A/N: Okay this is a longer one, hope you guys like it, remember to review!

Chapter Forty-Two

Tommy nearly knocked Jeff over when he flew into the room, slamming the door behind them with a force that normally would've made him cringe. Now, the sound was heaven to his ears.

Jeff leaned back against the door with curious smile, not sure enough of himself to be smug, but sure enough that he knew he had Tommy exactly where he wanted him: pissed off. Crossing his arms across his chest he tilted his head to the side as he looked Tommy over. He noticed a thin piece of paper dangling from his hand like a pink bow on a battle field.

"Something you wanted to talk to me about Tommy?" Jeff prompted with an even tone.

Tommy took a minute to compose his thoughts, or at least to try. Everything was racing at lightning speed through his head, all conclusions coming to the hatred of Jeff. There were also a few feelings of anger toward Jude, but he didn't want to focus on the fact that his girlfriend had been lying to him for two months. That could wait. Plus there was the point that Jude was off at a spa in God knows where while Jeff was standing right in front of him. Yeah, Jeff was definitely the better option, especially when he could put a fist to his face without feeling guilty.

"Well maybe it has something to do with the fact that you've had it out for me the minute I walked through the mansion doors! Care to explain?" Tommy spoke harshly, trying to tone his voice down below a yell. With no surprise, Jeff's smile turned farther as he spoke as calmly as he would if they were talking about the weather.

"You still haven't figured it out yet Quincy? I mean I know you were in a boy band but I thought you would've been at least smart enough to recognize your own past."

"What are you talking about?"

Jeff waved him off with a hand, "Nah, it doesn't really matter now I guess. Now is there something you'd like to share with the class?" He nodded toward the letter Tommy held in a tight grasp. Tommy eased up his grip, smoothing out the edges of the now crumpled letter.

Thinking back now he probably shouldn't have brought the letter. He could've accused Jeff without bringing Jude in the middle. He still could. Staring down at the hurried script he folded it into fourths once again before placing it in his pocket.

"The piece of paper's not important," Tommy shrugged off convincingly, "just a stupid fan letter I just happened to be holding."

"So then forgive me for hurrying you along Tom, but I'm a busy man and we have a finale to plan for. So whatever you're trying to say, say it," Jeff bit back. Tommy took a deep breath, cracked his neck and began.

"Your scheme is over, Jeff. I know about the million dollar prize money Jude will get if I pick her," Tommy said with as much authority he could muster. Jeff tried to place a puzzled look on his face for a minute, actually appearing to be contemplating what Tommy had said. Tommy just rolled his eyes when Jeff's face lit up in remembrance. Like he ever forgot…

"Oh! Yes we told Jude that she would have the option of choosing a million dollars when or if the finale came," he spoke with the ease of a lawyer. "Although I don't understand why you would be upset about the offer."

Tommy's brow raised as his eyes widened in amazement. Upset? He wonders why I would be upset? It took all the energy he possessed to not strike Jeff at that moment. His condescending stare gazed concernedly at Tom, and all Tommy could think of was that it would look much better with a few missing teeth and a broken nose. Color rising to his face, he took a step closer toward the man in the sharp suit, knowing that losing his temper was not an option, no matter how good it would feel.

"Upset? Nah, not upset. Fuming. That seems to be a better word, don't you think Jeff?" he spoke threateningly, staring straight into his black eyes. Jeff only moved his face closer to Tommy's, politeness no longer present in his tone.

"What? It is Little Tommy Q mad that a girl would actually choose a million dollars over him?"

Tommy glared menacingly at Jeff, his anger blazing. Jeff knew all the right buttons to push, and it seemed that Tommy could never win. There was only one question existing in his mind that stopped him from pummeling Jeff to ruins.

"What do you mean 'choose'? I thought it was made very clear that she was only allowed to accept the million dollars." Jeff's face backed off slightly as the corners of his mouth twitched upward. Damn it, would he ever stop with the smirking? Tommy thought frustrated.

"I believe Tom, as usual, you are mistaken," Jeff spoke evenly as he gracefully walked to his desk and started rummaging through documents. Tommy stayed silent, pondering different possibilities that could play out.

"Aha," Jeff stated, pulling out thin pieces of paper from his collection. "Read this." Jeff held out the paper to Tommy would eyed it cautiously. Hesitantly, Tommy made his way over to Jeff's desk and grabbed the documents roughly before collapsing in a chair behind him.

Brows creased, his eyes scanned over the page, line after line, recognizing it to be a contract. A contract in which Jude's name was signed at the bottom in fluent manuscript. Nervousness took over once again as he read paragraph after paragraph, noting different conditions that had to be followed.

So far nothing had caught his eye, just precautions that must be taken, rules, blah, blah, blah. It wasn't until the second to last paragraph that Tommy suddenly sat up straighter in his seat:

In the event that the new said contestant enters the finale of The Bachelor, said person will be allowed the choice of choosing either specified prize monies or the original opportunity of accepting said bachelor's marriage proposal, or otherwise. In the event of choosing the prize monies, said contestant will not be able to pursue the bachelor after the show is done airing for a total of time specified and set by the executives in charge…

Tommy couldn't believe his eyes. Jude really was allowed to choose him? None of this made any sense. She seemed so dead set on the fact that she wasn't allowed to pick him. Was this really true? Her name was signed at the bottom. Tommy ran a finger along the handwriting that seemed so familiar to him. It wasn't forged.

He didn't know who to believe. Jeff had been tricking them the entire time he had been at the mansion. But equally, it seemed that Jude had been lying to him for that same amount of time. Whether it was about the million dollars, or about her feelings, he couldn't deny the fact that she had lied to him. It suddenly dawned on him.

He was about to ask her to marry him, and he barely knew her. If she had been lying to him about her feelings and Jeff, what else had she lied about? He only knew her for two months, and was about to put all of his faith into her. Two months! When he first thought about it, it seemed like a long time for him, but in reality, it was hardly anything.

Despite the length of time he'd known her, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact of her intentionally doing this to hurt him. Sure she had hurt him before, but, according to her, she had just been trying to protect him in the end. He cared about her so damn much, it was hard to conceive the motive behind her wanting to do this.

The image of her face when he last saw her flashed in his mind. Her red-rimmed eyes, and darting gaze as she handed him the note. That's not the face of someone who doesn't care.

Tommy could feel a migraine coming on. This stress was too much. Right now he had her word against a signed contract, and the obvious answer was not looking very appealing. He also couldn't deny the fact that his heart was slowly tearing in two.

Jude had lied. Not one time, not two, but many times. She was ready to break up and be done with me when she had the chance to stay with me. She had to have read the contract; she's in the music business. People in the music business don't just sign contracts blindly without reading over the conditions. So why would she want to break up? Does she not want to be with me? Tommy rubbed his temples at the idea that Jude had lied to him when she told him she loved him. Through all his hurt, he found it easy to forget about Jeff. That is until his voice cut through the air.

"See Tommy, I'm not the only one that's capable of treachery or deceit."

~*

"Okay, I'm not one that goes to spas often, but I do have to say that I could get used to this," Rachel said as she and Jude made their way through the spa in nothing but soft plush robes and comfortable white slippers.

Jude couldn't argue with Rachel. Spas did have a way of relaxation that could make any person feel like a celebrity. Hell, sometimes even she felt more important at the spa than she did on the red carpet. Still, there was a cloud of guilt hovering over her head like shadow. No matter how relaxed she got, Jude couldn't completely push aside what was really going on at this moment. I wonder how Tommy's taking this…

"Jude? Jude!" Rachel was waving a hand in front of her face. Snapping out of her reverie, Jude had to remind herself to stay focused, especially since they were on camera.

"Oh, what were you saying?" Jude responded.

"Where do you want to go first? We have the full body massage, mud bath, manicures, sauna, and virtually anything else you can think of," Rachel answered, looking around them at peaceful chaos surrounding the room.

Somehow spas had a way of doing that. All of the employees were moving quickly from place to place as people filed in and out of rooms, but somehow with the soothing music and comfortable atmosphere you felt more at ease than anywhere else.

"Let's start off with the full body massage, that sounds really good right about now," Jude said.

"I hear ya."

A massage therapist in a blue smock approached them with a soft smile.

"Welcome ladies and may I congratulate you two on being the final two on The Bachelor," Rachel smiled back at her, "My name is Lily and my staff and I will be here for anything you wish. Now, is there any certain spa activity you would like to start off with?" she spoke with a fluid peacefulness that made Jude wonder if she was really a masseuse and not an actor.

"Jude and I want to start off with the full body massage," Rachel answered. Lily smiled back.

"Very good choice. Follow me down this hallway and I'll take you to your room."

Followed by cameras, Jude and Rachel made their way down the blue and cream colored hallway, looking at various signs and rooms and making note of any they wanted to pursue later on.

Finally they came upon a small private room which Jude bet that not many people got to see. There were two massage tables in the center of the room with various lotions and oils and towels stationed near by. Like the hallways, the room was themed with blue patterns adorning the walls while a soft melody drifted through the speakers in the ceiling.

After exchanging the robes with the plush towels, the two girls started their evening of relaxation.

"My god, this feels amazing," Rachel groaned. Jude nodded her head blissfully in response.

All regrets and doubts about not wanting to come to the spa vanished completely, as did Jude's earlier theories about Lily not being a masseuse. It felt good to be unwound, to loosen up all the tension that had been building over the course of the show. If only for a glorious moment, she was able to forget about Tommy and Jeff, about the mess that would be awaiting her return to the mansion.

"At least I'll get something out of this show," Rachel commented lightly, and Jude had a feeling her moment of serenity was about to be over very soon. She didn't think Rachel was trying to bring up any drama, just trying to make conversation about the one thing that should be on their minds: the finale.

"What do you mean by that?" Jude asked in a conversational tone.

"I mean even though I won't win, at least I got to stay at that beautiful mansion and get celebrity spa treatment. That's not something that just happens everyday you know."

"No, it doesn't…" Jude said distantly. All doubts and thoughts of guilt seemed to crash back on her at once. She could practically sense the cameras honing in on her before they did.

"Try not to tense up, Jude. Just let yourself relax," Lily said, rubbing out the knots in her back.

Taking a deep breath Jude tried to focus on what to say next. She didn't want to try to deny and sound naïve by saying Tommy won't pick her. However at the same time, she felt that she had to at least give something. Plus, there was one question that had been bugging her ever since she had told Tommy to go for Rachel in her note.

"Hey Rachel, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, anything," she responded, her mind clearly still in the peaceful state Jude had left.

"Do you…um…how do you feel about…Tommy?" Jude asked, feeling rather stupid about the nature of such a question.

Rachel moved her eyes over to Jude, wondering what would make her ask that, but at the same time she was wondering if she should give the full truth. For the whole competition she felt as if she was holding back, trying not to give up too much of herself. Part of it was because she knew how much he loved Jude, the other part was because she didn't want to set herself up for the heartbreak she knew would be inevitable. However, this was the night before the finale, and she knew that she would probably never get the chance to say what she really meant. Maybe this was her chance. Plus, she owed it to Jude. She always thought Jude, although a celebrity, was the most grounded contestant besides herself on the show. She never tried to fake who she was, and in that Rachel wanted to do right by her. At least having told someone she wouldn't have as many regrets.

"I…uh. He's…" Rachel started. This was going to be harder than she thought.

~*~

"So what the hell does this mean?" Tommy bellowed angrily at Jeff, still stationed behind his large desk. Tommy knew exactly what the hell it meant, but for some reason he needed to hear it said. Even if it did come from Jeff's sick twisted mouth.

Jeff pushed back in his chair and pressed his hands together in a steeple, smiling down at Tommy's reddened face.

"You can choose whomever you want Quincy, the only question is: What will Jude choose?"

~*~

Rachel and Jude were now on their way into the sauna, still clad in the white towels that covered their recently-massaged bodies. Rachel had been cut off mid-sentence by Lily, who led them to their next activity. Luckily it gave her time to think of how to answer Jude's question. Unfortunately, she still had no clue what to say.

Thankfully, like their private massage room, they also received a private sauna. Also thankfully, the cameramen had to stay outside, on account of the steam would fog up the lenses too much.

Once settled into their seats, Rachel let herself breathe in the steam in long fluid breaths. She needed relaxation again. However the impending silence couldn't last forever, and she could feel Jude on the edge of her seat, figuratively speaking, waiting for her to answer.

"There are, no words…to describe how I feel about Tom Quincy," Rachel started out slowly. At least that was a true statement. As true as it gets at least, when nothing comes to her mind on how to answer.

Jude glanced inquisitively at Rachel, not expecting her to start with such reserve, with such hesitance. She expected her to immediately start gushing on how amazing his music was, or on how gorgeous he looked. Maybe she had underestimated Rachel. The thought gave her happiness, but also jealousy.

"He's just so…mysterious. He's probably the one guy that can be in the spot light for years, and never have anyone truly find out who he is," Rachel resumed.

Jude nodded her head in agreement, a small smile registering on her face before she could stop it. That was something she had admired about Tommy. The way he was simultaneously the most public and the most private person she had ever met. However, she also realized that even though she currently held his heart, she knew nothing about who he really was. That was the part that broke Jude's heart the most.

"God, I think I could probably get lost in his eyes for days. I don't want to sound like a crazed obsessed fan when I say that though," Rachel laughed lightly, "But…there's just something about him that makes me want to go crazy, you know? The sad part is, you can't really get to know him on a show where he's trying to fake it day by day. I can't believe the other girls didn't see through the façade he put up. But I noticed. I also noticed how the look in his eye changed whenever you were around," she glanced down at her hands nervously.

Jude heard the jealously in her voice, but at the same time couldn't help but hear the longing that accompanied it. This was not something she had been expecting from Rachel. Not at all. Reaching over to touch Rachel's hand, Jude spoke for the first time.

"You're in love with him aren't you?"

Rachel's head snapped up, looking into Jude's eyes with a fear and sadness that could only be caused by the heart.

"I…"Rachel paused, "it's hard to say you're in love with someone you hardly know. But Tommy…I…I've just never felt this way about anyone in my entire life," Rachel sighed heavily, finally through with what she needed to say.

Rachel didn't know how she would feel after she was done spilling the truth. But whatever it was, she knew balling her eyes out hadn't been apart of the equation. However, when the first tear slid down her cheek, nothing was able to stop the rest of them.

Jude's heart broke watching Rachel break down in front of her. Reaching out for her she held onto her in a tight comforting grasp, shocked at what she had just been told. Jude had no idea Rachel felt this strongly about Tommy. Her Tommy. She never thought it was possible for any other girl to have these feelings for the one guy she was supposed to spend her life with.

However a part of Jude felt relieved. She had wanted Rachel to feel differently than the others. She didn't want to push Tommy with someone would could fall justifiably into his "one-night stand" category, like the many others that came through the show. She wanted someone who could give something better to Tommy. Maybe she was getting what she had hoped.

Unfortunately, there was only one small saying running through her head: be careful what you wish for.