The day after a disgruntled Shay left G-Major, Jude and Sadie sat in Jude's room, just as they did every year on August fifteenth, acknowledging the event that had occurred seven years ago.

"Mom!" a happy, eight-year-old Jude yelled, running into the house and waving around a copy of Garbage's debut album. The CD store Jude usually went to had a "Birthday Bin" where they put CD's released on that day, from the current year and years past. "You've got to hear this song!"

"She's gone," a ten-year-old Sadie said in a small voice. Jude noticed tear tracks on her face. "She came back, got a suitcase full of clothes and didn't even say goodbye."

Jude's face fell. Her arms fell and the CD did too. "Stupid Girl," she whispered. "Should've known it was a sign."

"Hey Jude," seventeen-year-old Sadie said. "You know that song you made when Dad cheated?" Jude nodded. "Could you play it again?" Jude nodded, knowing that it was their mom Sadie was mad at.

"I drift away to a place another kind of life
Take away the pain I create my paradise
Everything I've held has hit the wall
What used to be yours isn't yours at all

Falling apart and all that I'm asking
Is it a crime, am I overreacting?"

Jude decided to mess with the lyrics a bit.

"Oh, she's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of it
I've got a reason now to bury this alive
Another little white lie"

Sadie nodded in approval at the change, and Jude continued.

--

Though it was a Monday Jude had specifically demanded off, Jude ran into the studio, Sadie and a confused Tommy following behind.

"Jude, nice to see you," Georgia said. "This must be your sister-"

"We need a studio, now," Jude said, ignoring her comment.

"Jude," Georgia sighed. "You don't have a session, and we're booked right now."

"Kick them out. We need a studio," Jude said. Georgia looked at the fifteen-year-old, and saw a glazed look in her eye that said she was somewhere else at the moment. She sighed.

"I can get you half an hour," Georgia said, walking towards the Studio B. She opened the door. "Hey Kwest. Take a half hour break. You'll have your studio back then, whether they're finished or not," she said, gesturing towards Jude and Tommy, looking at them pointedly.

Kwest sighed. "I don't know what's going on man, but anytime you want to give me a sandwich break, you're welcome to. You're lucky I'm just mixing." He left the studio, heading towards Hospitality.

"Acoustic," Jude said as soon as he left. She turned to Sadie. "Original lyrics?"

"They rhyme better," Sadie said. "And people will think it's a break-up song." Jude nodded, and slipped into the booth, taking the acoustic out of its case.

Tommy stared at her, still confused. "What's so important?"

"Skin is what's so important Tommy. You ready?" His eyes widened, and he nodded, sitting in front of the soundboard.

"Skin, take one on three…"

--

"…I got a reason now to bury him alive!" Jude was singing fiercely when Georgia entered a half hour later. Jude's voice softened. "Another little white lie…"

Georgia stood there, awed by the emotion in Jude's voice. Tommy looked up and noticed her. "Five minutes for mixing?" he pleaded.

Georgia nodded. "I'll go get EJ." She noticed Sadie sitting in the booth. How odd. Tom didn't usually let people who weren't recording into the booth. He said it ruined the sound.

Georgia came back five minutes later, EJ in tow. "Let's hear it," EJ snapped immediately, impatient with the interruption of her schedule. Tommy looked to Jude, who nodded, and then pressed play. EJ was as awed as Georgia by the end of the first chorus. Georgia was shocked to see Jude and Sadie holding each other and bawling as the song progressed. She was equally shocked when Tom went over to the chair where they sat and lifted them both into his lap, an arm around each, rubbing their backs soothingly.

Kwest came in just in time to hear the end. "Wow. Best progress ever made within a half hour." He turned and took in the two crying girls. "Oh."

Georgia, EJ and Kwest stood there, looking on in silence, for a few more moments. Finally, Sadie got it together first, and she sat up abruptly, carrying the still crying Jude. "She'll see you tomorrow," she said, and ran out the door, Tommy following, leaving many confused G-Major employees in their wake.

--

When the three got to the Harrison home, Sadie went up to her room, and called to see when their dad would be home. Tommy carried Jude up the stairs and into her room, and placed her on the bed. She wasn't crying anymore, she was just sitting silently, tear tracks adorning her face.

"You want to talk," he said. "Because I know you Girl, and it's not your dad you're mad at."

Jude nodded. "After my mom left, it got bad enough that Sadie started considering prostitution, thinking it was the only way she could make money. She was only ten…" Tommy's eyes widened. "I managed to convince her not to, but that month was tough. That's the main reason why Sadie won't call her Mom. I don't blame her…"

Tommy's grip on Jude tightened, and his eyes narrowed in anger. "Your mom… she's not a mother," he said tersely. "She's… a heartless opportunist, who doesn't care about anybody. I can't believe…"

"Can't believe what?" Jude asked, biting her nail. Tommy got even angrier when he remembered that Jude would only do that when she was nervous as hell… or really, really depressed.

"About a week before my fifteenth. She caught my mom beating me, but she didn't stop it. She took me over to your house afterwards and nursed my wounds, though. She promised she'd do something about it. She promised she'd make her stop," he said, voice no longer tight, but soft, rueful.

Jude laughed bitterly. "Yeah, well it looks like no one can trust mothers. The dads may cheat and leave the child with the mom, but the moms either beat their kids or leave them with nobody."

For many hours after that, Jude and Tommy sat, holding each other, stewing in silence. At one point, Sadie joined them. She said nothing, just walked in and lied in their laps, staring at the wall.

--

Friday of that week, Jude returned from a bathroom break to find Tommy gone. "Where'd Tommy go?" she asked Kwest. "I thought he wanted to do another take before we left."

Kwest turned to her. "He said we were finished today, because he needed to go get lamb chops for dinner." Jude's face turned into an angry snarl. She cursed. "What?" Kwest said.

"Tommy hates lamb chops, you idiot!" Jude yelled. Kwest looked taken aback.

"So?"

"His mom loves them!"

--

Oooooooo, another cliffie-ish thing.

Oh, so this story is now officially my most-reviewed story. You guys rule!