A/N: Hey all, sorry it's been a few days since the last update, but life has gotten hectic. I'm trying like crazy to finish this fic off, but it's hard when my friends suddenly think I need a social life or something. I'm glad you all liked chapter 5 and I hope you all enjoy this one. I can officially say (unless ideas take this fic in another direction) I have the last chapters all outlined, and this fic will be approximatly, 13 chapters in length, as I said before, unless some ideas change or the way the chapters flow, I might hafta add another chapter or 2 in before the end. We'll see though. I'm glad everyone is still enjoying this fic, and now, for the long-awaited chapter 6!

Chapter 6

Jude watched the doctor as he left her alone. Jude took a shaky breath and gathered her thoughts for a moment. She felt shocked but deep down, she knew something was wrong the moment he woke up. Tommy was…off, to say the least, she just didn't want to see it. She took a deep breathe and composed herself. She needed to be strong for once in her life, strong for herself, for him. Someone had to be.

She reached out and touched the handle, pausing for a moment before turning it, painfully slow, and opening the door and stepping into the room and closing the door with a soft click behind her. She glanced at Tommy who was sitting up in bed, staring out the window, frowning in thought. She put on a small smile and said, as cheerily as she could "Hey," but she knew it sounded slightly disappointed. Tommy's gaze darted back to her, as if he hadn't noticed she was in the room.

"Hey," He said, looking slightly awkward. Jude stepped over to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it, not wanting to invade his personal space, though it killed a piece of her to do it. "Three years, hu?" Tommy said, his voice light, trying to break up the awkward silence to no avail. After a moment's pause, Tommy continued. "Can I ask how the album turned out?"

"It went double platinum within the first six months." Jude answered, smiling at the memory. Tommy looked impressed and pleased with the knowledge.

"I probably already said it, but Congratulations." Tommy said, looking apologetic as he said the words.

"It's ok," Jude said, feeling a pull at her heart as she lied through her teeth. It wasn't ok that he didn't remember her. Of all the things they went through together, he didn't remember one of them, and it killed her not to be in his arms, kissing him once again.

"I don't want to offend you or just assume things…" Tommy trailed off, frowning slightly. "Well…why where you in my bed when I woke up?" Tommy asked and added quickly "You don't have to answer if you don't want to.."

"No, it's ok." Jude said, her voice slightly pained. "Before your accident" Tommy broke her off with a dead pan.

"Please tell me the Viper wasn't involved." Jude glared at him.

"No, Kwest was driving." Tommy looked relieved.

"Oh thank god!"

"I swear you love that car more than you love me…" Jude muttered, looking away from him and gazing at the floor.

"Hey, that car is swe-did you just say what I think you said?" Tommy asked, looking slightly panicked.

"Before your accident, we had been dating for an official four months." Jude stated, staring into his blue eyes, hoping that he would remember something, anything about them and their time together. Even if he just remembered that he loved her, she would take that. They could make new memories together, but she didn't know if she could handle him not remembering the basic fact that he loved her…possibly always had, but he was afraid to admit it, definitely to her, but she suspected to himself as well.

Tommy searched her eyes for any glimpse of a lie, but all he found was warmth and love reflecting back in them. Her eyes, in that moment, scared him shit-less. He wouldn't deny the fact that he had commitment issues, and it was definite that there was some kind of commitment there with this girl, and that thought scared him, possibly more than the seven year age difference. He looked away from her eyes, unable and unwilling to loose himself in her soulful depths.

"You don't remember," Jude stated, feeling tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"No, I don't." Tommy said honestly, and Jude detected a hint of fear, and regret, in his voice. She didn't know what had caused the tone change. She suspected it was a fear of her, but it could have been a fear of not remembering. Maybe a combination of the two.

The pair sat in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, Tommy of how this girl-woman, made him feel and Jude remembering their brief time together as a couple. As they sat in silence, exhaustion seemed to over take the pair, Tommy was the first to yawn and Jude followed suite, scolding him.

"Stop that, don't you know it's" She yawned "contagious?" Tommy grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry." He stated, not looking all that apologetic.

"Tommy?" Jude asked, before he nodded off to sleep. He looked over at her, eyebrows raised in question. "Would you…I just…" She took a deep breath and spit out her question. "Do you care if I stay with you?" She asked, looking shyly away.

"Jude," Tommy said, at first exasperated, but then he remembered how he felt when he woke up with her lying next to him and he repressed a small smile. He sighed sadly and stated "I don't want to…" He frowned, considering how to say his next words. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea…I don't remember being your boyfriend and I don't think I can handle a relationship at the moment…with all the other stuff going on." He paused and Jude felt her heart sink. He's gonna break up with me, She thought, mentally preparing herself for the words to come. She bit her lip and felt tears forming in her eyes. She looked away from him and willed herself not to cry, not yet. "I don't want to break up…parse, it's just…can we just be friends for now? And work back up to…whatever relationship we have, the one you remember?" Tommy said, watching her compose herself. Jude glanced up at him, her eyes showing her confusion.

"You're not breaking up with me?"

"Let's think of it as putting the relationship part of the relationship on hold," Tommy paused. "That made more sense in my head…"

"No, I get it. No romantic stuff, for now, anyway." Jude stated, giving a relieved sigh. "I can do that." She added. It would be hard, but she could deal. As long as she was with him, she can handle anything. Tommy gave her a relieved smile. He didn't want to see her cry…crying girls scared him more than commitment does. "Can I still stay with you?" She asked, looking nervous as she asked the question.

"Yeah, it's fine." Tommy said, not wanting to argue, or see her cry, that would be bad. Jude smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Tommy tensed at first, as if afraid of the power the eighteen year old possessed, but after catching a whiff of her hair, he felt oddly at peace. The rest of the world seemed to slip away, and all there was, was just him and her. Jude let go of him and gave him a sheepish look. Once she left his arms, he felt strangely cold and alone. It was a feeling he had never felt before and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Sorry," She muttered, glancing away.

"It's ok," Tommy said, and leaned to catch her eyes. "I may not remember being your boyfriend, but you do…it's fine." Tommy stated, and gave her a reassuring smile. His words had a hidden motive to it. He wanted to explore this new found feeling with Jude, but he didn't want to rush into it. He had a feeling it was going to be something that would take awhile to get used to. Tommy felt his eyes grow heavy and he moved over slightly so Jude could join him again. She smiled at him and curled up next to him, her head on his chest, and his arms slid around her, almost like they had a mind of their own. Jude glanced up at him, and gave him a sweet smile and he felt his heart skip a beat.

What's this girl doing to me? He wondered, as she lay her head back down. He wanted to contemplate further, but exhaustion overtook him and he followed Jude into dreamland.