AN: OMG, you guys totally rock! I had the hardest time trying to come up with a song, but ended up choosing an Instant Star one, cuz it fit the best.

Special ANs:

tommyandjude4ever, thanks for the compliment. I know I loved Jude's comment about taking out the trash.

Tanya, don't worry. I'm working on it, and should have more Jommy up in this chapter and/or the next.

scott4eva, thanks for your comment. I'm still a little bit sick, but it's mostly over.

Chloe, you got it. Here you go.

Willa J, I can tell you're just like Jude. Rock on, girl!

judetomfan101, I couldn't agree more. But this chapter will deal a little more with their non-relationship.

Shannon, you're so sweet! I'm all over it (posting a new chapter, not the cold).

Disclaimer: I don't own Instant Star or the characters. Only in my dreams is Tommy all mine, and Jude'll just have to settle for someone else :o)! LOL!

Chapter 24: It's Only Just Begun

Push Me, Pull You

I don't wanna lecture.

I've had enough.

You think you're so tight,

you think you're so tough.

You wanna change my world,

say that you know best.

Better look in the mirror,

take another guess.

Your nuclear reaction,

minor distraction.

Your positive is negative,

there's no attraction.

Push me, pull you.

I can see right through you.

Get over it.

Mover, shaker.

Learn to be giver, not a taker.

Think you're tall as a building,

you're just a little stump.

Think you move like an earthquake,

but you're just a bump.

You wanna change my world,

say that you know best.

Better look in the mirror,

take another guess.

Your nuclear reaction,

minor distraction.

Your positive is negative.

There's no attraction.

Push me, pull you.

I can see right through you.

Get over it.

Mover, shaker.

Learn to be a giver, not a taker.

Jude scribbled the words down as if they were flowing from her brain straight to the paper, and she was merely following along. Every now and then, she'd cross out a word, a phrase, only to replace it with the same one. After about 15 minutes, she had the whole thing written.

Jude rose from the place she had come to claim as her own, her private little sanctuary within G Major. The place no one dared bother her when she was feeling inspired, not even me.

She stalked over to the door, only to open it and find that Shay had been sitting outside waiting for her.

"Jude, please, I want you to know how sorry I am for hurting you," Shay said, his eyes gazing into hers pleadingly.

But Jude ignored him, and walked over to me.

"Tommy, I've got another one," Jude stated, thrusting the paper at me.

"You ready to record?" I asked, noticing the look Shay was giving Jude behind her back, and her obvious indifference to his pleads.

"Anytime you are," Jude said determinedly. We walked over to Studio A, and as I passed Shay, I smirked and shook my head at him, silently telling him, "You blew it, man."

Once we got inside, Jude slipped on her headphones as I sat down behind the soundboard.

"Push Me, Pull You, take 1," I said, as I flipped the switch to record.

Jude sang as she'd never sung before. Her emotions were completely exposed to the world, like she wasn't holding back. She sang with her heart and soul, and she was so immersed in the song that she was completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Once she had finished singing, she broke down into tears. I hated seeing her so broken, so desperately needing someone to love her, to support her like she supported and loved everyone around her. I came over to her, sat down next to her, and pulled her into my arms.

Jude moved her head and laid it on my shoulder, crying nonstop.

"Jude, shh, it'll be OK, it will," I said, trying to soothe her the best I could.

Jude didn't answer. Instead, she pulled me closer as she cried harder.

"Why can't I get over him, Tommy? Why do I let Shay hurt me over and over again?" Jude sobbed.

"Because you loved him," I said, hating to admit it aloud. "Because you have such a big heart, and you can't help but love him. That's the kind of woman you are. You're so loving and caring that no matter how many times you've been hurt, you find it within yourself to keep on loving them. That's what happened when Sadie and you were constantly fighting years ago, and that's what happened when Shay hurt you the first time, and that's what's happening now. And no matter how many times you hurt, know that I'll always be here for you. Even if I'm the one who's hurting you. You know I don't mean to, but I just…do. I guess we're too similar that we clash."

Jude's crying had stopped by now, and she looked at me in confusion at my last statement. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know that I'll always love you," I said truthfully. "But I hurt you because I kept telling you that I was too old for you, that I'd ruin your career, that we couldn't be involved…"

"And I loved you, and kept telling you that I didn't care about our age difference, or the fact that you're my producer and I'm your artist, and what the media or Georgia, or now Darius, would have to say about our relationship," Jude concluded.

I nodded. "Exactly. And even though we agreed that we loved each other, we fought all the time because we didn't see eye to eye on what to do about it."

"Now I get it," Jude said, hugging her knees to herself. "But what does that have to do with me and Shay?" I cringed as I heard Jude refer to herself and Shay in the same sentence.

"Same thing," I said. "You and Shay need to figure out where you stand with each other, and if friendship, or a relationship, is what you both want. Then you have to figure out what to do about it." I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping Jude would just be friends with him, since I wanted her all to myself.

"Thanks, Tommy," Jude said, reaching over and kissing me on the cheek. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"I'm just glad to help," I said, smiling like an idiot. I always lost control of my emotions whenever Jude was around. "Are you going to be OK?" I asked, knowing she could handle whatever emotional roller coaster she was put on.

"Yeah, I think so," Jude said. "And I think I know what I have to do. Thanks, Tommy!" Jude said as she got up.

"What's that?" I asked, as Jude took off. I got up quickly, and followed her to see what she was up to.

AN: So, what'd you think? Good? Bad? Like it? Hate it? Please, tell me! I want to know! And if you have any ideas, let me know. I'm all out of them right now.