A/N: So glad FF.N's alerts are working again! As an author and a reader, that's highly annoying. Anyway, This is a really sucky way to come back from a long hiatus, but you gatta do whatcha gatta do. Unfortunately, this chapter isn't wrote to the fullest extent it could be. I'm not very confident in it, but my heart wasn't really in this chapter. I kinda got other things formulating in my mind and a lot of school stuff but I really needed to get this done to get to more…thought out developments. I have a rough sketch to my running back update that I hope to review and tweak a bit before I post it. It won't be tomorrow or possibly Sunday cuz I got too much shit due in class on Monday and I probably shouldn't have "wasted" the time on this. Anyway, I'm sorry for the suck-tastic-ness of this chapter, and I hope you guys find at least pieces enjoyable. I'll work a bit harder on smoothing out the next one, but it's either a rough rough copy or nothing for another week or two. I thought you'd guys rather have a rough than nothing. Anyway, comments, as always, are greatly appreciated and now, onto the chapter!

Chapter 21

Jude and I got Bri ready for school and dropped her off on our way to the studio. Jude told me it would be in our best interests to enlist Darius's help to control media response when we released that I was alive…officially. I think she also believed it'd be good for me to get out and see people I use to know, but she didn't actually say that. It was more…implied. Maybe it would.

"Do you still sing?" I asked Jude as she navigated her way to G Major. She glanced over at me and then back at the road.

"No." She stated, her voice sounding sad; almost…regretful and full of longing.

"Oh."

"It just…wasn't the same without you in the booth." She said with a shrug. "I started producing instead."

I nodded and we drove the rest of the way in silence. Jude parked in the back and 'snuck' me in through an alley. I don't know why she was going with the cloak and dagger routine, but I trusted her and followed her instructions.

Even through the back entrance, the studio was buzzing. People were rushing here and there and several people were moving instruments about. Jude walked briskly through the halls, weaving her way through people. I tried to follow her, but I found myself losing sight of her as I got distracted by something I hadn't seen before and tried to get some sense of the place. The hall had Platinum Record Plagues lining the walls and I didn't have a chance to stop and see which artists or albums they were for. I could hear a distant, constant ringing of phones and a low roar of voices. The place was overwhelming to the senses but I felt strangely at peace at the same time.

"Hey man."

I turned and saw Kwest standing just behind me in a door jam. Where the door led? I have no clue and I didn't really think I'd get an answer I could understand even if I asked.

"Hey," I said, turning around to see Jude had disappeared. I sighed and looked back at Kwest.

"You ok Man?" Kwest asked me, his voice touched with a hint of concern.

"I guess." I answered with a shrug. Honestly, I was overwhelmed and wanted nothing more than to get out of here, yet at the same time, I felt a sense of peace I hadn't felt since this whole mess started. A feeling like this is where I belonged.

Kwest looked like he was about to say something when a teenage girl, probably an intern, stopped right next to us. She startled me and I had no idea where she came from.

"Kwest, you've got an artist in Studio C waiting for you."

"One sec." He told the girl and looked back at me. The girl looked over at me and I saw recognition come to her eyes.

"Hey, aren't you"

"Kwest, it's fine. You got work." I told him, ignoring the girl next to us who was staring at me like…well, like I was back from the dead.

"Hey, it can wait fo"

"I'm fine." I stressed and Kwest sighed.

"I'll see you later, Man." Kwest said, walking off and taking the girl with him but it didn't stop her from glancing over her shoulder at me.

I sighed and looked around, the hall suddenly clearing out and I tried to figure out where I was and where Jude had rushed off to. With nothing coming to mine, I just headed off down the hall, hoping I'd end up where Jude was. I walked about 30 feet and stopped just before an open studio. I don't know why I stopped, but something seemed familiar about it.

I stood in the doorway and looked in at the sound boards and was overcome with a feeling I couldn't explain. Something seemed to call to me from the room. Like a siren's voice to a lost sailor. I went inside the room, moving slowly almost like I was in a trance, and just stared at the boards. I stopped right before them and ran my hand on the cool metal edge, instantly knowing what every knob, switch, button, and gauge meant and what it did.

I looked up from the boards and at the glass wall that separated this room from the empty recording booth and felt an overwhelming sense of Déjà vu.

"There you are!" I heard Jude's voice. I jumped and spun around, startled by the sudden noise. I watched as Jude entered the room and came to stand next to me. Following Jude was a large bald, older black man, probably in his mid-60s. Darius, I assumed. He had the look of a pit bull but his eyes were warm and welcoming. I definitely did not want to find myself at the receiving end of his anger, and something told me that I had been many of times in the past. Darius's eyes met mine and his face broke out into a grin.

"I'll be damned." He said, reaching out to shake my hand. I accepted and was careful not to let my grip be weak; Darius did not seem to be the person one would want to reveal weakness to. "You never did know when to stay down, eh T." He joked and I found myself smiling.

"Apparently, not."

"I'm glad, Tom." Darius told me.

"Tommy, this is"

"Darius."

Jude raised an eyebrow at me in questioning. I knew she was hoping I answered for her because I remembered; her eyes were filled with hope.

"I lost my memory, Jude. I'm not stupid." I stated, a bit harsher than I meant. Jude's eyes flashed with hurt and I instantly regretted the comment.

"As I was telling Jude, phones have been ringing off the hook since last night."

I looked back over at the man before me and judging from the gleam in his eyes, I knew he was a business man before anything else. I didn't know what to make of that comment, but something told me he'd be using the PR to his advantage in some way only known to him.

"Yeah…I noticed." I managed and Jude slipped her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. I looked over at her, thankful for her gesture. "Um….sorry if I'm not suppose to be in here, I got a bit lost and"

"I've always considered this stupid yours, T." Darius told me, waving a hand in dismissal. "Well, Jude's too."

I looked over at Jude and she just smiled at me. I guess that meant it was a good comment?

"So, back to business." Darius said, rubbing his hands together, eagerly. "I've set up a conference at 10 am tomorrow morning."

"That was quick." Jude said, looking sharply over at Darius.

"I set it up last night." He explained and Jude kept staring at him and I looked at Jude, confused. "Had to say something to calm things down; better to have something set up. I could have had everyone here last night or this morning, but I knew you wouldn't like that." Darius stated and Jude's gaze stayed hard. I could tell she didn't like how Darius just started making arrangements on his own, but was also appreciative he kept her feelings in mind at the same time. "I've already got PR people working on your statements"

"D, we don't need a script." Jude snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. I stayed quiet, just looking back and forth between Jude and Darius. "We're more than capable to tell the press without help. We're big kids now." She stated and Darius sighed.

"Look, Jude" Darius stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. Darius looked over at me and pointed at Jude.

"I don't know how you live with her, T. Jude's more stubborn than a mule."

I shrugged. I honestly couldn't tell him anything, but I had to agree. She is pretty stubborn.

"I take that as a compliment." Jude said, smiling triumphantly.

"Fine; You'll talk with the PR people, they'll help revise your statements and help you prepare for the press's questions. Fair?"

Jude glanced over at me, as if asking if I was ok with it. I shrugged in a 'it's up to you' way. Jude looked back at Darius.

"Sounds good." She said and Darius smiled.

"I'll leave you two to it then. Be sure to talk to consult Portia before you leave too."

"Darius, it's a conference. We don't need a make over." Jude said, sounding annoyed.

"She'll have my head if you showed up in jeans and a band shirt tomorrow. Humor me." Darius stated before leaving the studio and Jude and me alone.

"That was…"

"Interesting?" I offered.

"That works." She stated with a sigh and turned around to face me. "Sorry about all this." She said, her eyes sympathetic. "I know you didn't sign up for all this."

"At one time, I did." I stated with a shrug. "I might not remember it, but it was my life and if that's what it takes to get it back, than I'm willing to do it."

Jude smiled at me and stepped closer to me before throwing her arms around me in a hug. I stiffened at first, surprised by her action. We hadn't done anything remotely intimate since we met and as surprising as it was…I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer, her body molding perfectly to mine. This felt…right. More right than anything else has so far. Jude in my arms, in the studio…this is where we were suppose to be.

Jude pulled back out of the embrace and I had to squish the disappointment. She stared at the floor, not meeting my eyes.

"Jude?"

"Yeah?" She asked, looking back up at me and I could see a hint of sadness in her blue eyes.

"I"

"Oh, sorry."

We both started and turned to see someone stepping into the door way.

"I just needed to get something out of the cabinets."

"It's fine, Crystal." Jude said and Crystal looked apologetically at us before crossing the room. Jude sighed and turned to face me again.

"We should get going anyway." She said, a sad smile on her face.

"Yeah…"

Jude led the way out of the studio and to the PR office in silence. We spent a hour going over our story for the press and coming up with answers to "difficult" questions before leaving with more than enough time to go home and relax a bit before needing to get Bri from school.

We pulled into the driveway and there was another car in the driveway, a Mustang. I looked at Jude as her face paled a bit before shutting off the engine of her own car.

"Are you ok?" I asked Jude, feeling concerned. Jude nodded and got out of the car as an older man stepped out of his. I cautiously got out of the car, examining the other man. He was tall, a couple inches taller than me and dressed in a charcoal gray suit. His hair receding and salt and pepper colored. His eyes lit up at one look at Jude, pride and love coming over his features.

"Dad?" Jude said, her voice sounding shocked, happy, and strained all at the same time.

"Hey Sweetie." The man greeted as Jude threw her arms around him.

I felt my breath leave my body and I was overcome with uneasiness. The Father-in-Law.