Chapter 7 - "Oh My God, I'm Duckie!"
(the moment after "I've Been Thinking About You…")
JC eyed Chris critically before asking timidly, "Are you…ok?"
Chris' eyes were downcast, but he lifted them to meet JC's. "Yeah…I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm just going to…lay down for a while." He walked swiftly to his room, leaving JC standing in the doorway.
Joey appeared behind JC then, and patted him on his shoulder. "Whatever you said to him…it had to be about Annie. And whatever it was…it worked."
JC ran him hands tiredly over his eyes and through his hair, "That's not what I was trying to do."
the next day - Saturday December 13, 1999
Annie sighed as she pulled the gray sweatshirt over her head. Chris was going to be over in a few minutes to spend the day with her. Their last day. They were leaving that night at three in the morning to avoid all the mobs and screaming girls of the airport. They were going to Orlando for their court date.
Annie wanted to go with them. She wanted to be there to support her friends, especially Chris, who was obviously taking the whole thing a lot harder than the rest of the guys. But Johnny made a strict, no girlfriend, no distraction rule, which automatically excluded both her AND SJ. Annie usually respected Johnny and his managerial decisions, but here she really thought he was making a mistake. It wasn't her place to say so though, and at least Chris would have his family there to back him up.
She also hadn't seen or heard from Chris since yesterday, and JC had told her Chris knew about her going to spend Christmas with him. She had a feeling he might feel a little left out, or maybe upset that she didn't ask him. She would have to explain it to him, but she didn't want to tell him the real reason she didn't want to go with him. She didn't want to tell him that she thought she would be a bother because she knew how vehemently he would deny it.
And she still wasn't exactly sure how to react to the idea of spending time at him home, with his family. Should she be honored? Should she see it as pity? Was it his way of apologizing for being such a jerk? Was it just something he did as a friend to another friend? She had no idea.
The guys were leaving that night, arriving in Orlando at 6 AM and going to court directly the next day. They assumed it would take about two days to finish and then they had all the papers and such to fill out and sign. So they were leaving that day and getting back Friday the 17th to get their affairs in order. On the 23rd Annie was going with JC to his home and they would get back the 27th.
The knock on her door made her jump and it took her a minute to realize that it was Chris. He had used his key to get in the front doors of the building, but he was too polite to just walk in on her then. Annie walked to the door and hesitated the slightest moment before opening it.
"Hi Mary," he said simply as he walked through the threshold of her apartment.
She noticed his considerably crumpled appearance and took a step toward him. "Are you alright Chris?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little tired. I didn't get any sleep last night."
"Nervous about what's going to happen?" Annie asked.
He nodded absently; "Something like that."
Annie decided to change the subject because it was obvious he wasn't going to tell her any more than that. "Did you finish packing at least?"
He offered her a small smile-a glimmer of his old self, as he answered, "Completely done. You're stuck with me all day."
"Well what do you want to do then?"
She saw the look of total exhaustion that he shot her and she chuckled. "Ok then! A night of vegging on the couch it is."
"Bless your heart, Mary," Chris responded in a relieved tone and went to sit on the couch.
Annie sat down next to him before asking, "What is everyone else doing tonight?"
"SJ forced them all out to some sort of club. I snuck out the backdoor before she noticed."
Annie snickered. "Sounds like SJ alright."
"Yeah…" he paused a moment and then continued, "Speaking of the other guys. I hear that you're going to JC's place for Christmas. How'd that happen?"
Annie almost groaned when the conversation switched to that subject so quickly. "You know the Richard Gere look-alike? He won some sort of cruise in the Bahamas as a bonus and he asked my mom to go with," Annie explained.
"It doesn't sound like your mother to leave during Christmas. Don't you two always spend it together?" He asked, though he knew the answer.
"Every year. She was so nervous about asking me, but I could tell she really wanted to go. And I'm twenty-seven, I should be able to be without my mother for one December 25."
He nodded slowly at her words. "But why didn't….why didn't you ask me? You know I would have LOVED to have you over."
She flinched slightly, "I know you would have, but JC was there. I mean, he was physically in my office when she called. It was all just basically…convenience."
She looked away quickly to stare at the black television. She was a horrible liar and Chris could always tell when she was keeping something from her with one look into her eyes. Another drawback of being friends for so long.
Chris' hand found her chin and before she could stop him, he brought her eyes up to meet his. "What are you leaving out?"
"Nothing."
He lifted a tired eyebrow.
"I'm not leaving anything out Chris. That's the extent of it. Ho…honest."
He let go of her face and sighed before leaning back into the cushions of the couch. "I'm really NOT in the mood for this Mary."
"Oh, and I am?" She questioned sarcastically.
He sat back up and glared at her. "Why can't you tell me? You know DAMN WELL you can't pull this half-hearted 'honest Chris' crap and expect me to buy it. What is the matter!?"
"Nothing! God! Can't you let anything GO!" She shouted back.
They were both sitting straight up on the couch now, glowering at one another.
"No, I can't just let anything go. Not when it comes to you, Mary! Now what…is…wrong?" He rested his elbows on his knees and hunched forward to hold his head in his hands. "Is it because you want to spend time with him? I don't mind, but I want to know!"
Annie shook her head as she became more and more frustrated at the man sitting in front of her, his voice muffled from his hands holding his head.
He continued then, his voice low and calm when he spoke. Almost condescending. "You don't have to be embarrassed if you want to be alone with…"
Annie growled angrily and cut him off by jumping up from where she was sitting to yell, "I just didn't want to intrude on you and your family alright!!"
As soon as the words slipped out, she cursed softly under her breath and bit the inside of her cheek. He always did that, got her to admit things she didn't want to. He kept every one of his emotions inside refusing to show anyone any kind of vulnerability, yet he read her like a book.
His head slowly rose from where it rested on his knees. His face showed the surprise and confusion he felt. "What?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper due to his mix of emotions.
She expelled a deep breath and shook her head, "Nothing. Please just forget I said anything."
Annie turned to walk away when he grabbed her arm from behind and spun her around. His voice was still a low murmur, but this time it was full of compassion. "How could you think that? Even for a minute? That my family wouldn't want you over? That you would be an intrusion to…to ME?"
She sighed. "I don't. Not really. It's just…this is Christmas Chris. CHRISTMAS," Annie said by way of explanation.
"Yeah, I'm familiar with the holiday," he shot back.
She returned his sarcasm with a "look" of her own and added, "It's a holiday you should spend with your family. You don't want me there."
"I can't believe you. You ARE family, Mary. I see you more than most of the people related to me by blood and I love you more than my aunt Tabby."
"And you're part of my family. I just…I don't know. You have so much stuff to do with the lawsuit and everything. I didn't want to ADD to that."
"And JC's worry free?" He challenged.
"I didn't SAY that. He was just there, I explained that. I didn't want to bother him either, it took a lot of convincing from him."
Chris ran his hands through his hair. "I...ahhh…why is this getting me so worked up?"
"You're under a lot of stress with everything that's going on," Annie told him.
He shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I got a little carried away."
She smiled sadly at him when that lie flowed through his lips. "Alright."
He smiled back at her and then grew serious again. He put his hands on either side of her jaw and brought his face close to hers. "I'll let this go, but don't ever, EVER think that you are an intrusion in my life or my family's lives. My sisters worship you, my mom loves you like a daughter, the first thing out my any of my relatives mouths is always 'how's that nice girl Annie?' You're anything BUT an intrusion. A brat, yeah. A workaholic, definitely. A loser, without question. But never an intrusion." He laughed when he felt her hand smack his chest playfully.
"Promise me."
"I promise."
"Good. Now I want a hug, so come here." He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly before pulling back and smiling. "Good." He repeated.
She walked away from him to go back to the couch. "Mary?" He called again, and she turned to face him again.
"Yes?"
"Come have Christmas with me," he pleaded.
She rolled her eyes, "I THOUGHT you were letting this go. JC already made the plans with his family."
"It's not like he doesn't have two weeks to change them…"
"Chris…" she whined.
He held his hands up in defeat. "Alright. Alright. You win. Can't blame me for trying though."
(a few hours later)
Annie and Chris sat watching a random show on MTV in silence. Suddenly, on the TV popped a news anchor for the station with a 'News Brief.'
Chart topping pop group NSYNC are off to Orlando today to begin what is predicted to be a grueling court battle against their long time record company, Transcontinental…
Annie felt Chris stiffen up beside her and she went to grab for the remote, "I'll change the channel."
Chris stopped her by taking hold of her hand and shaking his head. "It's fine Mary. I mean, I'm going to be living this tomorrow. Why hide from it?"
She glanced at him suspiciously once more before turning back to the TV. They plastered a picture of Lou on the screen and Annie saw Chris grimace out of the corner of her eye. "Alright, I'm changing the channel…" She reached for the remote again, but again Chris stopped her.
"Mary! Relax! I'm FINE."
Annie shut her eyes briefly to mask the frustration she felt. She mentally counted how many times Chris had told her he was "fine" during the duration of his time there that day. She opened her eyes as the News Brief was ending and the show they had been watching resumed.
A half an hour later, Annie snuck a glance in Chris' direction and saw him almost completely asleep next to her. She simply watched him for a minute before gently nudging his shoulder. His head shot up immediately to look at her.
"Chris, you're falling asleep," she whispered, not wanting to wake him up any more.
"Like I said, I didn't get any sleep last night. I'm just...tired," Chris responded.
"Why don't you go lay down in my bed for awhile?" She asked.
"No, I'm fine. I want to stay here with you for our last night," Chris answered, his voice still thick with the fatigue he obviously felt.
"I don't mind…if you're tired you need rest."
"But I mind! I came over to see you, not sleep. I could have done that at home."
They went back to watching the television. Annie saw Chris sitting straight up, trying his best not to show how tired her really felt.
"Hey Chris, remember that day-about a month or so ago, when I was really sick and you came over and we watched Pretty In Pink?" She suddenly questioned.
"When you told me I was like that Duckie guy? Yeah, I remember. Why?" He answered her, clearly confused by this line of questioning.
She smiled brightly and motioned to her lap.
~*~Flashback~*~
She lifted her hands up and stretched her arms over head. The Benadryl Chris had practically forced down her throat was starting to take effect and a long, drawn out yawn escaped her lips. As soon as that was through, another in a long list of coughing fits erupted and she was left with tears in her eyes at the excursion it caused on her body.
Chris reached his hand out and began rubbing her back soothingly before gently nudging her down so her head rested on his legs. She then maneuvered her legs up on the couch and kicked off her slippers.
~*~End Flashback~*~
Chris stared at her lap and then looked back up at her incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"
"What? You do it all the time," Annie reasoned.
"Yeah, but that's different. That's to be comfortable. It's not to…sleep or anything," he answered.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed a pillow from the couch, placed it on her lap, patted it once and looked at him expectantly.
He hesitated a moment more before finally giving in and laying his head to the pillow on her lap. "Satisfied?" He asked sarcastically, but Annie smiled when she heard the yawn that followed it as well as him kicking off his shoes and throwing his arm over the side of the couch comfortably.
"Very much so."
"Anything to make you happy, Mary. You know that," He mumbled before emitting another yawn, more long and drawn out than the first one.
Annie thought about just how true that statement was. He was constantly lying and denying feeling nervous or frightened to keep her from being hurt in anyway. It touched Annie that he would want to protect her, but it also saddened her that she trusted him with everything, but he didn't think she was strong enough for him to do the same.
They sat in silence a while longer when Annie just couldn't take it anymore. "Chris…you seem so different lately. I know that it's because of this lawsuit. I know it's affecting you, and I can't blame you for being hurt and betrayed. But you…"
She stopped when she noticed that he wasn't responding, she looked down and saw that Chris was completely asleep on her lap. Annie sighed deeply and ran her hand delicately over his features before her eyes began to prick with the distinct feeling of tears.
Reaching down, she wrapped her arms around his still sleeping form and brought her head down to rest on his shoulder. She sniffled once and dug her head deeper into the crook of his neck. "I'm just so scared, Chris," she mumbled into his neck. "I'm so scared."
At 1:30 that morning, the phone rang beside Annie who was still watching TV with Chris resting soundly on her lap for the last three hours. She reached over to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Annie? Hi," SJ answered.
Annie flinched at the sober way SJ answered her. "Hi," she whispered.
"Chris said that he was going to be back here half an hour ago. We have to start loading up to go to the airport," she explained, her tone completely lifeless.
"Oh, sorry about that. He fell asleep on the couch. I'll wake him up though and tell him to get over there," Annie responded.
"Ok. You're coming to see them off at the airport, right?" SJ asked.
"Of course," Annie averred surely.
"Just checking. So I'll see you here in about…20 minutes?"
"Will do."
They both hung up and Annie glanced down at Chris. He looked so fragile and young when he slept. She didn't want to wake him up.
Slowly, painstakingly, her hand went to his shoulder to shake it gently. "Chris? Chris? You have to wake up now."
Chris' eyes opened and he shifted so that he was looking up at her. "What time is it?"
"It's 1:30."
His eyes widened and he shot up off her lap. "Oh man! I was supposed to meet the guys back home at one!"
"I know. SJ called."
"We've got to go!" He replied.
"Let's go then," she answered as they both put their shoes on and grabbed their coats.
When they arrived at the townhouse, the other guys were already in the limousine with their luggage securely packed away and ready to go. Chris and Annie quickly hopped in and got comfortable. The moment Annie sat down, the tension in the car seemed to strangle her. She looked around and noticed that no one looked particularly happy to be there.
SJ was sitting next to Lance with her fingers laced tightly with his. Not a single word was spoken the entire ride there. When the limo finally stopped at the airport, everyone slowly exited, one foot in front of the other as if it took all their concentration just to keep moving.
Fifteen minutes after they got into the airport, they were ready to get on the plane. Annie had to say goodbye.
Joey was the first person she came across. He came up to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're beautiful, you know that, right?"
Annie laughed lightly at the seriousness in which he said the statement, "Joey! You're talking like you're never going to see me again. You'll be back in less than a week."
He shrugged, "Yeah, but when I came back, I might not be the same guy you knew."
"Don't say that! You're going to win this. Do you hear me?" Annie asked certainly.
"Yes mom. I understand," Joey said, lightening the mood a bit.
He walked away as JC approached her. "I'll be sure to call you when we get there, ok?"
"I'll be expecting it."
He reached out the hug her quickly then withdrew slightly, "Remember to be all packed and ready to go."
"Of course. I can't wait," Annie said.
"I'll come baring mistletoe," he whispered in her ear and laughed when she playfully pushed him away.
"Good luck. I'll be praying for you."
"You better."
With that, he gave a sad smile and a wink before making his way down the stairs and out the door. There was a tap on her shoulder and Annie turned around to see Justin towering over her.
"Hi there little man," Annie greeted.
"Hey Miss 'I'm five foot three', watch who you're calling little," Justin teased.
"Point taken. Now come here," she reached her arms up and waited for him to pull her snugly into a hug.
"Well, I'm gonna go," he told her when he let her go. He began walking toward the door when she called him back, "Hey! Justin!"
He turned abruptly to go back to her, "What's up?"
She grabbed him by the back of his neck and ignored his surprised expression as she brought her lips next to his ear. "Take care of him Justin. You and I both know that he is not as…fine…with all of this as he makes himself out to be. I can't be there, so I'm trusting you to keep on eye on him for me. Do you understand?"
"I gotcha. Keep on the look out for any suicidal tendencies…"
"That's not even funny Justin," Annie responded seriously.
He ran a tired hand threw his barely tamed curls and nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. I'll see what I can do."
"He respects you Justin. He's been a big brother to you for the last 5 years, and now I need you to do the same for him."
"I'll try my best," Justin responded, completely sober.
She grinned and pulled back, "Good. That means a lot coming from you, you curly haired wonder you. Now go be a good boy and get on that plane."
"Hey there…watch who you're calling---yeah ok. I'll be sure to call you. See you Friday." He gave one last wave before he too disappeared through the door.
"Mary?" His voice was quiet and almost had to strain to hear it though he was right behind her. She spun around to see him with his arms held out.
She jumped into his arms and held on to him as tightly and with as much strength as she could muster. They stayed that way for several moments before Chris let her go gently.
"You call me EVERY DAY, you hear me? Every…single…day. At least once," she demanded.
"You know I will."
"You'd better. I want to know everything that's happening. I want to know that you're ok," Annie said.
Chris' expression changed to one of confusion, "Why wouldn't I be ok? Don't worry yourself about me, Mary. You've got too much on your mind as it is."
"Nothing is more important than you and your well-being to me Chris. Remember that," Annie urged.
He eyed her closely or a moment before simply nodding his head, "Will do. I love ya."
"I love you too, now get on that plane before you see me cry. Go!" She said and shooed him away.
He gave her another hug before heading the way his friends had. When he had gone, Annie looked around the terminal for Lance. She saw him a few feet away. He was embracing SJ; holding her so tightly that he was actually lifting her off the ground. Her eyes were incredibly blurry and Lance didn't look like he was doing any better.
A few moments later, one of their bodyguards had to tap him on the shoulder and let him know they had to get going. He nodded and pulled his carry on bag off the ground before taking a look at SJ's sad and devastated face and swiftly dropping the bag to hold her again.
He brushed her braided hair out of her face before kissing her forehead, the tip of her nose and finally her sweetly capturing his lips with hers. He whispered something to her and she nodded and slowly pulled away from him.
Annie felt horrible for watching their private display. She understood what SJ was feeling though. They had gotten used to seeing the guys every day for the last month and now they were leaving. Add that to the fear of what was going to happen with the lawsuit and SJ not wanting to leave her boyfriend alone to face all of this turmoil---and you've got a combination that leads to the display she and Lance were having.
Finally, Lance turned away from SJ for good and walked out the door. SJ approached Annie with such a pathetic face, such a vast difference from her usual cool confidence, that Annie couldn't stop herself from hugging SJ also.
They didn't stay to watch the plane take off, instead they both trudged back to the limo and went to their respective homes.
It was almost 6 AM and Annie couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning in her bed. Finally, she just gave up and went in to her living room to watch whatever infomercials were playing that early. The sun hadn't risen yet, it was still pitch black outside, and to Annie it didn't look like it was ever going to.
Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. Annie almost jumped out of her skin, because no one but Chris had a key to get through the front door. After a moment, she rationalized that it was most likely just a neighbor complaining about the noise the TV was making.
She crept slowly to the door and checked the peephole. When she saw the figure on the other side of the door, her eyebrows merged in confusion and she unlocked it quickly.
"How did you…" she began.
"Uhh…Chris left the key in his room at the townhouse so…"
Annie wanted to ask why SJ was at the townhouse, but decided she better not. "Come on in."
SJ timidly walked into the room and said, "I'm sorry about this. It's just, I couldn't…"
Annie cut her off, "Yeah, I couldn't either. Sit down on the couch. I'll make us some coffee."
(Wednesday)
Annie sat at her desk and tried to concentrate on her work. It was near impossible however, because of all the nervous energy that was running through her. It was Wednesday and she hadn't heard from anyone since early Tuesday morning when Justin called her right before they went back in the courthouse for the second day of the trial.
She had no idea what was going on, and she didn't know how Chris was doing. He hadn't called since Monday, and she had no way of knowing what his reaction to everything was. She couldn't hear his voice and it was driving her insane.
She didn't dare call any of them for fear of disturbing them during a meeting or, even worse, the trial itself. So there she was, sitting in her office at 10:30 at night, attempting to do the work she hadn't been able to do over the last two days.
She was listening to music on the rusty little radio she'd had since she could remember. For some reason, the tinny sound that it produced only seemed appropriate for listening to oldies music. So that's what she was listening to at that moment.
More specifically, she was absently humming along to Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman."
A knock on her opened door brought her back to earth and she looked up to see Tim, Fu Man's newest intern, standing in front of her with a stack of papers in his hands.
"Why are you still here Annie?" He asked.
"I could ask the same thing of you Timmy. You don't even get paid."
"I had to finish some stuff up. I saw that you were still here so I decided to give you some more stats for you to organize. You know, get a head start on tomorrow." He placed the papers on her desk and smiled.
Annie groaned when she looked at the thick stack of papers her tossed on her desk. "You really know how to brighten a day."
"Well I try. You don't have to get started on them. It's just me and you left here tonight and I wanted some sort of human contact. I was getting restless."
"I see," she gave him the most polite grin she could muster. She really did like the kid, but she wasn't in the mood for "human contact" by anyone except the five guys that were hundreds of miles away.
The song on the radio changed to a song she'd never heard before as she continued typing without really even seeing what was on the screen. After a few minutes of working without really accomplishing anything, she sighed and pushed her laptop away.
Picking up her cell phone, she contemplated heaving it out the window but then thought better of it when she realized there would be no way for them to contact her. "I'm going crazy."
Collecting herself, she pulled her laptop back in front of her and resumed her work. Again there was a knock at her door and without looking up from her computer she mumbled, "Just put the papers on the desk Tim."
When no one answered and the papers weren't laid on top of the others, Annie slowly brought her head up to see what was wrong.
Standing in the doorway was Chris. Annie gaped at him simply standing there in front of her. The next thing she noticed was his usually spiked-to-perfection hair completely disheveled, his hands stuffed awkwardly in his pockets and his shoulders hunched over. Annie so shocked from seeing him that unexpectedly and in disarray that all she could do was stare at him.
Finally, she was able to get out, "Chris! Aren't you guys supposed to be getting back on Friday?"
He simply nodded, taking a step closer to her.
"Then why are you here?" She asked, thoroughly confused by this new development.
"They sent me back."
"Sent you back? Why would they do that? Is the trial over?"
Another nod from Chris.
"And…?" Annie prodded.
"I think…we might have won," he answered with absolutely no emotion.
"That's great!" She noticed his still somber expression, "Isn't that great?"
He sighed loudly and began pacing the room. He ran his hands through his hair, which caused it to reach out in even more directions. "It is great. I mean, I thought if we won it'd be like this huge weight lifting off my chest. But here we are…out on top…and I feel exactly the same. It was just…seeing him there. Lou. We trusted him and he went right behind our backs and basically robbed us blind. We were so stupid! I was so stupid."
"Chris! This wasn't your fault! Do not blame yourself!" Annie yelled.
His head went into his hands as he fell heavily into a chair across from her desk. "But I feel like it is, because I was the one who put us together, I was the oldest, I was the one who convinced the other guys to go with Lou and TransCon. If I had…"
"That's enough! This isn't your fault. Is this why you've been so upset lately? You've been taking the blame this entire time for some dumb choices made by ALL FIVE OF YOU. You didn't force Lance or Justin or Joey or JC to do anything. They made up their own minds."
"I guess…" Chris said rather uncertainly.
"Chris…WHY are you back in New York?" Annie asked again.
"Justin kind of pushed my out of the door and told me to come back here. The others agreed. They knew I needed to," he responded cryptically.
"Wasn't your family there is Orlando with you?"
"Yeah. My mom sided with Justin. Booked me the flight actually."
"Why would you be back here if you're family and the guys are in Florida?" Annie really had no idea what he could possibly want in New York that he didn't have at his fingertips in Orlando.
"Because here is where I have to be."
"What? I don't understand Chris."
He closed his eyes and rubbed them with the back of his hand before standing up and walking around the desk to stand in front of her.
"Here's the thing: lately my whole world seems like it's trying to spiral away from me. Unwavering truths and certainties I was positive existed last year, things like honesty and integrity…are alien concepts to me now. I feel…I feel like everything I know and love is slowly falling out from under my feet, and the only thing that is holding me up…keeping me sane…is you. As corny as this sounds, Mary, these past few weeks, you've held the weight of my whole world on your shoulders."
When he was finished, Annie's face showed the awestruck expression of how she felt as her eyes filled up with tears at the truly heartfelt and honest words Chris was telling her. Never would she have thought she meant that much to him. As much as he meant to her.
She gave him a tender smile while the tears in her eyes began clouding her vision. "I hate to tell you this, but that's the way I feel about you every single day."
His eyes widened and he shook his head in shock and disagreement, but she responded with a quick nod of her head as rebuttal.
Without warning, Chris dropped to his knees in front of Annie's still seated form and laid his head in her lap, while his arms went to wrap snugly around her shins.
"What is wrong with me?" He asked pitifully.
Annie froze in surprise for a moment before moving her hand to stroke up and down his back soothingly. Then, she bent over and gave him a delicate kiss on the top of his head. "Nothing. You try to take on too much, and you try too hard to protect the people you love. You have to realize that sometimes even you need help."
The song that had been quietly playing on her radio ended and a vaguely familiar one began. Chris lifted his head when the caught on to the music. He stood up and increased the volume on the old radio before turning back to her, reaching out to wipe away two stray tears that had rolled down her cheeks and held out his hand.
"Dance with me."
She finally realized what song it was that was playing. She smiled slightly and allowed him to gently pull her to her feet. He wove his hands around her waist and tugged her close to him. It had always been one of her favorite songs, and with this touching moment, she knew she'd forever love it.
When the night has come
and the land is dark
and the moon is the only light we'll see
Oh, I won't be afraid,
No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand by me
Annie reveled in the breathtaking mix of emotions she felt from him while bring held in his arms; strength, vulnerability, care and love. But most of all, she received an overwhelming sense of protectiveness. As if, even then, in her small seventh floor office, away from the everything, and with him facing one of the hardest points in his life, he was still trying to shield her from all the evils of the world.
So, darling, darling,
Stand by me
Stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
She laid her head on his shoulder, and then shifted so that her forehead was nuzzled against the crook of his neck. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let herself get lost in the intoxicating sensation of his arms around her and the woodsy smell of his cologne. Somewhere in the back recesses of her mind, she knew she shouldn't be acting that way, but she quickly shoved those thoughts away. The moment was too perfect.
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble
into the sea
Oh, I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand by me
Chris lowered his cheek and pressed it to the crown of her head, before sighing deeply. All the troubles of his life melted away as he rocked slowly back and forth. In that suspended moment in time, courtrooms, press meeting-even the room they were standing in-didn't matter. The only thing that existed to Chris was the woman wrapped in his arms. His little Mary, the woman who constantly amazed him with the compassion and patience she showed him on a daily basis. The woman who understood and respected every part of his mind and soul. The woman, who not only tolerated and dealt with his inherently strange behavior, but encouraged it. And the woman who, just then, he needed more than his own breath.
So, darling, darling,
Stand by me
Stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Chris slowly rubbed his hands from Annie's shoulder blades to her lower back, until eventually both his left and right hands met in the middle. When they came together, he tightened his grip, clutching the material of her blouse in a desperate attempt to pull her closer.
So, darling, darling,
Stand by me
Stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
When the song ended, and "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Little Richard began, neither made a move to step away or ruin the moment. Instead, Chris loosened his hold on her shirt and reached over to quickly switch the radio off, before returning to rocking her contently in the silence.
After a moment, Chris leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Spend Christmas with me."
She didn't think twice, simply nodded her head. "Of course."
He grinned the first real grin he'd had in over a week then and pulled her back to him. And that's the way they stayed. Chris and Annie, lightly swaying to their own music behind Annie's heavy desk and in front of her bay window. A window that overlooked a hectic, dangerous, beautiful city whose lights cascaded through and showered the two friends with a heavenly, ethereal glow.
(later that night)
Chris lay in his bed. He was totally alone in the huge townhouse, but that wasn't the reason he couldn't sleep. He kept going over and over in his head the events that had just happened.
When he walked away from her in that airport, he instantly felt this undeniable pain in the pit of his stomach, as if he suddenly got terribly sick. He longed to call her or talk to her constantly during his stay in Orlando, but he knew that if he did, that horrible gnawing on his insides would only intensify.
And then came the actual court case. He wanted to either scramble across the table they were sitting behind and strangle the life out of Lou Pearlman, his former "Big Papa" or crumple to the floor and sob.
In the end, he chose the latter and lost all control in their hotel afterward. Justin was surprisingly attentive and concerned for him, and he had encouraged Chris to go back to New York to see Annie. He said she would be just what he needed.
There were no words in the English language to describe how right he was.
The moment he saw her, hunched over computer and deep in concentration, the aching in his gut depleted to the point of nonexistence. He was bombarded with happy images of talking with her, helping her, just…knowing her. She didn't even have to speak, he just needed to see her face. Be reminded of everything pure and good and beautifully flawed in his life. Everything like his Mary.
Chris laid his head on his pillow and remembered the day she brought up to him recently when she was sick and he took care of her. He remembered she was so doped up with all those different cold remedies that she was barely coherent.
~*~Flashback~*~
"You know, I always kind of thought of you as my own personal Duckie," Annie admitted.
He looked at her a moment then pointed at the screen, "That guy?"
"Yeah, well, you were always going against the norm. You're incredibly loyal. And you have been known to break into song in a public place. On more than one occasion, actually."
"You think I'm in love with you?" Chris asked, referring to Duckie's unhealthy obsession with his best friend.
"Well, everything except that part," Annie said.
~*~ End flashback~*~
When the intensity of the realization hit him, Chris shot up in his bed and slapped himself on the forehead in shock.
"Oh my God, I'm Duckie!"