Here is another chapter. Like always, thanks to my reviewers. I love you guys :) Now enjoy

Chapter 7

Vienna was in her room working on a card to go with a present she had made for Speed. She knew he would be leaving soon and wanted to give him a present. She had taken a picture of her, Speed, and Jude from sledding and made a frame for it. She was working on her card when she heard loud screams. Once she heard the screams she took off running down the stairs to the family room.

"What is wrong?" Vie asked running into the family room.

"NO!" Everyone screamed, but it was too late.

Vie stood there frozen. There was her Aunt Sadie yelling and running at her. Then there was her mom and Speed on the floor naked trying to cover up with a blanket. Vie had no idea how to react or what to think, and then again what seven year old would?

"Vienna, to your room now!" Jude shouted.

"Come on." Sadie said as she pulled Vie out of the room.

A few minutes later Sadie walked back into the family room to find Speed and Jude sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

"Why didn't you two get dressed?" Sadie yelled.

"Uh Sades, you kind of picked up our clothes that we left down here." Speed said.

"And to get dressed in other stuff we would have to go upstairs." Jude said. She was beside herself.

"Ok, care to explain what happened last night?" Sadie asked.

"We went out to eat, got drunk and didn't make it upstairs." Speed replied.

"So you guys got home and came in here, stripped and did it on the floor before passing out?"

"Yup." Jude and Speed replied not really sure if that is what happened.

"Oh, by the way I did not pick up your clothes. They are still in the hallway." Sadie said.

"Oh, I guess we might have fooled around in the hallway." Jude said.

"And your thong is on the front porch."

"Damn, I am glad to know that was not a dream on the front porch. That was so great." Speed mumbled to himself smiling.

"JUDE! You are twenty-eight years old, you can't be doing this. You have a kid, a kid that just caught you and Speed naked on the floor. Thank god it was just that." Sadie yelled.

"You think I don't know that? Add that to my list of screw ups!" Jude shouted back crying.

"Let's go get some clothes on and we will talk to her." Speed said trying to comfort her as Sadie tossed him his boxers.

"You go on up, I need to talk to Sadie for a minute." Jude said as Speed went upstairs.

"Talk." Sadie said.

"Add this to the never ending list of Jude's Screw Ups, I think this goes right under lying to Vienna."

"Yup."

"How do you have a sex talk with a seven year old?"

"Don't know, haven't crossed that bridge yet. So, are you and Speed and item?"

"Right now, we are friends with benefits." Jude said unsure.

"Whatever, I am leaving."

"Wait, could you possibly pick Vie up around 6:30pm Monday night? It is Speed's last night and I kind of wanted it to be special. Vie wants to be here for everything, but I need two and a half hours for just us. Please?"

"I suppose." Sadie said and left.

Jude walked upstairs and put her robe on. She went to Vie's room where she could hear Speed talking.

"So, do you know what was going on between me and your mom down there?" Speed asked nervously.

"You two were naked on the floor." Vie replied. She was not completely clueless, she watched TV enough to know a little bit. But she was nervous.

"And do you know why?"

"Nope."

"Ok, well I will tell you." Speed said. Jude then got worried.

"Why then?"

"You see, your mom and I were really stupid last night. We drank a lot of wine and got drunk. Never ever drink ok?"

"Ok."

"Good. Well, since we were drunk we did not know what we were doing. We thought the family room was our bedrooms and then took off our clothes in what we thought was the bathroom. We even thought we put our pajamas on."

"But you took off your underwear too."

"Ever heard the expression tequila makes your clothes come off?"

"Isn't that part of a song?"

"It is, and it is the truth. Is everything ok now?"

"Is mommy mad at me?"

"No, she was just scared. She didn't want to admit that she was that stupid last night. I on the other hand can. How about I go take a shower and just you and me go to lunch?"

"I would like that Speedy." Vie said jumping into his arms.

Speed walked out of Vie's room and to his. When he got in his room he saw Jude sitting there.

"Thanks for talking to her. I had no clue what to say." Jude confessed.

"Hey, no problem. I am going to take a shower and then take her to lunch. You might want to tell her that you are not mad at her." Speed said kissing Jude on the forehead.

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That night after a late dinner, the three of them decided to watch a movie. By the time the movie was over Speed and Vie had passed out on the couch. Jude sat in her chair and looked over at them. Seeing Vie lying on top of Speed made her want to cry. This was an image she had wanted to see for so many years. For years she had wanted to see Vie be able to lie on the couch with a father figure and watch a movie or just to have a guy around the house that made both her and her daughter smile. Of course, Tommy was great and all, but he was not what Jude had pictured when she thought of a happy family. Jude turned off the TV and the lights and went up to bed. She laid down in her bed upset. Seeing that image downstairs made her realize how her life was nothing like she ever wanted. She was twenty-eight and single, had a daughter who she lied to about the past, and most of all seemed to hurt those who mattered.

Not too long after Jude buried herself in her covers did she feel two warm arms wrap around her.

"Where is Vie?" Jude mumbled trying not to let Speed know she was crying.

"I tucked her into her bed." Speed replied as he kissed Jude's neck.

"You know, I am going to miss this. This past week has been perfect minus the two naked encounters."

"Yea, going to live with the dudes won't be the same. You know what I thought about tonight as I held Vie in my arms?"

"No, what?"

"I thought about when we were nineteen and twenty and how I wanted a baby so bad. I can still remember at nights when I would watch you go to sleep in my arms. I would pray that that time I succeeded in getting you pregnant. I always figured you wanted a baby as well since you had stopped taking birth control and never seemed to worry that I always forgot protection. Or the fact you always commented on how cute newborn babies were and loved to stop at Baby Gap for no reason at all. Vie's dad has to be a real jerk to have not wanted to be part of her life. He has no clue what he is missing. She is such a great kid and I wish that you and I had a kid just like her. Maybe then I wouldn't have ran off for eight years and we would be married."

"If only." Jude muttered.

"I wish this didn't have to end. You do not understand how happy I was when Darius told me that you offered to let me stay with you instead of having to go to a hotel. I knew then that this homecoming was going to be good because it meant that you did not hate me. I was so scared of facing you Jude."

"I was scared of facing you too." Jude said. Darius never gave me a choice; he just said I had to let Speed stay here. Maybe it is better that he thinks I offered. I wish Monday didn't have to come.

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Sunday morning, Jude woke up alone. She looked around and did not see Speed anywhere. She walked to Vie's room and saw Speed and Vie asleep in her bed.

"Speed, what are you doing in here?" Jude whispered as she woke him up.

"Morning gorgeous." Speed mumbled.

"Why are you in here?" Jude asked again.

"Vie woke up around 3am crying. She said her leg hurt. I gave her some children's Advil I found then we put a heating pad on it. I stayed in here to make sure she was ok and sang her to sleep. I guess I feel asleep as well." Speed said walking out of the room with Jude.

"Speed, you could have waked me up. She is my daughter and you are just a guest. You have done so much already." Jude replied smiling.

"No, I don't mind at all. She is such a sweet little girl and there is a part of me that feels like I am supposed to be there for her. You looked so sweet sleeping and I didn't want to wake you either." Speed replied yawning.

"You have really matured over eight years ago. My old Speed would have just ignored it and never thought twice about it. New Speed is there and so responsible and caring while still managing to be fun."

"Do you like the new Speed better or should I change back?"

"I like the new Speed because he seems to fit with the new Jude." Jude said as she gave Speed a kiss.

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