"Hello."

"Hey."

"Hey sweetie, what's up?"

"Just trying to kill some time before Kat and Jamie come over."

"Your by yourself?"

"Only for a little while."

"Oh. How was your day?"

"Besides Darius yelling at me, alright."

"When I come back I'm kicking his ass."

Jude smiled. She loved it when Tommy was protective of her. Most girlfriends hated it, but I guess their relationship wasn't a typical one."It's not that bad."

"Sure."

"What did you do today?" Jude asked, changing the subject.

Tommy puased for a moment before he told her. "I um, was working on some songs."

"Oh really? What?"

"Frozen."

"Now way! Tommy I'm so excited for you!"

"Hold on. I was just working on it, that doesn't mean I'm going to record it."

"I know, I'm just glad you're working on it." She heard the doorbell ring and looked up at the security monitor Kwest had installed. She saw Jamie's unruly hair, and Kat's short stature. "I'm so sorry to cut this short, but Kat and Jamie are here," she said as she walked toward the door.

"Hey, don't worry about it girl. I love you."

"Love you," she said as she opened the door.

"That was a nice welcome," Jamie joked.

"I was talking to Tommy."

"Figures."

"Ignore him. He's just crabby because his car finally died," Kat explained.

"No way. The station wagon finally kicked the bucket?"

"Hey don't joke, I liked that car," Jamie said as he shoved three cartons of ice cream into the freezer.

Kat laughed and shooke her head."Sometimes I wonder why I put up with him."

"Because you love me."

Kat rolled her eyes and looked at Jude. "So where's this dress?"

Jamie plopped himself onto the couch and lficked on the tv while the two girls fawned over the dress.

"Wow, it's so pretty," Kat said fingering over the sequins.

"Isn't it? I mean I wish I could've gotten a Kat original but sources say she's booked up."

"Hey, your 18th birthday dress will be a Kat original."

Jude laughed and carefully placed the dress back into the closet. "I just hope my 17th birthday goes a little better than my 16th."

"How could it be worse? You and Tommy are together now, and happy."

"Yeah I know," she said absentmindedly. Her mind wandering back to Ryan again. Tommy, Kwest, and Sadie were still the only ones who knew what had happened.

"Are you girls going to make me watch movies all by myself?" Jamie yelled from the couch.

"We're coming," Kat yelled back.

The three best friends sat around, laughed, talked, ate ice cream, and watched movies. It was like old times before her tour, before her 16th birthday, before all the chaos had happened, and she loved it.

Kwest and Sadie arrived at the apartment around 1 A.M. They quietly walked toward the living room and saw Jude fast asleep on the couch, Jamie sprawled out on the floor, and Kat curled up on a chair. Sadie went and grabbed a few blankets to cover them up.

"I feel like I'm her mother," Sadie said cynically.

"Don't...you're her sister."

"I know that, but apparently my parents don't. They always used to be there for us Kwest and now it's like we don't exist. Where were they when Jude almost killed herself, or when she was raped! Where were they!" she screamed on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Kwest said, pulling her close to his chest and stroking her long blonde hair. "Everything will work out."

"How can it Kwest? My parents will never come back and whose to say that Ryan's going to stop."

"Nobody does, but we have to believe he will."

"Morning sleepyhead," a deep voice whispered in Jude's ear.

"Huh?" Jude opened her eyes. "Tommy!" she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I thought you weren't coming until next week."

"Change of plans girl," he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

Jude sat up on the couch and looked into Tommy's ocean blue eyes. "I'm so glad you're here Tommy."

"Me too."

"Are you going to stay until next week?"

"That's the plan. I thought I"d try and help get your album done."

"That would be so great Tommy," she looked around the room. "Where's Kat and Jamie?"

"In the kitchen eating cereal."

"I still can't believe your going to be here more than two days."

"Actually I might be staying Jude...for good."

A wide smile spread across her slim face. "Really?"

"Really," Tommy said as he picked her up and spun her around.

Jude giggled and kissed Tommy. "I love you so much."

"Likewise," he smiled. They had gotten so far in the past three months. After Ryan's assault, Tommy could barely touch her without her shying away from him. It hurt that she could be scared of him, but he didn't hold it against her. But now, Jude lived for the kisses she recieved from Tommy and loved his gentle touch.

"Hey there are other people in this house you know," Sadie joked as she gave Tommy a brotherly hug.

"Hey, and yes we know that."

"It's good to have you back man," Kwest said.

"It's good to be back."

Tommy had barely finished his sentence when his cell phone rang. Kwest and Sadie retreated to the kitchen while Jude stayed in place.

"Hello."

"Hey Tommy it's me Portia. I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight."

"Oh, well I'm back in Toronto."

"Really? For good?"

"Yeah."

"I'm happy for you. We both know Jude needs you. Especially now with my brother bugging her all the time."

"Yeah."

"Well I'm going to let you go. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright bye."

"Who was that?" Jude asked as he put the phone into his back pocket.

"Portia."

"Oh," Jude sighed.

"Hey, Jude you have nothing to worry about. Portia's my past, you're my future."

"That's good to know," she said as Tommy protectively wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked into the kitchen.

Tommy poured himself a bowl of cheerios and handed the box to Jude. She shook her head and pushed the box away.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, just not hungry I guess."

"Okay," he shrugged as he poured milk into the bowl and started shoveling spoonfulls into his mouth.

"Guys we should really get to G Major before Georgia calls again," Kwest said, reminding Jude of their tardiness to work yesterday.

"Hey, sorry my alarm didn't go off."

"Let's go," Tommy said reluctantly. He wanted to spend the day with Jude...alone, not with a bunch of other employees flitting around.

Kwest quickly kissed Sadie on the cheek, Jamie and Kat said goodbye to everyone, and Jude grabbed her lyric book before leaving the house.

"Well, if it isn't little Tommy Q."