"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: I know it's been a very, very long time since I updated and I apologize profusely but life has a funny way of catching up with you. However, all holidays, weddings, birthdays, and football playoffs (at least for me) are over so I can now concentrate on this again. And I think this chapter's worth the wait.

88

Jamie stood riveted to the spot. "Excuse me?"

"I said 'We need to tell my parents'."

Jamie felt like passing out. "Are you sure? Because I was kinda hoping to wait until the baby was born to tell them."

Jude rolled her eyes. "Jamie you know we have to tell them."

"Yeah but..." Off of Jude's look, he stopped. "Okay," he finally sighed. "But I'm gonna need some kind of protection."

88

As Jamie crossed the threshold into the Harrison house the following night, a sense of panic and undeniable fear enveloped him. 'I'm going to die tonight,' he thought to himself. Swallowing his fear he made his way into the dining room where Stuart had set the table for eight. 'Eight? There's only six of us'.

He peeked into the living room and saw Stuart and Victoria sitting there, each looking as if they had swallowed toad stool, while Don sat with Jude trying to make idle chat. "Hey," he finally said.

Jude's eyes lit up, equal parts happy to see him and happy to escape Don, and she ran over to him. "Thank you for showing up," she whispered, kissing him lightly.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Jamie smiled. "Oh, wait...yes, I would."

Jude laughed and motioned him to follow her into the kitchen. "You're never gonna believe this," she said, her smile reminding him of the old Jude; the one before Tommy left. "My Dad invited his new girlfriend over."

"What?"

"Yeah. When Mom told him that she was bringing Don with her, he decided to bring Rachel."

"Good for him?" Jamie asked, not sure if Jude was happy about it.

"Hell yeah!"

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief and glanced into the living room where Don and the Harrisons still sat. "Whose the eighth seat for?"

"Sadie's boyfriend."

Jamie turned back to Jude and said, "Do you really think it's such a good idea to tell them you're pregnant tonight?"

"What?" Jamie jumped and turned around to see Stuart standing in the doorway. "What did you just say?"

88

Tommy sighed and reached out his hand, grabbing another Cheeto put of the bag. Two months in hiding hadn't exactly done wonders for his health; he ate whenever he was bored and he was bored quite a bit. But it worked. No one would believe that the slightly paunchy, washed up surfer in Apartment 4-B was actually Thomas Bernard Reutenauer, a.k.a. Little Tommy Quincy. And that was the way it should be.

There was a knock on the door, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Tommy," came the familiar voice. The ex-boy band member pushed himself off of the couch and answered the door. "Hey Liam," he greeted. "What's up?"

"We have a slight problem," the FBI agent answered.

"What kind of problem?"

"My new informant," Liam began, "the one I was telling you about? He disappeared last night."

"What?"

"He was supposed to meet me at the safehouse last night but he never showed."

Tommy swallowed nervously. "Do you think Darius found out?"

Liam paused for a second then finally nodded. "Yeah. I do."

"This is not good," Tommy whispered. "This means I'll have to get out of here, right?"

Liam shifted his gaze guiltily. "If he made the informant..."

Realization hit Tommy. "Son of a bitch! He made you!"

"I think so."

Tommy knew what this meant. Not only were he and Liam in danger but so was- "Jamie?"

Liam sighed. "If Darius has had men following me then he would have definitely seen us with Jamie."

"What do we do?"

"It's being taken care of," Liam assured him. "Right now, we need to get you out of here."

88

"Dad," Jude exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my house," her father answered. "My kitchen."

"He has a point," Jamie squeaked out.

Stuart finished entering the room. "Will somebody please tell me what the hell I just walked in on?"

Jude opened her mouth to reply when her Mother suddenly burst into the room. "Jude, honey," she said. "There's something you should she."

Jude grabbed Jamie's hand and pulled him out of the room before her Dad could protest. The twosome stopped in the living room where Don sat watching a news report about a missing teen. "Spiederman," Jude whispered.

At the same moment the doorbell rang and her mother, not knowing what else to do, answered it. Almost immediately three men in dark suits entered the living room. "Jamie Andrews?" the first one asked.

A stunned Jamie nodded dumbly. "You have to come with us."

"What? Why?"

The second agent pried Jamie away from Jude and began dragging him to the doorway. "It's orders, sir. You've been made."

Jude began to protest, and even her father joined in, but they were silenced when one of the men flashed an FBI badge. "He'll be back," he promised, looking right at Jude.

As the men escorted Jamie outside and towards the SVU parked in the driveway, Jamie realized just how serious things must have gotten for Liam to have ordered this. Two of the agents got in the front of the car while the third joined Jamie in the back. "Where's Liam?" Jamie asked. "What's going on?"

"There's been a breach of security," the agent replied. "We have to get you someplace safe."

Jamie attempted to get more info out of the men but they simply ignored him. Finally, after an hour of driving they pulled up to a remote cabin, in the middle of a heavily wooded area. Jamie got of the car and followed the men inside the house. "He's here, sir," the first agent announced upon entering.

A door opened somewhere in the back and the agents steered Jamie into the living room. A figure sat on a chair there, his head slumped forward onto his chest, clearly asleep. Jamie sat on the couch next to the seat and waited for Liam to walk in. As the other agents left Jamie took a good look at the figure on the chair and recognized him. "Spied?" he asked. He shook the young man and recoiled at the stiffness and cold of his skin.

"He's not going to answer you." Jamie's blood ran cold as he turned to face the speaker.

"He's dead," Darius smiled.