A/N: I don't own Instant Star or the song 'Heavy on My Heart' by Anastacia. I'm not making any money off of just, just having some fun before putting the characters back a little worse for wear.
I laid my head down on the conference table, ignoring everyone as they left the room. I didn't get enough sleep last night and to top it off, I just finished another pointless, unproductive meeting. Lately, it seems like I've been running around in circles. Trying to convince one of our newer artists, Lily Moore, that there was a reason we did things a certain way for a very good reason was like hitting your head on a brick wall. I'm just glad that I was able to pass her off onto Jason; I don't think I could have lasted very long as her producer. I can see it now, Lily bursting into tears every time I corrected her mistakes. "Tommy, you gonna sleep there all day, or are we getting down to work?" I lifted my head and glared at Kwest as he leaned against the door frame. "I don't remember us having anything slated for a few more hours. Third Eye's latest track is fixed and approved by Georgia already. Now go away so I can catch a few z's."
Kwest shook his head and smiled, "Sorry, we have a new artist starting today and I hear that she's very finicky about her producer's being on time to work. Oh yeah, she's co-producing this album by the way." I frowned as he turned and walked away, it couldn't be Jude, could it? I thought she wanted some time to think about it. I grabbed my coffee mug and headed to studio one, hoping that it was Jude.
I smiled as I saw Jude talking with Kwest in the sound booth. I opened the door and nodded at Jude as she looked up at me. She looked back at Kwest, "You ready to get this show on the road?" Kwest grinned, "Yeah, let me just grab the mic you want and then it's all yours." I sat down in an empty chair and looked over at Jude, "So, you broke down. What made you do it?" Jude frowned and reached down to pick up her guitar, "I thought about it yesterday, there's nothing for me to do besides help Sadie with her wedding; although, Sadie pretty much has that planned out pretty well. Sometimes I think she'd be able to run the country blindfolded with no problem." She stopped and looked down at her lap for a moment, before looking up, "Sometimes I just wish that I…" She broke off as Kwest came back in, "Okay, it's all set up for you." She nodded and walked into the recording booth with her guitar.
I turned to Kwest as he took her empty chair, "What were you two talking about earlier?" Kwest flipped a few switches on the sound board, getting set up while Jude checked that her guitar was tuned properly. "She was explaining the feel she wanted for her new album. She has a pretty defined view of it and I can't wait to hear all her new songs." He turned the intercom on "Anytime you're ready Jude." She nodded and scooted closer to the mic before settling in with her guitar. She nodded at us and started strumming the opening chords.
I try to fly away but it's impossible
And every breath I take gives birth to deeper sighs
And for a moment I am weak
So it's hard for me to speak
Even though we're underneath the same blue sky
If I could paint a picture of this melody
It would be a violin without its strings
And the canvas in my mind
Sings the songs I left behind
Like pretty flowers and a sunset
It's heavy on my heart
I can't make it alone
Heavy on my heart
I can't find my way home
Heavy on my heart
So come and free me
It's so heavy on my heart
I've had my share of pleasure
And I've tasted pain
I never thought that I would touch an angel's wings
There's a journey in my eyes
It's getting hard for me to hide
Like the ocean at the sunrise
It's heavy on my heart
I can't make it alone
Heavy on my heart
I can't find my way home
Heavy on my heart
So come and free me
It's so heavy on my heart
Love, can you find me in the darkness, and love,
Don't let me down
There's a journey in my eyes
It's getting hard for me to hide
And I never thought I'd touch an angel's wings
I let out the breath that I had held in at some point. I looked at Kwest and saw that he was having the same problem I was, Jude had just reached out and grabbed our heart strings. I watched Jude as she waited for our response. I flipped the intercom, "That's great, let's take just the lyrics though, okay?" She nodded and set her guitar down before repositioning the mic for her standing height. She gave thumbs up and closed her eyes, releasing the lyrics from her heart. My breath hitched as I watched the play of emotions on her face. I wanted to reach out to her and wrap my arms around her, protecting her from all the pain she was feeling. I watched spell bound until she opened her eyes afterwards, a single tear making its way down her cheek.
Kwest nudged me as she turned around to pick up her guitar, "Go get some coffee, I'll send her out there while I work on this." I nodded, knowing I would be useless for a few minutes, my thoughts twisting and turning around in my head. I grabbed my coffee mug and headed out to the lobby without looking back at Jude.
I grabbed the coffee pot only to realize that it was empty. I took it into the kitchen to rinse it out and fill it with water. I set it on the counter and started looking for the filters; someone had left the empty box in the cabinet again. I dropped down to check the lower cabinet, sticking my head in it. What a mess, I was more organized than this at my place and I'm a bachelor. "Well, if this is the standard view on break, I just might have to call them often then." I hit my head on the cabinet as I heard Jude's teasing voice behind me. I finally saw the coffee filters and grabbed them, holding them up triumphantly. "Sorry, the view is only for when some idiot decides to hide the coffee filters in the bottom cabinet buried beneath everything else. Wish I could help you out, but then Georgia might fire me for lack of productivity." I grinned at her, happy to see that her mood was considerably lighter.
I grabbed the filled coffee pot and walked back to the lobby area. "Thank goodness. I thought for a moment that I would have to kill someone before I got any more coffee today!" I shook my head, "What, that Venti extra espresso wasn't enough for you this morning? You can't fool me Harrison, I know your secrets." She smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes, "You may know some Quincy, but not all of them." I looked at her after starting the coffee maker, "Any time you feel like sharing, I'll lend an ear Jude." She sighed and turned away, pouring cream and sugar into her mug, "I'm just not ready right now Tommy. Maybe someday, but not now." I sighed and poured the fresh coffee into her mug, "So much for the Quincy charm, I must be getting rusty." It had the desired effect; she laughed and playfully swatted me in the arm. "Give me my coffee so I can get back to work." I looked down at her out stretched hand and back up at her grinning eyes, "That's all I am now, just a cute guy to ogle and make coffee for the pretty stars." I handed her the coffee and ducked before she could swat me again. "No, you don't have any time left, breaks over missy!"
I shooed her to the studio before pouring my own mug of coffee. I frowned over what was said and what wasn't. I'll find out sooner or later what's going on with her. She can't keep me in the dark too long, she never could. For now, though, I'll settle for making her smile. The sight of that lone tear on her face really threw me for a loop. I let my mind wander back to a certain night outside in the rain for a moment. Yeah, her tears always had the power to make me fall to my knees around her. Some things never change.