A/N: Yeah I know, it's been awhile. I've gotten busy getting into the groove of school. I hope you all like this update, I've been working on it for a couple of days. It's a bit longer than usual, part of why it's taken so long, but it's also been hard to make sure Tommy's not too whiny sounding, and Jessica isn't too stupid sounding, and Jude isn't too whiny either. It's hard to find a perfection, but I like how it's turned out. As always, your comments are greatly appreciated. I'd love to know how you felt the characters worked/didn't work this time around. As always, thanks for your wonderful reviews. I always look forward to them. Right now, I'm going back to work a bit on the intro to chapter 16, so I'll answer reviews once I finish with that, if your alert goes through before or you stubble onto this before I get to it, lol! Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 15

"Jude, what happened?" Sadie asked me as she stroked my hair. I don't know when or how, but we were seated on the couch and I was dabbing my eyes with Kleenex and trying to pull myself together.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," I muttered miserably. I leaned forward and put my elbows on my knees and rested my head in my hands, staring down at the floor, tears threatening to fall down my face once again.

"Jude, honey, you know you can tell me anything." Sadie said, her voice soft and full of worry. Her hands continued to stroke through my hair and I couldn't help but wish that it was Tommy's hands instead.

"I messed up Sades," I started, looking up into her eyes and Sadie looked back at me questioningly. "I messed up everything." I whispered and began to tell Sadie everything.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw things and most of all, I wanted to hurl. Just the thought of what Jessica did…it sickens me. It really does. I trusted her. I relied on her and everything she ever told me was a lie. Everything I knew was based on fiction. Everything I am…I shook my head.

As much as I didn't want to see her again, I had to know. I had to know why. I had to know what sick and twisted things were going on in her head when she…I scoffed and laughed bitterly. What the hell did she really do? I found myself wondering.

I made it hom…to her place and sighed. As I opened the door, I could hear Jessica's voice coming from the other room, her voice was muffled but I could hear the franticness in her tone. I took a deep breath and didn't bother to take off my shoes or my jacket. I wasn't sure if I was going to be staying long and I didn't want to bother with shoes and a jacket if I needed to escape.

I followed the sound of Jessica's voice and wound up heading towards the Kitchen. She must have been on the phone because I could hear no one responding to her as she talked. As I rounded the corner into the kitchen, she looked up from the table, a look of relief crossing her features when she saw me.

"Yes…no nevermind. Here he is." She said hurriedly and ended the call before setting the phone down on the table and rushing over to me. She wrapped her arms around me and I did not return her hug. "Oh my god, I was so worried." She murmured into my shoulder as I stood stiffly before her. Jessica let her arms fall back to her sides as she pulled away from me. "Where were you?!" She demanded, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she regarded me.

I answered her with a shrug; I really don't think she wanted to know what I've been up to all day. "I was worried and" She paused in her sentence and she studied me a moment before her expression changed. "Honey, what's wrong?" She asked, her expression changing to one of pure worry. She stepped closer to me and lifted her hand to caress my cheek and I flinched away. Jessica looked wounded by the action but dropped her hand.

"Jase, what's wrong?" She asked, her voice breaking slightly.

"Jess, I need you to be honest with me." I started and she frowned slightly. "I need to know about the night of the accident."

Jessica looked puzzled as she gazed at me. Her arms crossed over her chest slowly and I didn't back down. I needed this.

"What's you're sudden interest in the accident? You've never wanted to know the details before." She said, looking dazed.

"I need to know," I answered, my eyes pleading with her. She sighed.

"I've told you, you were on your way home from work when-"

"Where did I work?" I asked, probing her for information. She frowned.

"It doesn't matter. You didn't like your job that much." She answered, anger starting to edge into her tone.

"Jess, Please."

"Jase, it's been a few years, I don't" I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Right, of course, she didn't remember.

"What's bringing this on?" She asked me, her eyes looking hopeful. "Are you starting to remember Baby?"

"Don't," I hissed, and her eyes widened in questioning. "Don't do this."

"Jason, I don't know what you're talking about." She stated simply and I sighed. New approach.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" I asked her quietly, keeping my expression impassive.

"What are you talking about?" She asked me again, her frown deepening. She stepped closer and held out her hand. "Jason, are you feeling ok?" She asked, trying to feel my forehead and I grabbed her wrist.

"I'm not Jason." I told her in a venomous tone and she looked like I slapped her.

"What?"

"You heard me." I snapped. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my anger under control. I couldn't lose it. I had to do this. I had to get answers. "What really happened the night of the accident?"

"I told you, you"

"No, you didn't." I said, looking into her eyes and pleading with her. "I have to know."

She sighed and continued on with what she was saying before. "There was a bad car accident, I don't know the play by play, I wasn't there so don't even ask." Her voice sounded irritated, like this whole thing was an inconvenience for her and I wanted nothing more than to forget about this woman and move on with my life…whatever life that was. "You were brought to the hospital where"

"Which hospital?" I asked. She pursed her lips in annoyance.

"St. Lukes, where I did my residency," Her voice was tight and conveyed her pure irritation. "You were unconscious, bleeding profusely from the head and sustained several deep lacerations all over your body. Your left wrist was broken, and several of your ribs." She paused and looked me in the eyes. "What brought all this on?" She asked.

"I didn't have a reason to doubt you before." I said honestly and her puzzled expression showed she didn't know about the ring yet. "I found something in your dresser earlier. Something you were hiding from me."

"I don't know what you're-"

"It was a wedding ring."

"Jason, we're engaged"

"Jessica, it was inscribed 'Love Always – Jude'." She didn't have a response for that one. "Jessica, please, tell me the truth."

She was silent, her gaze not meeting my eyes.

"Jessica, what happened?" I asked again, lowering my tone and softly asking her. My eyes pleaded with her and tried to coax a response from her. She sighed and folded her arms across her chest. I realized then that she wasn't going to tell me. It hit me that somewhere down the line, she convinced herself that I was someone else. That I wasn't…I shook my head and thought back to the article I had read on the internet. "What date was the accident?"

"Excuse me?"

"Just tell me." I snapped. She sighed.

"June 18, 2011." She answered.

So it was true.

"Jessica, I'm not Jason." I said softly.

"Yes you are," She argued. "Honey, you're just confused. Let's talk about this." She pleaded and I couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the woman. She really believed her lie. I don't know what was more pathetic; the fact she was so sure of her crazy lies or the fact I was feeling a bit sorry for her.

"There's nothing left to talk about." I told her, turning around and heading towards the front door. I couldn't stay here anymore. I had to leave this place before I started to buy into her delusions again. The evidence is there. It's plain as day. I am not Jason Michaels. I'm Thomas Quincy.

"Jason!" Jessica yelled. I could hear the tears in her voice. "Jason, please talk to me-"

I turned around, my hand on the door and opening it as I talked. "Jessica, I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore." I said, shaking my head and walking out the door. I could hear her yelling, pleading as she was probably scrambling for shoes.

I walked briskly away from the house and down the street. I was a few blocks away when realization hit me. I had no where to go. I sighed and paused in mid-step. I couldn't go back to Jessica. I couldn't stand to look at her let alone share a place with her. I couldn't get a hotel/motel room. I had no cash and would have to charge it; she could find me that way if she really wanted to.

I took a deep breath to try and settle my nerves. I racked my brain to think up my options, but I kept coming back to the same conclusion. I only knew of one person who could really help me make sense of everything. Jude.

I finished my story and Sadie sat quietly next to me. I couldn't look her into the eyes. I knew she didn't believe me. I know she couldn't. She had to think I was delusional and desperate. She couldn't let me fall into false hope. It's her job as my sister to try and protect me. It's always been her job. I know it kills her she can't help me with this. I know she doesn't like to see me hurt and in pain – physical or emotional. She's my big sister and my life long friend. She's my protector and my number one enemy.

"Jude, honey,"

"It's ok." I said, looking up into her eyes. "You don't have to believe me."

"Jude, it's just…it's hard to believe." She told me and I sighed and rubbed my hands over my eyes.

"I know," I whispered, feeling tears stinging my eyes. God I wish I could just…talk to him. Make sure he's ok.

"I just"

"Mommy?" I heard Briana's small voice from the top of the stairs. I got up from my seat on the couch and hurried to the bottom of the steps.

"Bri, what are you doing up?" I asked as I walked up the stairs. "It's past your bedtime."

"I'm not sleepy." She said as she rubbed at her eyes. I smiled and reached down for her hand.

"Come on Kiddo, it's bedtime." I told her and she shook her head no.

"I wanna stay up with you and Auntie Sadie." She said, her voice deep and raspy from being tired. I smiled at her and bent down to take both her hands.

"Sweetie, it's bedtime, you need to get some sleep or the boogeyman will get you."

Briana shook her head and yawned. "No such thing." She told me and I heard Sadie laugh softly behind me.

"Well Bri," Sadie said, coming up the stairs behind me. "If it's ok with Mommy, we can stay in your room until you go to sleep." She said and both girls looked over at me.

"Pwease Mommy!" Briana asked and I sighed.

"Ok, but you have to go to bed." I told her and Briana nodded and led us into her room. Sadie and I retucked Briana in and we talked about school and whatever else her Five-year-old brain thought up. Slowly her eyes began to get heavy and she'd nod off before snapping them open again and trying to engage in conversation again.

After a good 15 minutes, Briana was out. Sadie and I smiled at each other and I bent down to place a kiss on her forehead when I heard a muffled knock on the door. I turned around and Sadie shot me a questioning look. I shook my head in response and Sadie left the room and walked down the stairs to open the door.

I felt my heart beat quicker at the thought of something being wrong. I bent down and fixed Briana's blanket and left another kiss on her forehead before walking out of the room, closing the door softly behind me.

"No, wait!" I heard Sadie say, as I walked down the stairs. Her voice sounded odd, almost like - Sadie rounded the corner and looked up at me. "Jude, you need to get down here." She said, her expression scared me. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Sadie, what's wrong?" I asked as I rushed down the stairs and glanced over at the door to see my missing husband standing at the door, looking like he was lost.

Our eyes locked and I was frozen. My heart stopped and my breath was caught in my throat. I never thought I would see him in this place again, it was…I felt tears sting my eyes. I wanted to run over to him and throw my arms around him and kiss him for as long as I could go without oxygen. His eyes were soft, filled with confusion, and even a hint of the old look he use to give me. The one that made my knees go weak.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." He said, turning around and heading to the door.