A/N: OK, so I didn't update as soon as I wanted, but there's a reason, really there is. OK, so I don't know if I mentioned this before, so you guys, I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself, but honestly, I need to rant, and who better to rant to than my wonderful reviewers? So, if you don't care about why I didn't update or about my own personal health, just skip to where you see in bold "Chapter 16" And ignore my terribly long A/N.

Monday: My coworker Lisa tells me "Destany, I'm glad you're alive". And I'm like "the h-e-double hockysticks?" I mean, I wasn't planning on dying. Cuz then I'd have to haunt someone into finishing my fics and that would just suck for both of us. So, yeah. I have no clue where this came from and so I'm like "yeah, I'll try not to." And so, Tuesday goes on normal, and Wednesday, the day that I'm going to repress for the rest of my life. I get to work in the late afternoon, and what happens? I get this burning sensation in my left eye, kinda like there was something in it ya know? So, I go and try to see what's in my eye. Seeing nothing, I pay attention to the eye lashes and see one drooping into my eye. So, I'm playing around with that, trying to get it out and lo and behold, it's stuck and won't come out, so I put up with it til I get home where I tweased it out and saturated my eye with eyedrops and called it a night. So, thurs, it's still not better and I figured it's probably allergy related or something and continue drops. Well, get home from school thurs to find half of my left eye practically red! So, yeah, call fri morning and get an appointment and yada yada, see the doctor, get diagnosed with an eye infection, yada yada, get a prescript and if it's not better by Monday, I had to call back.

So, Monday rolls around, and eye is not looking any better, is still about the same. So, I go back…and get diagnosed with an eye virus and get a new prescript and instructions to call back in the morn if not better. So, this morning, I get up, eye is still the same, and so I call, and long story short, fight with three different doctor offices to getting an emergency appointment to the optometrist, where I'm told I have an eye inflammation and am asked if I took any head trauma's recently (get hit in the head with some sort of object) and I say No, which is true, and now we have no idea how this happened, but I have cell damage in my left eye and am now on steroid drops to regain activity or whatever. I don't know, they lost me at cellular damage and crap.

So, yeah. All the while, I'm sensitive to light and it burns like a mother and looking at the computer screen doesn't help at all. :(

Arg, glad you guys liked the last chapter and I hope you all like this one as well!

Chapter 16

Two Days Later

Tommy and Kwest were setting up and getting ready to record Tommy's newest track. They finally had a spare moment and used it to their advantage of the empty studio a.

"OK, so you know that"

"Tommy, chill man. I know what to do." Kwest said, trying not to laugh at his best friend. Tommy looked slightly annoyed.

"Fine, but if you mess it up, that means I have to do it again." Tommy stressed, staring at his best friend.

"Tom, we've been over it. I know what you want were, we're good to go once you stop acting like a drama queen." Tommy looked annoyed and sighed.

"Fine, but-" Tommy wasn't able to finish the studio as the door opened. The G Major receptionist, Lisa, looked apologetically at Tommy and Kwest.

"Sorry to interrupt guys, but Georgia wants to talk to Kwest."

"Now!" Tommy demanded, looking even more annoyed. Lisa looked slightly frightened and nodded. Tommy let out an exasperated groan and Kwest chuckled.

"I'll be right there Lisa." Kwest said, and the receptionist nodded her acknowledgement and Kwest turned to Tommy. "Sorry man, but when the boss calls…"

"I know, I know." Tommy said, looking annoyed.

"Well record once I'm done with Georgia." Kwest reasoned. Tommy shook his head.

"No can do…Spiedermen and the boys are suppose to be in to work on their new single." Tommy said, sighing and collapsing in his chair.

"Sorry." Kwest said, looking apologetically. Tommy shrugged.

"Go, talk to Georgia…I'll just work on lyrics or something and get everything ready for SME." Kwest nodded and left the room. Tommy let out another sigh and got up, and went over to the mixing table and started to re-due the settings. He heard the door open and he sighed.

"Lisa, Kwest just left"

"I'm not Lisa." An amused voice said. Tommy looked up to see Jude standing in the doorway.

"Definitely not." Tommy said, smiling at her. Jude walked further in and glanced around a moment.

"On break?"

"Not officially." Tommy said, looking slightly disappointed. Jude gazed at him questioningly. "Kwest got called away before we could record a track."

"Yours?"

"Yeah." Tommy said, looking annoyed. "So, yeah, free moment until SME comes exploding in…no pun intended." Jude laughed.

"That pretty much describes them. Always a dramatic entrance."

"You're telling me." Tommy said, deadpanning.

"Hey…" Jude said, looking thoughtful. Tommy stared at Jude questioningly. "If you want, I can help you record…" Tommy raised an eyebrow. "You and Kwest started teaching me about the soundboard during my second album…just tell me what to do and I'll do it." Tommy looked contemplative for a moment.

"I'll just do it later. No big." Tommy said, turning away from her.

"Oh come on Tommy! I want to help you with your album!" Jude said, getting excited at the prospect of another Tommy and Jude era. Tommy sighed.

"It's not the same thing…"

"yes it is." Jude argued, grinning. Tommy stared at her with narrowed eyes.

"You just want payback for me making you sing Not Standing Around on your head don't you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!"

"It was your idea!" Tommy argued, getting away from the subject.

"Oh, and since when do you ever listen to me!" Jude demanded, glaring at Tommy. Tommy glared back and Jude had to refrain from sticking her tongue out at him as well. Jude cracked first and started laughing. Tommy smirked in an attempt to hide his smile, but Jude knew better. "I missed this." Jude said, beaming at Tommy.

"Yeah, I did too." Tommy admitted, glancing down at the soundboard.

"So, rock star, we gonna record?" Jude asked, looking giddy. Tommy shook his head and couldn't hold back his smile when she was like this. He missed her and her infectious happiness. Tommy sighed.

"Why not…you still remember the board?" Tommy asked nervously as Jude leaped into 'his' chair and pointed at the various switches, knobs, and controls, naming them as she went along.

"Ok, ok!" Tommy said, sighing and handing her the producing notes. Jude looked them over and nodded at Tommy. "You got it?"

"Yup." Jude said, grinning. Tommy glanced at her nervously and sighed. He walked out of the mixing room and went into the recording booth and slipped the headphones on and waited for Jude's signal while she got the board set up and ready to go. "Uh…Tommy?"

"What?" Tommy asked, irritated.

"Where's the record button?" Jude asked, deadpanning. Tommy slipped the headphones off and threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Forget it!" He yelled into the mic and turned away from Jude, running a hand through his hair.

"Tommy! I was joking!" Jude's voice came over the speaker. Tommy turned around to see the 20 year old grinning like a chesire cat. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Nevermind Jude…I'll just wait for Kwest."

"Oh come on!" Jude encouraged. Tommy sighed, walked over to the stool and picked up the headphones.

"You mess this us and I'll make your life hell." Tommy said, slipping the headset onto his head.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Ready?" Jude asked.

"Whenever you are." Tommy said, feeling nervousness hit him. He watched as Jude busied herself at the board and moments later, soft music flooded into the headphones and he waited for his cue.

"I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I have been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different but they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong
I'm movin' on

I'm movin' on
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone
There comes a time in everyone's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town
I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't
I had to lose everything to find out
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road
I'm movin' on

I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on." The melodies faded out and Tommy looked to Jude. She gave him a thumbs up and her voice came into his headphones.

"That was great!" She said, grinning. Tommy sighed.

"You got it then?"

"Yup." She said, looking giddy. Tommy slid the headphones off his head, set them on the stool and walked out of the recording booth to listen to the track. Once he was in the mixing room, Jude looked over at him. "I like how you left it acoustic." She commented.

"It seemed to fit better." Tommy stated, sitting down next to her and Jude hit the playback and Tommy seemed to be satisfied with Jude's skill. "You did good girl." Tommy said, smiling at her.

"Of course. I learned from the best you know."

"Flattery isn't getting you anywhere." Tommy said.

"Who said I was talking about you?" Jude countered. Tommy smirked at her and shook his head in amusement. Before Tommy could counter, the door to the studio burst open and in walked the boys of SME.

"DUDE! JUDE!" The three yelled in unison and pulled Jude into a bonecrushing group hug.

"Tommy! Help!" Jude yelled. Tommy just laughed and gave Jude a look that said 'you're on your own.' And turned his attention back to the mixing table.

"Dude, when did you get back!" Speed asked as the boys let her go.

"About a week ago."

"And you didn't call us!" Wally said, looking sad.

"Sorry guys. I've been busy." Jude said. Speed's eyes narrowed as he looked over at Tommy.

"I bet." He muttered. Tommy looked up and gave Speed an innocent look.

"Vincent, play nice." Jude said sternly.

"Harrison, what'd I tell ya about using the 'V' word?"

"Oh, whatcha gonna do?" Jude asked. Speed smirked.

"This." He said, and grabbed Jude's side and began to tickle her mercilessly. Jude tried hard not to laugh but she couldn't stop herself. She tried to squirm away from Speed but her efforts were in vain.

"Help" Jude managed to gasp out, but Tommy, Kyle, and Wally were too busy watching the pair in amusement to want to intervene. After Speed was sure Jude was thoroughly tortured, he removed his hands, a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

"OK boys, we gatta get to work." Tommy said, working hard to keep a laugh out of his voice.

"SME? Work?" Jude said, looking shocked.

"WORK?" All three boys yelled, paling and looking aghaust.

"JUDE!" Tommy yelled.

"You mean to tell us this is work!" Speed yelled, looking annoyed.

"Speed, of course it's not"

"Shut up Quincy, you've been lying to us." Speed said and Kyle and Wally nodded in agreement. "Let's go play some touch boys…Jude, you wanna play fourth?" Speed asked. Jude shrugged.

"Why not…" She said, looking unenthusiastic.

Tommy sighed in exasperation as the boys left the studio.

"Sorry," Jude said, wincing.

"It's like working with 5 year olds…I guess I'll need to get them recorded some other way." Tommy said, frowning.

"Cookies."

"Hu?"

"Cookies, they like homemade cookies." Jude offered.

"yeah, like I'm going to bake SME cookies." Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

"It was just a suggestion." Jude said, and sighed. "Well, I guess I'll talk to ya later than…" Jude added. Tommy nodded his acknowledgement and Jude left the studio to play touch football with SME.

Short Final A/N Review Reviews: I am not going to address reviews from chapter 15 at this time. I'm having issues staring at the computer for long periods of time and answering reviews is just going to hurt my eye more. Just know, I appreciate the reviews as always and I'll comment to them when I can.

 I am not going to address reviews from chapter 15 at this time. I'm having issues staring at the computer for long periods of time and answering reviews is just going to hurt my eye more. Just know, I appreciate the reviews as always and I'll comment to them when I can.

Disclaimer: I do not own the song Moving On by Rascal Flatts!