Wow. It's been more then a week already...

The pool chapter I like is up next.

Part 2
"The chaos that controlled her mind…"

Jude searched through the channels on her car radio, sighing and grumbling in turn as each brought up either commercials, babbling DJs or music she didn't exactly consider music. She finally paused on a channel after hearing her name.

"It's proved no instant find for our Instant Star. The teen rocker has been MIA for a couple of weeks and speculation is rife. Despite family and friends denials the police are still suspicious that the singer may simply have run away to escape to a busy upcoming tour schedule-"

She flicked of the radio, silencing the voice mid word and slowly sank back into her seat. "I can't believe it," she murmured, "Are they even looking for me?"

"They don't really have any leads." Tommy glanced in the rear vision mirror and changed lanes as they approached a town. "Speaking of which, where are we going?"

She was silent as they passed a police station. A uniformed cop had stepped out the front door and was walking to his car. She couldn't help but wonder if he was the typical friendly cop type she'd always imagined or the dangerous and crooked type Tommy had described. She only knew she didn't want to find out.

"We get some supplies then we find somewhere to stay. I'm thinking you owe me at least a years worth of four star accommodations after the last couple of weeks."

- -

""It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along…"

Tommy gingerly plucked a baseball cap from the display rack and at Jude's nodded urging slipped it onto his head.

"I've seen you wear a hat before," she remarked as she reached up and twisted it into position onto his head, "So don't make some freaking big deal out of it."

They way Jude saw it both she and Tommy had to disappear until they figured out a Plan B. While she had been pretty adequately disguised the events at the Mall a few days earlier had proven he was still easily recognized. He didn't seem overly willing to go with the disappearing plan, his basic attitude was that it was a matter of time until they were caught.

"It'll do, get that one," she nodded and walked around to the other side of the display stand, casually trying on sunglasses while keeping an eye on the street in front of the shop. She chose out a set of black frames and handed them to him, "Try these."

Looking somewhat resentful of her bossy tone, he tried the glasses then nodded his agreement. Jude spotted a display of backpacks and grabbed a red backpack with lightning zig zags for herself and a black and denim one for Tommy.

"A suitcase I can handle. Backpack? Fine but I am not living out of a sack," she mumbled as she shoved the bags into Tommy's already full hands. He was crossing to the counter when Jude called after him, "You know, we could dye your hair too. I'm thinking Platinum blonde would look totally hot!"

He shot her a withering glance over his shoulder. "Don't push it."

- -

"And all the wounds that are ever going to scar me…"

Jude glanced over her shoulder at Tommy, observing with a small pang of satisfaction as he struggled with the two backpacks and three grocery bags she'd left him to handle. She took of her headphones and set her CD player down on the coffee table as she walked into their new Motel room then turned to silently watch Tommy enter.

"You trying to make a point?" He asked as he tossed the bags down onto the sofa then flopped down next to it.

"You'll bruise the fruit," she scolded as she rushed over and moved her backpack which had fallen on one of the bags of groceries.

"Because bruising the fruit is foremost in my concern," he leaned forward to pick up the remote control just as Jude suddenly and without warning lost her temper and hurled an apple at him. It hit him square in the neck, making a smacking sound before bouncing onto the floor and rolling under the sofa.

"Hey!" he leapt up and turned to her, "What was that?"

She shrugged, "An apple. They're a fruit; grow on trees, said to be good for keeping Doctors away…"

He gritted his teeth, "Don't get cute."

She picked up another apple, tossing it into the air and catching it in her hand as she glared at him. She was confused and angry with herself and the way her emotions were tearing around at a hundred miles an hour. She'd remained apathetic and aloof throughout the entire day simply by pushing thoughts of the reality of their situation from her mind. She'd thought about Tommy and all the complicated feelings and facts that came with him as little as possible. But now here they were, once again in a confining and claustrophobic small space and she found anger welling up at him once again.

He pointed to her apple, "If you throw that at me…"

She raised an eyebrow, "what will you do Tommy? Is there really anything you haven't done already?"

He rolled his eyes, "Get over it, Jude!"

There was a flash of red in front of her eyes and it wasn't the apple. "Get over it?" She hurled it at him, her action so quick he didn't have time to defend himself before the apple hit him square in the chest, "You have got to be frigging kidding me!" She reached for another apple but it was caught up in the bag so she picked the whole thing up and tossed it at him instead. There was a pain in her chest and a sting of tears in her eyes and she couldn't bear for him to see her cry. She tried to brush past him and reach one of the bedrooms but he caught her arm. "Let me go Tommy," she said softly, afraid if she raised her voice any louder it would break.

"I don't take kindly to physical abuse," his voice was firm and still angry, unaware of the change in her emotion.

"Yeah?" she wrenched away from him and rolled up her sleeve to display the fresh red imprints of his fingers on her arm, "Well what about this?" she turned her hands palm up to display the cuts she'd suffered from the mall bathroom mirror then rolled up her pant leg up to show the wound on her leg, "and this? What about the bruises covering half my body from you and Chris pushing me around? What about the lake?" Finally her voice broke and she whirled away from his shocked face and blindly ran into the next room.

- -

"I should have told you everything. I never gave you anything."

"I've already said I'm sorry," Tommy said with a sigh as he leaned against the bathroom door. He could hear water running inside but had a sneaking suspicion it was to cover the sound of Jude crying. "About the lake, about the rest of it, I never wanted it to happen but things can't go on like this, Jude. We have to work together or we're never going to get anywhere."

He leaned his forehead against the door, "I need you to not hate me."

He knew it was a big ask. He hadn't been able to ask forgiveness of himself and somehow he expected it even less from Jude. He knew he was being naïve expecting them to transfer from a kidnapper and captor relationship to friends overnight but he desperately wanted that back. He was scared to death of what was coming and he didn't think he could face it if she was hating and resenting him every moment of every day.

Even if he did deserve it…

"Jude, come on. We don't have time for tantrums."

The door swung open, "I am not having a tantrum," she informed him, her tear stained face once again angry, her eyes sparkling.

"You're holed up in the bathroom trying to punish me. Seems like a tantrum."

"I'm trying to get away from you - there's a difference."

His eyebrows rose and he raised his hands in surrender, "Ouch! Well, you know what?" He leaned forward a little, noticing with a cringe that she leaned back when he did, "If you want to get away from me why haven't you? You're not my hostage anymore. You can go if you want to. You don't have to suffer through my suffocating presence anymore if it's just that terrible."

She rolled her eyes, "Now who needs to get over them self?" She tried to close the door again but he caught it.

"I'm just saying we need each other. We need to make this work."

She sighed, "It's not that simple," her eyes dropped to the floor for a few seconds then met his, "I'm really confused. I don't know how I feel about you. It changes every five seconds but I can't just forget what you've done to me these last couple of weeks, Tommy," her eyes welled up with tears again, "It was hell."

His eyes softened, "I'm sorry. I really am," he tried to put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it away.

"It's just a word. It doesn't change anything. I don't really care what you say your motive was. I don't even know what that means right now. I just need time. Like you said, I don't even know who you are."

This time when she moved to close the door he let her.

Teasers for Part 3
"In darkness she is all I see…"

She turned, wiping the water from her face as she glared at him. "I'm sure you can find something more interesting to watch in the unit: The TV, a wall, your own reflection, I don't really care."

He swam toward her, covering the six or so feet that separated them in a brief couple of seconds, "I really am making you uncomfortable, huh?" He tilted his head in amusement.