"So...attempted murder, huh?" Jude murmured softly to Tommy, who was facing away from her, sitting on his cot, "That's a new one." Tommy stood at the sound of her voice, turning with a hesitant smile. "Quite the deja vu." Jude commented

"Jude," Tommy reached through the set of metal bars separating them and grabbed her hand, "I feel like shit, I'm sorry."

Jude squeezed his fingers before releasing them, a humorless smile on her lips. She didn't acknowledge his apology, "Mike is dropping the charges, so you should be out sometime tonight."

"Mike's dropping the charges?" Tommy asked, surprised

Jude nodded while quietly clearing her throat, "Yeah. Um, after he does that, I'll have your bail paid and have you outta here."

Tommy winced at her tone, and the way she was avoiding his eyes. She's obviously trying to hide her disenchantment with him. He couldn't figure out why, though; Jude's never been anything but completely raw with her feelings. Tommy reached for her hand again, only managing to brush his fingers against her wrist before she pulled it away "What's wrong?" He felt stupid asking, and due to the look she just gave him, Jude thought the same thing "I'm just tired." She lied with a raspy edge to her voice

Tommy called her bluff with a light tilt of his head. Jude sighed "I just don't understand how you could be so careless." She admitted the least of the many issues filtering through her mind. Far more important questions rested on the tip of her tongue as she bit against them; this wasn't the time or place for another fight, "You promised not to do this, yet, here you are."

"My temper got the best of me." Tommy's eyebrows arched with an expression that begged for her understanding; the understanding she's been so good at with him lately.

Jude wasn't buying it, though, she simply shook her head and took another step back from him. The strongest deja vu crossed over her, her impulse to run was back, pulsing hard and fast through her veins. Unlike last time, however, she fought back just as strong; running just can't be the answer anymore. "So, we're laying together in the hospital and all you can think about is coming to kick the shit out of Mike?"

"I was just so...pissed - I mean, I was looking at the marks he left on you and I-"

Jude cut him off by holding up a hand, a tight, sarcastic smirk on her face, "Save it. I know you, Tommy. What you wanted was to teach that prick a lesson, no matter the cost; I didn't have anything to do with it." She pulled her arms tight over her chest; her t-shirt doing little to keep her warm. Tommy didn't respond, Jude could tell she hit the nail the head with her assumption. Instead of calling him out on it, she went the sudden concern crossing her mind, "Geez, Tommy," She rubbed her upper arm, noticing he wasn't wearing anymore then she is, "You must be freezing, babe."

Tommy shrugged, "I'm fine."

Jude approached him, her arm going between two metal rails and grasping the back of his neck, "I have go to the bonds place," She said and pecked him on the lips, "Call me when you get out and I'll come get you."

Tommy was quick to catch her face within his hands so she couldn't back away again. His face showed pain and concern as he gently ran his fingers through her hair, "Are you okay?"

Jude put her hands on his forearms, pulling them away from her, "I'm fine - a little sore - but fine." She forced a smile, hoping it looked half way real, "Besides, you're the one in jail, shouldn't I be asking you that?" She didn't wait for an answer before taking a long stride back, "Call me when you're out, okay?"

Tommy only had time to nod before Jude turned and strode out of sight. He watched after her for a long uncounted amount of time. She was hurting, that was more then evident, but even more so, she seemed...broken; and he broke her. He turned with a curse on his lips; he must have really done it this time. A few minutes later, a cop slipped him his hoodie through the prison bars, only making Tommy feel worse. How could someone so good be right for someone so wrong?

Jude laid to rest in Tommy's room about an hour later, freshly showered. She relished in the look Mike gave her as she passed him at the station; he'd chosen her side of the bargain, and hated every bit of it. The smile lingered on Jude's face as her head settled within the pillows. She tried to keep any negative thoughts from her mind, tried to keep herself at peace within the current peace surrounding her; the nurse was busy with Tommy's mom, and none of those dicks Tommy called friends were anywhere near her.

"Er...Jude?" The nurse, Sally, tentatively knocked on the door. Jude groaned as she stood, her eyes burning with exhaustion. "I'm sorry," Sally apologized the second Jude swung the door open "I was wondering if Mariam was allergic to anything...? I haven't cooked for her before."

Jude nodded, "She's allergic to nuts, and - she's not allergic - but don't give her anything with onions in it, she hates them."

Sally flashed a wide, polite smile, "Okay, thanks."

Jude's answering smile was a second too late to be believable. Without another word, Sally went back down the hall. Jude turned, closing the door behind her, and was going for the bed when she noticed something sticking out from under the mattress. Her curiosity peeked as she recognized it to be Tommy's journal. He'd read her journal countless time - all of which have been without her permission - so he shouldn't mind.

Jude perched herself on the corner of the bed with Tommy's journal in her lap. The paper within the binding was faded and fragile; the pen marks on the first page shown the same wear.

Jude smiled down at the words, the date noted on the bottom corner read over fourteen years ago. The lyrics were short, tagged on the end were simple rhymes; work of an inexperienced writer. The next page had a picture paper clipped to it, Jude gaped at it. It was Tommy and his mom looking, well, normal. Her hair was brushed back into a braid, make up on, dressed well and standing next to a young Tommy - no more then seven. His grin hasn't changed any throughout the years, Jude noted.

She pulled the journal closer to her face, examining the object in Tommy's hand; it looked like a lunch box, but the photo was too faded on the corner to tell. Tommy's little form was dressed in khaki shorts and a blue polo; probably first day of school. Jude turned the page over, finding another picture attached to the top. Jude recognized the front porch Tommy and another boy was sitting on; they looked enough alike for Jude to determine the other child must be Tristan; they got their black hair and blue eyes from Mariam, it seems. Under that picture was another, but it was too damaged to depict an image from.

The next few pages were full of writings, as they carried on, they got better, more mature. The first really mature song was written with a girl's picture attached next to it; she had brown hair and brown eyes with a smile gracing her beautiful face. Judging by the date, Tommy was twelve when he wrote it. The words were sweet and simple. The girl must be his first girlfriend.

Jude idly wondered how that relationship ended as she turned to the last few pages. She could tell by his handwriting that these were the most recent. A lot of it didn't make any sense to her, it was just a bunch of random thoughts bundled on to one page.

Toward the end of the notebook, Jude found a picture of herself tucked between two pages. It was taken the night before her eighteenth birthday; Tommy picked her up for their date with a camera in hand; they took tons of pictures that night. She remembered Tommy saying it's his favorite photo of her, though, she didn't see it as anything special; It's just her sitting on the passenger side of Tommy's Porsche, taken from the driver's side. She's smiling with her head tilted to rest against the seat. Next to it was a set of unfinished lyrics:

My eyes are no good, blind, without her

The way she moves I never doubt her

When she talks, she somehow creeps into my dreams

She's a doll, a catch, a winner

I'm in love and no beginner

Could ever grasp or understand just what she needs

Baby, baby blue eyes, stay with me by my side

From the morning through the night

Baby, stand here holding my sides

Close your baby blue eyes

Every moment feels right

Every moment feels right; The words repeated in Jude's head, finding immense truth in them; no matter what happens, they will always be right for each other. She kissed the paper before turning it over, finding a whole new set of lyrics, dated the night they spent under the board walk. Jude's cheeks heated at the memory, only Tommy could make her feel the things she does...

Jude almost didn't want to read it - he said it wasn't done, and he'd play it for her when it was, but the first line hooked her in immediately.

I'd give up forever to touch you

Cuz I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't want to go home right now

All I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

Sooner or later it's over

I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me

Because I don't think they'll understand

When everything is meant to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

Jude nearly trembled at the effect the words had on her. Just weeks ago, these had been written on her skin, were a part of her until they faded to nothing. She regretted not reading them back then, they would've kept her going strong, would've held her together better then she's been doing on her own. The beautiful reality was that Tommy loved her, he loved her enough to be selfish enough to keep her here with him. And she loved him enough to stay. Digging up a pen, Jude wrote in the tiniest font she could manage a simple 'I love you too' at the bottom of the paper; he would notice it someday. Time held no bound on the words, no matter how far in the future or how close to the present he read them - they'd still hold truth.

Tommy on the other hand, was a whole different story. He may love her, but that doesn't stop him from hurting her. Jude couldn't imagine ever getting mad enough to repeat the things to him that he'd said to her. Tears trickled down her face at the confusion of it all. How could love be so strong, but so easily shoved aside for weaker powers? Jude bit her upper lip, stopping any further tears in their tracks; if she started now, she'd never stop. With a defeated little sob, Jude returned to her place on the bed and draped an arm over her stomach. She feared the worst, scared that if Tommy made her leave, she'd leave completely heartbroken. After all they've been through here, she couldn't imagine ever being without him; She's faced his flaws and excepted them, that must mean something to him...right?

The front door of Tommy's house creaked open hours later, Tommy's hand holding a nervous grip on the knob, not sure what he's stepping in to. But the house was surprisingly calm. Sally sat comfortably on the couch watching a movie, "Hey." Tommy greeted as he dropped a manila envelope on the coffee table

"Good evening." Sally greeted in return with a smile

Tommy paused, shifting in the awkward silence, "Uh...Where's Jude?"

"She's in your room - has been since she got here, I think she's sleeping."

Tommy nodded, turning for the hall, "Thanks." He opened the bedroom door, met immediately with Jude's sleeping form, he smiled his first real smile in over twenty four hours. He peeled off his shirt and jeans before crawling up next to her and pulling her close to his chest. Jude stirred, turning in his arms to rest her head on the same pillow Tommy's was on. Once he was sure Jude was back to sleep, Tommy pressed a feather light kiss to her lips and slowly fell into a peaceful slumber of his own.