A/N: I lied; I'm updating again today but it's late so it's practically tomorrow. lol. Once again, I love my reviewers.

"I never thought you to be one to lie," a smooth voice said behind Jude as she found her bags in the luggage claim at JFK in New York. "And to Darius Mills? Bravo, kid."

"Shay," Jude grinned, turning around to face him. "I guess Darius can read through lies."

"After practically raising me, what do you think?" Shay smirked. "Now, why did you tell him you and I still talk? We haven't talked in two years."

She sighed. "Do we have to talk about this right now? I need to find a hotel."

"Please," he scoffed, feigning a look of hurt. "I live in a huge loft in the Village, Darius didn't set you up anywhere, and he'd kill me if I didn't offer you a room at my place."

"I'm gonna be here about a month," she explained. "Does that bother you? How will your women feel?"

"Hey, they got places, too," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Now, come on. I've gotta stop by my studio before we head back home." He picked up one of her bags and led her out.

New York. Jude had only really seen it in pictures and on Friends re-runs, but it was already growing on her. She'd done TRL, but for that, she flew in and flew right back out. The fast pace, the unique people, and the diversity called to her. Toronto was nice, but boring. New York City was a world completely all it's own.

"It's different, isn't it?" he asked, leading her to his chauffeur-driven limo. "Well, Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore."

"I see that," she breathed, smiling at all the lights and sounds. "It makes Toronto look like a horse and buggy town."

"I guess," he muttered, typing on his Sidekick. "So, what caused the runaway?"

"Hurricane Tommy," she answered sullenly. "And I'm not ready to talk about it, so, don't go there."

Shay, like everyone else who knew her, knew to stop prying, so he settled into his seat and turned on the radio. 'White Lines' played through. "This was a good song, even if you wrote it."

She leaned over him and turned it off. "I don't like it."

"Well, never in a million years did I expect to hear Jude Harrison admit to not liking one of her own songs," he chuckled. "Why not? If I think it's good, it must be."

"You don't know anything about it," she growled. "You don't know how I felt when I wrote it, or how I felt when I recorded it, or how I felt when I watched Tommy speed away in the night last year. There's a lot to the story, Shay."

"I'll take your word for it," he nodded as the limo pulled up in front of a swanky studio. "So, do you wanna come in? It shouldn't take more than five minutes, but I'm not making any promises."

Jude followed him inside and gasped at the equipment. It made G-Major, which she'd always thought of as nice, look like a crummy booth in someone's basement. And not only that, but Shay spent his days surrounded by people like Kanye West and Jay-Z.

"I can't believe this," she admitted, looking around. "This is amazing."

"Better than that piece of crap Darius owns," he pointed out, nodding at a guy in a recording booth. "That's J. Busy; I guarantee he'll be huge this time next year."

Jude shrugged. "I don't listen to rap but I'm sure he will."

"You liked it once upon a time," he mused.

"No," she corrected. "I liked a rapper, not rap itself."

Shay rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Okay, I'm gonna go pick up a demo from my producer, so you can wait here." He sat her in a plush chair and walked off.

Just as she settled down, her cell phone rang. She sighed at the number and opened it. "Hello?"

"So, you made it?" Sadie asked worriedly. "Darius called me, Kwest, and Tommy into his office today to tell us he'd talked to Shay and that you were gonna be okay. Are you?"

"I'm fine," Jude assured her through gritted teeth. "Sadie, can you just let me be independent for once? I'll be alright and I'll call you once I've cooled down some."

There was silence on Sadie's end. "Umm, there's someone who wants to talk to you."

"No," Jude growled. "If you put him on the phone, I won't call you at all."

"Dude, what is up?" Spiederman's voice came through. "You got one song recorded and up and left? You're lucky we're getting somewhere on the solo album or we'd all officially hate you."

Even though Spiederman had known about Sophie, Jude couldn't be mad at him. Plus, it felt nice to hear his voice. "I'm only gone for a few weeks and when I get back, I'll get into a studio with Kwest to do some work."

"Kwest?" Spiederman repeated. "You just got back with Tommy and you're ditching him already?"

"Spied," she warned. "Think about that statement and then retract it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he laughed quietly. "Well, don't hesitate to call, day or night, and we'll miss you, dude." He hung up and handed the phone back to Sadie.

Tommy stood against a wall, watching as Sadie shook her head at Kwest before leaving the studio. He knew she wouldn't talk to him, no matter what he did and that was far worse than her screaming in his face.

"She'll cool off," Nic said, approaching him from his left. She was leaving the next day and wanted to spend time around the few people she knew in Toronto. "If I know anything, it's being scorned and she'll get over it, I promise."

"Nic, not now," he murmured. "I just need to be alone for a while."

"Well, you don't have that option anymore," she pointed out. "You've got a five-year-old who depends on you now, bro. Sophia can't take care of herself and while Maria is the nanny, she's not her mother." She gave him a very pointed look and walked off to find Portia.

Jude found herself amazed once again as she walked through Shay's loft. It was three stories, had fourteen rooms, and great views. "How much does this set you back a month?"

"Enough," he replied, falling onto his couch. "So, if I'm housing you for a month, I want the whole story and you can't refuse."

"Fine," she agreed, sitting down on a chair across from him. "Well, as even you know, Tommy left at the beginning of summer last year. What you probably don't know is that he left on the night of our first real date. I spent most of the year waiting for him to come home, or even to hear from him, but neither happened. Then, I got mad and hated him. Umm, last week, Sadie married Kwest and he came back for the wedding with a gorgeous little girl, Sophie, in tow, saying she was his niece that his dead sister had left in his care. All last week, I let myself open up to him again only for his not dead sister to waltz into G-Major two days ago, telling me that Sophie was really Tommy's daughter. So, he'd lied to me again and I couldn't deal with that."

"Where do I come in?" he asked. "I mean, I asked you to tour with me, you said no, and now here you are, sleeping in my guest room."

Jude sighed. "I needed to get away, I knew you were in New York and I just lied."

"I don't believe you," he said simply. "You came to a place where you knew Tommy knew, hoping he'd come after you."

"Wrong!" she fumed. "I came to the place where I could be on my own and maybe find Kat."

"Oh, your friend?" he guessed. "I've run into her a couple of times."

"Do you know where she's living?" she asked. "I'd love to see her."

He sighed. "Uhh, I've seen her go into a building on Lexington a couple of times, so maybe there? Now, how close did you get with Tommy this last week? I mean, it must've been pretty intimate if you went running scared."

"Shay," she said pointedly. "Don't."

"Hey, if you want that room, I want details," he stated plainly. "Not details details, but just to know what happened."

She sighed quietly. "I slept with him, okay? Are you happy now?"

"I always knew you would," he mused, closing his eyes. "First time?"

"God, you're a pig," she scoffed. "Yes, first time. Can we stop discussing my personal life now? It's a little awkward with you."

"Alright," he nodded in agreement. "Well, you can have the room that's the second door on the right on the third floor."

"Thanks," she mumbled, picking up her stuff and taking it upstairs.

Her room was a light green color with a double bed in one corner, a dresser in another, and a hanging plasma TV across from the bed. It wasn't as homey as her own bedroom, but it was nicer than a stuffy hotel. She unpacked her clothes and turned her cell phone back on. She'd turned it off after hanging up with Spiederman, afraid of getting calls she wasn't ready for. And there it was.

"Jude, I know you don't want to hear from me, so maybe it's better I'm leaving a message," Tommy's tired voice came through. "I'm just gonna let you do what you gotta do, I guess. Call me if you want to, but if you don't, I won't hold it against you." Pause. "I love you, Jude Harrison, and that's not changing."

She listened to it twice before deleting it. Hearing that hurt her heart all over again and it was too much. She fell against the pillows of the bed and started to cry.

"Hey, Jude, are you hungry?" Shay asked, letting himself into the room. Her saw her tears. "Hey, are you alright?"

"No," she said honestly. "He left me a message and told me he loves me, Shay. Why couldn't he have just told me about Sophie if he loved me so much?"

"Well, guys like Tommy, and I know a lot of them, aren't exactly the most revealing people," he explained sympathetically. "Maybe he was just trying to protect a kid from a kid."

"Would you all stop worrying about protecting me?" she yelled. "I am 18, an adult, and can take care of myself, so just let me, okay?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything here, Jude, so don't yell at me," he told her sternly. "Why don't you just go to bed and I'll take you to Kat's building in the morning."

Jude rolled over to face the wall. "Fine."

Jude woke up to the sound of Shay talking on his cell phone. She changed out of her previous day's clothes into a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt before making her way to the staircase.

"Darius, the girl is all over the place," she heard him saying. "One minute, she's acting like everything is fine and whatever, and suddenly, she's crying, saying the guy broke her heart." He stopped and Jude assumed Darius was talking. "Well, she's not coming home yet, that much I know. She's got a friend in Manhattan and I'm taking her to find her today." Another bout of silence. "Well, Tommy's an idiot, so if you send him after her, you may never get Jude back." Darius obviously cut him off a lot. "Fine. Well, I'll call you with an update later." He hung up.

"Talking about me behind my back?" she teased from her spot on the stairs, causing him to jump. "What did Caesar want?"

"To know how you were, when you were coming home, and whether he should send Tommy to get you," he answered. "And you heard my responses, so now you know."

"Why would he even suggest sending Tommy?" she scoffed, helping herself to a bagel in the kitchen. "I'd rather him send my moronic step-dad, Don Juan."

Shay smiled. "There's the Jude I know and once loved."

"Except, you never loved me, Shay," she pointed out. "You loved the publicity, just like Darius. And then you loved dumping me for Eden."

He shuddered at her name. "That was a mistake from the get-go. Sadly, after all this time, she still calls me, asking to hang out."

"Doesn't she have manicures to get done and makeup to buy?" Jude joked, pouring a glass of orange juice. "Look, I really appreciate you letting me stay here, Shay, but if I get to be a hassle, I can get a hotel."

He shrugged. "Nah, it's cool. I get lonely sometimes and I like having you around; somehow you have a way of keeping me grounded."

"Someone's got to keep that big head of yours humble," she grinned, looking at a wall clock. "Okay, so it's 10:45 now. Can you take me to Kat?"

"Yeah," he agreed, putting his phone in his pocket. "Do you wanna take a cab or should I call for a Town Car?"

"Cab," she answered. "I'm not much for all that glamourous stuff."

The ride to Lexington Avenue was fairly quiet except for the driver who would randomly yell at pedestrians in Japanese. Kat's building was pretty nice with a doorman and ivy covering the exterior.

"Hi, I'm looking for Kat Benton?" Jude asked the doorman politely. "She's an old friend of mine."

"Let me see what I can do," he replied, stepping up to the call box. "Miss Benton, you've got a friend down here looking for you." He turned back to Jude. "Your name?"

"Oh, Jude Harrison," she told him.

"It's a Miss Jude Harrison," he added to Kat. Jude heard a muffled voice reply. "You may go up."

Jude looked to Shay. "Thanks. I can find my way back later."

"Alright," he said, driving away in the taxi.

The doorman opened the door for Jude and told her to take the elevator to the ninth floor and that Kat lived in 9G.

"Check you out," Kat grinned, opening the door before Jude could knock moments later. "All grown up and jaded?"

"That's me," Jude chuckled sheepishly, following Kat inside. "This is a great place."

"Well, I'm working at Prada now, so they pay for it," Kat explained, settling onto her couch. "What in God's name brings you to New York City?"

Jude sighed and sat next to her. "Remember when you said we couldn't be friends if every time I was happy, you wanted to wreck it?" Kat nodded and Jude continued. "Well, we can go back to being best friends again cause I'm miserable."

"What happened?" Kat asked, pulling her phone off the hook. "I took a sick day and work keeps calling."

"Alright, well, around this time last year, Tommy left abruptly on the night of my album release," Jude started, getting tired of telling the story. "It was also the night of our first official date, so if you can't imagine, it left me reeling. I went crazy, had those pictures taken, they went to tabloids, and I had to do a lot of damage control. Well, just recently, Sadie married Kwest and Tommy came back to town to be the best man with this little girl, Sophie, in tow who he explained as his niece, saying his younger sister, Nicole, her mother, had died of ovarian cancer. Umm, I stupidly let him back in and I slept with him and whatever, only for everything to blow up in my face. Monday, he's in the studio with Kwest and Mason while I'm in the lobby when this gorgeous brunette waltzes into G-Major, claiming to be his sister, Nic. She tells me she's his only sister, she's definitely not Sophie's mom, and Tommy is really her father. Obviously, he'd lied to me again and I just bolted. I'm now staying in the Village with Shay of all people, and he said he'd seen you come here a few times, so here I am."

Kat hugged her. "Jude, I'm so sorry. Even for how mad I was at you, I would've never wished that on you at all. Plus, I'm pretty serious with this guy, Damon, who is the anti-Jamie." Kat and Jude had fallen out the previous year over Jamie, whom Kat had dated before he'd dumped her for Jude, whom he'd been in love with since diapers. "So, have you talked to Tommy at all?"

"We got into a huge fight before I left," Jude reported. "He finally told me that he loved me and I didn't want to hear it."

"Do you think he meant it?" Kat wondered aloud. "I mean, do you think he said it to get you to stay?"

Jude shrugged. "Not sure. He said he's loved me since I was 15, but if that's the case, why all the secrecy?"

"I don't know," Kat answered. "Sounds like things between you and Tommy are as hot and complicated as ever."

"That they are," Jude agreed sadly. "It's like, I want him so bad and yet, I can't take his stupid crap anymore. I give an inch and he takes a mile."

"Men," Kat muttered. "Can't live with 'em, can't write good songs without 'em."

"Yeah, my music is down the drain," Jude half laughed, half whimpered. "I have these two songs, both about him, and I just cringe when I think about them now."

"Well, maybe everything will all work out in the end?" Kat said semi-hopefully. "Maybe Tommy will do something totally heroic and sweep you off your feet?"

"And maybe Sadie will dye her hair red and start listening to Nirvana instead of Madonna?" Jude joked. "It's never gonna happen, Kat. Like everyone says, as long as he's Tommy and I'm Jude, there are gonna be obstacles we can't fight."

"So, have you talked to Jude lately?" Tommy asked Sadie a few weeks later as they sat in the lobby of the studio, waiting on Kwest to go out to dinner. "Darius said Shay said she seems to be on a teeter-totter of emotions still."

"She's coming home tomorrow," Sadie whispered. "Are you gonna tell her?" she asked warily.

"How?" he asked. "She already hates me and it'll just be fuel to the flames."

Sadie sighed and stood up. "Don't keep doing this, Tommy; is it really worth all the trouble?"

"I don't know," he replied quietly. "I really don't know."

Jude and Shay sat around his living room on her last night, eating pizza and talking about their times together.

"God, remember dragging me to your stupid dance?" he grinned. "That was such a nightmare."

"Hey, you said you liked it!" she cried.

He made a face. "I also said I liked tacos afterwards but I lied." He got serious for a minute. "What are you gonna do about Tommy, Jude? You're most likely gonna see him tomorrow."

"I don't know," she said nervously.

"If you want my advice, which you know is good, here it is: just suck it up and tell him you love him," he enunciated plainly. "I mean, every time something outrageous has happened in your life, he's pretty much been the prime reason, other than your parents divorce. I mean, all your break-ups, the reasons your albums are so good, your change in attitude; that's all his doing. Now, you say you're an adult and if that's the case, you wouldn't be running scared all the time, Jude. Part of growing up is being able to face things. And, if you love him like you always have, you guys can face it together."

"I swear that all the guys I know are drinking some special water," Jude rolled her eyes. "You're all so suddenly profound and whatnot."

"I've always been profound, but the rapper stereotype doesn't call for it," he told her.

Later that night, while laying in her bed, Jude thought about what Shay had told her. "Every time something outrageous has happened, it's been his doing." He was right; everyone was right. She did love Tommy and this really wasn't worth losing him over. So he'd lied; she couldn't count the number of times she'd lied in her life. Why punish him for a mistake every human being made?