A/N: This is part 3 - I guess. Debated writting a bit more for this part but... eh. Had enough trouble with it as it is.. Damn characters... It'll be fine! Plus it was just a nice place to pause. Should write the last part now.. - uh.. I mean.. finish the last part... Look an interesting bird! *runs away*
Written for msmanuscript

As soon as Gerald left, Jude had motioned Loretta into his now empty changing room. He closed the door, kept his back to her, and busied himself by buttoning his clean, pressed white shirt.

"What are you doing here?" He quietly said, avoiding all eye contact.

"I had to see you." She was trying to stop him from getting married, to get him to come home with her, to see if they could be together, if they could be happy... "You know why." Why pee around the bush? "Don't do this."

He didn't answer and kept his head down, watching his hands buttoning his shirt.

"Jude?" His head moved up and his hands paused inches from his top button, but he wouldn't turn around. "Don't get married, Jude."

She felt her heart tremble and hated herself for thinking this would work. "I love you."

Blood rushed to her head, her eyes stung and her stomach knotted. She was desperate for his affection, for him to come back to her, for them to be happy again... Just to have him turn around and look at her…

Jude's shoulders sagged as he ran a hand through his blond hair; he took in a deep breath and turned around. He looked at her not with warmth and affection, as he once did, but with annoyance and contempt of his association.

"Lorrie we've been through this. It's been over three years – "

"Three years and eight months," she faintly muttered.

" – since we broke up." He sighed in aggravation, "Which was all your fault," he grinned in fanatic exhaustion at the wreck of the situation and shook his head as if it were an etch-and-sketch.

"I didn't…" She tried to protest but her reason and recollections fell away. All the times they lay smiling in bed, the Friday night dates to the café…. Three years and eight months ago it was mutual, wasn't it? Almost nine years ago he couldn't handle it all and ran out; she had scared away, he said. Ten years ago he was a stranger in a bar who bought her a drink. "It wasn't always my fault!"

"Of course it was," he turned back more frantic than ever, "I was trying my best to take care of you and, and of…" he didn't want to name him, so he deterred from it and moved on to what was vital to his argument. "Don't think I didn't know where you went while I was hard at work."

"What do you –?"

"You would leave…" he motioned the empty space before him, signalling the boy, "leave him alone! And go off to the closest bar."

"No, I didn't!" Well not much. (It gets boring after a while. Besides it's not like she was doing anything. Just went to the movies a few times; tried to relax, away from the demands of children.)

"Meanwhile I was making sure there was food for four on the table, seeing as I had to feed that other one too."

"His name is James."

"James is none of my concern," he blankly said. "Far as I see, you should've had them both taken care of."

"Marianne died from that operation," Loretta softly said, remember her once lively friend.

"She had it coming. The girl was like a tunnel, trains passing at all hours – something was gonna stick someday. Which – sorry – but you should've thought of too."

Lorrie gulped back the uncomfortable insult before defending her actions. "I went out a few times, sure –"

"I knew it," he chuckled judgingly.

"– but I never slept with anyone else when we were together and I always made sure Barney and James were alright."

"Yeah, right," he turned to look at the mirror as he attempted to arrange his tie. "It doesn't matter anymore. I moved on a long time ago and – in case you haven't noticed – I'm about to become a happily married man."

This was going about as well as Loretta thought it would. She'd forgotten that Jude could be jerk. But, deep down, she remembered all the good times they had, how sweet he could really be – when he was in a good mood. Everyone had an off day. And having your ex show up on your wedding day was never welcomed.

She tried one last desperate plea. "What about Barney, then?"

"What about him?" There was a lull and, having suited himself, Jude turned to Loretta and raised an eyebrow in an effort to have her explain.

"Do you," she took a shaky breath, "do you want custody?"

"Custody?"

"He's your son too. And since you're gonna have a happy family…" He frowned at her, mystified and offended by such an idea. "He would probably be happier with you… "

"Are you fucking kidding me? I don't want him," he laughed, "and I know Therese wouldn't either."

"A boy needs a father…"

"He had one, business done and he is welcomed for the whole giving him life thing."

"But he's so like you, if you just –" It was at this awkwardly crucial moment when Loretta was about to propose that Jude meet his son, if he could just see him she knew he might change his mind, it was now that Gerald opened the door.

"Jude, therrrreee... Oh Loretta," he paused, a sudden change as he had run into the room. "I... I didn't think you'd still... Uh..." He glanced nervously between the two. "Jude can I talk to you alone?"

"Just say it man."

"Yeah I don't think –" he tried to explain, worry clearly spread across his face.

"Spit it out, Gerald!" Jude's nerves were running thin.

"Barney's here."