This chapter is a bit long compared to the others. Let's say it is my Thanksgiving present. I won't be around until late Thursday or Friday sometime. Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

As always I own nothing.

Chapter 21

The next day they went on their little road trip to record samples. One of Jude's spots was a clearing in the woods. It was perfect and open.

Tommy watched her as she was singing. Her voice was clear and beautiful. He couldn't help but smile, though he'd been smiling since he woke up with Jude in his arms. He thought about all that they'd been through and their future. Nothing was holding them back anymore. He couldn't wait until her birthday. He knew one way or another that night would start the next chapter in his life.

"What?" Jude asked looking at him when she stopped singing. She'd been noticing the way he'd been smiling all day. Of course so was she. She always slept so good in Tommy's arms. He was it for her. She wasn't sure what their future held for them, but she hoped that one day she'd be Mrs. Thomas Dutois.

"Nothing. It's fantastic." He replied.

"Well acoustics are good. It's wide open. It's good for a ballad."

"Mhm." He said slightly smirking.

"Now what?"

"I remember when you thought acoustics was the name of the studio."

"I did not."

"I'm just saying you've come a long way since we started working together; many moons ago."

"Yeah, look at you. How'd you stay out of the tabloids Mr. Playboy?" She asked with a hint of laughter.

Tommy picked up a flower off the ground, and put it in Jude's hair. "I guess we both changed."

"Yeah." She said before their lips met in a sweet kiss.

Just then an airplane flew over and they decided to move a long to the next location. "Come on, I want you to meet someone." Tommy said pulling her to the car.

Tommy took her to the all girls' school he used to rehearse at when he was trying out for Boyz Attack. He introduced her to the piano teacher that helped him get out of juvie. They were goofing off when Tommy turned serious.

"I want to talk about something." Tommy had been thinking about everything. Being back in that bathroom reminded him of who he used to be. Because of Jude, he was a better man. Before he could say what he wanted to say they had to rush out so they wouldn't get caught.

"Okay, out with it. The suspense is killing me." Jude said as they were going down the road. She knew well enough that when he turned serious it was major.

"You know it's funny. When I was your age I was a mess. I made some mistakes."

"I make mistakes. We learn and move on."

"But with you, I've become the man I should be." He looked away from the road to look at her.

"Look out!" Jude screamed and the car swerved off the road.

Tommy jumped out of the car and ran around to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She answered getting out of the car.

"Where is she?" When he swerved he thought he saw a girl in the road.

"Who?" Jude was confused.

"The girl in the road. I almost hit her."

"No, it was a dog. It ran into the woods. Good thing your aim is so bad."

"Jude, this is no time for jokes."

"Clearly you're not okay. Look the next place is right around the corner. I'll drive, okay?"

Jude drove them to a church near her family's farm. Tommy's head was going crazy. Talking about how much he'd changed made him think about Angie. He'd done so good the day before, but now not so much. If he'd always been who he was now, Angie would have never died. But then would he have met Jude?

"Have a seat and catch your breath." Jude said once they were inside. "You want to tell me what happened back there?"

"I saw her in the road." Was all he said. He couldn't tell her. He felt like he couldn't breath. Even though the love of his life was standing in front of him, he couldn't help but think that because of him someone was dead. "Maybe Darius was right, maybe…"

That was when Jude figured out what this was about. "Tommy, you didn't see Angie. Babe, she's gone."

"Yeah because of me." He said with a tear running down his cheek. "I need some air." He continued and walked out of the church.

She watched him walk out, and couldn't figure out why he just shut off. He hadn't done that in a long time. He's been fine the day before, but for some reason he seemed to throw up that wall Jude had spent two years breaking down. She sat down at the organ and flipped open her journal. She read the front page, and remembered when Tommy gave it to her.

They had just finished her album and both were beyond excited. Darius and Liam squashed that excitement. They felt like something was missing.

"Heart? My album doesn't have heart? What does that mean?"

"In Darius speak, it means it's missing a ballad. Look if he really hated it, he'd still be yelling."

"And Liam, how could he not love Anyone But You? You should be a mushroom cloud of hair gel a leather. Our album just got turfed."

"Well, I mean someone's gotta stay calm." Tommy said and she threw her bag at him. "Figure out how to bring Darius back around. Remind me what you wrote back on tour again."

"Ah no, girl from tour doesn't exist anymore. Darius crushed her as soon as she got off the bus." She didn't want to remember what things were like when she got back from tour.

"That's it then, you want to call it. Ride this baby all the way to Vegas." He said referring to his bike.

She couldn't help but smile at his Elvis voice. "Tempting, but I need to be dropped off. I promised Spied I'd help him with something.

Tommy dropped her off, and she went to meet Spied. Her mind was still going crazy about the album. She believed in Anyone But You. She wanted it on the final copy. Tommy called and said he had an idea, so she went back to the studio.

"Do you see a giant light bulb over my head?" Tommy asked when she got there.

"Did you figure out how to save my album?"

"You figured out how to save your album, on tour a few months ago." He said showing her a journal.

"You stole my journal?" She wasn't sure if she was angry or embarrassed. There were songs in there she hadn't shared with him

"Listen I hadn't slept in weeks, but you insisted on playing me all this new stuff. But I found a song I'd never seen before."

"Which one?"

"White Lines."

"Oh Tommy, no. Out of all the songs?"

"It's epic."

Jude wondered if he realized that the song was about him, and how much she missed him while she was on tour. She didn't show it to him because of everything that happened when she got back. "It's naive. I don't know."

"I know it'll have Darius sobbing like a little girl."

"You think?" She was afraid of putting something so personal on her album. Of course he was her inspiration on a lot of songs, but White Lines was specifically to him. She couldn't figure out how he didn't know, or maybe he did but didn't care that something that personally was put out there.

They recorded the song, but Jude was uncomfortable singing it. The way Tommy's eyes bored into her she couldn't take it. She wanted the song to stay hidden. She didn't want to remember what it felt like with out him. She decided to slow down Anyone But You, and record an acoustic version. Spied had been her best friend through this whole thing, and she wanted their song to be heard.

The next day when they met with Darius about White Lines, Jude had decided to pitch the acoustic version of Anyone But You and a bonus track. There was only one problem, somehow the White Lines demo was recorded over. Tommy stormed out on them, but Darius liked it.

"Darius says my album is ready. Come on where's the victory lap? He loved Anyone But You."

"Loved? That's a pretty generous interpretation."

"So you don't like Spiederman's song. The album's good enough."

"White Lines would make it phenomenal."

"I don't want to do White Lines." She said whining.

"Sometimes you are so seventeen." He said and walked away.

Jude hated when he only thought like her producer and not her boyfriend. She went home to work on her car. She really needed to clear her head. Maybe it wasn't the end of the world to put something so personal out there.

"Got your message, grease monkey." Spied said walking into her garage.

"Oh, thanks for coming."

"It's cold."

"Yeah, I've been out here all afternoon. With mom gone it's weird, you know. The house feels like a the air has been sucked out of it."

"I know how the poor house feels."

"I tried to save our song. I really did."

"Why did you try so hard? What song did Quincy want you to use?"

"Something I wrote back on tour. It's actually something I wrote to deal with how much I missed him. He doesn't even seem to realize it is about him."

"Have you told him?"

"No."

"Dude you know some of the best songs out there are personal."

"Thanks, Spied."

Jude rushed to G Major hoping to find Tommy. "Sadie, have you seen, Tom?" She asked approaching the front desk. Sadie applied for the receptionist job to pay Jude's credit card bill. Their relationship was getting back on track. Sadie explained that, though she knew it was wrong, shopping was the way she was coping with the deal with their mom.

"He and Liam are out to lunch. I think they are at the café on the corner."

"Thanks Sadie." She rushed out the door and down the street. She knew Tommy was right all along that White Lines was the perfect song for the album. Sure it was personal, but Spied was right, some of the best songs were personal.

She found them and approached their table. She took a few seconds. "White Lines belongs on the album."

"Well there's no more money or studio time budgeted for your album. You're gonna have to surrender Jude." Liam said.

Jude looked to Tommy. "I thought it was good enough, remember?" Tommy said.

"Well, you know what else was good enough, Tommy? My last album; this is our last shot."

"The album is out of our hands." Liam added. "It's over."

She gave Tommy a pleading look.

"It's not over. Not if I'm still working." Tommy said and Jude never felt more relieved.

They went back to the studio, but still didn't talk about the song. When she started singing, his eyes were boring into her again. She couldn't seem to concentrate.

"You want to switch to condenser mic?"

"No, it not that."

"Are the acoustics too clean?"

"No, it's the song."

"You know you interrupted my very cordial lunch meeting to beg for another shot."

"I know. It just doesn't feel right." She wasn't sure why she was afraid to tell him what it was about. They'd been dating for over a year.

"It's romantic. It's got passion. It's…"

"It's personal." She interrupted. "It's about you and how much I missed you when I was on tour. The only way I knew to deal with those feelings was to write. That's why you hadn't seen it. I wanted to put those feeling away when I got home."

"Can you bring them back out?"

"Not with you staring at me like that."

He took her to the parking lot where the tour bus was parked. He was always amazing her like that. Singing the song in the place she wrote it helped.

When they were sitting in Darius office, she was a nervous wreck, and she could tell Tommy was too. It was times like these she wished they were open in front of Darius. She would have felt a lot better holding his hand.

"I'm not down with getting calls while I'm at the DoJo, but for this, it's fantastic. I'll call Liam. He's holding the album this song is going to go on it." Darius said and Jude felt so much better.

When Darius was gone, Tommy pulled her into a tight hug. "We did it." She said loving the feeling of his arms around her."

They pulled back at the same time, and before she knew it they were kissing. It was a short kiss, but help just as much passion as her song did.

"We should go." Tommy said while she was trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah."

When she got to hold the first bootleg copy of her CD, she knew it was right.

"You know the first time we finished an album, I was the jerk that didn't get you anything." Tommy said handing her a book.

"A new journal."

"Well, yeah. As soon as this record hits number one, Darius is going to be clamoring for your next set of songs."

She opened the front cover and read. "Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside us. Wow sometimes you can be so twenty four."

"I took a chance. Shoot me."

"I'd rather kiss you." She said with a wink before Sadie walked in ruining the whole moment.

Now looking at the quote and thinking about everything they'd been through since made her want to scream. She did the next best thing. She sat everything up and started recording her song.

Tommy took a couple of deep breaths when he stepped out of the church. What if the same thing happened to Jude because of him? Was he really good enough for her? Had he really changed in the two years being with her? He knew what he was feeling was wrong. They hadn't spent the last two years together just for him to get scared and run. When he was married to Portia, he slept with every woman that hit on him. Even with Angie his eyes still wondered. But Jude was different. He didn't notice anybody but her. He had to get rid of this feeling before he lost her.

He thought back to when Darius sent him to the states. He was so afraid of loosing Jude the way Darius made him leave.

The album was done. Now all they had to do was sit back, wait for it to hit stores, and celebrate. Tommy was meeting Jude at G Major early. He pulled up and saw her waving to Mason's tour bus. "What are you waiting for, Big Eyes?" He asked rolling down the window.

She got in the car. "Wow, this getting up early gives you quite the appetite."

He turned on the radio and put his finger up for her to listen to the DJ. "Rise to number three this week is hometown favorite Jude Harrison and My Sweet Time."

Tommy couldn't help but smile. His girl was coming up.

"I'm at number three. I'm at number three." He could hear the excitement in her voice.

"You did it, girl. I mean you are on your way up. You're on your way up."

"Yes we are." She said hugging him.

He wrapped his arms around her, and just held her for a few seconds. This was what it was all about. Working hard on music together, and getting to celebrate their success. When she pulled back, she had a huge smile on her face. He ran his knuckle down her face before pulling away to take a celebration drive.

"I can't believe it, Tommy." She said still beaming as he drove.

"Believe it, Girl." He was so proud of her.

That afternoon he stood out in the crowd watching his girl perform her heart out. He'd been thinking about asking her dad if he could take her on a weekend trip. He wanted to do something really nice for her, and get away with her for a couple of days. He was going to bring it up to her at dinner that night. He actually didn't care what anyone thought. He wanted to show his girlfriend what she meant to him.

"Mr. Mills wants to see you in his office." A man said approaching him. He recognized him as a G Major board member.

"Jude's show is not over."

"He doesn't care."

Tommy didn't know what this was about, but he wanted to get it over with before dinner. On the way to G Major, he sent a text to Jude's phone telling her to meet him at the restaurant.

"Alright, D, I'm here. What's up?" He said walking into his office.

"You're flying to Montana tonight. I made sure your pass port was up to date. The G Major jet will take off in two hours."

"What? Why am I going to Montana?"

"You'll get more instructions when you get there."

"But Jude's album release." He argued.

"Jude's album will come out just fine. The album is done. No need to hang around here."

Tommy was furious. He didn't know what Darius was sending him to Montana for, but he knew Darius was trying to distance him from Jude. They'd been slipping and acting to coupley at work.

There was no way Tommy was going to jump on a plane to leave the country with out telling Jude. He walked into the restaurant looking around for her.

"I thought you weren't coming. Are you gonna sit?"

"I have to leave, sorry. I don't know when I'm coming back."

"Just sit. Talk to me." She said and he couldn't look her in the eye. It was breaking his heart, and he didn't want to watch hers break, too.

"I have a flight to catch. Bye." Short and simple was all he could do. When she ran after him calling his name, he couldn't even look back at her. He just got in the car and drove. This was defiantly not the way he pictured leaving town. All he could do was hope that when he was done with what ever he was doing for Darius, he could come home and Jude would understand.

He was lucky he didn't loose her then and it wasn't even his fault; this was. He had too much planned for their future to get scared and loose her now.

He walked back into the church and she was singing. He just went to the lab top and changed some levels. Her voice was overwhelming to him. After she was finished with the song, he packed everything up.

He pulled her up to stand with him. "You're a piece of work, Harrison."

"I get it…"

"I've opened up to you more than anyone in my life. You don't know how many times I've wished we could just run a way."

"Me too."

"I want to let it all go, Jude. I really do."

"Then let it go, Tommy. I love you, and I'm never going anywhere, unless you're with me." She said and he pulled her into a kiss.

The kiss was sweet and intense at the same time. Tommy tilted his head and caressed her bottom lip begging for entrance. She granted happily. They were both lost in each other.

"Are you here for the wedding?" They heard a voice and looked up to see the preacher.

Tommy looked back at Jude. "Why don't we get take out and go back to my place?"

"Good idea." She said and they shared another light kiss before following the preacher out of the church.

There you go. Please Review