A new chapter for all of you. This one is a little short, I will try to make the next one longer. The more comments I get the more fun I have with this story. Keep it up. -B
Chapter 17
Jude woke up in her bedroom, alone. She moaned a little rolling around trying to remember how she had ended up there. After she had washed all the dye out of her hair she had opened the bathroom door to find Tommy waiting for her instead of Jessie. The rest of the evening had been mellow. She could tell Tommy was tense around her and that things had changed between them but she didn't have the energy to try to sort things out or make anything better. She was surprised when Tommy had put the girls to bed and then led her to her own room instead of his. He had kissed her just long enough to make her melt in his arms and then left her alone. She sat up in bed now wishing he was there with her. She still didn't know what she was going to do about having to sign the form Jessie had told her about. She knew Jessie had mentioned options but she was a little afraid to find out what those were. She let her mind wander a little and was surprised to find herself thing about Dean. Her relationship with him had been so opposite of what she had with Tommy. Dean had been light hearted and fun… she still felt like a kid when she was with him. Here Tommy had turned into Mr. Mom and was obviously dealing with very grownup things. When she was around him she forgot about how young she was, it was so easy for her to fall into what ever pace he was setting for her and here is was very adult. She crawled out of bed and padded down the stairs and into the hall with the nursery. She slipped into the room and sat down next to Lyla's crib. She began to hum and let her mind wander some more trying to sort out what she really felt for Tommy. When the baby began to stir Jude picked her up and walked around the room with her trying to comfort the child.
"You are so lucky to have your uncle Tommy." She told the baby that was now asleep on her shoulder. "He loves you so much and really would do anything for you. He's such an amazing person Lyla, I can't wait until you are old enough to understand that. Granted he knows how wonderful he is and that means he's overly cocky, but every once in awhile he lets his guard down. He is just another human being like the rest of us. He loves and cares and cries and gets hurt. Sometimes I forget that about him… that he gets hurt just like I do. In fact I think he is more sensitive about that then he would ever admit." She was quiet for a moment letting it all sink in. "I'm afraid he's going to hurt me again because he doesn't want to be the one hurt." She whispered to the baby in her arms.
Tommy had sat up in bed when he'd heard Jude's voice on the baby monitor. He had considered going to talk to her in the nursery, but decided she had chosen her location over his room for a reason. He had tried not to listen to everything Jude was rambling about, but after she had admitted she was scared he leaned over and clicked off the monitor. They were both so vulnerable right now. Tommy knew he had clung to her so tight when she first arrived and he was trying to give both of them distance for the night, although he wished she was there with him anyways. He had thought hard about what he was going to do about Jude's birthday. He closed his eyes and tried to sort through it all. She was going to have to sign the form that would keep them away from each other or he was going to have to do something he wasn't quite sure either of them were ready for. His mind went blank when he heard his door creak open and saw Jude slip through. She crawled into bed next to him and he pulled her into him wrapping his arms around her. "I just can't stay away from you Quincy." She whispered as she kissed him and snuggled into his comforting grip. "I'd never ask you to." He said realizing she had just answered all his questions.
Jessie knocked on Tom's door the next morning and smiled when Jude appeared.
"I thought I might find you here." She said still smiling. "Yesterday was a bit hectic so I gave you some space, but we still have a lot to get done. Why don't you go take a shower and get some breakfast and then we can talk." Jude, obviously not a morning person, grumbled a little and headed off down the hall. Jessie waited knowing Tom would be coming to wake the girls up. When he didn't come out right away she went to the door and knocked before she went in. "Tom?" She asked when she saw him sitting up staring at palms of his hands. He startled a little and looked up at her with a nod.
"She has options." He said, watching her as she moved over to the bed to sit with him. "All of I could think of once she crawled into bed with me last night was I don't know what I would do without her. I don't think either of us are ready for this Jessie but if it is what needs to be done in order for me to have her in my arms and have thoughts like that, then yes she has options." Jessie looked at him quizzically for a moment and then broke into a smile.
"Okay, well how are we going to do this then?" She asked.
"We?" Tommy said with a smile. "I guess this means I have your blessing?" He said laughing and pulled her in for a hug.