Important A/N Contains Fic Info: OK I need to make some corrections to this fic. I made the "mistake" by rereading CMT the other day, and well…I had a few things reversed in my mind. Such as I didn't think she was 18 when Stuart broke them apart (well almost 18) I thought she was still 16. Heh. Thus, ages are a bit off in this. So, let's pretend that Jude is 25 and Tommy 32. Sadie would be 28 and I'm assuming Kwest is also 32; I don't think he's younger than Tommy but I could be wrong. Also, Pretend Kat and Jamie are married and Kwest and Sadie…well, they're covered in this chapter. OH, and for those wondering, I've determined Stuart's age to be around 53. The Be an IS site states Stuart as being in his 40s so I did a bit of my own math. I don't think he's high in the forties in the show, so we'll see how it plays out. OH! The only other thing I didn't completely address was Georgia. I honestly didn't think I had her in CMT. I got it confuzzled with one of the many other fics. So…we are pretending Georgia has been on Vacation and will make an appearance soon-ish. I'll cover that in too when she makes an appearance but I figured I'd get it all straightened out here and now since I messed up. That has been part of my dilemma. I thought about going back and adding that info in where I messed up, but I'm too lazy to go back and edit it and such and well…yeah. It's only minor stuff so we're now gonna play pretend. I didn't want Tommy to be in his 30s already! Um…I think that's all the corrections I'm gonna make. OH! For fun ness, I'm going to add a quote to the end of each of my BS updates from CMT. I must say, I have some good one-liners in that fic. I miss that humor. I'm gonna get some whit back in this to break up the seriousness of it. HAHA. Anyway, I hope you guys like and, I promise, the fic is way longer than the A/N. :D
Chapter 22
Next Day
Sun poured in from the window and bathed the room in a soft, warm glow. I lay in bed on a soft, warm mattress and covered with a comforter. I felt a pleasant weight on my chest and I opened my eyes, blinking to get my eyes to focus as I took in where I was. I glanced around in momentary confusion, not remembering how I ended up in the strange bedroom before memories of the previous day started to flow into my brain.
I felt a small smile spread on my face as I looked down and saw soft blonde hair covering my chest and Jude's head lying on my left shoulder, my arm around her and her right hand on my chest next to her face. She was curled up on her side, her small body pressed close against mine. I loved the feel of her against me, next to me.
I watched her sleep for a long while, not wanting to wake her up and spoil this moment. I didn't want to get out of bed. I wanted to stay like this for ever, just watching her sleep, feeling her pressed against me all soft and warm. And to think that I was married to her, to the most amazing girl in the world…
I stopped my thoughts with a small shake of my head. Slow down there Man. I told myself. I reached up and stroked Jude's soft blonde hair. I am so whipped already, I thought to myself, a smile coming to my face. All she had to do was look at me and I was wrapped around her finger. I'd do anything for her and I barely remembered the woman next to me. It made me wonder, and afraid, of what the sex would be like.
"mmmmm" Jude moaned and she stretched and blinked open her eyes, taking in a deep breath and tilting her head to look up at me, her eyes half massed from sleep.
"Hey,"
"Hi," Jude mumbled, her voice heavy from sleep. She moved her head back down and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to me. I found myself smiling and wrapping my arms around her and holding her to me, my fingers still playing with her hair. We lay in perfect silence for a long moment.
"Tommy?"
"Yeah?"
Jude leaned up from me and on her elbow, staring down at me. I looked up into her eyes as she bit her lip nervously.
"What?" I asked, feeling my happiness fade a bit and nervousness creep over me. I didn't like the nervous look she was giving me. Jude continued to stare at me a moment before she averted her eyes and rolled over, and sat up on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall. I watched her, not sure what to do or say.
"I just…I…" She stopped and I could feel her frown. I sat up and continued to watch her a moment. She shook her head and looked at me over her shoulder. "We should get ready. We don't want to be late for the conference." She stated, getting up and moving to the closet and searching for her clothes. I frowned as I watched her get up and cross the room. She was avoiding something. I could feel it.
I got up and approached her. I lay a hand on her shoulder and she started, not expecting the gesture.
"What's wrong?" I asked her.
"Nothing." She muttered as she looked for an outfit for today's events.
"You're avoiding something." I stated. Jude sighed and turned around to face me.
"I'm trying not to let myself build expectation." Jude smiled sadly at me and I was at a loss for words. "I have to remember that"
"Jude, I"
"It's ok." She told me, but I knew it wasn't. She was hurting and I didn't know what to do about it. "This is all me, ok. It's not you."
"But, I"
"Daddy? Mommy?" I heard Bri's voice and Jude and I both turned to look at our five year old daughter, standing in the doorway of our closet.
"Yeah, Bri?" Jude asked, kneeling down before our daughter and leaving me staring at her. Why did it seem that every time I tried to tell her I loved her, when the time seemed right, we always got interrupted? I sighed heavily. Maybe the timing wasn't right. I thought. Maybe it's a sign. I turned away from Jude and Bri as Bri asked Jude if she could have Mickey Mouse toast for breakfast and rummaged for my own clothes for the day.
Jude and Bri left the room and I went and showered and changed and went downstairs. On the way down, I heard Stuart come down behind me.
"Morning, Stuart." I stated as I reached the bottom of the stairs, trying to be cordial. Stuart just gave me a long, cold look and brushed past me to the kitchen. I sighed heavily and wondered if anything would go right this morning.
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"Kwest man, You've got to help me." I stated, sitting down at the boards next to my best friend. Kwest looked over at me, his eyebrows raised in question.
"Hello to you too." He muttered. I scowled.
"I need your help." I stated again, running a hand through my hair.
"With what?"
"Stuart." Kwest made a face of pure nervousness and then shook his head.
"I'm sorry man, I can't."
"Kwest, I can't deal with this guy." I told him, feeling like I was going to explode. "I need…something. Anything to one up this guy."
"You want to blackmail your father in law?" Kwest asked me, looking like he wanted to laugh or smack me upside the head. Maybe both.
"No." I stated, and paused a moment. "OK, yes…sort of. I don't know!" I yelled, throwing my hands down on the soundboard and my head down on top of them. "I just…the man is getting to me, Kwest. He knows things that I don't. I don't like being on uneven turf with this guy."
"You want to know Tom Quincy Stuart Harrison 101?"
"I know the cliffnotes version, Kwest. I know the short version, I want to know the full length novel." Kwest bit his lip and looked nervous for a moment. "Come on, Kwest. I need to know."
"I know…it's just…"
"What?"
"We've been told not to tell you full stories. Jude said the doctors felt it could get your brain to create false memories." I slammed my fist down on the soundboard causing Kwest to jump slightly.
"I'm so sick and fucking tired of this!" I yelled. I got up from my seat and paced the length of the studio. Kwest watched me, a nervous look in his eyes. "Kwest, the man has something against me. I don't know what the hell is problem is but it has to be more than just dating his daughter before she was 18." I stopped in my tracks and stared at Kwest. "Come on, Man. I need to know."
Kwest sighed and I could see his resolve slipping.
"I don't know the full details. Most of it, I got second hand." He told me.
"Just tell me what you know, please." I practically begged.
"Why don't you talk to Jude about this?" Kwest asked me and I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
"Because…" I said, looking down at my shoes. "Because she loves her father and everytime I bring up the past, she gets this…sad look in her eyes." I told him, and looked back up, blowing out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "I just…I don't want to drudge more pain up. It…She…I don't know, I don't know how to explain it, but it makes her sad when she remembers I don't remember." I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head. "That probably made no sense."
"It does." Kwest assured me with a sigh. "Alright," I smiled at him and took a seat down next to him. "You already know about Stuart forcing you to break up with Jude before her 18th." I nodded my agreement. "I can't tell you much about then because I didn't know you were dating until Stuart forced you two to break up. After that…well, I only got a drunken confession out of you." I winced and Kwest kept going on. "Stuart didn't want you dating his little girl. He didn't like your bad boy reputation and he worried about his daughter getting hurt. I don't know if there was more to it than that." Kwest told me and I nodded, committing this all to memory. "Jude found out two years later. She came back trying to make amends"
"I was dating someone else."
"Yes. You stayed friends, I don't know the story, but you two had a one night stand. Jude ended up pregnant and Jude told you the same day you broke up with Michelle. You guys planned to be together and raise the child together. Stuart came back to Toronto a few months later."
"He didn't like his daughter being pregnant."
"No, he didn't." Kwest said, his gaze getting sad.
"What happened?" I asked, feeling a wave of cold dread wash over me.
"You guys fought. You and Stuart were about to duke it out when Jude went to separate you. Stuart shoved her to she side and…being pregnant"
"She fell." I filled in, my breath escaping me with shock. Oh my god. Her father…
"She hit her head, almost lost the baby. She made it out ok and she made amends with her father if he accepted you were her baby's father and future husband." Kwest told me. "I remember you telling this to me, clearly. Stuart left the hospital room and asked you if you two could set aside your differences. For Jude. He offered you his hand to shake on the deal and you walked away from him." Kwest finished with a sad smile. "From the way I hear it, you two are cordial for Jude, but otherwise…well,"
"We don't like each other?"
"You never forgave him for shoving Jude."
I nodded, still not able to believe her father would do something like that. It made me sick. How could Jude forgive him for that?
"You ok, man?" Kwest asked and I sighed.
"Yeah." I told him. "Thanks." I gave him a sad smile, still not able to believe Stuart would do such a thing.
"Hey…um…while you're here…" Kwest said, suddenly looking nervous. I sat up in my seat, interested in what he was about to say. "What would you say if I said I wanted to propose to Sadie?"
"I thought you already were." I said with a slight wince. Kwest shook his head.
"We've had our fair share of problems." Kwest told me with a sigh. "We're happy and then we fight badly and break up and get back together again. And then we got back together and the accident happened and…well…I just…" Kwest paused. "I feel like it's the right time for us."
"Then ask her." I told him, feeling a smile come to my face.
"You think she'll say yes?"
"You're asking the guy who doesn't remember his whole life?"
"Good point." Kwest said, leaning forward, his head in his hands.
"I don't think she'd say no." I told him honestly. "I already thought you were engaged."
"I just…"
"Kwest, go for it. You deserve to be happy."
"Thanks, man." Kwest said, and held out his fist. I tapped mine on his and he smiled at me.
"Hey, guys!" I heard a voice say from behind us. I turned my head around to see Jude walking into the studio.
"Hey Jude!" Kwest greeted, smiling at her as she walked into the room.
"Hey Kwest." She returned coming over to stand next to us. "What're you guys talking about?" She asked, looking between the two of us.
"Just…guy stuff." I stated, giving Kwest a go with it look and he nodded in agreement.
"Mmmhm." Jude didn't look convinced but I just smiled at her. She continued to stare between us a moment but no one was cracking.
"How'd the press conference go?" Kwest asked.
"It went alright." Jude said with a shrug. "It's over with, that's all that matters." She stated and I shrugged in response at Kwest's questioning look. Jude sighed and turned to me. "You about ready to go? Bri's going to be getting out of school soon and I don't want to leave Dad at the house by himself all day."
"Yeah, we're done here, right?" I asked Kwest, making sure he didn't want to finish the Sadie talk.
"Yeah." Kwest said and looked at me. "Thanks, T."
"No problem," I said, and got up from my seat. "Later," Kwest nodded and Jude and I left the studio as Kwest went back to the boards to mix a song or whatever it was he was working on before I interrupted.
"What were you guys talking about?" Jude asked me as we walked towards the parking lot.
"Just..stuff." I told her, not sure if I should mention Kwest's might be proposal or not.
"You're not going to tell me." She stated simply.
"I'm just…I'm not sure if it's my place to say anything." I told her and Jude stopped and turned around to face me, eyes narrowed in annoyance but her eyes were twinged with pain. How could she do that? I wondered. Be simultaneously hurt and angry? "I didn't mean…it's just…" I stammered hopelessly but Jude just turned away from me and walked towards the car, leaving me standing near the entrance of G Major, wondering what the hell I did wrong this time.
Featured CMT Quote
"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.