While Tommy was happily enjoying his meal inside the restaurant, Natalie tapped Dominick on the shoulder and motioned to the cell phone in her pocket. Dominick looked her in the eye and saw the signal saying they were needed outside.
"Tom, we'll be right back," Dominick said. The two walked outside and to the corner of the street out of the window's view. There stood a tall man with black suit pants, dark blue shirt, a leather coat and a fedora on.
"Michael," Dominick acknowledged the angel.
"Dominick. Good afternoon Natalie," Michael tipped his hat to her.
"What's with the clothes?" Dominick added, taking note on his attire.
"Is something wrong with them?" Michael asked
"No, nothing's wrong with them," Dominick said, muttering the next part under his breath, "if you're part of the Chicago mafia,"
Natalie smacked Dominick's arm again. "Shh!"
"Okay that is the 3rd time today, my arm is beginning to bruise," Dominick remarked.
"Well maybe if you would stop doing stupid things your arm wouldn't be bruised!"
"What!? I'm not-"
"Ahem! If we could get down to business then I can get back to my job," Michael replied firmly.
"Oh, right. What's going on?" Natalie asked, her attention turning back to Michael's presence.
"Before we really get started, where's Thomas?" Michael asked, his eyes scanning around them every where.
"Inside eating. Why?" Dominick's eyes started to fill with vigilance.
"We've found something out, about the Harrison-Quincy case."
"Is there something we should-" Natalie was interrupted.
"There's nothing to worry about. But this is a first of things ever since the resurrection," Michael stated.
"No way. How is that possible? You mean-"
"Yes. We don't understand how or why, but it just is. Or, will," Michael added.
"Is there anything you want us both to do? Is there anything we can do?" Dominick asked.
"There's nothing. Just, don't tell him just yet. We aren't positive it will happen, but there is a possibility." Michael stated.
"Okay, you have our word," Natalie said.
"I'll see you when things are tied up. Good day," and Michael was gone. Dominick and Natalie walked over to the nearby bench and sat down, both in dumbstruck states. Dominick's hand found Natalie's, and their entwinement tightened.
"What do we tell him if it does happen?" Dominick asked Natalie, looking into her eyes. For once, he was letting her be the strong one.
"I'm not exactly sure, if it does happen, there really is nothing we can do. We'll just have to watch, like we've always done," Natalie replied, planting a small kiss on his cheek.
"You're right. Let's go back inside. Tom must be curious as to where we were," Dominick remarked. He smiled down to Natalie, she smiled back at him once she was standing. The two then walked back to the restaurant hand in hand.
Jude was carefully just strumming away on her guitar. She made a few notes every now and then but always continued to strum. Her attention disappeared when she heard a knock at the door. Jude slipped off the headphones and walked over to the door to open it. Spiederman stood there, in his huge sweaters and a beanie, hoping to come in.
"Hey, mind if I come in? You know how Decembers are in Toronto, freezing," Jude laughed at his comment and let him come in.
"So, what's up? What brings you over here?" Jude asked going over to the kitchen and grabbing some ingredients to make the two hot cocoa.
"Well, I just wanted to see how you are. I mean, in two days is the show, and yeah-"
"I'm okay, Speed. I mean, of course I could be better, but it's nearly impossible for me to be," Jude said stirring the hot beverage and then handing it to Speed, taking a seat next to him on the couch.
"Jude, you don't always have to-"
"Put up a front? But I do. You don't get it Speed. Why am I going to allow myself to wallow around here, gushing about how badly this hurts? It's obvious enough as it is! I don't need to go into great detail about it! I can't, because then I just may lose what little sanity and hope I've built up in the last 363 days," Jude said, a tear falling down her face.
Speed couldn't take it anymore, he knew Jude wasn't anywhere near over Tommy, and he knew there was a chance she would never be. But he had to give it a shot, he had been waiting for a shot to be with her again since they had broken up almost 5 years ago. And so he leaned in, and kissed Jude.
Jude's eyes widened and she quickly pulled away. She jumped up and away from the couch, her hand on her forehead and she started to pace back and forth. Speed looked down, and then stood up.
"What the HELL was that!?" Jude exclaimed covering her mouth.
"You know, you don't have to act so disgusted, I'm sorry for not being as good as Tommy," and before Speed knew it, he felt a searing burning slap take up half his face. He gawked and then stared at Jude in shock.
"I can't believe how one moment you're the sweetest and most understanding guy I know, and then the next a royal prick," Jude said her jaw clenched and fists balled up.
"Me? You've been practically leading me on!" Speed said.
"Leading you on!? Are you being serious?! Oh please enlighten me Vincent," Jude said sitting down on her couch, and crossing her legs.
"You're always allowing your vulnerability to show when it's just us two! What about with Jamie? With Kwest? Are you just a frozen shell of who you used to be with them too!?" Spiederman yelled.
"You will NOT come into my home and start yelling at me about who I can be open with! Yes, I do open up to both Kwest and Jamie, you three are my best friends! I've been doing nothing but accepting the comfort you offer me when I happen to get upset! If that means flirting or leading you on, then I'm sorry! I'm sorry that YOU have to deal with a best friend who just lost the man she would have married in a heartbeat!" Jude yelled right back.
"Jude I-"
"JUST GET OUT!!!" Jude said pushing him towards the door. Spiederman looked behind one last time, he had royally screwed up, and before he knew it Jude had pushed him firmly out of her apartment into the hallway.
Jude slid down the door as soon as it was closed and cried. She couldn't think of anything to do besides that.
Tommy spent Friday with Dominick and Natalie just wandering everywhere and doing as they pleased. As much as he loved Jude, he couldn't bare just watching her live a life less lively than the way they both used to. Jude and Spiederman hadn't talked to each other since the day before. Jude was still upset with him, and Spiederman was upset with himself. He couldn't understand what had caused him to act the way he had.
Spiederman was sitting in the rehearsal space, playing his guitar when Alyssa stopped by. Spiederman looked up and nodded in acknowledgement of her presence, and then focused back to his chord progression.
"So, what happened between you and Jude?" Alyssa asked lying down on the couch.
"Nothing happened."
"Bull shit. I'm not blind Speed. You two were best friends and now you guys aren't even talking," Alyssa remarked.
"We haven't talked for one day, that could just mean we're both busy,"
"She spent an hour re-arranging the bagels. You two fought about something and aren't talking. The question that you have yet to answer is why,"
"You're a nosy eighteen year old you know that," Spiederman rested his guitar in his lap.
"I think it's what makes me interesting. Anyways c'mon, tell me," Alyssa goaded.
"It's really none of your business," Spiederman said, disconnecting the guitar from the amp.
"You kissed her didn't you?" Spiederman's eyes widened and he turned around to face her.
"How'd you-"
"It's obvious you have feelings for her, okay? I mean it's kind of expected, you're the closest person to her next to Tommy and Sadie. Working with her that closely, it was bound to happen," Alyssa explained.
"But we dated in high school. We were over along time ago,"
"She was over it a long time ago, you? Obviously not. And yet, I'm still curious as to why you two aren't talking,"
"I said some things that were pretty harsh," Spiederman muttered. Alyssa's face said to continue. "Things that made me deserved to get slapped across the face,"
"She slapped you?" Alyssa said.
"Yep, she's got a good left hand. Still kind of sore,"
"And so, why are you just sitting here sulking in an emo state with your guitar and not apologizing to Jude when you know you were the wrong one?" Alyssa was a smart one.
"Because what do I say to the girl that I've loved since I was seventeen when I know she'll never love me back?"
"You don't have to have a huge planned out speech to get her to forgive you. I'm going to be blunt Speed. You and Jude, happened, ended, and are over. Will always be, but you two aren't just friends, you two are something more. But you will never be able to get her to love you the way you want her to. It's a harsh reality, but it's the truth," Alyssa laid a hand on his shoulder.
"I know you're right. It just hurts to know that I can't make up for what she's lost. I want to so badly," Spiederman stood up and looked out the window.
"Nobody can make up for what Tommy left. Jude and Tommy, they were everybody's fantasy. They basically gave the rest of us hope for love. Them ending not only affected Jude, but everyone else as well-"
'"I got it!" Spiederman exclaimed grabbing a notebook and his acoustic guitar.
"What?" Alyssa's eyebrows furrowed
"They're the ultimate love right? Then it's only fair to write an upbeat, catchy, punk rock love song for them," Spiederman said hurriedly jotting down lyrics.
"And how are you going to pull this off? You're not exactly Tommy,"
"No, I'm not. But Tommy had an idea of what song he thought could pass as our first single, and he wrote down the first couple lines right here. It was obviously about Jude,"
Jude was still sitting in Studio A later that day when Spiederman knocked on the door. Jude looked up, and then looked back to the soundboard. Spiederman took a seat next to her, and a silence fell between the two.
"A horrendous jerk couldn't even begin to be an understatement for how I acted yesterday," Spiederman blatantly stated.
"I'm listening," Jude said running her fingers over random buttons.
"First, I was really out of line in everything I did yesterday. Worry and concern aren't reason enough to justify my actions. And, I'm sure it's creepy enough having me here acting mature and all-"
"I get it Speed. You don't need to apologize. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did to, the… Yeah," Jude said with a small laugh.
"Jude, I know you could never-"
"Let's just skip this okay? We're cool. We both already know what's coming. And you're right, I can't. We both know we're more than friends, but can never be what you want,"
"Dude, do you like, share minds with Alyssa or something because-"
"Woman's intuition Speed, something you'll never understand," Jude said with a laugh. Spiederman smiled and nodded.
"So I wrote another song for the show, I think it'd be a good opening song. Me and the boys recorded it over at the space. Before the accident, Tommy had started helping me write our first single, I thought it'd only be respectful to finish it, and maybe hope it'd be our first single," Spiederman explained.
"Got the mix?" Spiederman handed Jude the CD and she put it into the laptop.
When I watch you
Wanna do you
Right where you're standing
Jude smirked at the first three lines. She knew they were about her and Tommy. Whenever the two were just messing with instruments he'd always sing her those three lines. They both had agreed that it'd be something they could imagine SME performing.
It was a rainy day and Jude and Tommy were sitting on the front porch of her childhood home. Stuart was on a business trip and the two agreed to watch the house while he was out. Tommy was strumming a catchy tune on the acoustic guitar and started to hum a harmony to it. Jude listened carefully, smiling at the tune.
Right on the foyer
On this dark day
Right in plain view…
"Quincy you better thank God my dad isn't here to listen to your lyrics," Jude laughed as he just nodded and continued to sing.
The whole ghetto
The blue star meadow
But we ignore that
Jude could remember that day perfectly. It was raining all day, and the two just spent most of it goofing off. During around eleven in the morning, Jude had decided she wanted to bake a cake, so she grabbed all the ingredients and started to read the box.
"Girl, what are you doing?" Tommy asked, watching her read directions from the box.
"I'm gonna bake a cake, Quincy. What's it look like?" She teased. Tommy gave her a silly face, which made her break out into a grin. He walked over and grabbed the box out of her hands. "Hey! I need that to bake!"
"No you don't," Tommy said putting the box away and grabbing some extra ingredients.
"You can bake from scratch, Quincy?" Jude asked as he grabbed an extra apron and put it on.
"Yep, and I'm going to teach you," he added kissing her on her temple.
You lovely baby
This war is crazy
I won't let you down
Oh no no No
I won't let them take you
Won't let them take you
Hell no no Oh no
Jude remembered her 18th birthday. For the last two weeks, the two had been teasing each other, relentlessly flirting. But on her 18th birthday, Tommy was no where to be found. Jude tried not to be worried, she tried not to act hurt. But everyone could see she was. As the night approached, and Jude was walking down the stairs of the grand hall, she saw Tommy in a 40's themed tux, reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart, as she was supposed to be Lauren Bacall. He took her hand in his, and kissed the top.
Jude's grin turned into a broad smile. But what had taken everyone by surprise was when he placed a hand around her back and the other on her hip, carefully twirling her around, dipping her, and giving her a passionate kiss in front of everyone. Tommy pulled her back up, Jude was still reveling in the feeling. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled when she saw that it wasn't a dream, that he really had done that.
"What about the press?" Jude asked breathlessly. Tommy leaned forward and whispered.
"I won't let them take you,"
I won't let them take you
Won't let them take you
Hell no no
As soon as the party was over and everyone had left, Jude and Tommy were rushed into Darius's office, followed by Liam, Darius, Portia and Jude's parents.
"You better have a damn good explanation T," Darius said pacing the office. Yvette was holding Stuart's arm, trying to keep him calm.
"And he better start explaining fast before I lose my nerve," Stuart growled.
"If you're looking for my reason being a publicity stunt then it looks like you lose," Tommy remarked, taking hold of Jude's hand.
"Get your hands off my-"
"Dad! Let him explain," Jude squeezed Tommy's hand, giving him a smile of reassurance.
And when our city
Vast and shitty
Falls to the axis, yeah…
"Then what is your explanation. And if its because you so called love this girl, then your job is done here," Liam added.
"Then I better start packing my things from the office," Tommy said standing up to walk out of the meeting.
Everyone looked at Tommy in surprise. He stood firmly, his eyes on Darius, he could just simply quit and still have a relationship with Jude. Their career together would be over publicly, but they could always work together on music on their own time.
"If Tommy leaves, then I will too," Jude stood up and took Tommy's hand in her own. Tommy looked down at their hands in confusion.
"What are you doing, you're putting your entire dream on the line here, girl," Tommy whispered to her.
"I just remembered, that my dream means nothing if you're not there making it with me," Jude said with a small smile on her face. Tommy bit his lip and looked back to everyone who was now standing before them.
"You two are sure about this?" Darius asked.
The two didn't move, just simply nodded in confirmation of his question.
"Alright, biggest mistake of your lives," Darius added taking out their contracts.
"No! Jude you can not do this!!" Stuart yelled, breaking free of Yvette's hold.
"Stuart, stop before-" Victoria was cut off.
"You! What the hell did you do to my daughter!" Stuart yelled punching Tommy in the face.
"Dad! Stop!" Jude pushed Stuart back, making him hit the desk.
"Mr. Harrison take a seat!" Darius pushed Stuart down into a chair. "By law, this is no longer your concern. Jude is now 18 and can make these decisions on her own,"
Stuart glared at everyone in the room. "As long as you're under my roof," Stuart began to stand up. "You will NOT see him. EVER!"
And Stuart walked out of the room. The two signed the papers and walked out of the studio hand in hand.
They'll search the buildings
Collect gold fillings, wallets
And rings (oh yeah)
Jude had taken her father's words to heart and didn't go home after her 18th birthday. She returned to Tommy's and was staying there for a week. But later, when the two started to get angry visits from Stuart, they knew that the only way to really be together, was to get away. So the two packed a few necessities and rode off together.
To Jude, it felt like a grand romance, running from her family who just could not understand. And for Tommy, it felt like the best thing he had ever done in his entire life. They had managed to get away to one of Tommy's homes he had bought under a false name and were given daily updates as to where Stuart was looking for them from Sadie.
But Ms. Black Eyeliner
You'd look finer
With each day in hiding
While they both seemed to have always wanted to connect on the deepest level of physical attraction, the two both knew it wasn't right to. Not yet at least. To them, making love wasn't just about sex.
Beneath the wormwood
Oooh, love me so good
They won't hear us
Screw away the day
I'll make you say:
And so every night, their lips would dance with each other, holding each other in their arms and just enjoying the fact that they could be so close, without anyone finding them and breaking them apart.
Jude came out of her reverie as the song ended. An elegiac smile spread across her lips as she ejected the CD and handed it back to Spiederman. He nodded at her as she leaned back in the chair.
"Good?" he asked.
"Yep, go for it. It's catchy and upbeat, I'm thinking maybe the closer," Jude replied.
"You sure?"
"Yes sir. C'mon, we gotta work on the set list," Jude said as she pulled out a notebook and the sat down on the floor of the studio and started to get to work. There was something about being on the floor that brought everything together. Some how, being closer to the earth made Jude more comfortable, she felt more connected to everything. To life, to herself, to Tommy.