AN: This is a Tommy and Jude story that begins with them meeting in grade school, Tommy age 12, Jude age 5. It's my first attempt at a totally AU story. I got the idea from the song I used for the title. It's an oldies song I love, check it out on youtube! Hope you guys like this story, let me know what you think! Soon as I have more time, for those who are reading or start reading World Instant Star, I'll be posting more there soon.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen

By An American Mom

Chapter One: First days are usually the worst

Thomas Dutois is new to Toronto and this hell pit of an elementary school. With his hands stuffed into the pockets of his faded jeans, his head lowered and his growing dark locks falling just over his eyes he kicks pebbles across the playground during recess. Making friends isn't his strong suit, he doesn't have the charisma his older brother Tristan has, or the self esteem. So he wanders aimlessly, peeking out from beneath the dark tendrils to watch, with intense and too old crystal blue eyes, the other kids playing. No one in particular catches his attention, each set of kids in their little cliques.

That is no one catches his attention until he hears the yelling match between two little five year olds and then the sudden cry as the girl of the pair all but face plants the asphalt, managing to only scrape up her hands and knees. Something about the bouncing gold ringlets framing her doll like face even in the distance, the large contrast to her own faded and torn blue jeans and t-shirt that was at least a size too big for her little frame drew him to the scene. He darts off in an easy run in his worn out sketchers to the pair. The boy still taunting the girl, the girl screaming at the boy and trying to pretend she isn't on the very edge of crying. "Hey!" He calls to pull their attention from each other to him. "Don't you know it isn't polite to pick on girls?" He stops between the two his hands shifting from his pockets to his hips as he glares at the boy with shaggy sandy blonde hair.

"She started it!" The boy, Vincent, retorts as he sticks his tongue out at the girl.

"Did not Vincent," She retorts, pouting up at the older boy who seems to have come to her rescue.

"I don't care, go pick on someone else or you're going to be very sorry." Tommy glares down at the boy, taking a menacing step towards him. He wouldn't hit the kid, but he'd sure scare him and turn him in if it came down to it. If the boy were twelve like him instead of looking to be about five, same as the girl, he'd beat the kid to a pulp in a heart beat. But as much of a fighter as he was usually known for being, he still didn't go after kids younger and/or smaller than himself.

"I'll get you later Jude!" He yells at the girl, sticking his tongue out at her again before darting off to avoid the beating he fears from the older boy.

"Thanks." Jude whispers, sniffling as she looks up at him then back down to her scraped hands and bleeding knees.

He kneels down reaching out to gently take a look at the damage and frowns, skinned knees always hurt to bend when they first happened, and hers had bits of gravel in them so they needed to be cleaned sooner rather than later. He looks up now into the biggest and brightest blue eyes he's ever seen wrapped in dark gold lashes and he can't help but smile, hoping it'll bring the same to her swollen rose colored lips she's currently chewing on as she still fights her tears of pain and humiliation. He reaches out and tucks a curl behind her ear as he cocks his head to the side. "You're welcome Jude?" He pauses hoping he caught her name correctly. When she nods he presses on, "I'm Tommy, want me to walk you to the nurse's office? You should get your knees cleaned up."

Fear lights up her bright blue eyes at the mention of the nurse and what she knew from experience would come of getting cleaned up. She shakes her head wildly seeming to firmly plant herself right where she's seated. "No!" She all but shouts the word, turning a shade of pink in her cheeks as she looks away having not meant to shout at him.

"Afraid it'll hurt?" When she nods he does the same and scoots next to her on the ground pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms lazily around them as he leans towards her to bump her shoulder gently before straightening again and smiling impishly down at her. "Well you've gotta get cleaned up girl, otherwise that might hurt worse tomorrow. Tell you what, how about I carry you there and you can squeeze my hand as hard as you went while she gets you cleaned up?"

"You won't leave?"

"Cross my heart."

"Okay…"

He stands to his feet and extends his hands to her letting her grip them and use him as leverage to stand, grimacing as she whimpers with the pain that comes from standing. He then scoops her up against him and carries her into the nurse's office, not setting her down until he reaches the cot. Then as promised he sits beside her and holds his hand out to her with his palm up letting her grab it and squeeze as the nurse tends to her bleeding knees. He gives a recount of what he'd seen take place between the two younger kids and the nurse nods, sighing as though it isn't the first time she's dealt with the repercussions of their little spats.

When the nurse releases her back to class, writing them both notes to keep them out of trouble and allowing Tommy to walk her to her classroom he takes her hand and lets her lead the way as he watches her curls bounce with every step. As they near the door of her classroom she stops and looks up at him. "You better go now, someone sees you here with me they're gonna make fun of you, your friends won't like you being around a little kid like me."

He crouches down in front of her and taps the end of her nose with his index finger. "Can I tell you a secret?" She nods, overjoyed at the idea someone as old as him wants to tell her a secret. "I'm new, so I don't have any friends yet."

"I could be your friend!" She beams at him as the thought escapes her excitedly. After all if he didn't have any friends his own age there was probably the only shot she had at him being hers. He was way better at stopping Vincent than her older sister Sadie was. She always gave Jude a hard time after she put an end to the fight.

"I'd like that bright eyes." He leans in to rest his forehead on hers for a brief moment grinning like a kid in a candy store for the first time since in as long as he could remember. "I'll come get you as soon as school's out and walk you home, okay?"

"Okay, promise? My big sister Sadie will be here too, don't leave me for her, please?" She frowns a little, looking genuinely scared of losing her new found friend to her older sister who easily fits the bill of a child model, where Jude was a tom boy her parents tried to find ways to force into looking more like a girl.

"I promise. You're my first friend girl, and friends don't things like that. Come on, let's get you to class." He stands to his feet again taking her hand and taking her the rest of the way to her classroom, making sure she got inside and the note from the nurse reaches her teacher to make sure she doesn't gent into trouble for being late or missing. When the teacher thanks him he kneels down again and hugs Jude, whispering his promise again that he'd see her when the school day was through before heading off to his grade six classroom.

He could hardly sit still in class during the remainder of the day, mulling over the fact that his first real friend ever was a five year old little girl. But there was something about the bright wide eyed little doll that made him not care. She just had something about her that sucks him in and he can't picture letting her go. With the problems she seems to have with bullies to him it was perfect, he had no one to look after him but now he had someone he could look after and some how the idea lessens his own pain.

When the final bell cries out ending the day at last he runs, weaving in and out of the crowd of students towards her classroom getting there just as a girl easily two years older than Jude with the same golden blonde hair tugging on her trying to get her to leave, he can hear bits of the protesting screams coming from Jude, but nothing he can really put together. As Jude finally sees him, his own hand waving to let her know silently he'd kept his promise she manages to pull free of her sister's grasp and run towards him. He kneels down ready to catch her as she leaps for him, still managing to knock him onto his backside as his arms wrap around her. It felt wonderful to be this wanted by a single person, even if that person was just a five year old little girl.

"So you must be the new kid, Tommy right?" Sadie stands over the two of them with her hands on her hips. For a seven year old she had more attitude than he'd seen on girls twice her age. "Just what are you doing hugging on my little sister?"

"Sadie," Jude whines before continuing, "He saved me from Vincent today!"

"You and him got into it again? Geez Jude, that's the fourth time this week! Mom's going to flip! "

"I didn't start it, he did!"

"It's okay, I put an end to it and I'll keep an eye on them and keep 'em separated if need be. I also promised I'd walk you guys home today." Tommy interjects as he lets go of Jude, changing positions as he silently motions for her to climb on his back. Once she's secure he stands up nodding to Sadie to reluctantly lead the way, and this is the start of their friendship.