Hi everyone sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. A lot of ideas are swimming around in my mind but hopefully you all still like the direction I am headed. I love the comments you girls are posting! Keep them coming! -B

Chapter 18

Days had passed since Jessie had mentioned the form Jude would have to sign on her birthday. Every time Jude had pressed the issue or asked exactly what kind of options she might have Jessie changed the subject or Tommy entered the room. She hadn't said anything to him about the form yet. She was sure he knew nothing about it because he hadn't said anything to her. Jude figured he had probably not even paid attention to signing any of the forms when he had entered the program and no one had said anything to him since she had arrived because she had not been old enough to sign yet. They were finally happy and together, it broke her heart thinking about having to tell him they couldn't be either after tomorrow. She frowned a little thinking about her birthday. She always imagined that her eighteenth would be absolutely perfect, however now she knew that wouldn't be the case. It was so ironic that for the longest time eighteen had meant that she and Tommy could be together, but now it meant they couldn't. She sighed pushing all thoughts of her birthday and the form out of her mind. If she could only have one more day to be with him she was going to make it the best she possibly could. She rolled over in his bed looking at the spot he had left earlier when one of the girls had begun to scream. She sat up when she saw Jessie's form enter and lean against the door frame.

"Good morning starshine." Jessie said smiling at her.

"How are the girls?" Jude asked knowing that the screaming she had heard that morning had lasted longer than normal which made her worried. When ever one of the girls had a fit Jude would step aside and let Tommy take care of everything, she had considered following him a few times or trying to help, but she knew there was nothing more she could give to Lyla and Lola then time alone with Tommy.

"Things were a little worse than normal today." She said frowning. Jude knew her time alone with Jessie might be short so she tried to get right to the point.

"Jessie, you said I might have options about tomorrow?" She asked pleadingly. "I just… if today is my last day being able to be with him I want to make it the best… but if there are options…"

"Jude I'm so sorry, Tom decided the girls needed to get out of the house so he and all the other agents have gone to the zoo. I'm afraid it's just you and I today." Jude could feel her heart sink. Her last day being able to fall into Tommy's arms and kiss him and be with him and he had to go to the zoo. Of course he didn't know what the day meant but she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes all the same. "Actually it's probably a really good thing it is just you and I today." Jessie said. She and Tommy had made plenty of plans to make sure the day would go just right, but neither of them had expected what they saw in the tabloids that morning. "Jude a few of the blackmail pictures were released today." Jude felt like every bone in her body was breaking.

"How bad is it?" She asked, holding on to as much self dignity as she could muster.

"Well you prepared us. The media isn't being polite although none of us expected that." Jessie paused wishing she wouldn't have to tell Jude the next little bit of information. "The blackmailer knows you have run Jude. He alerted the media, and now the whole of North America is on Jude watch. The blackmailer, backed by The Enquirer, has put a reward on your head. Anyone who turns you into the media, alive, dead or injured, will receive $5 million dollars." Jude blinked hard.

"He has turned me into a prize for the media to win?" Jude asked feeling her anger well up in her stomach. "I am too young for this Jessie… I don't understand, running felt like my only option last week but now it seems like that just made things worse." She noticed her hand trembling and took a deep breath hoping to calm both her hands and her mind. Her eyes beginning to fill with tears when she suddenly thought of Tommy. "I have brought more danger into the girl's lives. I was selfish Jessie all I wanted was to be with Tommy. I didn't think about how that would affect his life, his stability or his safety. I could not live with myself if something happened to those girls…" Jessie ran a hand down Jude's back trying to comfort her. No woman deserved to feel like they were a hazard to the person they loved, and Jude was so young.

"Everything is going to be alright Jude. You are going to be on extra security from now on, as of this morning I filed the paper work to have you put on the same level of protection we have Tommy and the girls. If at any time you wish to leave the house you will have to take five or more agents with you. We have also set the FBI to work on identifying and finding the blackmailer. We are doing everything we can for you Jude." Jude nodded and they sat in silence until Jude requested to take a shower.

All morning Jude was silent, speaking only when she absolutely had to. It was because of cases like Tom's and Jude's that Jessie was a WPP agent, but it always broke her heart to see the fear and pain on the victims faces. She let Jude stay silent hoping that what she and Tom had planned for the evening would make up for the terrible morning the girl was having. They spent almost the whole afternoon together in silence when suddenly Jude Looked to Jessie and grasped her hand.

"Did Tommy see those pictures Jessie? Does he know?" When Jessie didn't answer right away Jude pleaded "Please Jessie I just… I need to know. Now the whole world knows how awful things were that night and they are out hunting for me, and I can handle all of that but I don't think I can handle Tommy knowing how awful I was that night. It was all because of him. I had a nervous breakdown because of him and he knows that, but I don't want him to see those pictures. How silly is that?" Jude sighed pushing her head into her hands and wishing away the horrendous headache that was pounding in her skull.

"Not silly at all." A voice said from behind her. Jude was up in instant and in Tommy's comforting arms wondering what she would do the next day when those arms were no longer hers in be in.