Author's Note: Here it 'tis. The long awaited sequel. I know I should be working on DFT, but it was updated were frequent enough and as I was falling back to sleep this morning this just popped into my head. I HOPE it is a good enough chapter slash beginning for everyone. I am kind of scared posting it, seeing as I just winged it before posting, but whatev. Reviews please? They make me all warm inside. ;)
Background Info: Four years post Tommy's death, Delilah and Michael are eight now and Sadie has four kids. G Major is still there, Darius is the co owner though (Georgia will be making an appearance!). That is all, onto the fiction now.
One Sweet
Day: Sequel to One More Day
by Miss Massacre
The North Toronto Memorial Arena was filled to the brim that night, young children, teens, adults, and even seniors filled the seats surrounding her stage screaming and cheering for her to appear. She stood behind the stage and peered out at the crowd from behind a wall, never in her life had she'd been nervous to perform, but now she felt it. "Oh Tom, please…give me the strength." She murmured, twisting her wedding band that she still wore around her finger.
It'd been four years since he'd passed, and even though everyday it got easier to live without him – her heart still ached for his touch, his voice. Within that four year period she'd packed up her old house, moved to Kohala, Hawaii and completely changed her look without notice to anyone. Two years later, she showed up on Sadie's doorstep with Dee and Michael in tow. She had brown hair, and unlike the old Jude she wore skirts and dresses. If it wasn't for the twins, she surely wouldn't have believed it was her little sister. She felt different, which was her explanation for leaving and changing without notice. Jude claimed she couldn't go back to their old house, though she didn't sell it – keeping it for when the twins got older, hoping they'd raise their children in the house.
As the cheers of the crowd got louder, she closed her eyes sucking in a deep breath. She felt a warm presence wrap around her, and she shivered slightly. As she got over the feeling, Spiederman came from behind her clapping his hand onto a bare shoulder. "Jude…dude, you ready for this?" he asked, pulling her to his side. Since his divorce from Karma, he'd become friendlier, she seemed to control who he was friends with and what he wore. She nodded silently hugging his side and parting as she seen the two joys in her life run towards her.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." She said, holding her hands out to stop the eight year olds. "Calm down there, trip over one of these wires and you'll hurt yourself." She caressed Delilah's cheek who nodded obediently.
"Ma, can we come up on stage with you?" Michael asked, tugging on her skin-tone silk dress.
Jude bent down to his height, shaking her head. "Not this time, bud. It's mommy's reinstatement to the music biz." She said, ruffling his now brown hair.
Fixing his hair, like Tommy would, causing Jude to feel her heart contract and he squinted his eyebrows. "What is reinstament?" he asked, fumbling on the word.
From behind them, a loud voice answered his question. "It means your Mommy better get on stage soon." Darius said, approaching them. He was still bald, but a bit heavier. She could see the age in his face, and she still was surprised she could still remember the day he started managing G Major.
"Yeah," she said softly, and leaned in to kiss both of their cheeks before standing up. "You guys be good, okay?"
She turned to Spiederman, who'd been watching, and nudged him out first. The crowd went wild as the lead guitarist and singer of SME, one of the leading bands in Canada, stepped out on stage with the rest of his band mates. He paused at the mic, his voice breathy. "Hi, Toronto…I know it's been a very, very long time since you've seen her or even heard new material from her," he said, glancing over at her offstage. "But she's here now…with new songs and a new look! I'm pleased to give you, one of my best friends, band mate, and someone I'm proud to say I dated – Jude Quincy!" he clapped as the crowd did and she timidly appeared and walked slowly onto the stage.
The lights, that weren't as bright as usual, shone on her as she made her way to center stage. "Hi everyone," she said into the mic, glancing over at Spied. "Now who doesn't love some SME??" she asked, gesturing her hand to the band and the crowd cheered even louder and she looked behind her to see Spied flashing his nipple from his Motley Crue band tee. A loud laugh escaped her lips, the realest one she had since arriving in TO a few months back.
Time seemed to freeze as she stepped up to the mic, the song she was to sing on the tip of her tongue. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes. "So, it's been at least four years since I've released a real song." She said softly, and the crowd's noise seemed to die down as she did so. "Thought I couldn't sing again after losing my husband, but I'd like to introduce you to the two who has helped me to move on, and sing again. They keep me on my toes too…" she waved her hand to the twins, gesturing for them to join her. "Meet Delilah and Michael Quincy."
The crowd clapped politely and 'awed' at them. Delilah's curls, which she still kept in a large mass around her head, bounded with each step to her mother. Michael, who wasn't as flamboyant as Delilah, strode behind her his hands occupying his pockets. They both had Tommy's eyes, his nose, cheekbones, and smile – except for Delilah, who smiled exactly like Jude and had the temper as well.
She put her arm around Delilah and drew her to her side. "This song was the first written when I arrived back in Toronto. It's called 'When You're Gone'."
She fell back into place as she sung again, her heart soaring as she seen the crowd holding up lighters. There was no place she'd rather be – other than Tommy's arms again, but seeing as he was eight feet under this would do for her. Tears were streamed down her cheeks as she kept on singing, her voice clear as day. When she finished, SME surrounded her giving her a hug. "You ready to do more, dude?" Wally asked, looking at her. She sniffled and nodded. "Yeah, I am…"
They parted, each giving her their own personal hug before returning to their places at the instruments. She took a deep breath and approached the mic, and as she did the crowd became quiet. A shuddering breath could be heard through the speakers and she wiped her eyes before speaking. "Okay, I have two more songs…they're called 'Home' and 'Someone's watching over me'." She said cueing the band to start up on Home.
Within minutes she was done, and surprisingly no tears came this time. Her nerves shot up as she was to sing the last song of the night, if an encore wasn't asked. This song was close to her, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to sing it just yet. Behind her, Spied started strumming his acoustic guitar and inside her head she counted the beats. She passed her time for three counts before the music died with Spied approaching her. "Jude, are you okay?" he asked as she stared ahead into the crowd.
She nodded silently, before looking off stage at Delilah. She'd become to wrapped up in music like she did at a young age. In fact, she helped write the song. Before she could register what she was doing she was jogging across the stage barefoot and grabbed Delilah's hand before leading her back on stage. As they stood in front of the mic together, she stooped down looking her in her blue eyes. "Dee, I need your help on this…" she said, feeling weird that she'd need to ask her own daughter for help on something. "You don't need to sing, you don't need to do anything, just stand here with Mommy, okay?" Delilah nodded, remembering the song they worked on as they flew over the Pacific Ocean to come home. "Sure Mommy," she said, hugging her legs.
Jude hugged her back, and kissed her curls before grabbing the mic. "Okay, enough stalling…this is 'Someone's Watching over me'…and I'd like to dedicate to my late husband, Tom Quincy." She said before taking Delilah's hand, and nodding to Spied to start playing again.
She closed her eyes, feeling the music before her voice projected itself. "I found myself today, oh I found myself and ran away…but something pulled me back, the voice of reason I forgot I had. All I know is you're not here to say what you always used to say, but it's written in the sky tonight." She squeezed Delilah's hand before releasing it and walking to the edge of the stage to touch a few fans hands.
The tempo picked up, though still soft, and she smiled as she continued singing. "So I won't give up, no I won't break down…Sooner than it seems life turns around." She glanced over her shoulder and gestured for Delilah to join her. Taking her hand again, she felt her spirits pick up. The song, as afraid as she was to sing it, was a powerful one and Jude hoped to be able to face the day alone without breaking out in tears because she was without the love of her life. "And I will be strong even if it all goes wrong, when I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe…Someone's watching over me."
"I seen that ray of light and it's shining on my destiny, shining all the time and I wont be afraid to follow everywhere it's taking me." She sang and bent down to Delilah's level sharing the mic with her. Their voices, clear and strong, mixed together creating a beautiful harmony. "All I know is yesterday is gone and right now I belong…to this moment to my dreams."
She handed over the mic to Delilah, who took over the chorus, her stage attitude matching that of Tommy's. "So I won't give up, no I won't break down…Sooner than it seems life turns around." She glanced back at her mother who was encouraging her on. "And I will be strong even if it all goes wrong, when I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe…Someone's watching over me."
Delilah jogged back, clearly ecstatic that she'd performed with her mother and held up the mic for Jude. "It doesn't matter what people say and it doesn't matter how long it takes, believe in yourself and you'll fly hi-igh. And it only matters how true you are be true to yourself and follow your heart."
Slowly Spied walked up beside her, bring the temp down and she smiled singing the last chorus. "So I won't give up, no I won't break down. Sooner than it seems life turns around and I will be strong, even if it all goes wrong… When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe…" the tempo picked up to it's original speed and she sung her heart out for the last chorus. "That I won't give up, no I won't break down. Sooner than it seems life turns around and I will be strong. Even when it all goes wrong when I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe that someone's watching over…Someone's watching over…Someone's watching over me, eh yeah. Oh, oh…Someone's watching over me."
At least two seconds passed by, which felt like an eternity to Jude, before the crowd and back stage crew burst out in applaud. A beaming smile spread across her face and she glanced over to see Delilah whooping with the rest of them. "Thank you." She murmured into the mic before taking her rightful place sandwiched between SME and bowing with them a few times.
She waved as she stepped off the stage, Delilah trailing behind her. Darius beamed as well, congratulating her and telling her this album was sure to be a hit, but before he could drag her off to some party and give her kids to some stranger-nanny she escaped with the two back to their old house. Why she was staying there – she still wasn't sure. She didn't want to stay with Sadie and Kwest; she surely believed her spoiled kids would corrupt her own level headed children.
--
It was 2:45 a.m. and she was still up, a glass of wine in her hand. On the radio a soft country song filtered through the speakers, and her wedding tape was playing on the TV with no sound. She itched to write a song, but her old guitar was in the back of the closet, a closet that was filled with Tommy's old clothes. As she downed the last of the red liquid, she stood up from her bed.
She peeled off the jeans she still wore and grabbed a pair of Soffee shorts from her dresser, one of the most practical things Sadie ever got her. Pulling them on, she eyed the closet unsure if she should explore or not. Her curiosity got the best of her and she pulled open the door, her eyes scanning the clothes hanging and the boxes looming above it. As she pushed his clothes out of the way, she got lost in his scent. It was like coming home after a bad trip and at any moment she was sure he was to pop out claiming how much he missed her and how she shouldn't be acting like how she is.
As she pushed her way to her guitar, a box sitting on the floor caught her eye. It was labeled 'Things'. Vague, blatant, to the point. Just like Tommy always was. Again curiosity got the better of her, and she pulled out the box to the middle of the room. She plopped herself down in front of the box, her legs spread eagle, and stared at the box hoping her vision would somehow become x-ray to see what it was. Even after his death, she still felt like she was invading his privacy.
With a few thumps of her heart, she lifted the lid off the box it's contents open to her. And what lay on top completely surprised her.
