A/N: LOL—a lot of people were like "Do you really put butter on a burn?" You do NOT put butter on burns. Not ever, ever, ever. That is an old myth that old southern people use. It will exacerbatethe burn and cause extreme infection and may even call for amputation of the burned area. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little now, but you get my drift.

Thanks to: TommyQLovr, LuvTommy56, Erin McKinley, an addict, melodie568, KayKay2007, and bookworm0408 for keeping me highly entertained with their comments/reviews/predictions.

I wake up in Jude's bed…but not exactly how I imagined it. She's not there for one thing. And another I'm fully dressed, except for my shoes. I glance at the digital clock on the nightstand and it's nearly 7:30 p.m. I got up my ankle feeling like it was still asleep.

I limp to the living room looking for Jude, but I find a Domino's pizza box with a note on the top. I check out the pizza--Peppers, pineapples, and pepperoni. Now the girl knows I hate pineapple on my pizza. Me? I'm a meat lover all the way. And she knows this. After I kill her bee and get stung to death...I get pineapples. Anyway, I read the note.

"I thought you said Tylenol PM's didn't knock you out? Ha. You lied to me. I'm off to the rehearsal. Shay flew in earlier…Chelsea invited us to dinner out with everyone 8:30, dressy casual…so hopefully them PM's will have worn off on you by then. I love you. -----Jude."

Note that she took the time to write out "I love you". It was no quick "luv ya" or "ly" or any of that. This means something here. Trust me. After I fully analyze her letter—from the Tommy to the Jude—I grab a couple of depineappled slices and head back to my hotel room to hurry up get ready. And of course when I check my phone I have like 200 some messages. Well you know not that much…but enough to make me feel loved…as I'm listening to voicemails, one from Jamie definitely surprises me. Apparently he and Kat are going to "surprise Jude" and fly down here Sunday night.

What is up with everyone wanting to surprise Jude these days? Jude doesn't even like surprises that much…she likes to be in control of the situation—frankly she's a control-freak. I have no idea where she picked that up from either. I'm trying to get her out of the mode. I think she's trying to use her bossiness as a coping mechanism. Nah I don't know…I heard that on Dr. Phil though.

After I get through listening to all of my messages, like on cue, Jude calls me.

"Hey. You're up?" she whispers.

"Yeah." I whisper back.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Fine." I sigh.

"You know I really am sorry about that…"

"Yeah I know, I know," I reply, leaning back on the couch putting my feet on the coffee table.

"I really am." She whispers.

"Okay. I believe you." I laugh. "Why are you whispering?"

"I'm hiding in the bathroom…" she responds. "Don't ask."

"What they want you to make out with Avril on stage?" I joke.

"How'd you know?" she gasps. "Nah…I'm just kidding. That was tossed on the table a couple weeks ago. We decided on just presenting the stupid award with the least amount of drama."

"You know the kiss would increase ratings…" I comment.

"Quincy, you're perverted," she laughs.

"But you know you love me," I say matter-of-factly.

"I suppose," she laughs. "But you want me to pick you up?"

"Jude…I'm not driving with you anymore girl,"

"Tommy. Shut up, my driving is not that bad." She whines.

"Jude. I assure you it is girl. We need to get you some lessons."

"Whatever," she laughs. "I'll meet you at the hotel then. Dinner is at some dinner/concert auction thing. Bring your wallet."

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." I moan.

"Yeah I know…I tried to get out of it myself…but you know Chelsea. She's like Puss-in-Boots off of Shrek."

I'm nearly on the floor with this Puss-in-Boots comparison. It fits well though. Chelsea could definitely sell talk her way in and out of anything. I hear someone calling Jude's name in the background…and her cursing softly under her breath.

"Ah. I'll see you later," Jude sighs.

"Later."

"So most of you think you're here for a charity," Shay smiles at us.

There are about a hundred some people in the reception hall at the Hilton. Shay's on the soapbox, looking kind of nervous which is extremely out of character. Jude is sitting beside me along with Georgia and Darius at a long, rectangular table. The rest of the hall is filled with about a hundred other vaguely familiar faces. Jude raises her eyebrow at me questioningly. I shrug, and continue to watch Shay stumble through his little speech.

"I wanted to get you all together to tell you that I…and Marissa," he grins, pulling a young lady sitting at a table near him to her feet. "Are getting married…you know before you hear it from the tabloids." He laughs, nervously.

The crowd erupts into the Ooh's and Ahh's and applause, and crying in Chelsea's case. Jude looks back at me her mouth gaped open. "He is not serious."

"I think he is…" I muse, looking at him kiss his fiancé. She seems nice, kind of young. I can't really tell what race she is…I can say she's very beautiful. She has a bright smile that actually looks genuine unlike most of the girls he has on his arm…it's not at all false or fake like the Barbies he usually goes out with…not that I can talk.

Jude shakes her head slowly and takes a sip of her wine. She has a perplexed look on her face. She looks back to Shay and Marissa being hugged by Chelsea and Ethan and apparently Marissa's parents.

I stare at her swallowing her wine, wondering why she's so…unhinged? Nah, surprise is the word I think. "What?" she asks, looking at me over the rim of her glass.

"Nothing," I shrug, tossing my hands up, and leaning back in my chair.

"He owes me 500 dollars," she says, casually.

"Say what?" I ask, draping my arm on the back of her seat and leaning in closer to her to make sure I heard her right

"He bet me that I'd get married before him…" she smirks, reminiscently. "I bet him he would."

I raise an eyebrow at her, but I say nothing.

"What?" she snaps.

"Nothing…" I say, shaking my head. She's a little too touchy over the whole issue if you ask me. I know her and Shay are kind of close now, but damn.

"He could have told me a little sooner," she shrugged.

I cannot believe that's why she's so agitated. She found out at the same time his mother did. I think that makes her and me for the matter pretty important in his life.

Everyone settles back down and Shay and Marissa share how he proposed to her--in Paris…at the Eiffel Tower, when Jude and I hear this and we try so hard not to laugh aloud, but Jude nearly chokes on her fettuccini.

"Sorry," she mumbles, trying to hide her smile. "I'm good." She waves as the waiter offers her more water and Georgia and I pat her on the back.

Shay and Marissa look at her bemused and continue telling us about how their engagement came about. They have the whole fairytale thing going. She was a "Shay Girl". He wanted to get with her, and she turned him down over and over again until he swept off her feet.

After we finish eating, Shay does gentleman thing to do and leads her to the dance floor. I must admit…they'd make somecute kids. The most important thing is she made him grow up. Reminds me of Jude and me…except I haven't exactly swept her off her feet yet. Ha. I haven't even been on an official date with her.

Chelsea and Ethan get up to dance, followed by Georgia dragging Darius to the floor and even Stephanie, apparently finding someone more appealing than an ex-boybander, ends up on the dance floor. After a while the table is cleared except for Myles and some other videogame playing little boy are at the table.

I'm trying to decide on rather to ask Jude, but I glance down at her shoes, some high heel non-dancing type shoe. If I ask her, I'd just be surrendering my toes.

Right in the middle of my decision, she sighs and stands up and grabs my hand, "Come on, Quincy and dance with me."

"Nah," I reply. You see even guys play hard to get.

She scoffs at me and pulls me to my feet. "You know I don't take no for an answer from you." She smiles.

I look at her and sigh. I wish she didn't know that I can't say no to her. But I just don't want her to be disappointed over me. Which is precisely one of the main reasons I haven't gotten up the nerve to ask her out yet.

"Since when did you learn how to dance," I muse, after I get through a minute of dancing with her no bruises or crushed toes or anything. I'm impressed.

"Jax taught me…" Jude shrugs.

Oh great. Jax again. "The man has a lot of patience…"

"Yeah he does," she nodded, instantly smiling at the mention of him. Maybe she does love him. Maybe I am too late. What if I am? And she's yes to him Sunday…

I twirl her out, and bring her closer to me.

"You still got it pops," she laughs, gently squeezing my hand.

"Girl, I never lost it," I smile, dipping her down.

"Apparently…" she beams.