Hi--so what did everybody think of the finale? I have to say that I was a little disappointed in it. I love Tommy and the way he said goodbye to Jude was so cold...I just hope he has a good reason! That little girl was cute, but she better not be his daughter! But their little scene at the beginning when he asked her to dinner is what I'm trying to focus on. That was the Tommy/Jude cuteness I was looking for. And in my mind, I'm trying to just remember White Lines and how cute that episode was last week...that was enough to keep me going!
Ok, enough rambling, sorry...here's the part you've all been asking for. I really hope I do it justice--I'm actually really nervous that it's not going to live up to your expectations. This chapter is semi-fluff, but you know how much I love the fluff :-) So enjoy!
"So…what exactly did you say to me?"
Tommy automatically grinned a little. "You really want to know?"
"Yeah," Jude said earnestly.
He looked at her and continued to smile, seeing her impatience. "Nah, you wouldn't want to hear it…"
"Yes, I do!" she exclaimed, pushing his arm playfully.
He grabbed her hands and held them in his own. "It was simple. I said the only thing I could think about at the time."
"Which was…" she prodded, trying to get him to come clean.
He sighed and looked into her eyes warmly. "I told you how much you mean to me."
"Really?" she asked, feeling a lump form in her throat.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly. "That's all I kept thinking about seeing you like that. So I said everything I was thinking—everything I was feeling. I told you how important you are to me and how much I need you in my life. And how much I love you."
"Ohhh…" she murmured, clearly touched.
"And that you're pretty much the best thing that's ever happened to me. That was all."
"That was all?" she questioned with a smile, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Tommy, that's the sweetest, most incredible thing anybody's ever said to me. I wish I wasn't unconscious when you said it!"
He laughed, seeing her mixed reaction of tears and happiness. She laughed too, thinking about what he had told her.
"Wait—didn't you say all of that in front of everybody? My mom, Georgia, SME…didn't they all hear you?" she questioned, counting all of the people she remembered standing around.
"Nope," he answered with a grin. "They were there, but I whispered everything to you so no one heard."
"Ohhh," she replied in relief. "Was that weird? Did they all get suspicious?"
"Maybe, but I didn't really care," he answered truthfully.
Jude gave him a small smile, reflecting on everything he had told her.
"Is all of that true?" she asked timidly. "Everything you said?"
He looked at her closely and replied, "Of course. You think I'd lie to you when you're unconscious on the floor?"
She grinned and looked down at their hands, still intertwined. "I just…I didn't know all of that."
He slipped one hand out of their grasp and gently brushed her cheek. "It's all true. And I'm glad you got to hear it when you were awake." She smiled faintly, letting his words sink in. "I'm not ready to lose you, Jude. I wasn't when you were lying on the floor and I'm not now either."
She looked into his eyes affectionately, the tears still trickling down her cheeks, as he slowly leaned forward to meet her lips. She edged in too and felt his lips against hers. He brought both hands up to her cheeks and she held onto the edges of his shirt, feeling him deepen the kiss with his tongue. She met his intensity and moved her hands onto his waist to hold on tighter. They both melted into each other, overcome by emotion and missing the feel of each other.
As they pulled apart from the kiss, they immediately fell into an embrace, Jude shifting closer to him to rest her head on his shoulder. He soothingly weaved his fingers through her hair, feeling her light breathing against him.
"Will you let me help you?" he asked softly.
She sighed deeply and stayed against him. "I'm not sure how."
"We'll figure it out together then," he said, still brushing her hair. "Is that okay?"
She paused for a minute, thinking about his offer. "Yeah, I guess that's okay."
He smiled at her response and held her a little tighter.
"Jude, there's something else we need to talk about—"
Suddenly, the door opened and they both sat up abruptly.
"Sorry, are we interrupting?" Sadie asked, standing in the doorway with Josh.
"Ummm…" Jude answered hesitantly, knowing that Tommy had something more to say.
"No, it's fine. Come on in," Tommy answered. "We'll finish talking later," he whispered to her, as they watched Sadie and Josh approach the bed. Jude nodded and sat further back on the bed, separating herself from Tommy but continuing to hold his hand.
"How are you feeling?" Sadie asked.
"Better, thanks," Jude answered.
"Are you hungry?" Josh asked, holding up a paper bag. "I smuggled some bagels in from the outside."
"Thanks, but I'm okay," Jude answered, as Sadie and Josh approached the bed. "So, I guess this will be the last performance of mine you'll ever come to," she said to Josh, watching him pull a blueberry bagel out of the bag.
"Are you kidding? The show was great, Jude," he said, shoving a piece of it in his mouth. "Granted, it would've been better without the whole passing out thing afterwards, but I really liked the rest of it."
"Thanks," she said with a grin.
"And I loved that song you did at the end for your encore," Josh added.
"Yeah, where did that come from?" Tommy asked, forgetting about the performance part of the evening.
Jude smiled a little and reflected on her song. "What do you think I've been doing with all of those extra hours from not sleeping?"
He grinned back at her and squeezed her hand a little tighter as the door opened again. Her mom stood in the doorway along with the whole crowd from G-Major, all holding flowers.
"Wow," Jude said, looking at everyone in the doorway.
"I've brought some people who wanted to see you," her mom said, as they all entered the room and crowded around her. "I hope you don't mind."
"No, it's good to see you all," Jude said, looking at her band, Georgia, EJ, Darius, Kwest, her dad and Yvette.
"It's good to see you, too," Georgia said. "We were really worried about you, Jude."
"I know. I'm sorry for making you all worry."
"Don't be. We're just glad you're okay," her dad said.
The group stayed in her room for another half hour until the doctor came in and kicked them all out. Her mom stayed with Jude as the doctor began his exam. The rest of the group shuffled down the corridor back towards the waiting room. Tommy walked alongside Georgia, his smile subconsciously plastered across his face.
"Happy to have your girl back?" Georgia asked, noting his cheerful expression.
"Definitely," Tommy answered. "She nearly gave me a heart attack."
"I know," Georgia replied, remembering his reaction to her collapse. "It was scary seeing her like that. I sensed there was something going on with her, but I didn't realize it was so bad."
"None of us did," Tommy muttered, his happiness suddenly being replaced by guilt. Even though Jude had accepted his apology and didn't blame him, he couldn't help but feel like he had been the cause of her breakdown.
As they made their way through the double doors to enter the waiting room, Georgia saw his expression turn downward and nudged him to lighten his spirit. "You know, it's a good thing you were there."
"Yeah, I guess," Tommy answered ambiguously, watching the rest of the group spread out amongst the chairs.
"She's a lucky girl to have a friend like you," Georgia said with a knowing grin, giving him a quick wink before walking over to join the rest of the group. Tommy watched her deliberate actions and smiled to himself, remembering that he could never get anything past Georgia.