You'll be pleased to know that I've outlined this story all the way to chapter 15. I won't be updating as frequently, though. No, I don't mean I'll make you wait forever and half a day for a new portion of this epic drama, just longer than the 23 hrs I usually give myself. Lol. I have a lot of ideas for this and I want it to be good. I'm not at all happy with the last few chapters. (Blame my writing OCD perfectionism.)

enomo67, haha! I was wondering if anyone would recognize the Jaime-ness of her actions. (they were best friends, after all!) I'll give you yummy Tommy treats if you can tell me which ep it's from.

But yes... the following is caffeine and Alanis induced. Fun for days, eh?

(Post note: I wrote this and realized how much I wanted to write ch. 12. DAMMIT, there goes my timing plan!)

Chapter 11 / Ultimately

Sitting in her same corner, same drink in hand, sharing this part of her world with her mother made Jude anxious but she felt it was the only place she had the upper hand. Maybe, for a change, they could be rational and discuss things quietly instead of the bitch and scream charade it always turned into. Her mother would "be good" and Jude wouldn't feel the need to run.

Victoria stirred her coffee nervously, Jude taking in every faltering sigh and sideways glance thrown her way. Her mother was always so quick to start that the silence was hard to take. She ran her hand over her hair and toyed with the star ring on her middle finger. Her mother sighed again, Jude counterattacking it with a low sigh of her own.

"Well, I asked you here to talk and no one is talking." Her mother looked up at her, weary eyed yet stone faced.

"I don't know what to say to you, Jude." Her mother placed the spoon she relentlessly stirred her coffee with down on the saucer. "Sadie told me about what happened between her and Tommy." Jude's eyes grew a little, her stomach tightening to the revelation.

"And she said?"

"You know what she said. And about last night? I will say it was wrong of her to do what she did, but I also know it rang with some fraction of truth. I'm just waiting for an explanation."

"I told you, Mom. I had to get away. You don't understand how crazy things are for me. You and Michael, Sadie, Jaime and Kat, and let's not forget about dear old Dad." Victoria winced at the mention of Jude's father.

"Let's not talk about him, ok?"

"I'm just saying. Everything has my head so twisted up right now. I couldn't take being in that house for another minute." She picked up her latte, swallowing back the lukewarm liquid. She couldn't get rid of the dryness in her throat.

"That doesn't excuse what you did. You're still only seventeen. You have to remember that and no matter how 'crazy' things seem to get, you can't go off like you did." Empathy seemed lost on Victoria. Jude could feel her defenses rising to full attention, waiting for the confrontation to begin.

"Seventeen. Do you not see how much I've changed since all of... this began? I did what I had to do. I'm sorry if it hurt you or scared you, but I had to look out for myself."

"If you say so, Jude." She took a sip of her equally tepid coffee. "When were you going to tell me you ran off with Tommy, though?"

"I didn't. Tommy wasn't a part of this." This was one of those times when alarm bells were sounding distantly and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end, but Jude pushed the warnings away. She blamed her nerves and the never ending supply of adrenaline that coursed in her veins whenever anyone mentioned him and her together. Every muscle in her body urged her to get up and run, but this would be a time she wouldn't. She had to confront her issues head on.

"Jude... Sadie saw him pick you up that evening." Victoria eyed her daughter, eyebrow raising in anticipation. Jude felt sick to her stomach.

"Then she must have seen wrong!" The edge was returning to Jude's voice. She tried to force it back to no avail. Cover your tracks, Harrison, and cover them well. "I did call him and that was it. There was no Tommy and Jude 'rendezvous'. I called him and left. End of story."

The front door's bell chimed as Victoria opened her mouth to speak. Wanting anything to end this discussion, Jude looked over to the door and her heart stopped. Every nerve in her body prickled. Great.

It took Tommy a few seconds to catch his breath. He wasn't expecting to find Jude. He wasn't expecting to see her sitting with someone who, from the back, looked very much like Sadie. As if the hangover wasn't bad enough, he was about to walk into a death trap. He contemplated turning around and heading back to the studio but the need for caffeine seemed to overpower all pushes to leave the scene of the soon-to-be committed crime.

No, Quincy, you have to face this at some point. He composed himself, and entered into the small shop. He kept his head lowered, walking to the counter and ordering his usual doppio espresso. He looked over to Jude and the still obscured Sadie-look alike, locking eyes with the blonde. He quickly realized he was staring dead into the eyes of Victoria Harrison. SHIT. Her mom. Victoria seemed to perk up, smiling in his direction.

"Tom! Why don't you join us?" Jude flashed him a look of complete panic, slightly motioning for him to leave. He felt he had to talk with her mother, clear the air so to speak. Disregarding Jude's facial warning, he put on his best smile, walked over, and extended his hand.

"How are you, Ms. Harrison?" She took his hand limply, eyeing him as he sat next to Jude.

"I'm good." The sharpness of her tone made him tense. "I'm just going to get right to it. I want you to stay away from my daughter." Tommy was taken by surprise, sitting up in his seat at her declaration.

"Mom!" Jude's eyes went round.

"I'm serious. Stay the hell away from her." Tommy couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the suggestion.

"With all due respect, Ms. Harrison, that isn't possible. We work together. I'm her producer." She gave him a sneer.

"I know this. Doesn't mean you have to see her outside of the studio. No more late night phone calls, picking her up from wherever, stopping by for whatever reason. If I had it my way, I'd make it so you two would never be in the same room save for what little time you needed to do what all you need to, but I can't do that. I can, however, make sure you don't see her any other time." Jude sat in visible seething anger, her eyes glinting under the pendulum light fixture hanging above the table. Tommy tried to take in what her mother was ordering him to do and it pissed him off. NO ONE tells me what to do.

"Mom, why are you doing this!" Victoria snapped in her head in Jude's direction.

"I'm doing what's best for you." She turned back to Tommy. "I know you were with him those two days and I'll be damned if it happens again."

"Calm down, Ms..." Victoria's face went red.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You run off with my daughter in the middle of the night and don't return until two days later and you have the audacity to tell me to calm down!" Tommy balled his fists under the table, holding himself back from punching something. He had to keep reminding himself that this was Jude's mother and as much as he wanted to strangle her at that moment, she could screw everything up even more than ordering him not to have any more contact with Jude. He shot back his coffee and stood, excusing himself.

"Fine. No more contact."

"Tommy, don't..." He looked down at Jude.

"No, she's right Jude. Maybe we should keep some distance." The blank look of betrayal resting in Jude's eyes made his chest hurt. He breathed in raggedly. "I'm gonna go now."

"Tommy, wait..." He turned his back to the tears forming in her eyes, to the heart wrenching pain he heard in her voice.

"I'll see you at the studio, ok Jude? Have a nice day, Ms. Harrison." Tommy walked smoothly to the door, pulling it open violently. As he made his way outside, he heard Jude screaming at her mother hysterically.

"This is what I meant by FUCKED UP! And you wonder why I run away!"