A/N: OK guys, this is it…the moment you have all been waiting for! That's right my peeps, Tommy and Jude are going to meet, face-to-face, in this chapter! I know, exciting isn't it…and I'm sure none of you are bothering to read this after that small tidbit of info, so why am I even bothering typing further? Seriously…I must have some addiction to posting author notes that no one is going to bother to read…well, if that's the case, I'll just spoil you all on the rest of this fic and…well, no…there's always the off hand chance that ONE of you will actually read this…and I don't want to give anything away cuz then I'll loose a reviewer or two because they know how this is going to play out and…wait, why am I still typing! This is insanity, no one is reading this…I know it! You're all reading the chapter cuz, hello! Tommy and Jude are together again, and you've only been waiting, what? 8 chapters for this moment? Honestly, what kind of author am I…see! I'm still rambling…stop typing fingers, stop! Ok, now that you've all caught a glimpse into my insanity (I need to get rid of this chocolate, seriously…it's doing baaaaadddd things to my brain), I'm going to stop typing (seriously) and let you all read my chapter…if you haven't done so already, cuz honestly? Why would you read these ramblings?

Enjoy the chapter and if you read this…and understood ANYTHING in this…well, you deserve to be locked up with me…somewhere…I don't know where…but it you understood me before, you should understand me now and I'm seriously stopping, taking my hands of the keys and I'm ending this insanely long A/N of nothing but spam…

Chapter 12

Week Later

Kwest and Sadie sat at a small diner across the street from G Major. The couple had began dating about six months ago and found they were really happy together. As they ate their lunch, they discussed the current situation Tommy and Jude found themselves in.

"Is she ever going to tell him?" Kwest asked, getting aggravated. Sadie sighed.

"She tries, but she says she chickens out when before she can hit send on her phone or when she sits in the parking lot of G Major. She's scared about how he's going to react." Sadie said, her voice sympathetic.

"He's going to be pissed she didn't tell him sooner, that's exactly how he's going to react." Kwest stated, looking slightly annoyed.

"Give the girl a break Kwest. She's trying." Sadie said, her eyes getting sympathetic.

"I am, but Sadie, Tommy's suspicious, and sooner or later is going to figure it out. We need to do something." Kwest said and Sadie nodded.

"You're thinking we should tell Tommy?" Sadie asked, making sure she got her information straight. Her eyes grew soft and her confliction showed.

"I'd rather Jude do it too Sades, but I can't keep lying to my friend. Not when he's already suspicious."

"Yeah, I know." Sadie agreed, sighing. "He's going to hate us." She added, after a beat of silence.

"At least we won't be hiding." Kwest stated, taking her hands from across the table. Sadie nodded.

"I guess we can think of it as helping them get back together." Sadie said, smiling slightly. Kwest nodded in agreement. The couple went over their plan on how to break the news and Kwest got up to pay their tab. They left a couple bucks on the table for a tip and went back to G Major, hand in hand, determined to tell Tommy the truth, even if it killed them.

Sadie and Kwest entered G Major and found Tommy in studio A, working on tracks for Shattered's newest single.

"Hey Tommy." Sadie greeted. Much to everyone's surprise, Tommy and Sadie had broken up on mutual agreement. They both decided they didn't really love each other, not in anyway that mattered and decided to remain friends...about three months after the breakup and Sadie had burned everything that reminded her about Little Tommy Q, except the Boyz Attack CDs, which she chalked up as ok because she did have a slight crush on Chaz Blackburn as well when she was younger.

"Hi Sadie. Kwest, what do you about this?" Tommy asked, turning up the soundboard for Kwest to hear what he had been doing while the tech was out.

"Sounds great, but uh, Tommy, we need to talk." Kwest said, looking nervous. Tommy stopped the music and glanced questioningly at Kwest and Sadie. Neither said anything and Tommy broke the silence.

"Sadie's not pregnant is she?" Tommy asked, surveying the couple.

"Hell no!" Kwest said, looking slightly panicked at the idea. Sadie glared at her boyfriend.

"Oh, so if I were pregnant, that's how you'd react?" She demanded.

"NO, that's not…" Kwest stuttered out but Sadie wasn't having any of it. Kwest glanced at Tommy, eyes pleading for help.

"You're on your own." Tommy stated, looking slightly amused. "So, what's got you guys all serious?" He asked, looking thoughtful.

"It's not about us." Sadie said, and Tommy looked confused.

"Then wha…" Tommy trailed off and his eyes stayed glued to the door. Sadie and Kwest glanced at each other questioningly and followed Tommy's gaze.

"Am I interrupting?" A small voice asked.

"Jude? What are you doing here?" Kwest asked, nervously. Jude frowned when she glanced at Sadie and Kwest but didn't answer. Tommy's eyes went back and forth between Jude, to Kwest and Sadie and back again, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"How long?" Tommy asked, his face stoic, his voice devoid of no emotion.

"Hu?" Kwest asked, confused.

"How long you've been back Jude?" Tommy asked, staring at her, trying hard not to be mesmerized by how she'd grown up. How good she looked and how much he wanted to kiss her.

"About a week and a half." The young woman answered. Tommy nodded slightly and glanced over at Kwest and Sadie, arms crossing across his chest.

"How long did you know?"
"Tommy"

"Stay out of this Jude. How long Kwest?" Tommy demanded, and Kwest saw anger flash in Tommy's blue eyes.

"Tommy, does it really"

"How. Long." Tommy said, slowly, his jaw clenching.

"Since the night before you performed at the Viper Room." Kwest said, looking apologetically at Jude. Tommy stared at his friend, for a long moment, shook his head, and turned away from the group, trying to contain his anger. A Week and a half and no one felt the need to tell him. He could forgive Jude for not telling him right away, but Kwest! His friend, practically his brother felt the need to keep this bit of information away from him. A small hand touched his shoulder, tentatively. Tommy spun around, and shrugged her hand away. He noticed that Sadie and Kwest had snuck out while his back was turned. Cowards. He thought bitterly.

"I'm sorry Tommy, I wanted to tell you sooner"

"But you didn't." Tommy said, his voice sounding slightly hurt.

"Don't blame Kwest. I asked him not to tell you." Tommy laughed bitterly and looked away from her.

"Of course you did." Tommy spat, turning away from Jude and taking a deep breath.

"I was planning on telling you when I got back, but you were out of the studio…" Tommy spun around and looked at her a long moment, and he realized why she didn't talk to him. Did you see her? Kwest had asked him. God, how could I be so stupid!

"You were at the Viper Room, weren't you?" Jude didn't say anything a moment, not sure how he'd react. Tommy laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Where you ever going to tell me?" Tommy asked, for the first time the whole conversation he actually looked hurt.

"I tried so many ti"

"So, let me get this straight." Tommy said and Jude stopped, letting him have his say, head bowing in shame. "Kwest and Sadie decide to tell me and you decide to try and beat them to the punch, but you almost didn't get that chance hu? Or did you expect me to be so happy you're back that I'd run over to you and kiss you? What were you expecting Jude!" Tommy demanded.

"Not this." Jude said, her eyes filling with tears. Tommy scoffed. "I didn't know they were going to tell you."

"Sure you didn't." Tommy said, his voice bitter. He shook his head again and brushed past her, heading towards the door.

"Tommy, don't leave." Jude said, her voice pleading him. Tommy paused with his hand on the door knob. Jude held her breath, and she saw a change in his demeanor. His shoulders sagged slightly, as if in defeat, and his head bowed.

"Kinda ironic coming from you." Tommy said, opening the door and slamming it close behind him. Jude watched his retreating form, tears spilling down her cheeks.