There was a pause and, assuming she didn't hear him correctly, Jude knitted her brow into an almost amused looking expression, "Sorry, what?"

"Your Mom, she just came in."

"Not funny, Tommy."

Tommy leaned toward her with a very serious look and brought a hand up to cup her cheek "I wouldn't joke about this"

Jude felt the color drain from her face as she tentatively peeked around the corner, confirming it was actually her. Its been a long time, maybe Tommy was mistaking. Her mind was submerged in denial until the moment her eyes landed on her mother; the denial then was replaced with shock "What is she doing here?" She looked up at Tommy "I can't... I can't see her."

"Maybe you should?" Tommy said but the hesitation in his voice made it a question. He honestly didn't know what she should do, but avoiding her didn't seem like the right thing either "Maybe she's-"

"No," Jude interjected with a strong shake of her head "I can't do this" Tears formed in her eyes as she began to panic. None of it made sense. Why, after two years of complete silence, would she decide to just show up with no warning? Something was wrong. Something in her gut was telling her that this wasn't going to go well, it raged through her instincts like alarm bells. "I can't do this"

"Jude" Tommy's calm eyes met her wide ones with concern "It's alright. She probably just wants to see you. She must know we're getting married."

Tears spilled down her cheeks and she tried to convince herself that the panic was hormonal but the pain she felt echoing the corners of her mind called her bluff. The dark corners where she hid the pain away so she could move on with her life without her mother in it. Jude reached up and hung her hands on his shoulders "Make her leave"

"What?"

"Please, Tommy" She begged "Make her go away."

Tommy felt his heart hurting in response to the look on Jude's face. Normally so strong, now nearly shaking under his grip. "Jude, I..." he stuttered uncomfortably, awkwardly shifting his feet "How can I do that?"

"Just do it" she pleaded with him, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face "Please I can't deal with this right now"

"But you have to, she's-"

"I will deal with it, just not right now. Tommy please." Jude looked at him with such sadness that it broke his heart a second time. A surge of protectiveness came over him and he knew he couldn't make Jude face this yet. With a kiss to her forehead, he relented to her request "Okay."

Jude's hands slipped from his shoulders as he walked away, his hand giving hers a reassuring squeeze before turning the corner.

Unsure of himself, Tommy approached the receptionists desk slowly, trying to think of what to say. Trisha acknowledged him the second he came into her view, sparing him from having to speak first "Tommy!" She grinned up at him "I was just about to find you, this woman is looking for Jude" Hearing this, Jude's Mom turned and greeted him with a warm smile that he wasn't expecting. "Hey Mrs. Harrison." He greeted cautiously and was even more surprised when she pulled him in for a hug

"Goodness, no one's called me Mrs. Harrison in ages." She laughed

Tommy returned the hug stiffly and pulled back with an uncomfortable sounding chuckle "Oh, sorry. It's habit."

Victoria waved off his apology with a smile of understanding "Vicky is fine." She grasped his arms with a gentle touch, examining his face "It's good to see you, Thomas. It's been so long."

Tommy cringed inwardly at the use of his full name, only one who ever uses his full name anymore was his own mother. "Uh, yeah. It's been...years." He trailed off, catching Trisha listening to their conversation a little too intently. He gestured for Victoria to walk along with him and led them to the hospitality area

Victoria took her time following behind him, taking in how different Gmajor looked since she was there last, the smile never leaving her lips "This place has changed so much"

"A lot of things have changed." Tommy said, anger beginning to seep into his tone. Something about her carefree demeanor began to nag at him; why should she get to be so happy after the damage she's caused? "Its what happens when you take off, I guess."

For a split second, remorse flashed across her eyes before she masked it with a more solemn expression "I don't know what Jude has said about me - I can certainly imagine - but its not nearly as bad as she makes it seem."

"I don't know about that."

"I didn't come here to hash up history. I just want to talk to my daughter." Her tone lost all warmth as she spoke, now speaking curtly "Do you know where she is?"

Tommy folded his arms defensively in response to her shift in attitude "I don't know. She might be at home."

"I was there already; I even checked that awful practice room she has" Her nose crumpled in disgust "Why her father lets her keep that thing is beyond me."

"Jude lives with me now, actually." Tommy told her, almost arrogantly

Realization hit and Victoria sighed "That's right. I remember reading that somewhere..." She looked at Tommy and put her purse on the counter "I've been reading about a lot of things."

Tommy wanted to roll his eyes at the barely hidden accusation in her words but forced himself to be civil "None of it is true."

"Well I know it's not true - Stuart would've killed you by now." Victoria laughed humorlessly "Always so protective of her." She shook her head, giving her words a negative meaning "I'm sure you know."

"It's how a single parent should be."

A smirk pulled up the corner of her mouth "Fair enough. I can't imagine what you've gone through to get his okay on marrying our daughter – that part is true, isn't it?"

"Yep. About a week away now." Victoria's mouth pursed in disapproval and Tommy instantly became agitated "Stuart has been really supportive, actually. He's protective of his daughter, sure, but so am I."

There was a beat of silence between them while Victoria considered his words with a bitter edge to her demeanor "I would hope so." She finally said "From the looks of things, she needs it."

Tommy nodded and abruptly brought an end to the conversation "How about you leave me your number, and I'll pass it along to Jude, okay?" He said, and before she could answer, started moving in the general direction of the main door "I have to get back to work."

"Did you find Jude?" Trisha asked eagerly as she walked by him on her way to Darius' office "She's not still in there, is she?" She hesitated by the door, knowing how Darius hates to have his meetings interrupted

Tommy's eyes fell closed with a curse on his lips. Victoria, who had been following, stopped and eyed him skeptically "She's here."

"No, it's fine." He answered Trisha and then faced Victoria with a somewhat guilty expression.

"Does she even know I'm here?" Victoria demanded

Tommy considered lying again but thought better of it "Yes."

Her anger suddenly faltered and she winced with hurt "She knows I'm here... and she doesn't want to see me?" She confirmed aloud and her pained gaze flickered to the floor

Tommy shoved both hands into his pockets with a sigh "Not right now, no."

Her gaze shamefully avoided his as she accepted the news "I know I shouldn't expect better." She said quietly "Especially with Jude being, well... Jude"

Tommy nodded in agreement "Can you blame her?"

"Don't treat me like I don't know what I've done" Victoria whispered harshly "I just hoped..." She paused in thought before finally meeting Tommy's guarded eyes "I hoped she would give me the chance to talk to her." She opened her purse and pulled out a foreign tabloid, showing the cover to Tommy "I saw this yesterday and I tell you, I nearly lost it."

Tommy examined the cover with a frown; he and Jude were world wide news now. He couldn't translate the language, but the picture of Jude sitting bruised outside a hospital has been in enough circulation that he knew the story was about the leaked medical report.

"It's like the mom in me woke up" Victoria continued "That's my little girl they're talking about." Her voice thickened with emotion "I just wanted to pull her into my arms right then." The sincerity in her voice began to bring forth some sympathy from Tommy, thinking maybe he shouldn't have been so brash before letting her explain. She actually sounded like a mother. He ran a hand though his hair, unsure of how to proceed from here. For a moment he considered going to find Jude again but it became unnecessary when Victoria started to leave on her own "If you tell her anything, tell her that I have missed her." She said trying to discreetly brush a tear from her eye

Tommy rushed to keep up with her pace "Your number" He reminded

When they reached the doors, she stopped, and looking out at the crowds of paparazzi, her frown grew impossibly heavier "This must be terrible." She said to nothing in particular, but Tommy answered anyway "It is."

Victoria wrote her number on the same tabloid and the name of the hotel her and Don were staying "I know she'll listen to you - she always has" A smile touched the corner of her mouth before vanishing "So, try to be gentle with what you say."

Tommy agreed without really knowing what she meant and stood by the door as she left. The paparazzi opened up a path for her, uninterested in the unfamiliar woman. He stared down at the paper, idly recognizing the hotel name. It was only a couple blocks from he and Jude's apartment. With a heavy breath deflating his lungs, he went off in search for Jude.

Jude sat on the couch in the darkened booth of studio B. She was so still that he almost didn't see her on first glance. Her crying had pulled her eyeliner from its place, dragging it down in black streaks that smudged when she reached up to brush the moisture away. "Is she gone?" She asked

Tommy sat beside her and tenderly wrapped an arm around her waist "She's gone"

Jude reached up and swiped her wrist under her nose "Thank you." She rested her head against his cheek

Tommy considered what Victoria said, now understanding what she was asking for; knowing his influence, she wanted him to put her in as kind of a light as possible. On one hand he felt she didn't deserve any kindness... on the other, however, if she really did come back to apologize and make amends, maybe he could offer some help for Jude's sake. Even if they never had a perfect relationship, at least she would have some sort of closure. Despite his anger with her, the pain in her eyes as she left filled his mind as he spoke "She says she misses you."

"Don't do that." Jude snapped immediately "Don't speak for her. I don't care what she has to say."

"I don't know, Jude" Tommy said hesitantly, "It might worth hearing her out"

"No" Jude responded definitively, leaning forward to press her hand to her forehead with a sniffle. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Tommy fiddling with a folded over tabloid that looked innocent enough but when she saw a note sprawled on it in her mom's writing, her temper spiked "I don't want it." Tommy offered it to her anyway and she turned her head away from it "You're about to cross a line, Tommy." She warned "Leave it."

"I know where you're coming from but I think she's honestly worried about-"

"Of course you do, Tommy, she manipulates people!" Jude stood in a rush "Back off of this - please." She added, realizing her tone "I need you in my side right now."

"Hey" Tommy took both of her hands in his own, looking up at her "I am always on your side."

"Then prove it." She grumbled, pulling on his hands so he was standing in front of her "Let me deal with this how I want to."

Tommy sighed a little and brought her against his chest in a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head, dropping the subject all together "Let's go home."

IIIIII

"What else can I say? She's come a long way and I have nothing but respect for her. Jude is a real professional"

"Oh God" Jude cringed against the couch cushions, her wincing eyes trained on the small TV at the rehearsal space

"...you ready to get to work?"

"Uh, sure. I've already have the board set up."

"I can't watch this." Jude groaned, sinking impossibly further into the couch while pulling the neck of her T-shirt up over her mouth, ready to cover her eyes the second it became necessary. On the table in front of her, lay a hidden DVD from her obstetrician that her and Tommy were supposed to be watching labeled "Birth Options A & B". The newest pregnancy debate as of that morning was whether or not Jude wanted to have the baby traditionally, or go the route of C-section. The DVD was supposed to help drive the decision some, but it was ripped from the player within minutes when it become too intolerable for either of them. When SME came in, for an unexpected rehearsal session, it was hastily buried under a stack of papers. Now, though, Jude would happily watch births as an alternative to what's on the screen now.

"Without knowing what song we're doing?"

"Okay... what song are we doing?"

"I don't know. What don't you ask Sadie?"

"Ooo, the ex-girlfriend card." Wally guffawed, carrying a bowl of fresh popcorn

"Here it comes!" Speid announced cheerily from his place sitting on the back of the couch, his feet propped up on the cushions. Jude buried one eye behind his knee while her hand grabbed his shin in a vise grip.

"You're a little too happy about this, Vin." Tommy grumbled, putting a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "You better watch this!" He objected when he noticed Jude, reaching over to pull the shirt from her face

"This is a bad idea. I can't work like this"

"I can't work like this" Kyle mocked and pulled up a chair to the side of the couch "What a diva." Wally laughed in agreement

"Shut up!" Jude said but it was muffled by the hands that were now pressed against her face, peeking between her fingers.

Wally leaned in closer to the screen "It's like a train wreck, I can't look away."

"Okay, um, do you need to take a break?"

"No, you do. Permanently."

"I can't look I can't look I can't look" Jude's face was flushed with embarrassment, her whole body tense

"What are you saying?"

"I don't want you producing me anymore, okay?"

Tommy grimaced a little, remembering the moment from his perspective "This is gonna hurt..."

"You're fired."

"OHHHH!" SME chorused

"Ouch." Tommy brought his hand up to his heart

Speid nudged Jude with his foot "Way to just murder the dude."

Jude sucked in a hissing breath through her teeth, her whole body crumpled into a ball, completely slouched so that her head was level with Tommy's elbow when peeked up at his face "I'm sorrryyyyy" she groaned, not needing to look at the TV to see his reaction; his face in that moment will always be a vivid memory.

The clip cut away to an MTV host who gave her own animated reaction to the clip before bringing the show to a commercial. In honor of the premiere of Jude and Tommy's MTV special, the network created a clip show of Jude's most popular "Oh No and Hell Yes Moments". The scene of her firing Tommy in her 'Day in the Life' special counted as an "Oh No" apparently. Jude cursed ever turning on the TV. The guys have been hooked on the show since it tuned in on her getting doused with paint at the fashion show.

"Tell you what" Tommy spoke up "That hurt a lot."

Jude groaned again, this time speaking in her own defense "I'm sorry! I didn't know the whole story then!"

Kyle shook his head and snatched the popcorn from Speid "Doesn't matter. You dumped him on national TV - that's just cruel"

"Yeah" Tommy agreed halfheartedly, playfully ruffling her hair

Seeing no humor in this at all, Jude flashed a scowl up at Tommy before focusing her attention to her band "He kissed Sadie at my birthday party" She announced in a matter-of-fact tone. When they shrugged in response, she added "While him and I were together!"

Speid and Kyle gasped in unison while Wally's eyes widened, more preoccupied with the fact that they were together way sooner than he knew about.

"I didn't kiss Sadie, she kissed me" Tommy said it like he'd said it a million times, but didn't really have a defense, remembering everything else that happened that night.

As if echoing his thoughts, the show returned, boosting a clip from Jude's birthday party. "Jude may have gotten a little to big for her britches in that last clip, but let's take a look back to when Lil Tommy Q's ego got a lil' too big and nearly ruined Jude's big night. He's another "Oh no" Jude Harrison moment."

It was Tommy's turn to cringe, watching as Jude's performance of Love to Burn came to an end and she approached him in the audience. Idly, he regretted not being able to really appreciate how beautiful she looked that night.

"What do you think?"

"That you're drunk, and you're embarrassing yourself."

Tommy's face scrunched in remorse, watching Jude's face on screen go from hurt to damage control mode. The clip cut away just as she asked her father for a dance. Looking back on it now, he found himself surprised Stuart was ever kind to him again after that. Jude must've done a ton of talking in his favor to get her dad on board with their relationship after the whole 18th birthday mess.

"Still think I was too cruel?" Jude asked SME

"I'm surprised you didn't shoot him" Kyle answered

"My god!" Jude exclaimed a little while later as she turned off the TV in the middle of the clip of her sixteenth birthday party. Speid nearly toppled over scrambling for the remote while Kyle and Wally yelled in protest at the dark screen. "Are they going to show anything good?! It's just been one disaster after another." She angrily crossed her legs and watched her sixteen year old self run into a waiter in her haste to get away from Shay.

"Shhhh!" Speid hushed, intent on the television "Your hell yeah moments are coming up relax"

Jude mumbled indistinctly under her breath and Tommy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He'd been wanting to bring up the Victoria situation all day but with the appointment that morning, and work and now randomly hanging out with SME, there just hadn't been time. He noticed Jude dodging calls from Sadie even though she was trying to hide it. From what Tommy could remember, Sadie had more contact with their mom after she left than Jude did, but, as far as he knew, even that fizzled to nothing eventually. He remembered Jude expressing some hurt that her mom called Sadie and not her; he suspected some resentment went into her avoiding Sadie now.

"Can't believe you married her." Jude said bitterly to Speid when her and Karma's press conference came up

Spied smirked but spoke somewhat apologetically "Sucks she blew the cover on all your dudes, dude. Not cool."

Jude rolled her eyes "I was the least active slut that ever lived, that's for sure."

Misunderstanding the bite in her tone to be a jab against Speid, Wally spoke up with a laugh "Aww don't make Speiderman feel bad about himself. I'm sure you got something out of it." His laugh choked into an awkward clearing of his thought when he caught Tommy glaring at him.

Tommy's glare dropped when he looked at Jude in question, only now realizing that he was probably the only one who knew that he was Jude's first. She shrugged in response, as it if to say it's none of their business.

Much to Jude's relief, the show eventually shifted to her better public moments, though she had to suffer teasing scrutiny about her arrest and mugshot from everyone around her before it got there. She sang along to her performance of Skin, tried not to get emotional when they showed her conference regarding Patsy's death, and grinned at Speid when they played his acceptance speech on her behalf for the best new artist award. To end the show, they played the clip of Jude singing with Boyzattack for the MusicHelps benefit. "Wow we look like babies." She murmured softly

Tommy nodded "Feels like forever ago."

"Alright guys," Speid stood and stretched his arms ever his head "We have to practice." He offered Jude a guitar, "Wanna help?"

Jude shook her head, draping both arms over her stomach. "Feeling kinda sick all the sudden." Somewhere behind them Kyle joked her sickness was atoned to watching Boyzattack but Speid dropped it, understanding it was pregnancy.

"Nauseous?" Tommy's whisper brushed against her ear and sent an involuntary chill down her spine. She gave a wordless response and kissed him once on the lips "That was an interesting trip down memory lane."

"More like a roller coaster" Jude smirked in return, now speaking over the sound of the band playing Speid's new song. "Let's watch the premiere at home" she suggested with a minxy little smile pulling up on her lips "Where we can relive some more memories...alone." Her kiss was now persuasive, not that Tommy needed any persuading. He was eager to get back home when a the door of the rehearsal space slammed open.

"Jude Harrison!" Sadie's shrill call somehow managed to carry over the music and bring it to a sudden halt "You don't get to do this! You do not get to hide out in your clubhouse when something like this happens!" She stomped over to a stop in front of Jude with a scowl that would kill if it could "When our Mom comes back, you tell me about it - or you AT LEAST take my calls!"

Jude focused her eyes on a rip in the cushion beside her, suddenly very grateful to be nestled in Tommy's arms "I thought she stopped by to see you first, honestly."

Sadie crossed her arms and glared at her sister "You know that's not true because I, unlike you, would've said something"

"I should've." Jude admitted in a small voice "I'm sorry, okay?"

"Give her a break, Sadie" Tommy said

"And you!" She directed at Tommy "What are you thinking letting her runaway like this?! You-"

"It's not his fault. I wasn't ready to see you."

Sadie recoiled in offense, her words coming to a clumsy halt with an abrupt change in volume "See me? Why?"

"Because of what you came here to say." Jude sighed at Sadie's confusion and her chin tilted up "Let me guess... you just had dinner with her, probably at her hotel." Her tone thick with a mocking sarcasm "You want to tell me that she says she's sorry and she really means it. We never heard from her, but we were on her mind all the time and she would've come back sooner but she didn't know how." She shoved up from the couch in a rush of anger, telling by Sadie's face that she was exactly right so far "Guess what, Sadie? I don't buy it. Any of it. She quit being a mom and now you want what from me? To congratulate her?"

"No." Sadie said gently "I think you should give her a chance to tell you those things herself."

"Why?"

Sadie lovingly put her hands on Jude's shoulders "Because I remember how much you regret not letting her say goodbye the first time."

Suddenly cautious of all the eyes on their conversation, Jude dropped her defensive posture "Cmon, let's talk in the hall - sorry guys" Tommy stood and she was quick to stop him, "No, stay."

The heavy door closed behind them with a loud thud and Jude's face failed to compose itself, wearing her emotions honestly "What do you mean goodbye? Mom's not staying?"

"Not permanently."

"Then why come at all?"

"Her and Don have made a new life in France; its home to them now."

"Without her kids." Jude scoffed

"Mom came back to fix what she broke" Sadie reasoned, hugging Jude to her side "Especially the relationship she lost with you."

Jude shrugged indifferently, they never really had that close of a relationship to start with. Her instincts were screaming now more than ever, but the message wasn't quite clear. "What about you?"

"I'm not the one looking beat up on every tabloid in the world. She's worried about you."

"She is?" Jude asked tentatively, like she was afraid of the answer. When Sadie nodded her head yes, she bit down on her lower lip to keep it from wobbling "Thought she stopped worrying about me a long time ago."

Sadie hugged Jude tighter, her little sister feeling so small and fragile in her embrace. "Will you think about meeting her for dinner?"

"Will you be there?"

"Of course. And I'm sure Tommy can come, if you want."

Jude sniffled and stared down at the floor for a long soundless moment before exhaling a breath of surrender. "I'll think about it."

—-

Hey readers! I'd love some feedback if you have the time! I'm almost finished with this story and I would love to hear your thoughts so far :)