But it shouldn't have felt so wrong to stand at that altar and trade vows. It should have been perfect, yet all Justin had felt at the time was vertigo, the sensation that they were doing too much, going too fast.
Maybe JC had been wrong all those months ago. Maybe they HADN'T been ready for the change.
Justin sighed in resignation. Maybe all he needed was to sit JC down and talk to him. He had to get these feelings out in the open. And they could work things out, he just knew it.
Reaching forward, Justin turned the key in the ignition and stepped on the accelerator. It was time to go home.
The engine made a loud sputtering noise and remained still. Eyes narrowing, Justin turned the key again. The vehicle vibrated slightly, but would not start.
"Great." he murmured, pulling out his cellphone. He considered calling JC, but the older teen was probably still asleep. And he wouldn't want to wake up the other guys either.
Finally, he dialed the number of the hotel they were staying in.
"Holiday Inn, how may I help you?" a friendly-sounding clerk answered, enthusiastic despite the early hour.
"Hi." he said. He considered giving his name, but decided against it. "Um... this is going to sound kinda weird, but my car broke down and I'm stuck in the rain. Could you give me the number of a tow truck company or something?"
There was a brief pause, but he could sense her smile. "Sure!" For a moment there was silence, then she recited a string of numbers. Justin thanked her, hung up and dialed the number. After explaining his situation, Justin was assured that a tow truck would be there in less than twenty minutes.
The line went dead, and Justin leaned back, listening to the rain for a few moments until he finally turned on the radio, switching frequencies randomly until a familiar song just stopped him dead in his tracks.
"In my last years with him there were bruises on my face
In my dawning new day I finally got away
But my head's all messed up
And he knows just what to say
No more dawning new days
I'm going back to stay
So why say goodbye
When it only makes me cry
I still light up like a candle burning when he calls me up
I still melt down like a candle burning every time we touch
Oh say what you will
He does me wrong
And I should be gone
But I
Be lovin' you baby, and it's much too much..."
Overwhelmed, the teen quickly changed frequencies and buried his face in his hands. Those lyrics rung so true in his heart. He couldn't understand it, didn't WANT to understand it, but some part of him still loved Jack Matthews. It made him feel ashamed, like he didn't deserve to be with JC because he couldn't love JC with all his heart. Jack would always be there, hidden away in some dark, shadowy corner of his heart and mind.
Shutting his eyes tightly, Justin leaned back in the driver's seat and cried himself to sleep.
The loud honk of a horn startled him into awareness. Rubbing the drowsiness from his eyes, Justin checked his watch and saw that roughly half an hour had passed. The tow truck was late, but at least it was here.
The large vehicle sat a few feet away, partially cloaked by the rain, dark and foreboding. Its headlights were on, shining through the smaller car's windshield.
The door opened, and the driver jumped down onto the street, immediately getting drenched. He just stood there, face obscured in shadows, staring at the car.
"Right." Justin cursed softly. "Misery loves company, huh?" Taking a deep breath, he opened his door and leapt out. The rain was cold and bit into his skin, and water ran into his eyes, blurring his vision.
"Hey!" he screamed over the sudden rumble of thunder as he ran towards the truck. The driver just stood there like an idiot.
"HEY!" Justin called again, finally coming within arm's length of the driver. The man took a step forward, and Justin could finally see his face.
His blood froze in his veins, and he vaguely heard himself gasp in horror.
Jack Matthews smiled softly, taking off his cap. Long black hair tumbled down, reaching his shoulders. Jack had changed much: he was paler, thinner, and he'd grown a black moustache and beard.
"Hello, lover." he said in a gravelly voice, a mockery of his once-smooth baritone. "Sorry I'm late."
"No..." Justin whimpered, his whole body shaking as he took a step back.
"I knew you'd come." Jack breathed softly, advancing on the trembling teen. "I knew you'd hear the song and come back to me."
"NOOOO!!!!" Justin screamed as he lurched back desperately. But Jack sprung like a cobra, grabbing his arm with blinding speed and slamming him against the side of the tow truck. In a blur, Jack clamped a rag over his nose and mouth and pressed hard.
Too dazed to defend himself, Justin breathed in deeply and recognized the stench of chloroform too late.
Mustering all of his strength, Justin swung his right fist, catching Jack in the jaw. The older man fell to his knees, and Justin kicked him in the ribs. Staggering under the effect of the chloroform, Justin started to run towards his car, heart beating in his chest. All he had to do was get away...
An angry snarl was his only warning. Jack tackled him, dragging him down to the street. Justin hit the pavement face-first and stars exploded behind his eyes. He tasted blood in his mouth, wondered if it was his.
Jack was bending over him, face bent in a hideous grin.
"JOSH!" Justin shrieked desperately just before the blackness swallowed him. His hands went limp, and his eyes closed. The only sound besides the rain was a low, hoarse chuckling.
"Front desk."
JC cleared his throat. "Yeah... this is JC Chasez. Are there any messages for me or my bandmates?"
"Hmm... just a moment, please..." A few seconds passed, then: "I'm afraid not, sir. I'm sorry."
Taking a deep breath, JC hung up and looked around the room worriedly. Justin had disappeared. He hadn't called or left a note, just up and vanished.
"You shouldn't worry so much." a soft voice spoke from the door. JC looked up from where he sat on the bed and smiled slightly.
"I didn't hear you come in." he said.
The corners of Lance's mouth curved upwards just a bit. He leaned against the doorjamb. "Don't freak out, Josh." he advised, genuine concern in his voice. "He's probably just out for a ride or something. He'll be fine."
JC chuckled. "Yeah." A tense silence fell between them, once the closest of friends. "Lance..." JC began, getting to his feet.
The blonde raised his hands as though to ward off his friend. "No." He suddenly looked more vulnerable and scared than JC could ever remember him. "We need to talk, I know, but... not here, not now. Maybe some other time, okay?"
Without waiting for an answer, Lance turned around and made his exit, leaving a troubled JC standing there wondering what was going on.
Something wet was touching his forehead. Justin tried to duck away from it, but discovered, to his horror, that he couldn't move. Alarmed, he opened his eyes.
He was in a huge room, the only light coming through a cracked window on the far wall. Justin could make out some shapes: half-finished mannequins, open crates and cartons full of plastic wrapping paper and white sheets. It was some kind of warehouse. And judging from the dust and cobwebs, it hadn't been used in a LONG time.
Justin's gaze traveled downward to himself and he gave a moan of despair. He was sitting in a tall wooden chair, but when he tried to stand, he found that he had been effectively immobilized. As his eyes came into focus, he understood why: Jack had wrapped a black cable around his wrists, pinning them to the chair's armrests. His legs had been similarly bound to the chair legs, and a belt was tightly strapped around his waist and the back of the chair, ensuring that he would not be able to stand up.
He took a deep breath of dank, musty air and pulled against his restraints. It was a useless gesture; he was still too weak to put any real strength into it.
Something moved within the shadows before him, and Jack Matthews stepped out, grinning widely and whistling "One Way or Another" loudly. Justin recognized the song, and his eyes were filled with horrified understanding.
"Hey, honey!" Jack chirped enthusiastically, bobbing his head up and down. He was listening to something. Jack removed his earphones and placed one in Justin's ear. The teen widened as he heard his own voice singing the fourth verse of "Bye Bye Bye".
"GREAT album, baby." the black-haired man said, turning the CD player off and placing it on a small wooden table beside him that had at least six layers of dust on it. "Took me a while to save up for it... this isn't exactly a well-paying job, you know... but it was definitely worth the cash. And you sound fantastic!" Jack dove in, eyes aglow with playful light, and kissed Justin on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you!"
Justin had been watching his ex-boyfriend in shock for a few seconds, unable to believe what he was seeing. It was like Jack was in some other dream world, here and yet not here.
It hit him like a ton of bricks, inconcievable and undeniable at the same time. Somehow, someway, Jack had completely lost his mind.
"You're fucking insane..." Justin whispered, pulling hard against the cables. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Jack chuckled. "Give me a LITTLE credit, sweetheart! You really think I'd take us somewhere people would bother us? No one's been around here in years!" He smiled. "It's just you and me. Like old times."
The blonde gave no reply to this, merely looked down at the cables and pulled again.
All merriment suddenly disappeared from Jack's shallow features. "You shouldn't do that. You'll hurt yourself."
"There's a switch." Justin growled.
Jack dropped down to his knees in front of Justin. "I'm not crazy, Justin." He tentatively reached out, but stopped inches before touching the teen's face.
"Look at me, Justin." the black-haired man demanded, and Justin looked, out of pity and nothing else. Jack had indeed been destroyed in the time they had spent apart: he was as thin as a reed, several shades paler, and his black eyes seemed sink into his head, losing all their passionate fire in the process.
"Look at what you did to me." Jack continued. "I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't even breathe without you. I wanted to be dead. I wanted the world to stop." He drew a shuddering breath. "But then it just... clicked." He smiled beatifically and paused for a moment. "We needed time apart. You were hurt, scared of me... I understand that. I was a total jerk."
He reached out again, this time letting his fingertips brush against Justin's cheek. "You needed to feel safe. You needed someone who wasn't me. So you turned to JC." He breathed in deep again. "I can accept that you've been with him, Justin. I had a lot of problems to work out, and I didn't expect you to wait." He leaned in closer. "But that's all in the past. I've changed, Justin, I really have. And I love you more than ever." Their eyes met, and Jack's were dimly lit by a remote hope. "Take me back. I swear you won't regret it."
For a moment Justin simply looked at his ex-boyfriend with a blank expression. Then, rearing his head back, he spat in Jack's face. Jack abruptly shot to his feet, fists clenched, and Justin felt a bizarre mix of terror and courage rush through him. Terror because he knew how dangerous Jack was, how much Jack could hurt him, but also courage because he had survived the worst and had had the strength to break away in the end.
The veins in Jack's neck were practically bulging as he forcibly held himself back. Justin smirked.
"Go ahead." the teen dared. "Hit me. You know you want to." If Jack lost his self-control, that would be it. No more "changed" bullshit.
But ultimately, Jack relaxed. "See?" he asked. "I'll never hurt you again, Justin. Never. I love you too much."
"You kidnapped me!" Justin screamed angrily.
"So did JC! You remember that?" Jack retorted, stomping on the ground. "How is this any different?"
"JC didn't knock me out and tie me up!"
Jack's anger suddenly melted into whimpering frustration and he pulled at his shoulder-length hair. "Justin, please..."
As Jack moaned and cried, Justin looked past him to the dusty table. Lying next to the CD was his wallet.
Another idea came to him, and this one made him chuckle outright. Oh yes, he'd beat Jack at his own game, and then he'd prove that Jack didn't, COULDN'T change.
"Hey, Jack, I have a surprise for you." Justin half-smiled, gesturing with his head to the table. "It's in my wallet."
Jack stopped tearing his hair out and looked to the table, seeing Justin's wallet. With a curious smile, he picked it up and opened it.
"There's nothing in here but ID, honey." Jack said. His eyes narrowed as he examined it. "Wait a minute, something's different here..."
Jack's excited expression suddenly cracked like an egg, and Justin grinned widely.
"Timberlake-Chasez?" the older man whispered, hands starting to shake. The wallet, forgotten, dropped to the floor. "What..." His eyes darted to Justin's hand and locked on the gold wedding band adorning his ring finger.
"That's my name." Justin said defiantly, sticking his chin out. "Justin Timberlake-Chasez. I would've gone with Justin Chasez, but Josh is the only JC in the world for me."
Jack's eyes grew larger. "No..." he hissed. A hand came up, nails bitten and jagged, and clawed down his cheek. Red lines appeared on the pale skin.
"Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Justin Timberlake-Chasez. Josh kept saying I didn't really have to change my name, but I wanted to. It's nice to have proof, other than a wedding certificate, of course."
Again the claw came down, this time opening four vertical gashes in Jack's reddened face. He was panting now, and Justin had an absurd thought: If this were a cartoon, Jack would have steam blowing out of his ears.
With a roar that shattered Justin's bravado, Jack stormed forward and dropped to a knee, grabbing Justin's hand in a viselike grip. The teen tried to pull it back, but couldn't.
Leering evilly, Jack clamped his thumb and index finger on the ring and began to pull and twist at it.
"NO!" Justin screamed, thrashing with his entire body. But his efforts were in vain. The ring slipped off his finger, into Jack's waiting hand.
A loud clattering caught Chris' attention, and he looked across the breakfast table. JC had dropped his fork onto the plate and was now staring ahead, eyes clouded with worry.
"Hey, you okay?" Chris asked, waving his hand in front of JC.
JC blinked once, then shuddered and rubbed his upper arms. "Is there a draft in here or something?"
Lance, Joey and Chris traded glances. They were all wearing T-shirts. Chris shook his head. "Nope."
"So what's keeping Curly?" Joey asked impatiently, checking his watch. They'd started breakfast without their young bandmate, but were a little more hesitant to "officially" start their R&R until he arrived.
"He's probably just driving up and down the highway like he used to in Orlando." Lance bit into a cucumber, a little more savagely than he should have. "You know how he can get if he doesn't have his 'Me' time."
Nodding in agreement, JC smiled at Lance and resumed his meal. But he was still uneasy for some reason. Something just didn't seem right.
"GIVE IT BACK!" Justin bellowed, reaching for his former lover's throat. But his wrists were pressed too tightly against the wooden armrests; he was helpless.
"Now now, I'm a lot of things, lover, but NOT a homewrecker." Jack placed the ring on the table and looked back at Justin expectantly.
"I'm not going to take you back, you pathetic bastard! I love Josh! Do you hear me?! I LOVE JOSH!"
Jack smiled smugly, heading for the door. He opened it, and sunlight flooded the room, momentarily blinding Justin.
"We'll see." Jack's voice rang out, cruel and cold, and the door slam shut. Darkness returned.
And Justin was alone.
To be continued...