A/N - Hey, everyone. I'm not even gonna BEGIN to squeal about tonight's episode… :3 Just on with the chapter. And let's just say… I totally wrote about why Tom broke up with Sadie before it premiered. (giggles) Maybe, I'll be psychic about the rest of this, too? We can only hope.

Enjoy and review!
-Jude Quincy-

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Chapter 2 : Falling Like a Star, Love Me Like a Star

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"Georgia!" Tom greeted her, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Hey, Tom," she smiled, glancing at the tech next to her. "Kwest."

"Hey, Georgia. What are you doing back?" He grinned, raising his eyebrows at Tom. "Did you buy G Major back from Dar or something?"

She grinned. "Or something. I'm back for Jude's big birthday bash." Tom groaned, slumping against the wall again. "What's up with him?"

"Jude." She nodded knowingly. "When isn't it?"

"He still got a crush on her?" Georgia asked, eyeing Tom carefully.

His eyes widened. "You know?"

Georgia laughed. "Who didn't Tom? The only person that oblivious would have been Jude. Has she figured it out yet?"

Kwest nodded. "I think she figured it out when he kissed her."

Georgia was surprised. "He kissed her?"

"Yeah, on her sixteenth birthday. Right after she found out about Shay and Eden," Kwest told her.

"You knew?" Tom was in complete shock.

Kwest smirked. "Tom, almost everyone knew. Jamie and Kat knew, Sadie knew, EJ knew, Darius knew…the only person who didn't was Georgia, I guess."

"What happened, now?" she questioned, staring deliberately at Kwest.

He took a deep breath and began the history of Jude and Tommy. "Well, after he chewed out Shay for cheating on Jude, he went to go talk to her. He ended up kissing her. Like, kissing her. Then he told her to forget all about it, successfully ruining her 'Sweet Sixteen.' The rest you know…He abandoned her on her tour and went with her sister to Europe.

"But now, he supposedly cheated on Sadie with my cousin, but we're talking about that. Jude chewed him out for it, then pushed him in a hot tub. She says she doesn't believe in him anymore, which crushes Tom, 'cause he's madly in love with her. But Jude is being super cold to him.

"So, he practically admitted he loves her today. But then Portia interrupted him. But not before Tom made up some cheesy line about Sadie and him not working out because she acted too much like a fan. Which he then tried to cover up with some line about needing people to like him beyond his past. Blah, blah, now you're here!"

Tom gave him a look. "Thanks, man."

Kwest scrunched his eyebrows up. "Hey, I'm just telling her the truth."

Tom groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "What am I going to do?"

"The only thing you can do, I guess." He looked at Georgia expectantly, hoping she would have the answer to everything. "Tell her how you feel."

"What! Georgia, I think you're forgetting that she's only turning seventeen. Still young enough to send me to jail."

"Tom, you'll always regret it if you don't," she reminded him.

"She's right, man." Tom sighed at his friends' honesty.

"Plus, Tom," she added, "you can make her birthday ten times better than last year's just by being honest."

"I know, but…you guys don't get it. I couldn't even get my mind off of her by dating her gorgeous sister. You think me telling Jude that I love her will make it easier?"

"Trust me, Tom. She needs to know."

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"I love that dress," Portia told her for the eighteenth time since she had shown the older woman. "You're gonna knock everyone's socks off at your party."

"Thanks." The two women made their way back to the studio, Jude back in her street clothes. She had wanted to show Tom, in spite of everything else, but Portia had wanted the dress safe and sound.

Jude stepped out of the conference room, a surprising sight in front of her.

"Georgia!" the blonde shrieked, running up to her old manager and giving her a huge bear hug. "You're back!"

"I couldn't miss my favorite Instant Star's seventeenth birthday, could I?" Georgia laughed, returning the embrace.

"Oh, this is great. I have the perfect dress, and I think I get to perform 'Anyone But You' at the party, and I think my dad is coming, but he's bringing Yvette. But I think my mom is bringing Don too. So it's gonna equal out," she gushed, glad to have some estrogen back in her life.

"Well, it sounds fun," Georgia glanced at Tom and Kwest, a 'save me' look on her face.

"Jude, are we gonna finish mixing that song today?" Tom asked tentatively. She bit her lower lip, looking him right in the eyes. He sighed and added, "We don't have to."

"Can Georgia and I catch up first?" Tom paused for a moment and then nodded, lips pressed into a tight smile. Jude grinned. "Thanks!"

Georgia shot a pointed look directly at him. "Actually, Jude. I have some things I need to do first. Can we, maybe, have dinner or something tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Sounds fun." She turned toward Tom. "I guess we can work on it."

"Great," Kwest said. "I'll meet you two in the studio?" Tom bobbed his head a bit, mind obviously somewhere else.

"Jude," Tom mumbled, looking at his feet. "Can I talk to you for a second…alone?"

"Uh…sure." She glanced at Georgia, a confused look on her face. The older woman shrugged.

Tom walked down the hallway to an empty room, Jude following close after. He let Jude through first, then stepped inside and closed the door behind the two of them. Taking a step toward her, he reached for her hands, clasping them both in his.

"Jude," he began, "I lied to you before. About Sadie and I. I didn't break up with her because of a model. And I didn't break up with her because she was acting like a fan."

"Well, then why? Tommy, why did you break up with her?"

"I broke up with her, because…because I'm in love with you, Jude…"

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A/N - Okay, you asked for it, and you got it :3 Enjoy and review. And as I watch this week's episode multiple times, you'll probably get one of three things…A new IS ficlet, an update here, or the first chapter to "Bulletproof," so keep an eye on me! lol.

-JQ-

PS: You know where to reach me to talk about the episode!