Tommy, Jude, and Nikki got back to his house later that night.
"What do you want for dinner?" Tommy asked.
"Oh, I'll cook," Jude offered.
"Mom, for everyone's safety, I refuse to let you cook, unless you need to poison someone, therefore, you're lasagna is perfect," Nikki said.
"Nikki," Jude said. "Go work on a song, I need to talk to your dad."
"Fine," Nikki said and trudged up the stairs.
"Okay," Tommy said. "What's going on?"
"What makes you think something's going on?"
He smiled. "You have your signature 'Jude has something on her mind' face on."
"How long can Nikki and I stay?" Jude asked flat out.
"Jude, you know the two of you are welcome for as long as you like," Tommy said. "Chicken marinara?"
Jude nodded. Tommy began getting the food together. "But the thing is, Nikki doesn't want to leave. And..."
Tommy smirked. Jude saw this and sighed putting her elbows on the counter and her head in her hands.
"Don't make me say it," Jude said.
"You don't have to say anything," he smiled.
"After everything that happened in that house, I can't Tommy. I can't go back," Jude admitted.
"Then stay here," Tommy said. "Nikki has her own room that she's comfortable in, apparently she's like her mother, messy."
"Well, she's also like her father. When she doesn't get her way, she throws a tantrum," Jude smiled.
"Like her mother she's too stubborn to admit she's wrong," he added.
Jude smirked. "No, I'm pretty sure that's from you."
"Maybe," he said. But they were really thinking the same thing about that quality. "That stubborness kept us apart for fifteen years." He then smiled. "Like her mother she thinks her songs are good without me changing them."
"Like her mother, she's right," Jude laughed. Tommy began laughing too.
"Man," he said when he calmed down. "We have one annoying kid."
"There are some good parts about her," Jude said. "She's smart. And funny."
"And just like her mother," Tommy said. Jude gave him a strange look. "She's amazingly talented when it comes to music, and beautiful."
"Yeah," Jude said. "But I always thought she took after you."
"Really?"
"The things she does sometimes," Jude said with a small smile. "She always sleeps on her left side, likes writing in caps, hates my cooking, and you can tell just by looking at her... she's your daughter."
Tommy nodded. "Unlike her mother, she isn't late."
"Unlike her father, she takes less than an hour in the bathroom," Jude said.
"Gee, thanks," he said and put the chicken in a pan. "So, how'd I end up producing you again?"
"Darius asked if I wanted to change producers, now that you were back." Jude sighed. "I decided it was best for everyone this way."
Tommy nodded. "Did Darius know? That Nikki was your daughter?"
"He knew I had a daughter. And that Nikki had a rockstar mother. But he only met her once when she was seven before I took her on tour with me. I tried to keep her away from that stuff, you know?" Jude said.
"I don't think it worked," Tommy chuckled.
"Well Darius found out yesterday that I was her mom, you were her dad. He was a little shocked. He never realized it when he assigned the two of you together."
"Wow," Tommy said.
"I'm glad," Jude said. "I'm glad that it was you."
"Thanks," Tommy said. "I'm glad that it was me too."
"And thank you. For letting us stay here, for producing me again, for everything you've done for Nikki these past few months."
"You welcome. And thanks for letting me get to know our daughter," he smiled. "And I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jude smiled.
"Being a jerk when we first met. Making you put up with all that crap. Leaving."
"I'm sorry for being equally a jerk, and you did have to put up with a lot. For not telling you about Nikki. Letting you walk out that door."
"I'm sorry for asking."
Jude looked into his eyes. "Sorry for saying no."
"The offer still stands," He thought to himself.
"What?" Jude asked.
Tommy's face flushed, did he really say those words out loud? He looked at Jude and smiled. She hadn't heard a thing, she just knew what he was thinking. "Nothing."
"Oh," Jude said. She saw a note pad and a pen and grabbed it. She began writing.
Tommy continued cooking, while watching her write. He smiled as she paused to think.
"I know you aren't composing a grocery list," he said.
"It's a song," Jude said. "I have the music in my head, but the chorus and parts of the verses are a blank."
"You want me to help?" he asked.
"Not yet," Jude said. She tried writing something but immediately crossed it out and slammed the pen down. She sighed with frustration.
"Jude," he said calmly.
"What!" She asked a bit annoyed.
"Just breathe," he smiled. Jude calmed down and stared at him.
"What did you just say?" she asked with a small smirk.
He looked at her confused. "Just breathe?"
Jude smiled and then began writing furiously.
"I'm gonna chill in my room for the rest of the night," Nikki said and carried her dishes out of the dining room and into the kitchen.
"That means I get you all to myself," Jude smiled.
"What's gotten into you Harrison?" he chuckled.
Jude blushed. "Not that. My song. I need your help."
"Hey, I have my own studio," he said and they walked down the hall. Jude walked in and looked around the red studio.
"Nice," she smiled. She saw the acoustic guitar in the corner. She picked it up and began strumming.
"Nah," he shook his head and took it from her. "It needs to be faster." He began strumming the same chords faster. Jude bobbed her head. "Sing," he commanded. Their memories flashed back to the first time the met, the first time they worked on one of her songs, the first times they butt heads over her music. Jude shook those thoughts from her mind and became focused on the song.
"If I just breathe..." she sang.
Around ten, Jude and Tommy were laughing. Nikki, in her pajamas, stood in the doorway and watched her parents. They looked happy. Nikki wanted to stay and watch, but if they acknowledged her presence, they might come out of their own little world, where the past fifteen years hadn't happened. Nikki smiled as she walked down the hallway.
"I'll let them have their fun," she said as she went off to bed.
Around midnight, Jude was singing the first verse.
I've been driving for an hour
Just talking to the rain
You say I've been driving you crazy
and its keeping you away
So just give me one good reason
Tell me why I should stay
'Cause I don't wanna waste another moment
in saying things we never meant to say
She turned to Tommy when she finished. He nodded his head.
Around two in the morning, Tommy strummed the guitar softly as Jude sang the bridge.
So I whisper in the dark,
Hoping you hear me
Do you hear me?
She backed up and then belted the chorus. Tommy smiled as he began playing the faster notes.
If I just breathe
Let it fill the space between
I'll know everything is alright
Breathe,
Every little piece of me
You'll see
Everything is alright
Jude danced around a bit to the music which caused Tommy to laugh.
Around four in the morning, Tommy popped a burned copy of the song out of the computer.
"Think it was worth the all nighter?" Jude asked sleepily.
"Let's see what Darius says," Tommy shrugged.
"I'm so tired," Jude yawned.
"Go to bed, I'm just gonna listen to this one more time," he said.
"No," Jude said. "I can make it a few more minutes. Let's just sit down though." She plopped down on the floor. Tommy chuckled and took a seat next to her as the song played.
Around nine, Nikki walked through the house.
"Mom? Dad?" She peeked into the studio. They were on the floor asleep against the table that held the soundboard. Jude's head was on Tommy's shoulder and his head lay on top of hers. Nikki couldn't help but letting out a small laugh. Tommy woke up first. He saw Nikki in the doorway and then looked to his right where Jude was asleep.
"Uh..." he started.
"Must have been some song," she smiled.
Tommy nodded. He nudge Jude. "Jude, wake up."
"Huh?" Jude awoke a few moments later. "God, we fell asleep here?"
"Guess so," Tommy said.
"It's now nine, and I believe Darius wanted us to show up at ten today," Nikki said.
"Crap!" Jude said and stood up with Tommy.
"I'll go start coffee," Nikki made her way to the kitchen.
"So..." Tommy started awkwardly now that they were alone.
"Um, yeah..." Jude said a bit embarrassed. "We were just... really tired."
"Yeah," he nodded. "Really tired. Really really tired."
"Okay then," Jude said.
"Alright," he said. "We should get ready."
"Yeah, we should," they both walked out the door at the same time getting stuck in the door frame.
"Uh, you first," he said. Jude walked out and Tommy followed.
Jude and Tommy showed up in Darius' office around 10:10.
"You two look exhausted," he chuckled.
"We didn't fall asleep til four, then woke up at nine," Tommy said.
Darius looked at the two a bit confused, but a second later his unasked question was answered by Jude.
"We were working on this," she handed him the CD. He looked at it and put it in to play. He listened to the whole thing and nodded at the end.
"Well?" Tommy said.
"It's good," Darius said with a smile. "I think we just found your first single for your next album."
Jude and Tommy both smiled.
Darius stood up and began to walk out. "You know, I had my doubts. Bring the two of you back together again. But this," he handed the CD to Tommy. "Just threw those doubts out the window. I wanted a finished copy with SME done by next week." He walked out.
"Wow," Tommy said. "I haven't seen him react to a song like that since..."
"...White Lines," Jude finished for him.
"Yeah," he nodded. "We should get to work."
"Yeah," Jude smiled. "I'm glad I get to work with you again."
"Same here," Tommy smiled.
"And what am I?" Nikki said with her arms crossed in the door way. "A second best?"
Tommy looked from her to Jude. "No, you're both number one."
"Speaking of which," Nikki said. "New song, studio A." She walked off leaving Tommy and Jude.
"I'll go work with the band," Jude said.
"And I'll go work with our daughter," Tommy said. They walked out the door at the same time, getting stuck again.
"You go first this time," Jude chuckled. Tommy slid past her and walked to the studio as Jude stood back and watched him.
