"Kwest are you here?" Jude aasked as she walked into their apartment.

"In here," he called from the living room.

Jude smiled and dropped her things on the floor before walking into the living room. She crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "What are you still doing awake?" She asked, glancing at the clock. It was already two A.M., which meant she had been at the studio for twelve hours straight, working on a few new songs for her new album.

"What are you doing home so late?" he asked, a playful smirk on his face.

"I should have been home five hours ago, but I ended up arguing with the new producer that Darius hired, without consulting me, I might add."

"I don't think it's just the new producer," he told her, as he turned around in her arms in order to look Jude in the eyes. "I think that you're not going to find another producer like Tommy, and that bothers you."

Jude tensed at the mention of Tommy's name. He had been gone for three years already, and in that time she still hadn't been able to find a decent producer. Not only had her music changed since Tommy left, but also her relationships. While Tommy was gone, Kwest and Jude had gotten closer, and they had now been dating for almost two years.

"That's not true," she said quickly. "All I want, is for you to be my producer. I've gone through six producers in three years, Kwest. It'll work if you do it Kwest."

"You know why it won't. And the only reason you went through so many producers is because you're too stubborn Jude."

"I am not!"

Kwest raised his eyebrows and stared pointedly at her.

"No funny," she warned, a frown displaying across her features.

"Yes it is." He insisted, smiling slightly.

"And why would you say that I'm stubborn?"

"Because it's true, and before you throw one of your little diva fits, being stubborn isn't a bad thing all the time."

"Sure," Jude said as she collapsed onto the couch.

"Are you really having that many problems with Reese?" Kwest asked, naming her new producer.

"Yes! He called me Britney Spears today," she said as she pouted childishly.

"Ouch," Kwest said, smirking.

"Yeah. He says he doesn't like my music, and he told me I'm a poser."

"I'll think about it," Kwest said point-blankly.

"Think about what?"

"Being your producer."

"You will?"

"Yes. I can see how miserable you are with all the other ones. Maybe I can change that."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jude said, getting off the couch and hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome," he yawned. "Now get to bed," he said authoritively.

"Yes sir," she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

The next morning, Jude found a note from Kwest, laying on her bedside table. He had gone into the studio a few hours earlier, so he could talk to Darius. She sighed and went to take a quick shower.

Kwest sat in Darius's newly remodeled office. To his dismay, convincing Darius to make him Jude's producer was turning out to be a lot hardre than he had first though.

"D, I know she should give this guy a chance, but I really think that I could maybe do a better job with her. I understand her."

"You may be the only one on the planet that does," Darius paused and looked thoughtfully for a moment, almost as if he was considering Kwest's proposition. Kwest remained silent, mentally pleading that his boss would grant his request. "Do you really think you can do a better job?"

"Yes, I really do."

"Then go for it," he said. "I'll let you tell Jude the good news.

"Thanks Darius," Kwest said quickly before he walked toward Studio A. He sat down in his seat and started to work on mixing a few songs until Jude came in later that morning.

"Hey," she said, sitting down beside him. Kwest looked over at her, slightly started. He hadn't heard her come in, but he was happy to see her. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing," Kwest said and then smirked at her apprehensious face, "but you're looking at your new producer."

Jude's eyes lit up and she hugged Kwest tightly. "Really?" She asked, her voice high with excitement.

"Really," he said softly, running his fingers through her hair.

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" she asked, joy evident in her eyes.

"Just hold on," he said. "We need to set some ground rules. When we're working, we are not a couple. I am your producer and you are my client."

"Gotcha," she said quickly before walking into the sound booth and working on a song she had wrtten the day before.

Later that night at their apartment, they were in their room watching a movie.

"What do you think about going out for dinner tomorrow night?" Kwest asked as Jude cuddled against him.

"I think it's a great idea," she said, reaching for his hand.

"Good," he smiled, kissed the top of her head, and settled in to watch the movie, enjoying the rare quality time with his girlfriend.

The next day was a blur to both Kwest and Jude. Things at G Major were more hectic than usual, but neither of them knew why.

"Kwest, is there something that everyone else knows that we don't?"

"I really don't know," he said, concentrating on the sound board.

"Are you even paying attention to me?"

He looked up at her quickly. "Of course I am. I'm just a little preoccupied."

"And so is everyone else," she said quietly.

"Just don't worry about it Jude. Whatever everyone is all worked up about, I'm sure it's nothing." Kwest said, trying to reassure her, but Jude wasn't convinced.

After work, Jude rushed home, curled her hair into tight ringlets, and slipped into a sexy black dress. Kwest wore a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt.

"Ready to go?" he asked as he opened the door for her.

She smiled at him and walked out to the car.

Once they arrived at the restuarant they ordered their food and started a quiet conversation.

"What do you think of Patsy and Jamie getting married?" Jude asked randomly, as she took a bite of her pasta.

"What should I think? They're not a very likely couple."

"And neither are we," she said, a smile playing at her lips.

"Good point," he laughed softly.

Soon after they had finished their meal, the waiter brought a small, lavishly decorated cake, and set it in front of Jude.

"What's this?" she asked, having not seen the glittering diamond ring that sat upon the deep chocolate frosting.

Kwest smiled and knelt down in front of her, taking her hand. "Jude Aspen Harrison, will you marry me?" he asked, putting the ring on her delicate finger.

She stared at him with wide eyes, shock overcoming her at first, but she quickly nodded and got up to hug him.

He kissed her passionately while the other people in the restaurant awed and clapped.

Jude was too excited to sit still after his proposal so Kwest drove her to the studio.

"I can't believe this," she said, looking at the ring for the millionth time that evening.

"Believe it," Kwest said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

They talked for awhile longer and then headed back to their apartment.

By the next morning, the news of the engagement had spread like wildfire. Darius had even called to congratulate her and give her the day off. Kwest on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

Jude was cleaning the kitchen when the phone rang. She groaned and quickly walked into the livingroom to answer it.

"Hello, she said.

"Jude," a voice said quietly.

The phone fell out of her hands and clattered to the floor. She tried to compose herself before she picked it up.

"Jude, are you there?"

"Yes I 'm here. What do you want?" her voice bitter.

"To see how you are."

"How I am? You haven't called in three years Tommy!"

"I know that's how it seems."

"It's not just how it seems, it's hot it is. People don't just leave and not have contact with anyone for three years!"

"I'm sorry Jude, I really am." Tommy said, sounding sincere. No matter what Jude believed, her really was sorry about what had happened.

"Sorry doesn't mean much coming from you." Jude snapped back bitterly.

"You're making a mistake Jude," he said bluntly.

"A mistake?"

"You and Kwest. It's not a good idea."

"Oh, so that's why you called. To ruin my life, for the second time, with your stupid thoughts and insinuations."

"No Jude, I called because I...love you," he sighed.

"Tell someone who cares," she said, her voice dripping with venom. She waited a split second before slamming the phone onto the reciever.

The call rattled her so much that she ran to the bathroom and eptied the contents of her stomach. She paced around the apartement, knowing the call from Tommy shouldn't have upset her as much as it did.

Kwest called home on his lunch hour.

"Hey."

"Hi," Jude said softly.

"Something wrong?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"No, everythings fine. I just feel a bit off today."

"Do you want me to come home?"

"No!" She said, a little too quickly. "I mean, I'll be fine and you know Darius would be mad."

"Okay. I'll see you late tonight. Love you."

"Love you too," Jude whispered before she turned the phone off.

She sat down on the couch and sighed deeply. Tommy couldn't have chosen a worse time to barge back into her life. She was finally getting everything back on track.

By the time Kwest came home, she was passed out on the couch. He smiled and knelt down beside her, brushing a stray hair out of her face. He carefully picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, carefully tucking her under the covers before going to take a shower.

After his shower, he came back into the room and saw Jude sitting up in bed.

"Hey, he said quietly, crawling into bed beside her.

"Hi," she said, sleep evident in her voice.

He smiled at the innocent, child-like look she gave him, and put his arms around her, bring her closer to him.

"How was your day?" she asked softly.

"Would have been better if you would have been there."

"Such a charmer," she laughed, the sound filtrating around the room.

"I only speak the truth," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Sure."

He sombered up a bit and looked ahead. "Darius got an interesting phone call today."

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

"Tommy called, and he uh, he wants his job back, Jude."

"Oh."

"Jude, he called you before I did, didn't he?"

"No," she said nervously.

"Jude, don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

"I can go check the caller I.D."

"Fine," she sighed. "Yes, he called."

"Why didn't you just tell me that earlier?"

"Because I wanted to ignore it Kwest. I don't want to and I don't need to worry about him right now."

Kwest ran his fingers through her hair. "You could have told me, Jude."

"I know, but I didn't want you to worry or get mad."

"Well it wouldn't have," he paused for a moment. "Darius gave him his job back."

"He what?" she said, abruptly sitting up.

"Calm down," he said quickly.

"How could he do that? He can't come back."

"Jude, it'll be okay," he said, regretting that he'd ever told her. As much as he wanted to believe his words, he found himself feeling uneasy about the prospect of his friend's return. Sure, he had missed Tommy, but he was a threat to their relationship. He and Jude had a two year realtionship, he had nothing to worry about. They were engaged. Yet, he could stop thinking about the past. About whatching the girl he cared about, swoon over her producer and his best friend. He remember how they danced in circles around each other.

Kwest forcefully shoved the thoughts out of his head and held Jude, eventually drifting off to sleep.She slept restlessly that night, tossing and turning in her disturbed sleep. Kwest would glance at her every so often and watch her sorrowfully. Tommy tormented her in ways Kwest couldn't even begin to understand.

The next morning, Jude was on the phone, making plans for their wedding. She told Kwest she wanted to get married as soon as possible, but things weren't looking so good.

After talking to a caterer, she hung up the phone with an aggravated groan.

"What's wrong?" Kwest asked, sitting down beside her at the counter.

"I can't find a church, or a caterer, or anything else you need for a wedding."

Kwest smiled and laughed softly at her frazzled nerves.

"It's not funny," she said sternly.

"Jude, you have to chill out. We don't need to be married right now."

"Yes we do," she said as she started paging through the phone book.

He yanked the book away and grabbed her hand. "Stop. We'll get married, but not right now."

"But-"

"No, just stop. Sadie can help you make plans for a few months from now."

"Fine," she pouted.

"Hey, if I let you plan this thing as fast as you want to, you're going to run yourself down. Besides, this way, you can actually have fun planning the wedding."

She sighed. "Fine."

Kwest kissed her on the forehead and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "I'm going into the studio this afternoon for awhile if you want to come with."

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes," she said as she grabbed her purse and threw her hair into a high ponytail.

The drive to the studio was relatively quick and quiet. But, when they got there, Jude's heart dropped to her feet.

"What's wrong?" Kwest asked, seeing the look on her face.

She stared at a yellow Porsche, her eyes wide. She quickly shook her head. "It's nothing," she said, not being able to shake the feeling that Tommy was there, at G Major.

Kwest nodded, kissed the top of her head, and protectively wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked into the building.

An odd sense of calmness flooded over Jude when she felt Kwest's touch, but that calmness was soon washed away.

A large crowd was gathered in the main lobby and Kwest was leading Jude straight into it.

Jude knew Tommy was there even before she saw him. Her stomach tossed and she felt like she was going to lose what little breakfast she had eaten. Her face turned a bleak shade of white as Tommy turned around to face her. Those tell-all blue eyes, bore into her. He gave her a slight nod and a smirk before walking over to her and Kwest.

"Kwest," Tommy nodded.

"Tommy, it's good to see you," Kwest said, shaking his hand.

"Jude," his tone softened as he stepped toward her.

"Tommy," Jude said harshly as she clung tightly to Kwest's hand, making sure her engagement ring was in plain sight.

Tommy swallowed his pride and stepped back, jamming his hands into his pockets. "You haven't changed," he said quickly, giving her the once-over. He had wanted to hug her, to feel her warmth, and smell her sweet, honeyed skin, but he knew he couldn't. "You haven't changed a bit," he said again, even though he knew she had.

"Yes, I have," she said quickly.

Kwest rubbed her back in a futile attempt to calm her down. He knew this was hard for her to handle.

Tommy stood there, for once in his life, speechless. There was nothing he could say that would make her forgive him. He had known that he'd hurt Jude, but he didn't realize that his absence would push her into the arms on another man, even more-so, his best friend.

Jude stared at him intently. If anyone hadn't changed it was him. Sure, he had aged a bit, but other than that he was the same old Tommy, and that unnerved her in the worst way. He was still the same blue-eyed, good-looking, conniving, sweet-talked, he'd been before he left.

Kwest noticed Jude's apparent hostility and began to speak. "Tom, I hate making this short, but Jude and have some work to do. We'll catch up later."

"Yeah, that sounds great."

Jude glared at him, before turning around and walking into Studio A.

"Ugh! I can't believe him!" Jude screamed.

"Jude, just calm down," he said soothingly, wrapping his arms around her waist and softly kissing her cheek.

"I can't! He comes back after all these years. Do you even know why he came back?"

"For his old job?"

"No! It's because I'm happy, and he's not! Because, I'm going to marry you!"

"Jude, be realistic about this. That's not why," Kwest said, trying to reassure her.

"Sure it's not," she said pouting, and resembling a three-year-old.

He smiled down at her and brushed her hair out of her face. "Listen, even if our engagement is why Tommy came back, it doesn't matter."

She leaned back against Kwest and closed her eyes.

"You worry too much Jude. I'm not even sure Tom knows we're engaged."

"Let's just record some new stuff I came up with last night, so I don't have to think about it."

"Okay," he said softly, letting his arms slip from her waist.

They recorded for a few hours, but Kwest finally sent her home due to her lack of concentration. After she had left, he leaned back in his chair, sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. What if Jude still loved Tommy? No, he shook his head, that's not possible. She loves me. He sat up and started to do some bookwork, an attempt to get his mind off of everything that was happening.

Jude was washing clothes later that afternoon, when she heard the doorbell. She sighed and pressed the start button on the dryer before walking to the door. She didn't bother with the peephole, thinking it was just Kwest, since he had a horrible habit of losing his keyes.

"Kwest, how many times have I told you to be- Tommy," she said, her voice going hoarse.

"You live with him too?" He asked as he walked into the apartment, without an invitation.

"Yes, I live with him. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes."

"Why are you even here? I've already made it clear that I don't want to be around you."

"Yeah, you have."

Jude sighed. "Tommy, just leave."

"Why are you doing it?"

"Doing what?"

"Marrying him. You don't love him."

"How do you know if I love him or not? You've been gone for three years. You have no right to come back here and tell me what I'm going wrong!"

"If you marry him, it'll be a mistake."

"Marrying Kwest would be the best thing that could happen to me right now."

"You can't marry him!" Tommy yelled.

"Why not?"

Tommy's expression softened and his voice quieted. "Because I love you Jude. Don't you know that?"

Jude's face instantly paled. She never expected Tommy to say something like that. After she recovered from the shock, she glared at him. "No, I didn't know that. Wanna know what? Because you left! You left me Tommy."

"I had no choice Jude."

"You had a choice! You had the choice to stay here. You had the chance to be with me, and you killed me by leaving. I didn't want to get out of bed after you left, and I sure as hell didn't want to sing."

"I'm sorry Jude."

Jude ignored his apology. "Kwest was the one who was there for me. Kwest was the one who got me to keep singing."

"You keep going on about how much I screwed up and how great Kwest is, but you've never mentioned that you love him."

Jude grew quiet and she quickly sat down on the couch. "I do love him Tommy."

Tommy shook his head and walked toward her, staring her in the eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders and touched his lips to hers, only for a few seconds, but those few seconds, were the best he'd had since he left.

Jude was too shocked to do anything, but she quickly pushed him away and stared at him blankly, showing no emotion. "Tommy, I think you should go now," she said in a soft, trembling voice.

"Don't make that mistake Jude," Tommy said. He looked at her, his blue eyes full of regret. Regret for the past three years. He nodded to her before he left the apartment.

Jude looked down at the floor, her head head in her hands, and started crying. She did love Kwest, and maybe at one time she'd loved Tommy more, but things had changed and she was going to marry Kwest.