Thank you everyone (Kris10rox, bookworm0408, Tommy4eva, FreakEmoWriter17, pixiestix16, iamthatplace, Adrienne, musical-cynders, jackjackio, starfan88, Adrienne, Erin McKinley, LittleZurawski, AlexzTimFan, Funkyicecube, and Duddley111) who read AND reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate it so much.

"You could go ahead and shift to 5th gear…just because you're wealthy now doesn't mean you can't conserve gas," Tommy criticized, as they sped down the winding roads toward the storage building.

Jude clenched and unclenched her jaw; gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were turning a deathly white. She gave him a side-glance before shifting to fifth gear. Attempting to smile at him, she failed miserably, showing a quick flash of her teeth—much more like a grimace than a smile. Breathe, Jude, just breathe. He's been through a lot. You'd be a little pissed off too, if you'd just missed out on two years of your life.

"I'm cold," Tommy sighed, fidgeting in his seat.

Jude, resisting the urge to scream, turned the heat in the car on a little. She unconsciously applied more pressure to the gas pedal, making them go even faster through the winding roads.

Can he even feel the temperature changes? She wanted to ask him, but felt it was rather rude and insensitive of her to ask. She pondered on it a while, until Tommy interrupted her thoughts once again.

"You can slow down, I've been traumatized in enough car accidents to last me a lifetime.

That's it…

With that Jude slammed on her breaks, simultaneously pushing down on the clutch, and turning the wheel, sending the convertible into a 360 before veering off onto the shoulder of the road.

"Holy shit!" Tommy shouted, throwing one arm against the dashboard and holding on to the door handle for his life. "Holy shit! " he shouted again, clutching his chest. "Are you trying to kill us both?"

She fumbled, trying to slide the key out of the ignition. She hastily unbuckled her seatbelt, reaching for the door handle. She turned around quickly, facing Tommy. "No, you know, what? You get the hell out of my car right now." She glowered, climbing out of that car and slamming the door so hard the window shook.

Tommy watched, mildly bewildered, more frightened, as she stomped around the back of that car to the passenger's side, opening his door.

"Get out," she said, a strained calm in her voice.

Tommy debated with himself for a split second, before climbing out of the car. He leaned on the hood of the car as Jude stalked off down the road, breathing hard. She got 30 feet away and turned back around walking towards him.

She has lost her mind.

"What the hell is your problem," she screamed, throwing her hands up in the air as if she were defeated. He glanced up at her shocked at the rage flashing behind her eyes.

"I--" he began, before being cut off by her.

"Whatever the hell is, you need to fix. I don't deserve this crap," she snapped, thoughtfulness in her tone. "You think you've been through a lot over the past year? What about me, Quincy? What about everyone who's ever loved you? Your family. Your friends. Your fans," she breathed, her tone becoming more even as she spoke. "I realize it's hard for you, settling back in to the whole life thing. But dammit, you cannot treat me or anyone else the way you just treated me. Do you think you deserve some kind of special treatment--"

"That's my whole damn point Jude! Everyone is treating me like I'm some little fragile child—like I'll break or snap. I can't handle that from you too girl," he shouted, his voice breaking. He stood up and walked around. "I'm fine now. I'm awake. I'm walking. I'm talking. I'm alive. I'M ALIVE!" he yelled for emphasis, startling Jude and causing her to take a step back.

"Okay," she said, sympathetically. She tossed her hands up in a peace gesture. "You're alive. I understand."

"You don't act like it," he said in his normal tone of voice. "I'm so sick of having things done to me and being treated like an infant—like an invalid! While I was in coma, people made sure I was fed, bathed; they even wiped my ass for heaven's sake, Jude!" his voice growing higher in volume by the minute. "Now that I'm awake people are still trying to do things to me. I'm ready to start doing things for myself again. Be a real man again."

Jude stood silently, kicking at the weeds at her feet. "But you have to realize the fact that we're all in shock here, basically. You have no idea…" she trailed off.

"About what? Don't hold back," he responded, his eyes pleading. "Give it to me straight up…"

She sighed, looking up at sky, willing herself not to cry. "You closed your eyes for two years. I had mine open for two years wishing and praying that you'd wake up everyday and everyday you didn't."

"I know it was rough on you girl, and everyone else. But I'm here now." He sighed. "I'm here, but it doesn't feel like it. I just need you, especially you, not to--"

"Coddle…" Jude completed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah, not to coddle me," he smiled.

"Okay, I'll work on it," she exhaled, leaning next to him on the car.

"That's not good enough," he whispered, sadly.

"It's the best I can do," she mumbled, "Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it." He sighed, reclining on the hood. After a few minutes he interrupted the silence. "The sky is blue."

"Duh." Jude smiled, at him as he stared up at the sky. She admired how he noticed little things now—how he just stopped whatever he was doing noticed.

"No, really. The sky is blue," he repeated, saying the word 'blue' like it was new to him.

Jude looked up. "Yup, it's blue, Tommy."

"Jude. You can't tell it's blue from that position," he said, patting the hood. "Lay back, and breathe in the blueness."

Jude rolled her eyes, and chuckled at his playful randomness. "Okay, whatever." But she reclined on the hood next to him, and looked up at the sky. "It is blue." She murmured, gazing up with him.

"Told you," he said in a singsong tone, before Jude and he burst out into laughter.

"Wait," she said, sitting up, and glaring at him. "Are you just trying to change the subject by distracting me with your randomness?"

"You caught me…" he joked.

"I'm serious…if you're ever that big asshole again--"

"You'll let me know," Tommy filled in, hopefully.

"And then I'll kick your ass."

"I won't feel it," he joked, placing his hands behind his head.

"I meant figuratively," Jude murmured, returning to her spot beside him. "What does it feel like?" she asked, turning on her side to face him.

He shrugged, and swallowed hard. "I don't know how to explain it."

She brought her hand to his stubbly cheek. "Try to. I want to try to understand a little better."

He removed her hand from the side of his face, and placed it between his own hands. He swallowed again, looking at their hands together. "It's kind of like going to the dentist and being numbed. You know they're in your mouth digging around and doing whatever they do, but you can't feel it. It's kind of like that."

"Can you tell differences temperature," she asked, quietly.

"I can feel like extreme differences. Like when it's 80 inside and 40 outside. But it's not exactly feeling the difference I don't think. More like noticing the temperature difference. I can tell that it's cold out here by the way my breath is more ragged—or my nose running or something like that."

Jude nodded, listening intently, feeling the warmth of his hands on hers. She slid her hand away from his and slid off the hood. She sighed, looking at him. "So about this condo search thing…since you don't want a live-in nurse, right?"

"Right," he chuckled, perching on the hood.

"You could always have one of my guest rooms…" she offered.