Hi! I'm back with yet another fic, but this one is going to be short, probably a 5-shot. I was thinking about Tommy coming back and what it will take for Jude to forgive him for leaving. I think she's going to have a tough time letting him back in her life, and it might take something major to make her realize how important he is.

So that's what this story is about. I've got the next chapter in the works, so let me know what you think about this one and I'll try to get it out quickly. Hopefully you'll like it! Oh, and I do not own anything associated with Instant Star (I wish). Enjoy!


Jude looked up from her seated position inside the recording booth as the sound of the guitar strums gently faded into silence. Keeping her headphones on, she watched as her producer turned a few dials and flipped a switch before glancing up and giving her a thumbs up.

"That was a good take, Jude," Kwest said with a quick nod. "I think we got it. You can come in."

Jude nodded in recognition and eased the headphones off of her ears, standing up from the stool in front of the microphone. She placed the headphones on the seat and removed the guitar from over her shoulder, resting it against the wall before proceeding through the door and into the studio.

"You liked it?" she asked tentatively.

Kwest nodded and pressed a button, bringing the sound of Jude's voice throughout the small space in the studio.

"It sounds good," he said, leaning back in his chair while Jude collapsed in the chair next to him. They sat together in silence, listening to the song she had just created.

"It feels like it's missing something…I can't put my finger on it," she muttered, closing her eyes to concentrate.

"I think you nailed it," he countered, sitting upright and looking at her with her eyes shut. "It's another hit, Jude. Stop trying to find fault…it's great."

Jude opened her eyes and looked at him, seeing his sincerity. She sighed and spun her chair to face the opposite wall. "I guess…"

He observed her reaction, sensing her doubts. "Listen, I know you're used to working with…a perfectionist," he started cautiously, "but you don't need to do all of those takes. If you nail it on the second or third shot, that doesn't mean there's something wrong with it."

"I know," she said, spinning her chair back around to face him. "I just really feel like something's missing. Maybe the chord progressions aren't right or the beat needs some work—"

"I think it's great," he said, pausing before saying what was on his mind. "Unless…do you want to get a second opinion?"

"A second opinion? Like, from Darius?" she questioned, considering his idea.

"Well…that's not exactly who I was thinking of…" Kwest answered vaguely, looking at her knowingly.

Her eyes grew wider at his insinuation. "No," she said firmly. "I know who you're thinking of, but the answer is no, Kwest."

"Why not, Jude? The guy knows your music better than anybody and if something seems off, he'll definitely be the one to pinpoint what it is."

"I'm not getting him involved. He's not my producer anymore. He doesn't get to listen to any of my music," Jude retorted decisively, crossing her arms across her body in defense.

"Jude, he's been back for two months now and you've been treating him like he's still gone…I'm not saying it's not deserved, but the guy has been agonizing over how to get you to talk to him."

Jude simply rolled her eyes without a response, still very much irritated and angry by Tommy's sudden disappearance and then reappearance in her life.

"I'm not saying to let him in completely, but if there's one thing he's good for, it's your music," Kwest said earnestly, watching her reaction closely. "You know that's true."

Jude shrugged apathetically, mumbling, "No, I don't. He used to be good with my music, now I'm not so sure."

Kwest cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at her, giving her a look that clearly indicated he knew that she was lying to herself.

She sighed deeply, seeing his reaction, putting her hands over her eyes in thought. "Fine. Let him hear it. But only because I want this song to be perfect. He shouldn't read into this anymore than that—it's from a strictly professional, artistic perspective."

"Right, got it," Kwest said before standing up and quickly exiting the room, before she changed her mind.

She took a deep breath and looked around the empty studio, remembering how different it used to be when she had been there all day with Tommy. He always knew exactly what she was thinking before she even had to say anything and even though he pushed her to record the same line twenty times, she knew that on that twentieth take when he would say she had nailed the song, it really was perfect.

Breaking her away from her thoughts, the door suddenly opened and Kwest walked in with Tommy behind him. She briefly looked at Tommy, catching his eye, but quickly looked away to avoid any superficial conversation. He silently walked into the studio and sat down in the chair next to her, waiting as Kwest pushed the button to allow the music to echo throughout the room.

They all sat in silence, listening to the lyrics and the melody, trying to identify exactly what was off. Tommy leaned forward onto the soundboard and closed his eyes, concentrating on the music, while Jude stayed against the back of her chair, glancing at him occasionally to try to read his expression.

As the song came to a close, Kwest switched the track off and turned towards his accomplices to get their feedback.

"I still think it sounds great," Kwest said, rewinding the track.

Jude shook her head in disagreement. "It's not right…something is off…"

"You're being overly critical, Jude. It's really perfect," Kwest countered.

"It's not perfect, I know it's missing something," Jude said, waiting for Tommy to speak up.

"It's not, it sounds great," Kwest disagreed in frustration.

Without warning, Tommy lifted his head from the soundboard and sat upright in his chair. "The tempo of the chorus is off."

Both Kwest and Jude looked at him questioningly.

"How is it off?" she asked.

"You need a smoother transition. It goes from an up-tempo in the first verse to a down-tempo in the chorus without anything in between," Tommy responded without hesitation.

She thought for a minute and then nodded. "You know, I think you're right. It's too sudden, too--"

"Drastic," he answered for her. "I think you should speed up the chorus a bit. That might help bring it together more."

She nodded in agreement, thinking closely about his recommendation. "Speed up the chorus…okay…but I kind of like it slower."

"It can be slower, but not so slow that it feels unnatural," Tommy replied, rolling his chair over to the couch to grab the guitar that was laying there. He started to play a few chords, replicating her exact song. "Like this," he said, picking up the speed a bit as he played into the chorus.

Jude and Kwest listened closely, watching him tweak the song just enough to make it perfect. He finished playing the chorus and then looked up at them, awaiting their reactions.

"I like it," Kwest said. "It makes it flow a little better."

Tommy nodded in agreement, waiting for Jude to say something.

She thought to herself for a few moments and then looked at him, her gaze meeting his across the room. "It's perfect," she said softly.

"Yeah?" Kwest asked, surprised by her reaction.

She nodded and turned towards Kwest. "That's what it was missing. The chorus wasn't smooth. It needed a quicker tempo."

Tommy subtly grinned across the room, before placing the guitar back on the couch and standing up. He pushed the chair over towards the soundboard as Jude and Kwest sat still in their seats.

"Thanks, man," Kwest said, watching Tommy start to leave.

"No problem," Tommy said quietly, as he opened the door.

Jude hesitantly turned towards the door, making eye contact with him, and faintly mumbled, "Thank you."

He nodded at her in recognition and quickly exited the room.

Kwest and Jude sat in silence, mulling over everything that had just transpired.

Out of the quiet, Kwest turned to Jude and uttered, "Told you so."

Without missing a beat or turning to acknowledge his statement, Jude fired back with a quick, "Shut up, Kwest."