Summary: Something happens, and it's not good... Jude's frantic, Tommy's panicked, & is Karma somehow behind this? What'll Darius do, backed into a wall, when his two star employees have done some serious damage to the label's rep? Short, maybe a 2-shot.

Disclaimer: I own none of Instant Star…etc.

Chapter 1

"W-wait… I- I don't unders-tand…" she wasn't looking at anyone but just staring at the ground.

"God I wish she'd stop pacing like that…" Tommy thought to himself as he stood there, feeling completely helpless.

"Jude, please…" Tommy carefully took a step toward her, "Not here, okay?"

"Everyone's just watching us…They're not even trying to hide it! Just blatantly staring!"

She whirled around to look at him in disbelief.

"Come on…" he added, nodding toward Darius's office, "We can talk about it in here…"

"No," she said firmly, "No…"

"And she's pacing again… This is all my fault… Why in the hell did I have to be so damn stubborn!"

Her eyes were red and puffy, her face was completely drained of its color, and her hands were shaking alarmingly as she laced and unlaced her fingers around each other.

"She's going to pass out at this rate…"

"Jude," he said as he crossed over to her, finally unable to stand the distance that was between them.

He grabbed her arm gently to stop her from pacing, and when he did, it pulled her backwards, causing them to collide into each other. They each froze, unable to think.

"Not the look… Please, Jude, if ever there was a time to not give me the look, this was it!"

He stroked her hair, pushing off of her face, and opened his mouth to speak, praying something would come out.

"Jude…" he spoke in a low and raspy voice, "We have to face this, okay?"

"No…" she sobbed pleadingly, the tears now flowing from her eyes again as she tried to fight them back.

"We have to…" he replied quietly but firmly, "He saw us, Jude… He knows…"

Jude closed her eyes tightly as her knees gave out. Tommy's grip tightened as he felt her body go limp. He pulled her even closer into him which he didn't think possible, and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He moved her over to a nearby chair and set her down in it, bending down in front of her and holding her small, soft hands in his.

"Jude," he whispered, "I love you… Okay? And whatever happens in there, you remember that…"

He grabbed her face and pushed his lips harshly against hers. He heard a few gasps around them, but he didn't care. He was done caring. Where had caring gotten him?

"I've lost what little respect I had gained from my boss, I'm probably about to lose my job which means I'm losing mine and Jude's music... I have nothing more to lose, but her… And I won't let that happen…Ever."

He pulled away slowly from Jude, and an inch from her face, he stared into her amazing, blue eyes.

"You're mine…" he said after a moment, "Always… right?"

She nodded as tears fell slowly down her cheeks.

"Always…" she repeated in a raspy whisper.

"I love you, girl…" he said firmly as if to convince her.

Jude's eyes widened, and she started to say something, but he gave her a peck on the lips quickly.

He turned and strode over to Darius with a look like an animal backed into a corner.

"We do this alone," he demanded, his voice shaking in anger, "This was all me. I started it… She shouldn't have to face this… But know one thing, D… I don't regret a single damn second."

"In my office," Darius said simply but in a way that would intimidate anyone.

Anyone but Tommy, that is.

He obeyed and walked into the office with Darius right behind him.

Jude, who had been standing there, staring in shock for a moment, noticed everyone's eyes were on her. She saw Sadie with a shocked and confused look, Spied and the boys just looked sympathetic and sad for her, Kwest looked almost as upset as her as he sat with his head in his hands, Patsy was looking like she was going to rip Darius's head off, Jamie had a lot of emotions playing across his face but mostly there was disappointment but Jude knew he would be… he had always hated Tommy… And the next thing her eyes fell on, took her dangerously close to her breaking point. Karma was standing a few feet away from Jamie and Patsy, and she was smirking as if she had never felt such pleasure in her life as she did watching Jude crying hysterically.

Then Karma made a huge mistake; she opened her mouth.

"Well, now it makes sense!" the singer commented with a cocky smirk, "She was shacking up with 'Lil Tommy Q'! No wonder she was getting so much… 'studio time'..?"

And that's when Jude lost it.

"Don't- you- ever- call him- Little- Tommy Q- again," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Aw, sorry… Pet name?" Karma shot back.

"That's it."

She lunged at the brunette with a loud yell, knocking her down to the ground. Then Jude's fist came crashing down into Karma's cheek. After looking at Jude in shock and outrage for a moment, she managed to dodge Jude's second swing, and then tried to roll over to gain control, but Jude just slammed her back down roughly against the cement floor.

"Jude…" Tommy's voice spoke from behind her.