AN: Over the years, readers have always expressed frustration about why Jude wouldn't just sit L and Grace down and tell them about themselves. So, here's what might have happened if he did. Enjoy!

Chapter 2 - Hey Jude

Jude POV

8th of July 2005

Dear Jude,

It was so good hearing from you. I came back from the soup kitchen and was pleased to see your letter. Your penmanship is improving as well. Truly God's work! Your classmates seem like my mates from childhood, mischievous and funny. I will try to come to Wammy's House before the holidays as promised. You can introduce me around! That is, if you don't mind a cleric tagging along.

I understand your struggles with fitting in. That is truly a hard thing to do for anyone, but with your gift it can be even more difficult. It's disappointing to see people for who they really are and not who they pretend to be but I still encourage you to embrace your gift. God intended for you to do good. I've seen it and believe it fervently.

You write about how the teachers have been asking too many questions and you don't know why. I would suspect that they are trying to get to know you better. It does my heart good to see you in such a safe and welcoming home.

You asked what Mr. Wammy and I talked about the day you left for Winchester. Well, he was very inquisitive about your ability to be sure, but he also wanted to know the good things about you. I told him you were excellent at sums and very helpful to me, especially when you would accompany me to the shelters. I know it was hard for you to "see" the poor souls' hardships and pain, but you didn't shirk. I finally told your kind benefactor that I am proud of you, Jude. And I always will be.

I think L seems like an amusing chap too, but remember, matters of the heart are never black and white. I think the best thing for you to do is let things move on their own course. You could of course tell your teacher, Grace, his feelings, but it wouldn't be the same as when he tells her himself. You'll see this when you develop feelings for someone, I promise you. It will mean all the more without an interpreter.

Here at the abbey, we are already preparing for our autumn clothing drive. Father Harry is working with me to gather coats and blankets for everyone that we serve. Please feel free to let Mr. Wammy know of our cause. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, I want you to know that you are daily in my prayers, my boy. Study hard and open your heart and the world will be a marvelous place.

God bless you,

Father Nigel Wesley

I folded the letter and put it back in my pocket, where it was usually kept. Then I squeezed my eyes shut and took several deep breaths. This wasn't going to be easy. It might even be the hardest thing I ever had to do. But Father Wes always said that's how we learn, when we do hard things. When we face our fears and put ourselves out in the open and deal with the consequences. I muttered a quick prayer under my breath, opened the door and stepped inside. So here goes nothing.

"Right then…" I stood in front of my teacher and my mentor in the downstairs classroom, the questions in their eyes of course easy for me to read. "Glad we're all here."

My teacher, Grace, was hesitant. Her thoughts were "Lord, what is Jude playing at now?... Is he deciding he wants to train as a detective after all? …. I can't believe L said that…The little ones need to get ready for dinner…Who does he bloody think he is telling me how to handle my own investigation?...How long is this going to take?" She always had a very vocal and talkative mind; it could make me dizzy sometimes with how quickly her thoughts would shoot all over the place like a comet.

My mentor, L on the other hand, was propped up against the windowsill, his hands in his pockets and shooting me a death glare that he knew I could read. "Jude, this had better be quick." He had given up long ago trying to hide his thoughts, now he had taken on the habit of sending me direct messages with them. I hated it.

"This won't take long." I answered both of their questions in one go. I walked to the blackboard behind me, picking up a piece of chalk and threw them a wink. "Detective's honor."

Grace leaned against the front of one of the desks, a little annoyed. "Jude, I do hope you haven't brought us here just to play Hangman."

I watched L smirk and briefly think to himself how silly and adorable she could be and how much he wanted to kiss her.

Yuck. His thoughts were the worst. At least cake wasn't also involved this time. That was just weird.

Then, his thoughts changed to their most recent row, from two days ago where bitter, untrue words were thrown at each other in the heat of the moment down in headquarters and afterward how he had felt angry and hurt, moping around the house as usual. Then they both had resorted to the silent treatment, which unfortunately wasn't silent for me. It never was. The worst bit of it was that if only they'd talk to each other, instead of being stroppy for days and driving everyone else in the house mad, all of this could be avoided.

It was the last row I agreed to endure, not that they knew that yet. I shrugged, then wrote on the board.

N O

L chuckled and G shot him a cold look, crossing her arms in front of her. "He's laughing at me now?! That man is treading on very dangerous ground…it might be time to paint this room again…perhaps I could make it into a project for the kids, teach them the importance of hard work…He did not just smirk at me..."

"Not Hangman, G. Just some truth or dare...Well without the dare bit." I turned to the board again, took a deep breath and wrote one sentence. One sentence to change everything, or at least I hoped so. It was time to make them face their fear.

Grace, L is in love with you.

I heard them both react behind me and when I turned around, L's one-way telepathic thoughts were furious. "How dare you write that! Is this some pathetic attempt at humor? Why are you throwing me to the bloody wolves? There are going to be serious repercussions for this, I tell you…."

Grace looked faint as she continually read the words over and over. "Is it true or is he joking? Why does L look so brassed off now? Good Lord, is he upset because it's true?"

Not done, I wrote then,

L, Grace is in love with you.

I underlined the you for emphasis, hoping they didn't need it but who really knew with these two?

She gasped then and put her hands to her mouth as if she had said those words herself. "Jude!"

L looked like he was about to be hit by a bus. Not much caught him off guard but that sure did. He even had to grip the windowsill to not fall over. "It's a lark, merely a lark, correct? But why does she look so embarrassed then? Dare I even hope?"

Finally.

It felt like two tons had been lifted of my chest as I put down the chalk and faced them both feeling smug. "See, I told you this wouldn't take long."

Instantly, I had the riot act from both of them. Can't a guy do something nice without being torn off a strip? Sheesh.

"Jude Caul," Grace fumed. "Who are you to put people's private feelings out there without their permission? That is not your decision to make. I thought we talked about this!"

"Jude, this behavior is highly insubordinate, just wait until Wata—" L stopped himself then and turned to G, his eyes widening. "Er...private feelings?"

She realized what she had blurted out and blushed, covering her face. "Lord…I mean…oh God, Jude I can't believe you would do this!"

I took it all in stride. "Look, if I hadn't this would be still going on probably until I'm like old enough to have a driving license. I'm sick of it and I'm not the only one either. It's out there now. You love each other. Don't you dare deny it. You know I can see the truth even if you want to be stubborn and act like it isn't true. Just face facts. You detective lot are all about facts, right?"

Grace took her hands off her face as she thought on this. For once she only had one thought in her head. "He loves me?"

Now they were both silently staring at each other, slowly letting it sink in. L started to smile and caught my eye. "Aha. Disregard my previous scolding. This may have worked to my advantage after all."

Good, I shouldn't get in trouble for being his wingman anyway. He needed all the help he could get.

"Is it true?" L finally asked G, cautiously but with hope.

Grace asked her question at the same time; her expression softening. "Is it true?"

I started to grin. "Thank God. This has been driving me mental."

L slowly crossed the room to where she stood, his eyes gentle. "Yes, it's true. Is it true for you?"

She hid her gaze running her fingertip across the top of the desk. "Well, Jude isn't one to lie..."

He came close to her and placed his hand on top of hers. "I hope it is true."

G looked up at him and a smile spilled across her face. "It is."

Now L looked like he had dodged that bus in the last moment as his face transformed into a look of relief. "I'm sorry G. About earlier."

"I'm sorry too L … I shouldn't have reacted that way..."

"No, I had no business to direct how you should complete your investigation. You are fully capable to handle it yourself. "

"Please, I appreciated your input, even if the matter of doing so left little to be desired..."

They paused then, and L finally said what he had wanted to for a long time. "I love you, Grace."

"I love you, L. So much." "God I've wanted to tell you that for months."

He started to grin. "At last."

Grace linked her arms around L's neck as she gave him a tender gaze and he quickly turned to me, the thoughts in his mind easy to see. "Er, Jude...so...if you could..."

I rolled my eyes putting up my hands and heading for the door. I wasn't going to wait any longer in case those thoughts changed to anything else. "No problem, mate. I'm out of here."

Back out in the hall, my other teacher, Anne, was waiting along with Mello, Matt, Ella and Alice the cook. "So?!" She asked excitedly. Her thoughts were full of hope.

"It's done." I announced and they all let up a cheer. Anne gave me a quick hug and Matt and Mello both slapped me five. Ella jumped up and down clapping her hands together and Alice just laughed.

"Thank God..." Mello commented with a grin. "Hope the stupid rows stop now. Any time either of them piss the other off, we suffer."

"Right mate," Matt agreed visibly shuddering. "I still haven't even made a dent in that paper G is making us to write about the importance of respectful communication."

"At least you don't have to make a multitude of treats for someone who wants to eat their feelings instead of address them." Alice teased. "The country would have had a sugar shortage if this had gone on."

The classroom door burst open then and the pair in question fell out of it, holding hands and giggling. Then, after a moment of deliberation, L pulled G to him, pressed her up against the closest wall and started snogging her like absolute mad. Mad like "Whoa, I didn't know he had it in him" mad. G seemed happy about it though even if she probably couldn't breathe.

That stopped of course when they noticed they had an audience. An audience that had started to applaud.

"Well done you two!" Anne called and Matt whistled. They broke apart from each other, mortified.

"Don't stop the show on our account!" Mello teased as he covered Ella's eyes.

"Good Lord," Grace beyond embarrassed, looked at her best friend Anne, already determining who the orchestrator had been. "You were behind this weren't you, Annie?"

Anne giggled. "Guilty! Although it was a team effort."

"I-I don't know quite what to say..." L mused then, still turning red. "I suppose an expression of gratitude would be in order."

Ella beamed then; her eyes now unshielded from their antics. "Miss Gracie! L! You are so happy now. I can feel it!"

G bent down to give the littlest member of Wammy's House a cuddle. "Yes poppet. We are happy. You are such a sweet girl to care so much." Her blue eyes found me then, her thoughts just bursting with pride. "And you are a wonderful young man, even if you might have given me a heart attack."

I nodded as she stood back up and hugged me. What was with the Wammy's girls and hugs anyway? "Just doing what I can to help."

"See Jude? You could be a detective after all. "Anne pointed out. "Look how much you like to help people."

I pulled a face. Not this again.

"Yeah, as number five of course," Mello was quick to add, his thoughts competitive as usual. "Or number four, the mind reading thing probably could put you ahead of Near anyway."

L spoke up then, clearing his throat. "Grace…erm..we had better return to our work in ...headquarters! Yes headquarters. We do have a...err.. .deadline to keep."

She caught his meaning and tried not to smile. "Oh! Right. Of course, these cases won't solve themselves after all. We mustn't delay."

I smirked. Yeah, pull the other one. Unless they were investigating how quick the pair of them could get back to their make out fest, they were going to go back to work as much as I'm secretly the pope on the weekend.

But I didn't care. I knew Father Wes had told me to wait until they tell each other but he didn't know them. It could go into another decade if I had done that. And they both seemed really happy and relieved too.

I had started to see my gift really wasn't a bad thing, which Father Wes had always wanted me to see. Maybe I could think about this whole detective bit a little more. Maybe it would be good to be able to help people with what I could do.

But I was still thankful that at least my own thoughts stayed with me at the moment and no one else.

I mean, wouldn't it be awful if someone could read your mind?

Song - Hey Jude - The Beatles

Jude has actually had a couple stories written by readers over the years. One of them is called Gratitude by Girl With Grey Eyes. It's still up here on the site and in my favorites go check it out!