"Best Friends?"

Summary: Tommy Quincy hates Jamie Andrews with a passion. But why? Takes place after "Date With the Night."

Disclaimer: All chapter titles are songs by Fall Out Boy. Also I don't own anything related to "Instant Star" except for a couple of Jude-centric fantasies.

Author's Note: Well after seeing the reaction this is getting I've decided to milk Tommy's death for all it's worth before I go back to whole 'blackmail/dirty pictures' storyline. Also, you can expect more frequent updates for awhile since I've currently run out of ideas for "Jude's Choice" (I've rewritten the new chapter six or seven times) and this story is now getting my sole attention. As far as Instant Star is concerned, anyway.

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Jude ran into G Major, panic written all over her face. Less than a second later Jamie jogged in and put his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

She shrugged off his hand, muttered "What do you think?", and headed to find Liam. Jamie sighed. Ever since the phone call the guilty, distraught look that had been on Jude's face when he'd first shown her the pictures had returned.

"Jamie." The young man turned to see Kwest walking toward him. "Is it true?"

"Is what...,"Jamie trailed off when he saw the look in Kwest's eyes. Finally he nodded his head. "Yeah. It's true."

Kwest staggered back a little as if punched and tears sprang into his eyes, threatening to escape. "How?"

"I don't know." Jamie reached out to pull Kwest into a hug but Jude suddenly called his name. "Kwest...I've got to..."

The other man waved him off, sitting down as he did so. Jamie looked over his shoulder at Kwest one last time before running to Jude and Liam, who stood in the doorway to Liam's office. "What's going on?" Jude was asking.

Liam motioned them inside and quickly closed the door. "My men found Tommy. He was being held in his childhood home. Unfortunately by the time they got there...it was too late. He'd been tortured to death."

"Tortured?" Jamie asked, confusion settling in. "Why did they torture him?"

Liam shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Jamie."

"Can we see him?"

Jude spoke so softly that it took both Jamie and Liam a few seconds to realize she had spoken. Liam looked down at his desk, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sorry, Jude. I can't allow that."

"Why not?" Jude demanded, barely able to control her emotions.

"Because number one: it's not allowed; number two: ... his body's...well...I don't want you to have to go through the shock of seeing him like that."

Jude opened her mouth to protest but Liam silenced her with the look on his face. "Fuck you," Jude spat, standing up. "If you'd gotten Darius when you had the chance then none of this would've happened. It's your fault!" Jude started crying. "Everything is your fault!" Before Jamie could reach out to comfort her, she ran out of the office.

Jamie turned back to Liam. "She didn't mean it. She's under a lot of pressure and- "

"She's right," Liam cut off. "I could've saved him. I knew where he was but I ordered my men to wait to retrieve him." Liam looked up, a haunted look in his eyes. "And now he's dead."

Jamie couldn't think of anything to say. "I'm gonna go get Jude," he finally whispered. Liam waved him off, the look of guilt now heavy on his face.

Jamie ran out of Liam's office and, after asking Kyle where Jude went to, entered the studio. Jude sat in Tommy's chair, tears running freely down her face. "Jude," Jamie said softly.

"He's dead," she sobbed. "He's dead and I never told him..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"He knew," Jamie said, crouching next to Jude. "He knew and he loved you back." It killed him to say those words but he knew that Jude needed to hear them.

"Then why didn't he tell me?"

Jamie shook his head. "I don't know; but I do know that he loved you. Why else would he have come back?"

Jude leaned on his shoulder and managed to choke out, "It's not fair, Jamie. It's not fair that he's dead; it's not fair what Darius is doing; it's not fair that poor Anna won't have a father anymore; none of it is fair!"

Jamie slowly wrapped his arms around her. "I know, I know, Jude. But Darius will get what's coming to him. I promise you that."

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, during which time Jude got control of her crying and eventually began sniffling. "You okay?" Jamie asked, breaking the quiet.

"Not yet," Jude answered truthfully. "But that's what I got you for." She smiled at him and kissed him softly. Jamie returned the favor, losing himself in Jude's kiss.

Unfortunately, since the two of them were caught up in their kiss, neither one of them heard the door to the studio open. They did however here the shout of , "What the fuck is going here?"

Jamie and Jude jumped, breaking apart, and whirled around. Jamie grew pale when he saw who had entered.

"Patsy."