Take Me As I Am
Chapter 1 of?
Wonderwall
An Instant Star FanFiction
Author: yourxwonderwallx
He was pacing, and this wasn't a good thing for him. He'd been waiting here for what felt like hours and they were still nowhere close to the end. Everyone was patiently waiting for some semblance of news but, they knew this wasn't going to happen that fast. But, the closer they got to the end the better the results were unless something went wrong and it was lost in transit. He'd been working his ass off the last five years. He was running a successful record label, he had a great solo career, he had a sister now, and he was planning the wedding to the woman he'd been in love with for the last eight years but, this one moment was the turning point for it all.
He watched from behind his desk in his office. His office had a wall of windows. He saw everyone outside, patiently waiting for the good news but, he had a feeling. He had this feeling that the news wasn't going to be good but, somehow here he was, waiting for the results. Then she caught his eyes. Hayley was standing there, she was pacing just as he was. She was nervous. He could tell she was shaking. He knew why and all he could hope for was the best. Although he was never good at holding out for hope because of his track record. Hope was just never his thing. Or at least, he thought it wasn't.
She knocked on his door, and he motioned for her to come on inside. She looked scared. Hell, even he was scared about this. But, they were getting closer to the end. Just a few more minutes and they'd have the answers they'd been waiting what seemed like years for. "Hey big brother. You okay in here?" She asked with a smile and he nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just thinking and all that crap." He said to her, cracking a smile which is what he was hoping for.
"I knew that there was a smile in there somewhere." She said coming over and sitting on his desk in front of him. "For the record Tom, they are all out there waiting for your song not mine. You know they don't like me." She said to him, but she didn't have an ounce of resentment for him in her voice at all. In reality it didn't bother her that much that they didn't like her. She was just here for the music, she couldn't really careless who liked it or not, except for her brother.
"Well, maybe some of them out there like you but, its just going to take some more time." He said and the music stopped. Then his heart started to race. Tom Quincy was only this nervous twice before, and they both involved him getting down on one knee and proposing to the love of his life.
"All right people, here we are two more songs left on out charts. Now both of these songs are a debut on our countdown. And, falling in at number two is a debut that we have been waiting a long time for. In his third solo album release, I am pleased to announce Tom Quincy's 'Take Me As I Am' debuting at number two on the Billboard Top 50 Daily Countdown." She said, and for a second there Hayley could have sworn she saw her brothers heart stop.
"Well then Quincy, you can breathe you know." Hayley said to him, and she jumped off of the desk hugging him tightly. "You know, if I wasn't your sister I think Jude would be jealous right about now." She said, earning another smile from him as they pulled away.
"If you weren't my sister, you probably wouldn't be here right now, for the record." He said to her, and she smiled playfully punching him. She drug him out of his office, and into the frenzy that was 'Conspiracy Records'. There was an array of happiness an laughter filing through the building floor by floor. They had done exactly what they'd wanted. Most of all, Tom should be proud. Every artist that was signed to Conspiracy had a single on the Daily Top 50 and they held their spot. Although, there was still one song he was waiting to hear, and he had a feeling that it was next.
As the music from his song ended, the DJ came back on, and for some reason her tone seemed different. "It seems we had a tie for the number one song today between our board members. But, the end result is one that was not expected. Only one artist has debuted on our countdown at number one, and that was Jude Harrison with her American debut. But, today we have a song for you, by an artist who talent can silence a crowd with her voice and an acoustic guitar. Please give it up for Ms. Hayley Dutios, for 'Ignorance' debuting a number one, on the Billboard Top 50 Daily Countdown." She said, and Tom could have sworn his sister lost all the color in her face for about thirty seconds.
"Hayley, you did it." He said and she started jumping up and down, and screaming. He hugged her tightly before she walked over to the main person who had it out for her in this studio.
"Well now, it looks like the student is surpassing her teacher." Tom heard from behind him. He felt a pair of arms slide around him and he smiled. He turned to face her, kissing her forehead. "And, I meant the teacher to be you by the way." She said, getting on her tip toes and kissing him on the lips.
"If you're gonna do that I suggest the office right behind you, and closing the blinds to be on the safe side." Hayley said, with a mock tone. Jude released herself from Tommy's grasp and hugged her. "So, I either pissed them off or, I earned my spot. Take your pick big brother." She said to him, and he smacked her playfully on he arm.
"I think you earned your place here with most of them, and the rest of them will just get over it." He said to her, causing her to smile. She turned in the direction of hospitality and Tom grabbed Jude's hand and led her into his office. "How was your flight?" He asked her, as she plopped down on the couch to the left of his desk.
"Hell." She said and Tommy sat on the opposite end, taking her feet in his lap, and taking her heels off, massaging her feet. "I never knew that people could stare so damned much. I mean all their eyes either pointed to my ring, my stomach, or both and it was so annoying, and then when I landed it got even worse. There were these girls there, and they asked for my autograph and they didn't look older than fourteen or fifteen and it was the Rolling Stone cover of us. Then, after I signed their magazine's they had the audacity to say that I was only anything because of you." She ranted, halfway yelling the entire thing. He switched from her left foot, to her right one.
"I'm sorry. I may have been in the spotlight longer but, you are still you Harrison. You made your way without me, or was that not the point of you going to London?" He asked her and she cracked a smile for him.
"How did you ever become such a good man?" She asked him, and he smiled. He put her foot down and he placed himself on top of her, and he looked down.
"You had everything to do with it." He said to her, and she grabbed a hold of his shirt collar and pulled him down, his lips meeting hers. "Oh how I missed that Harrison." He said to her, and she smacked him on the arm.
"Its only been two and a half days." She said, pulling him down again. His tongue ran along her lip, looking for entrance which she happily granted. She smiled into the kiss. Their tongues dueled and Tommy bit her lower lip playfully a few times. Then he kissed her neck, nuzzling it for a few seconds before he stopped himself. "What?" She asked him and he got up and walked over to his desk.
"Well, the blinds are open for one. Two, that couch hasn't been christened yet for a reason Harrison, and three I was about to lose control and take you right there. Blinds open or not." He said to her.
"Wow, I'm really impressed Quincy." She said to him and he smiled. "But, tonight you are all mine." She said to him, and he smiled. Jude got up off of the couch, and she walked over to his desk and sat down on top of it. "Remember when I first came back?" She asked him, and he nodded.
"This place had been open for two and a half years and you, hadn't been back for an hour before the blinds were closed and we were back to our old selves again." He said to her smiling, and she smacked him playfully on the shoulder.
"That's what you get when we don't speak for two and a half years, and I come back to you having a solo career and a label and everyone relocating. Then to top it all of you were wearing a suit, and you know how I love you in a suit Quincy." She said to him, and he chuckled.
"I also remember that night because I was late for the VMA'S and I had no date." He said, and she pulled him close to her, opening her legs so he was in kissing distance.
"I thought Sadie was going to die when she walked in here and saw us on your other couch. Then she threw a dress at me, and told me to put it on. She was so pissed off. I think she was scared for life." Jude said, and they both started to laugh.
"And, I'll have you know that I finished unpacking." He stated and she smiled and kissed him on the lips.
"I knew you were good for something Quincy." She said, kissing him again. "Besides that." She said before leaving his office.
Tommy shook his head and he answered his phone before it went to voicemail. "Tom Quincy." He said, sitting down in his chair.
"You don't know me but, I know you. And, we need to talk about Angie." She said. He was running through the list of people who knew Angie best and his mind came up with lots of people but, none of them were in Canada. All of them were in Toronto or Montreal. And, the country code was Los Angeles. He was puzzled to say the least.
"Please continue." He said, and he waited for a response.
"You thought you knew the truth ten years ago but then you found out something else and that wasn't all of it. Hunter has been released from prison and its only a matter of time before he finds you and your fiance. He still holds a grudge against you for the accident." She said, and he was at a loss for words.
"He knows the truth. Portia, she told him the truth. Darius wouldn't have lied to me about that, would he?" He asked and he winced at the memory of that night.
"Yes, he did. Portia never went and saw him. But, the day of the accident Angie told her brother a huge secret. Portia overheard the conversation and it was no accident that your brake wires were cut because she cut Angie's too. I have the police report." The girl said. He looked over to his office door, and he saw that Jude and Jamie where outside his office and he motioned for them to come inside.
"Angie was three months pregnant Tommy. Portia knew about the baby. She was hurt and she was angry. That night of the accident, Angie was going to tell you about the baby, and she was going to ask you to run with her far, far away but, you had another plan and, if you didn't leave when she did then she was leaving without you." The girl finished and he had to brace himself, so he wouldn't drop the phone.
"She wouldn't have kept something like that from me." He stated. He knew Angie, or he thought he did. She'd once told him that he'd be a great man. Angie loved kids, there was no way she would've kept something like that for three months hidden especially from him. He'd always been able to talk to her, and tell her anything.
"She found out the week beforehand and Portia well, she was hurt and she knew you weren't one for kids or so she thought and she figured out a plan. She was jealous. She wanted a baby with you so bad it was killing her. Get the autopsy report for Angie, tell them you were her husband and they will let you see the truth. Be careful, he's out there." She said, and the line went dead.
He sat there in silence for a few seconds stunned. Deep down inside he believed every word she said but, there was the doubt in his mind. Portia wouldn't deliberately do that would she? He asked himself, and he thought back to Jude's 18th birthday party. The entire night, she knew the truth and she didn't say anything. He had to publicly humiliate the woman he was in love with to save her life, and in the end it was almost to late. She waited even a week after the attack and the truth would still be buried in that BoyzAttack gold record if it hadn't fallen off the wall that night.
"Earth to Tommy." Jude said and he snapped out of his zone. "What's going on, you were fine a few minutes ago." She asked him, and he took a drink of his coffee.
"Jamie, can you give us a minute?" He asked and Jamie nodded, leaving the room and heading towards Hayley's studio.
"Spill it Quincy." She said, and he broke. He hadn't planned on telling her yet but, their no secrets clause was about to apply to them. When they got back together last year they promised no secrets, and they'd kept it up until now but, he knew Jude could handle it even though they thought they were done with this.
"It was a girl on the phone, she knew things about Angie that I didn't even know. She said Angie was three months pregnant when she died. She told me that Portia eavesdropped on a conversation between Angie and Portia, and that she'd just found out and that she was leaving with or without me the night I ended things between us. I can't decide if she is telling the truth or if she is lying to me." He said to her, and she walked over to where he was sitting and she sat on his lap.
"We will go through this one together, do you hear me Thomas?" She asked him and he nodded. "We will find out the truth together and in the meantime, we will keep this to ourselves and keep quiet until we get enough proof to do something with." She told him, and he smiled.
"I know I've said this a lot, especially lately but, how in the hell do I deserve you Jude?" He asked her. "After everything I put you through, your still here with me." He said to her, and she smiled.
"Where else am I going to go?" She asked him. "My life is here now, with you. Always." She said to him, and he smiled. "Come on, lets go see what Hayley and Jamie are up to." She said to him. She held her hand out, for his, and he took it getting up from his chair, he followed her out of the office, and into Studio A.