"Everything I Have" one-shot fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Instant Star Characters. I'm just borrowing them. Melody is my own fictional character though. The song used is "Everything I Have" as sung by Clay Aiken; only imagine that it's Tommy singing.
Summary: Set in the future after Jude made her choice. Feedback would be very much appreciated! This is my first one-shot. Tell me what you think!

Big, blue, tear-filled eyes stared up at him and Tom Quincy felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He watched, feeling helpless as tears leaked past long eyelashes and trickled onto flushed cheeks.

"Hole me," the little voice said and raised chubby arms as her bottom lip quavered. "Hole me, daddy," she sniffled.

Unable to deny her anything Tommy reached down and picked her up from where she'd been playing with her dolls on the floor. "What's wrong, boo?" he asked as he tucked her small body into his arms. Her head immediately burrowed into his chest. His hands held her to him, one running soothingly over her darks curls and then down her back.

She'd been playing pretty well for the last hour as he went over some paperwork for a new band he was producing. She'd chatted with her dolls, most of it unintelligible. For a while he let himself be distracted from work and just watched her, especially when she started singing. She reminded him so much of her mother. She had Jude's eyes and lips, the same smile. Someday she'd have an incredible voice, he could tell. Sometimes he couldn't believe that he'd helped create something so amazing. But Jude never let him forget, especially when Melody was being stubborn. He never bothered to correct his wife and remind her that she was just as obstinate.

Melody's little hands fisted in his shirt as he continued to cradle her. "You want to tell Daddy what's wrong, baby girl?" he asked softly. She rubbed her head against his chest and pulled back to look at him, her eyes still damp, a stray tear still clung to her bottom lashes. She reached up and rubbed a little fist in her eye.

"Tiwed, daddy."

Tommy glanced at the clock. It was almost two in the afternoon. Jude would probably strangle him for forgetting naptime. "Okay, boo. We'll go get your blankie and bear. Do you want to lay down on the couch by daddy?" he asked as he gently took his thumb and brushed the dampness from her round cheeks.

"Sing," she said and nodded.

Tommy smiled and kissed her forehead. "Okay, boo. Daddy'll sing for you." He carried her to her bedroom to grab her nap things and came back into the music room.

Melody was used to Jude singing her to sleep. Tommy seldom did the honors himself, but their little girl had been sung to since she'd been in the womb and it was the only thing that seemed to calm her down.

"Do you want me to lay down with you?" he asked as his settled her onto the couch. She yawned and clutched her bear tightly.

"Pinano." She pointed towards the piano that sat in the center of the music room. He and Jude worked on a lot of music on that piano. It was entirely possible that Melody had been conceived on that piano.

He kissed Melody's forehead and draped her blanket over her. He glanced back at her after he sat down in front of the piano keys. She smiled as she watched him. He felt his chest squeeze again, his throat tight with emotion at the love and trust he saw shining there in her eyes.

"I have a special song for my favorite girl," he told her as he started to play the opening notes.


I feel like I never measure up to who you see
Sometimes I think I can't give you all the love you need
You keep changing everyday
Amazing me in everyway.

It seemed like just yesterday when Jude had told him she was pregnant. Those two words had been the scariest and most exciting words he'd ever heard in his life. Melody had been a bit of a surprise to both of them, but definitely a happy one. They'd only been married three months when Jude found out. She had probably been more surprised than he was. He could still picture her shocked face as she stared at the test, the words 'I'm pregnant' slipping past her lips with disbelief. They'd both had to sit down on the bed. Jude's hands had been shaking so hard and she'd looked at him with the same big, blue, tear-filled eyes that Melody had looked at him with earlier.

His eyes drifted back to Melody's small frame on the couch. Her eyes were already closed, her lips puckered in a bow as she took small, even breaths. He couldn't believe how much such a tiny person had changed his whole world.

He'd been thinking of the song for a while. Every time he looked at her a new line or two would come to him. Some of it sprang from insecurity; some of it because he'd never really understood unconditional love until her. She trusted him explicitly to be what she needed, to love her and care for her. She came to him whenever she was sad or hurt. He loved her more than he'd ever thought it was possible to love any one thing. Which was a lot considering how much he loved her mother.

If I could be the perfect man in your eyes
I would give all I'm worth to be a part of your life
I could promise the world but it's out of my hands
I can only give you everything I have

It was different than the love he felt for Jude. That love was steadfast and strong and just as real. But Jude knew Tommy was far from perfect and she accepted him anyway. Melody though, she looked at him like he could give her the moon and the stars and he really wished that he could do that, that he could be that man for her. He never wanted to disappoint her or have her look at him with anything but the love and trust he saw in her face daily.

I never dreamed I could ever feel the way I do
I hope and pray I will always be enough for you
I can only do my best
I have to trust you with the rest

If I could be the perfect man in your eyes
I would give all I'm worth to be a part of your life
I could promise the world but it's out of my hands
I can only give you everything I have

I promise I will hold you through the changes and fears
When life seems unclear
And when I can't be right there with you
I know there's angels by your side

She was only two years old but he wanted her to stay his little girl forever so that he could protect her, keep her safe and guard that precious, trusting heart of hers.

If I could be the perfect man in your eyes
I would give all I'm worth to be a part of your life
I could promise the world but it's out of my hands
I can only give you everything... I have

As the last notes of the song faded out, Tommy's gaze went back to the couch. Melody was still sleeping peacefully. He smiled. As he got up from the piano, movement from the doorway caught his attention.

Jude was standing there, a watery smile on her face as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Hey," he said softly. His face colored a little from the embarrassment of being overheard. "When did you get home?" he walked towards her as she moved into the room.

"Right when she pointed to the piano," Jude answered. She reached him, her hands cupped his cheeks and she leaned up to kiss him deeply. The six-month bump of her baby belly brushed against him and Tommy pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. His hand moved to caress her stomach and felt a kick.

He smiled against Jude's mouth. "He's pretty active today."

Jude returned the smile and brushed another kiss against Tommy's lips. "He was moving all through my meeting with Paegan and Jamie. I could barely concentrate on the new scheduling stuff."

Tommy frowned. "You cut back your hours, though, right?"

Jude laughed. "Yes, sir. I did. Kwest's going to take over half of my production duties."

"Good." He leaned down to kiss her again but she pulled away before their lips could touch.

"I like your new song," she said softly, her eyes gazing at his face lovingly.

Tom scratched his head and glanced over at Melody's still sleeping form. "I…"

"It was beautiful and I think you should record it for her."

"No…I was just…" he started to protest.

"It would be a wonderful gift for your daughter. She'd always have it as a reminder of how much you love her, even when she's a bratty teenager that turns your hair gray," Jude teased. Her hands smoothed over the buttons of his black shirt.

Tommy scoffed. "This hair will never go gray."

Jude laughed and kissed him again. He returned the kiss, his hands resting on her hips, pulling her closer to him.

"Stop kiss'n," a small voice broke through the moment.

They pulled apart and looked over at the couch. Melody was sitting up, her teddy bear still clutched in a chokehold in her arms. Her hair was askew, something Tommy always told Jude she got from her because his hair was never out of place.

"Hey, boo," Jude cooed and went to gather up her daughter. "How was your nap?" She sat down on the couch next to Melody and wrapped her arm around her as Melody burrowed into Jude's side.

"Good," she said. "Daddy was singin' ta me."

"I know. I heard. You must be daddy's special girl. He doesn't sing for just anyone," Jude informed the still sleepy-eyed girl.

"Hey, that's not true. I sing for you." Tommy protested as he joined them on the couch.

Jude rolled her eyes. "The shower does not count."

Tommy wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "There are other times," he said.

"Yeah, when you want to get lai…frisky." Jude amended the last part of her sentence in deference to little ears.

Tommy laughed. "Just say the word and I'll sing for you any time."

"The word." Jude grinned. She looked at Melody, whose thumb had made its way into her mouth as she eyed her parents. "We want daddy to sing to us again, don't we?"

Melody nodded enthusiastically. "Daddy, sing," she said, her thumb popping from her mouth.

Tommy nodded and made a show of going over to the piano. He sat down and looked back at his girls. Jude smiled at him, her eyes bright with amusement. Her right hand rested on her belly and her left hand sifted through Melody's messy hair as she leaned her head on Jude's stomach.

"Play da pick up da pieces song," Melody said. Jude's eyes glittered with laughter. "You heard your daughter. Let's hear it, Quincy. Bring back the boybander in you." She looked down at their daughter. "Someday, when you're bigger, Daddy will show you the dance that goes to the song."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "You teach her terrible things," he informed his wife.

"You love it!" Jude countered.

He smiled at her, appreciating how beautiful a picture his girls made in that moment. " I love you," he said sincerely. And his fingers drifted over the keys as he sang "Pick up the Pieces," while Jude harmonized on the chorus.

Identical eyes stared back at him; both shining with love and Tommy realized that he had to have done something really right in his life to be so lucky.

The End