"Wow," JC commented looking at the walls of Julia’s living room, which were painted navy blue then had a gold sun framing one set of windows and an Aries sign (for Julia) and a Taurus sign (for Micah) painted around another.

"This is the sun room," Julia said. "Each room has a theme."

"Cool. What’s Micah’s?"

"Blue’s Clues, what else? Right, Micah?" Julia stated leading the way.

"My parents got the guy who draws for the show to come and do the work on the ways," she told JC, opening the door.

"This is amazing," JC answered, looking at the walls.

"My room is cool," Micah boasted.

"Very," JC agreed.

"Mommy’s is cool too," Micah said walking toward Julia’s. "It’s nighttime," he explained.

"Okay you two just have the coolest house in the world," JC decided after they finished looking around.

"That’s cause we’re so cool, right Micah?"

"Yep!"

"You sure are," JC agreed.

=

"Today was a lot of fun," Julia said after they’d put Micah for a nap.

"It was," JC agreed. "Your house is going to look great when you get all moved in."

"Thanks. I’ve always wanted to do something like that, ya know?"

"Yah I remember you telling me and Joey about it many times."

"You actually listened?" Julia questioned.

"Occasionally. You talked about it enough."

"Wow, didn’t really think you guys listened, well wow."

JC shrugged and they sat in silence until Julia said, "You’re leaving for tour soon, huh?"

"Yah, we’ll leave a couple days before because we’re doing Rosie."

"Yeh? Me too."

"Really? When?"

"Um the 24th, I think. How about you guys?"

"Can’t be for sure, but around then."

"And you start tour on the first?"

JC nodded. "And we’ll get done in July so that Justin can go to Detroit for the movie."

"Sounds good."

"You know what you’re doing with Micah while you’re on the set?"

"I got him into the summer program at the preschool I went to and then I’ll get a sitter for him in the evenings."

"I’m not doing anything during my down time, I can watch him in the evenings," JC offered.

"Don’t you wanna go see your family and stuff?"

"I’ll see them, but I’d like to spend time with Micah too, while I’m not busy with *NSYNC."

"If you’re sure..."

"Wouldn’t have brought it up if I wasn’t," was JC’s reply.

"Thank you, this’ll mean a lot to Micah."

==

"Josh, thanks for watching Micah for me," Julia said, letting him into the house.

"No problem."

"I shouldn’t be too late, Drew’s sitter can only stay until eleven," she continued walking towards the living room. "Micah, JC’s here."

"Daddy," Micah smile at him briefly before turning back to the television.

"Gimme a hug, MB?" Julia questioned.

"Commercial," Micah mumbled.

"What’s he watching?" JC asked, after watching the program for a few minutes.

"History’s Mysteries," Julia replied.

"He a history buff like you?"

"Shaping up to be. He enjoys the Discovery Channel too though."

"Glad to see he got something from me," JC chuckled. "Does he watch children’s shows?"

"During the day," Julia nodded. "Sadly something happened to those horrid language videos my mother used to make my siblings and me watch."

"Oh I remember those, you used them to tutor Joey in Spanish, right."

"Yah those ones."

"I’ll admit they were pretty bad, but you spoke fluently in Spanish and French by the time I met you."

"Don’t forget German."

"How could I forget? You gave us all a crash course before we left for Germany."

"Which apparently only Chris paid attention to."

"I still remember some, but Chris only listened cause he was convinced you’d teach us something dirty."

"I taught him and Joey a few dirty phrases, but Joey said they never used them," Julia said when the door bell rang. "Well that’s Drew. I’ll be home around eleven, okay?

"Have a good time."

"You too. Bye, Micah."

"Bye, Mommy."

=

"You’ve got a degree in Entertainment Law?" Drew repeated.

"Yah and I’m working on getting my computer technology degree, which is what I was originally going to get."

"Why’d you switch?"

"People like Lou Pearlman screwing over others," Julia shrugged.

"He screwed a lot of your friends over, huh?"

"The guys in *NSYNC are the only guys I’d really consider my friends, but I wasn’t jumping for joy when BSB discovered he was doing it to them," Julia answered.

"You know a lot of people in the business?"

"Well I know *NSYNC, Britney, the cast from Days, and some other former MMC members cause I went to school with them. I know more managers than anything else though."

"That’s cool..."

They sat in silence both trying to figure out something to talk about. Julia realized they didn’t have much to talk about without the kids.

"What were you gonna do with you tech degree?" Drew asked.

"Web design, probably. You do tech support, don’t you?"

"Yah..."

"You enjoy it?"

"It’s all right. I’m working on getting my MBA in programming and hopefully getting on at a big company."

"That’d be nice."

"Are you going to continue to act when Micah starts school?"

"I’m not sure. The schools I want to send Micah to are set up so that the students can travel during the school year, but I want him to be able to attend school, ya know?"

Drew nodded. "What preschool did you get him into?"

"Lake Grove, how about you?"

"Lake Grove? Wow! Tommy’s mother put him on the waiting list when she was like two months pregnant and didn’t make it," Drew said. "He’s going to Crescent View."

"That’s a good one. My brother’s oldest went there... What summer program did you put him in?"

"Crescent View’s got a real good one and it’ll get him introduced to the kids he’ll go with," he answered. "How about Micah?"

"He’s going to the one I attended in Detroit, Rock Ridge."

"Cool."

==

"Lets please welcome Julia Cobb to the show," Rosie said. "Hello Julia, welcome to the show."

"Hi, thank you for inviting me," Julia answered.

"It’s my pleasure. So lets get down to business already. I can’t believe Phoebe is leaving Salem so soon! She really spiced up things! You did such a great job."

"Thank you, I’m not sure how much she actually added to the show but it was a lot of fun."

"How was it working with all of them?"

"Amazing! I’ve been watching Days of Our Lives like my whole life so it was really cool getting to meet everyone," Julia answered.

"You’ve been watching your whole life?"

"Yah my mom got hooked on it that first season when she was pregnant with my brother and so after that she’d set us up in the living room after lunch and we’d watch Days and do craft projects."

"Oh are you crafty?"

"A little. Mostly just photo albums for my son anymore though."

"How old is he?"

"Just turned four on the ninth."

"Cool. He’s Joey Fatone’s son?"

Julia shook her head. "No, JC Chasez is his father."

"Oops, sorry. I’ve heard so many rumors about it all."

"It’s okay. I’ve heard the rumors too and they’re pretty convincing sometimes. I’m like ‘wow, I didn’t remember that’ and people have to remind me it didn’t happen," Julia replied.

"Lets clear up some of this, huh?"

"Okay."

"JC is the father, but you were dating Joey at the time?"

"No Joey and I had broken up about two years before this happened."

"But you did date, how long?"

"Two and a half years in high school."

"Are you and JC dating?"

"Just friends."

"Is he involved in your son’s life?"

"Yah, JC’s come to see him almost everyday since he found out he was the father."

"That’s great. Will your son travel any with *NSYNC?"

"We haven’t talked about it. I know JC is going to be in Detroit helping to take care of him while I’m on set for ‘Rent’."

=

"Girl, when we started, Baby, we were friends, but that’s not how this fairy tale is gonna end," JC sang, warming up his voice backstage.

"Dude, this is totally like you and Julia," Joey laughed, thinking of the lyrics.

"Naw, I’m thinking they’re more of a ‘Selfish’ kinda thing," Justin said. "That’s totally how JC feels."

"No way, it’s more like that Mandy Moore song ‘Crush’ or whatever," Chris put in. "Or ‘Something Like You’, maybe."

"You like Mommy, Daddy?" Micah said.

"They’re just being silly," JC said, covering Micah’s eyes long enough to flip the three off. "Your mom and I are just friends."

"You like her," Micah replied. "I promise not to tell, I’m good at keeping secrets."

"I’m sure you are, but there isn’t a secret."

"Maybe you should tell, Micah, help get the ball rolling," suggested Chris.

"Don’t listen to him," Lance whispered to Micah. "Keep it secret and when your father’s ready, he’ll tell her."

"I promise not to tell," Micah answered. "Mommy likes him back, I can tell, but shh it’s a secret too."

"I won’t tell," Lance promised.

"I wish you four wouldn’t fill his head with ideas," JC sighed, watching Lance and Micah whisper.

"It’s obvious, C! Your kid doesn’t have to be clueless just cause you and Ju are," Joey replied.

"Kelly, make your boyfriend leave me alone," JC pleaded when she came back into the room with Brianna.

"Joe, quit, he’ll figure it out soon enough."

=

"It’s good to have you guys back," Rosie said when the five men had sat down.

"It’s good to be back," answered Justin.

"So how are things going? Getting ready for tour, right?"

"Things are good. We’re gonna do a month’s worth of dates, starting in a couple of days," Chris replied.

"Then what?"

"Everyone, except Justin, gets about two months of vacation. We’ll do another small tour and possibly head into the studio later this year," Lance said.

"You’ll be filming ‘Rent’ with Julia Cobb during those two months, correct, Justin?" Rosie said.

Justin nodded. "Yah see I’m such a good friend I’m willing to work extra time so that the other four can have some vacation time."

"Yah you’re just so great, Justin," Chris replied sarcastically.

"What are you four gonna do with your time off?" Rosie questioned.

Going down the line they answered: "Spend time with my girlfriend and daughter." ; "Working on stuff for FuMan Skeeto." ; "FreeLance and A Happy Place stuff." ; "Spending time with my son."

"Sounds like you’ll all have a great time," Rosie said. "How’s bein daddies goin, JC and Joey?"

"It’s a lot of fun," Joey replied. "Bri’s the greatest thing to happen to me."

"I’m enjoying it," JC answered. "He’s a really great kid."

"I saw them both backstage, they’re cuties."

"Thanks, they get that from their moms though," Joey said.

"Yah me and Joe weren’t so cute as kids, ya know?" JC put in.

"I bet a lot of your fans would disagree with that."

=

"Are you going back to Orlando now?" JC asked Julia as they road back to the hotel.

"After a stop off in Detroit."

"What are you doing there?"

"Gettin Micah’s paper work finished up and checkin out the house I rented," Julia answered. "Fun times."

"What’s this summer program about?"

"It helps get them ready for preschool, not that Micah really needs it, but it’ll give him a chance to hang out with kids his age and the preschool I’m sending him to in Orlando recommends that they go through a program like this."

"That’s good... What school are you sending him to in Orlando?"

"Lake Grove, that one in the Dr. Philips area?"

"Oh I’ve heard about it, that’s like the best, isn’t it?" Kelly said.

Julia nodded. "Kimn Brown’s (remember her?) mom, who lives next to my parents, is on the board and she told me most parents for Micah’s class have been on the waiting list since they found out they were having a child."

"Wow."

"Yah, I’m lucky I was able to get Micah in."

"Sounds like it... It’s expensive, isn’t it?" JC said.

"I’ve got the money. My parents and I sat down and figured out how much money I would need for him to attend the schools I want him to go to," Julia answered.

"I wanna help pay for things like this."

"I just told you-"

"I know you did, but I wanna help. Use the money for something else."

"JC-"

"Julia."

"You might as well agree with him, or he won’t stop," Joey said.

"I’ll bust it out old school and bug you every five minutes about it," JC threatened.

"We’ll talk about it later, okay?" Julia replied.

"Okay."

"Hello?" Julia said answering her cell phone. "Drew, hey. On my way back to the hotel. Oh thanks. I’m going to Detroit for a while but I’ll be back in Orlando after that... Yah I agree... All right, I’ll call you when I get back to town, okay? All right, bye."

"What’d he want?" Joey asked.

"Mind ya," Kelly scolded him.

"No, it’s all right. He wants to talk about our relationship, or whatever, when I get back."

"What about it?"

"Whether or not we’re gonna continue it when I’m gone."

"Are you?"

Julia shrugged. "Neither of us are big on long distance relationships, ya know?"

Joey nodded and the conversation was dropped.

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