Chapter 2

Do You See Lights?

a/n: Okay, just to answer a few questions, yes, it is Chris, Haley, Brooke, and Peyton from the One Tree Hill cast. The three boys may make occasional appearance, but they aren't as important of characters. Haley, Brooke, Peyton, and Chris are going to play a major role in the next few months of Jude's life. Jude will grow closer to Chris, probably more than she should, and Haley (and Brooke, more so than Peyton) will become Jude's rocks.

Jude walked into the place she would call home for the next few months and looked around. As Chris had told her, the place was beautiful. The walls of the sitting room were painted a gorgeous cream, and the furniture was all matching, a beautiful yellow leather. Pretty, not tacky. Jude had fallen in love the firs time she'd seen it. The place was open and spacious; enough room for a baby to crawl around and not get hurt. She found out that Haley had a baby girl of 4 months, who was constantly rolling around the sitting room floor on the plush carpet. Jude couldn't help but want to help take care of her. Annalisa was such a good baby that Jude actually prayed her own daughter could be at least a fraction as good as her.

Across on the left side of the sitting room, there was a walking space that, if followed, led up to the hall and then up the stairs. Past the walking space onto the other side of the room was a large kitchen. If you walked into it, you'd swear a chef made all the meals. Everything was Teflon and stainless steel. The counters were marble and the floor was Victorian stained wood. An island took up the middle of the room, with the sink and counter stove taking over the entire right wall. If you walked straight forward, around past the island, it led into the dining room. Everything centered round the fire-lit chandelier that hung from the ceiling. It had only been used once in the month that the house's 4 residents had lived there. Jude couldn't help but love it.

Chris interrupted her thought process as he entered the dining room and smiled. "Hey."

She smiled looking back at him. "Hey..How are you this fine day?"

He shrugged. "Awake," he joked. "You look tired."

She shrugged. "I am a little, I Guess…I'm just worried about this scheme going off with the press."

He shrugged, almost mirroring her. "It will. We have natural chemistry."

Her face flushed and a smile covered her face as she looked at the floor. No man had ever been that straight forward with her before, and here this 23 year old was doing just that."What is it that makes you want to help me?" She asked softly.

He smiled and lifted her chin, making her look at her. "Everything about you. You're a good person, Jude Harrison. You didn't deserve for this to happen to you, but you're doing everything you can to make the best of it. No matter what's happened, you haven't given up on your baby or the people who love you because you know deep down they need you, and you know you need them too."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip as tears filled her eyes. "Yeah…."

He smiled, tucking a strand of her hair out of the way. "I want to be the man that holds your hand when you give birth to that baby. I want to be the one she cries for in the middle of the night; I want to be the one you have to bring her to calm her down because everything you're doing just isn't working….I've only known you 2 weeks yes, but I've fallen for you like you wouldn't believe."

Tears flitted in Jude's as she looked at him. Everything about him was so genuine and pure, which was a stark contrast from her the way she was. Would she drag him down if she let him in? Her life was already in shambles, and she'd only begun to start being able to pick up the pieces of her life since he had asked her to let him help her. This man was everything she wanted in a husband and more. "Okay…"

He smiled, kissing her lips softly. She kissed him back, resting her hand on his sides as he held her face in his hands, continuing to kiss her. It was slow and sensual; he didn't want to push her faster than she was ready for. Her trust had been severely violated, and she deserved to be treated like an angel. Not like dirt on someone's shoe.When they pulled away from each other, she couldn't help but smile.

Haley and Brooke chose that moment to enter the room, and the smile on Haley's face was wide enough to kill. "My little brother and new best friend. Who would have thought…Oh, wait. Me," She teased, giggling. Jude couldn't help but laugh with her, shaking her head.

Haley managed to get her away from Chris, and 20 minute later they were down town eating Chinese.

Haley sighed, looking at Jude. "So do you like him?"

Jude blushed, looking down at the plate. She knew Haley knew she liked him. She also knew Haley just wanted to hear the words from her mouth for absolute conformation. "Mmm…I do a lot…He's just…everything I've ever dreamed about in a husband…"

Haley smiled, squeezing Jude's hand. "This is so cool!" Jude giggled, shaking her head as she took a bite of food. "Do you really think we can sell it to the press that we were together before now?"

Haley shrugged. "Like he said, you two have natural chemistry, so only time will tell. If the press digs, they might be able to see through your exterior though. They can be harsh sometimes….I remember when we were on tour last year, they tried that we were dating!"

Jude threw a hand over her mouth to stop herself from spitting out her food as she laughed. Haley smiled, shaking her head. "The things people will believe….Its funny,.."

Jude nodded, shaking her head at how hilarious that had sounded to her. Her new-found boyfriend, and best friend, who were siblings,…dating. Ew. But hilarious. She smiled as she looked around, resting a hand on her stomach. Cameras were clicking around them, but for the first time in months, Jude didn't care. Let them take pictures. Let them talk about how pregnant she looked, and whether they thought Chris was the father of her baby. She didn't care. She and Haley wrapped up eating lunch and then Jude headed to the studio, knowing she had a recording session with Chris. She was excited to be there for the first time in months. She'd written a descent song for the first time in what seemed forever, and she couldn't wait to play for him.

As she entered the studio, she smiled, seeing Chris hard at work on one of Next Thursday's single. They were a new electric pop band that had just signed with G Major and seemed to be quickly climbing to stardom. The new season of Instant Star had already started, and Jude had been scheduled to play the finale, but because she would be due around that day, Next Thursday would be playing in her slot instead.

It was then that Chris noticed she'd stepped into the room. He smiled at her and took his headphones off, walking up to her. "Hey."

She smiled at him, walking over to him and kissing him softly. "Hi. How's the mixing coming?"

He shrugged. "Good, I guess….Its more fun when its your music though…"

She giggled and shook her head. "I have this song I want to record…" She handed him a CD, biting her bottom lip. She'd only laid down a guitar track, strictly so she'd have a beat to follow while she was recording the vocals.

He looked up at her and nodded, smiling."Alright. Lets lay it down and then we can mix it and send it off to Darius. He wants to ship out a single to all the radio stations tomorrow…."

Jude smiled and nodded, walking into the soundbooth. She slipped on her headphones, smiling at Chris as she waited for him to give her the go ahead. The music began to flow through the headphones and she looked briefly down at her journal on the music stand before she began to sing softly.

"Can I ask you a question please
Promise you won't laugh at me
Honestly I'm standing here
Afraid I'll be betrayed.
As twisted as it seems, I only fear love when it's in my dreams
So let the morning light come in and let the darkness fade away

Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?

Drowning in my loneliness
How long must I hold my breath
So much emptiness inside I could fill the deepest sea
I reach to the sky as the moon looks on
One last year has come and gonne
It's time to let your love rain down on me

Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Cuz
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin like I'll blame it on love

Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Cuz I'm feelin like I'll blame in on love
I'm feeling like I'll blame it on love (until fades)"

As the song came to a close, she sighed softly, lifting the headphones off her ears. That song had come from the heart. Tommy had hurt her badly when he'd left, and she'd pretty much lost her ability to trust when Brendan had raped her. Now that she'd met Chris, things seemed to have turned around a lot, in such a short amount of time. She really cared for him, and he seemed to care just as much. He was willing to do anything for her when he barely knew more than what the media said about her. She sighed softly and finally worked up the courage to exit the studio. She walked over to him and smiled. He smiled back at her and stood up, taking her hands in his. She looked down, but he lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I would love to turn your black roses red."

She looked up at him and smiled before he kissed her lips softly, running the back of his fingers up and down against her arms. She melted into him, lifting her arms to wrap them around his neck. He held her closely kissing her with just as much passion as he held her sides. After a few minutes, she pulled away and rested her forehead against his. "Before you showed up…everything sucked major…I thought I'd lost my music forever. I was waiting for Darius to kick me out."

Chris shook his head, caressing her cheek. "That'd never happen. You're too amazing of an artist, and you write way too many beautiful songs. If a label were ever to get rid of you, it'd be their biggest regret…"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "If you said that to me a month ago, I would have seriously doubted you were being truthful."

He shook his head, smiling at her. "Its true. So very true. You deserve the best, Jude Harrison. You deserve to be happy and to find love that you'll never lose. You've been through enough in the last few months."

She smiled, looking to the floor. "Well…I'm gonna head home. Bring the single with you when its done?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "I'll be there in a few hours when its done…"

She smiled and nodded, walking out of the building. She didn't stop anywhere as she made her way home. She was so drained just from recording that song. She'd laid her heart on the line and for once it hadn't been handed back to her in pieces. As she entered the house, she set her things down near the door and then made her way up to her room. On the other side of the house, she could faintly hear Haley playing a song on her guitar, and if she listened really hard, she was sure she'd hear Peyton's charcoal pencil scraping against a piece of paper. Finally, with the two sounds mixed, she drifted off to sleep…

She was awoken with a light shake to the shoulder, and looked up to see Chris standing next to her. She smiled and sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes. As she looked outside, she saw the sun going down. She gave him a sheepish smile and ran a hand through her hair. "What'd Darius think of the song?"

Chris smiled. "He loved it. He's sending it out to the radio stations tomorrow morning to play. He said he thinks they're gonna love it."

Jude smiled and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Good. I'm glad."He smiled and looked down at her, kissing the top of her head softly. "Do you want me to play it?"

She nodded and settled back against the bed with her legs in a figure four while her hands rested comfortably on her stomach. He smiled and popped the CD into her 5 disc player. Jude closed her eyes as she listened to it play. A small smile spread across her lips as she listened to it. It sounded just how she'd heard it in her head when she'd laid down the guitar track earlier that day in the home studio. As the song finished out, she stood and hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you, so much."

He smiled and nodded. "It was my pleasure, really. I was happy to do it."

She smiled and sighed, looking at him. "You do too much for me. I don't deserve it."

He shook his head, caressing her cheek. "Yes you do. So much."She smiled and shook her head, not wanting to argue the situation. "So…."

He smiled and shook his head, getting up and walking out of the room."HEY!" She jumped up, chasing after him…

The next day flew by rather quickly, and by 4 PM, when Jude' song was due to drop on the radio, everyone was drained. They were all settled in hospitality, awaiting the MC to announce it. Everyone chatted quietly until they heard her name."And Jude Harrison's got quite the scandal in her life right now. Word on the street is that she's dating her producer. No, not heart throb, Tom Quincy. Do you guys remember that big tour that went through the country last year. Chris Keller headlined it, and now he's producing Jude's 3rd album; and apparently that's not the only thing he's produced with her. Jude is 5 months pregnant, and Chris is rumoured to be the father. Only time will tell if it's the truth. In the mean time, they are making quite the music together. This new one is called Black Roses Red, and its by Jude Harrison. Enjoy."

Jude and Haley giggled softly over what the MC had said while everyone else listened along to the song.

2000 miles away, Tommy Quincy stood in the kitchen of his sister's home, listening to the same song.The sound of that name brought anger across his face. It was time to go home. Now.

Uh...ohhhh...Tommy drama to come in the next chapter:) Look out for it