This story takes place 7 months after the series finale of Instant Star.
Jude is still in London, and hasn't been back to Canada since she left.

CHAPTER ONE: Are you ok?

"Jude, are you ok?"

She heard the voice as if she were in a tunnel, far away and full of echoes. She blinked, willing her vision that was starting to blacken and close in to go back to normal.

She had just been told by the London Records Manager that he had booked her for a summer tour. Now, she was fine with that. In fact, she was thrilled.

It had been forever since she had gone touring, and since her last tour was canceled when her 3rd album was a complete and utter flop, she hadn't had the chance to go on the tour that she was supposed to have gone on. She missed it terribly, and this was exciting news. That is, until Alan had informed her that the tour would be in not only all over London and the surrounding areas, but also her hometown, the one and only Canada. Her hometown. She would be playing in the place that she had left 7 months ago. The place where she had broken Tommy's heart, as well as her own. She would have to face him, she knew, and after not contacting him since she had left, she knew that this would not be an easy task to accomplish. But she supposed that it had to be done. She would have to see him sometime, and since she had been planning to go back and see Sadie and Jamie in a few months anyway, why not?

She refocused her eyes on the man sitting in front of her with a worried expression on his face. " Is that alright with you? We can always change the locations if you want. I know that you grew up there. That's why i thought it would be a good idea for you to tour there- you know, make sure that your hometown fans don't think that you've abandoned them" Alan explained, not noticing the way that Jude winced as the words "abandoned them" entered her brain. Thats what she had done. Abandoned him. The only man that she had ever loved. The only man that she would ever love. She pushed back the image of him giving her a sad, understanding look as she had gotten ready to get into the limo. She didn't need to be thinking of that right now.

Without another thought, she smiled bravely and nodded her head. "Of course it's fine. It just surprised me, that's all. It would be great to go back and see everyone. I've really missed them. All of them", she said with a small smile on her face. After thinking about it for a few seconds, about how much she had truly missed Sadie, Jamie, Speed, Wally and Kyle, Tommy, her smile became genuine. Even if Tommy didn't want to see her, refused to see her even, her heart wrenched at the thought, it would be wonderful to see everyone else.

Alan nodded and smiled. " Good. Then we can work out the details a little later. I just wanted to get your OK before i went any further."

Jude smiled at him. That was one of the things that she loved about her new label. She had a choice in every executive decision when it came to her album's, music, and everything else, including the gigs that she performed at, and things like tours. It was a great label, and she felt at home there, even after only 7 months. She was able to be free as an artist, and there was no rush to get her new album out. She loved it.

"Now go back to whatever it was that you were doing before i called you in here for this little meeting."

Jude nodded and headed back to studio A, feeling lighter and happier than she had in a long time.

Sighning contentedly, she smiled and strummed her fingers along the strings of her guitar. Life was good.