AN: Welcome back for another chapter everyone! Once again I am sorry for the delay in updating, life seems to be one disaster after another! This is another filler chapter to help get the story ready for the events to come! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and Tommy's side of things! Ciao!

Heaven Sent
By An American Mom
Chapter Four: New York City

Tom is seated in an old rocking recliner in a darkened living room with a little boy curled up asleep in his lap no more than five years old. His fingers sifting gently through the boy's dark curls as he hums one of Jude's songs softly as his own eyes rest only half open. His mind is of course on his girl, it's been a little more than a month since he left Toronto to come to New York as Darius had demanded and he's not been able to talk to Jude nearly as often as either would have liked and he's still forced to keep the full extent of his absence a secret from her. The secrecy alone is all but ripping his heart to shreds as he hears the pain and disappointment in her voice every time they have a chance to actually talk.

He sighs deeply before scooping the small boy into his arms and standing. He carries him down the hall to the bedroom at the end on the left, pushing the door open with his foot before crossing the short distance to the child's bed. He cradles him against his chest with one arm while leaning down and turning down the bed with his free hand. He lays him down gently onto the bed covering him up and kissing his forehead softly before exiting the room, the soft click of the door closing behind him the only sound in the other wise silent and nearly empty house.

He retreats to his own temporary bedroom across the hall shutting the door softly behind him as he crosses the short distance to his own bed and flops down on the edge. He pulls out his cell phone, flipping it open and checking his voice and text messages, most of which are of course from Jude. Nothing too sweet or too dramatic, mostly just reminding him he's loved and missed and little random moments from her day with SME as usual. Despite how late it is he drafts a quick short text to her just to tell her goodnight before he strips down and climbs into bed to allow his thoughts to consume him, hoping desperately that sleep will claim him soon. Tomorrow is going to be his hardest day yet, it's finally time for court, time for him to play his part in all of this and help decide the fate of a little boy he's only really known for a month; and time to find out the truth.

The past month has been full of drama for him, drama in which he has tried his very best to shield Jude from for the time being. He wants so badly to tell her everything but he knows doing so right now would only do more harm than good. He knows it's best to wait until he's safely back in Toronto with her to tell her everything, but it doesn't stop it from tearing him apart.

--

After being sworn in he sits down on the witness stand with his hands folded in his lap, his leather jacket creaking with the slightest movements as he stares in front of him with a stoic expression. He watches the attorney for the state walk around the table in front of her towards him as she pushes her wire framed glasses up the bridge of her nose as she reaches the witness stand; she clears her throat before she starts. "Mr. Quincy, is it true you were married to Miss Mills during the time of the 'accident'?"

"Yes," He states simply.

"Is it also true you were having an affair with Miss Smith during this time also?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Miss Mills was upset about this?"

"Yes."

"Upset enough to want to harm Miss Smith?"

"Objection, speculation," Portia's attorney exclaims.

"Overruled," Judge Adams says with a shake of his head before motioning for Tom to answer the question.

"Portia would never intentionally cause that kind of harm to another living being. As with any woman has the capability to be vindictive she certainly was, but she wasn't malicious." Tom states carefully.

"If she wasn't trying to kill either you or Miss Smith, what exactly was she trying to do?" The state attorney continues.

"It was my car she cut the breaks on. She did it with the intent to take something from me; to her the only thing that truly mattered to me was my cars. So damaging one was an attempt to upset me, not to cause me or anyone else physical harm. She did what she did with the intent I would be the only one behind the wheel and knowing I would have known something was wrong before I was in a position to be in an accident. Even I never thought Angie would take off in my car. But she did it for the same reason Portia cut the breaks on that car, to get at me."

"So, Mr. Quincy, you believe Miss Mills' actions were just what? Juvenile retaliation to the affair you were having?" The woman continues, her voice wavering with a bit of uncertainty in the beginning as she had not expected him to take this position on the case.

"Yes, I do. I think she did something childish in the heat of her own broken heart."

"And what about the child she is now suddenly claiming might be yours?"

"I believe it's extremely unlikely and that she is claiming this now because she's concerned for his safety and well being depending on the outcome of this case for her." He shrugs his shoulders though he takes a second to catch her gaze out of the corner of his eyes for a brief moment.

"So you don't think it's possible the child is yours?"

"No, I do not. I was immature and irresponsible in a lot of ways during my time with the band and during my marriage to her but one thing I was always extremely careful about was protection to prevent pregnancies. The last thing I needed was to end up a father, especially considering at the time I was married to her I was only eighteen years old. I was in no way ready for something like that to happen; I'm not sure how ready I'd be even now."

It's another forty-five minutes before he's allowed to leave the witness stand, his stoic expression in place even when he finally notices an angry man around his own age in the very back corner of the courtroom on the side of the state. The only change in his own demeanor is a quick sharp intake of breath when recognition sets in as he takes his seat on the defense side on the aisle behind Portia. He watches anxiously as the rest of the case goes by almost in a blur for all the attention he's paying to the details. He'd done his part as he had promised and testified on her behalf, now all he wants to do is get back to the house and take care of the kid until he's finally allowed to return to Toronto.