A/N: Oh hello readers! It's been forever and I'm sorry and I could go on and on about why it took so long but the truth is I am lame and I hope you forgive me and I hope this chapter makes up for it. You all need to thank Haley for giving me a little private message shove!

In this chapter you have some Jommy! (I know, I know – AT LAST) and then some Sadie drama and then some creep drama and all in all, it's not too shabby a chapter – a little bit of everything.

Next chapter should be up next week and has more Jommy and some Jamie craziness!

Disclaimer: Don't own itttt!

"This sucks," Jude muttered to Tommy.

"Almost done, girl," he said below his breath to her.

They had been at the press conference for the past hour and it seemed like Jude had only answered two questions. And while that was okay with her, she was getting bored with listening to facts of her life be recounted by others. Darius had insisted that the two detectives be present at the conference in order to answer all questions on the stalker, and so far they were doing most of the talking. Jude had already shredded the paper table cloth that was dangling close to her lap and as she went to make it into confetti, she felt Tommy's hand on hers, stilling her movements.

Jude looked at their hands in fascination, as if she had never seen them before. They…fit. They looked right. His larger, calloused hand laid gently over hers, their fingers threading as if they had been made to do that and only that. As she looked at them, she could only wonder why it was taking both of them so long to get their shit together. How could two people that were so perfect for each other be so blind to that? At least Jude knew she wasn't blind. She knew she was made for Tommy, and vice versa. But she had all these paralyzing fears in her mind about the two of them. If they would last, if they could make it, if he would expect more from her, if he would get tired of her, if he would get frustrated with the never ending stream of drama that followed her.

Suddenly, the hand that she was so enthralled with was squeezing hers repeatedly. She looked up at him in confusion only to see him trying not to smile and nodding towards he crowd. Oh, so it was her turn to speak?

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" She asked to the crowd, unsure of who had asked the question.

"I asked what your relationship with Tom Quincy is," a woman reporter in the front piped up.

"Tommy and I are best friends. I wouldn't have been able to make it through this without him," Jude answered, deliberately vague.

"There are unconfirmed reports that you are currently living with him," the woman pressed, causing Jude to gulp. She thought they had been so careful. She didn't want to lead someone straight to Tommy's apartment.

"They're unconfirmed for a reason," Tommy's voice came over across the speakers and she felt him squeeze her hand again. How does he always know what to say? Jude wondered.

"Jude, is there anything you want to tell your supporting fan base? A lot of your fans are worried for your safety."

"Well, I want to thank them implicitly for being so concerned about me. I would also like for them all to know that I have every reason to believe that Toronto's finest will catch the person responsible for making my life so difficult these past few weeks. Other than that, I'm just trying to keep things as normal as possible – my album is being released next week, and I have to admit that I'm a little more nervous about that than anything else," Jude joked, coercing a tittering of laughter out of the crowd.

A reporter asked a question directed towards the cops and Jude turned her attention to Tommy, a grin on her face.

"Did I do good?" She whispered cheekily.

Tommy detached theirs hands and reached up, tucking a stray strand behind her ear.

"You always do," he whispered back, a soft look in his eyes.

- - -

The press conference was over shortly after, and Jude was relieved that it had been relatively painless. No delving into her personal life too much, no out and out character assassination, just…questions about the investigation. It shouldn't have shocked her so much, as Darius had prepared her beforehand, but still. She was extremely grateful.

The reporter from Spin magazine was waiting in the small conference room in G Major, and Jude knew that while springing Tommy on the interview at the last moment wasn't exactly professional, she still didn't want to take any chances on saying the wrong thing. This interview was strictly on her new album anyway, and who better to give input that her producer?

"You ready, girl?" Tommy said as he cupped her cheek gently, looking down at her. She smiled at him and got that special gleam that always seemed to come alive in Tommy's presence.

"I was born ready, Quincy."

And with that the pair made their way into the conference room, making the usual pleasantries.

"You don't mind that he's here, do you?" Jude asked in a way that implied that even if the woman did, there was no way Tommy was going to leave.

"No, no, it's fine," she smiled back at them. Her name was Naomi Jenkins and she appeared to be in her mid thirties, wearing a plain outfit of jeans and a turtleneck. She was striking – not necessarily beautiful in the conventional way, but her looks did have a way of getting her noticed, with her pitch black hair and emerald eyes.

"So, Jude," she started off, "how does it feel to have completed your third album?"

"Honestly? I couldn't really tell you. It's all so surreal to me still. I do know that I'm the proudest I've ever been of this album; I really think it's a tribute to my growth as an artist and a person. I hope that comes across."

"And the title, I've noticed, has caused a lot of speculation. What made you choose 'Coming Home' as the final title? I've heard rumors that it was not the working title during production."

"Well, that's correct. The working title changed pretty much everyday, depending on how I was feeling. 'The Weight of Consequences' was actually the set in stone title that I was working with for the last few months, because I'm a firm believer in everything you do coming back to you in the end. 'Coming Home' was sort of a last minute decision, actually."

"And do you think that's what this album is? A sort of…homecoming for you?"

"In a lot of ways, yes. I was allowed a lot more creative freedom on this album, so that was a huge influence, obviously. A lot of these songs are about growing up, and trying to find your way, and I think in order to ever truly find your way, you've got to get out on your own and see things and do things by yourself. Only when you're ready to grow up can you truly 'come home,' and I like to think that's where I'm at now."

"There've also been a lot of rumors that a few of these songs are focused on your family," Naomi prompted, causing Jude to take a deep breath.

"Yeah," she agreed. "A lot of them are. As most of my fans now know, my parents are divorced, and they were actually in the process of separating as I was doing my first album. For a long time, I wasn't ready to deal with that. I mean, I dealt with it, but not in positive ways. Blame, anger, guilt, hurt – that's just some of what I was going through, and that's what came out in my music. But now, I like to think I'm dealing in more constructive ways. I'm trying to let all those other negative feelings go, and make amends with that.

"Not to say I'm not still angry or hurt at the entire situation, but I think I'm finally starting to realize just how important family really is. And if I can let that show through my music, versus bottling it all up inside? I think that's the first step in getting rid of those negative emotions for good."

"Wow, it certainly does sound like you're growing up," Naomi commented with a smile. "Could you tell us a little bit about 'Shadow'?"

"Ah, there's been a lot of speculation on that song because there wasn't a sneak peek of it on iTunes." Jude smirked. "For good reason."

"Will you confirm the fact that it is about your sister?"

"It…it's complicated. Yes, my sister did play a role in the lyrics I wrote, and yes, if she had not supported me putting it on the album, it would not be there today. But the song is ultimately about me, and my feelings. Sometimes, you just can't help what you feel and no matter how hard you try to blame someone else…sometimes, no one is to blame."

Naomi nodded, but apparently wasn't about to let the subject of Sadie drop.

"It's been suggested that you and your sister have had a long standing rivalry ever since she dated Tom Quincy," Naomi said, nodding to Tommy, who sat up a little straighter in his chair beside Jude, extending his arm behind her own chair, rubbing her shoulder subtly.

"Sadie and I's relationship has always been different from those of other siblings, mostly because I did get thrust into the limelight at such a young age. I don't think, however, that we were ever immune to having our own squabbles and yes, sibling rivalries. Tommy only wishes he was the cause of one," Jude joked, grinning at Tommy.

"The truth is," Jude continued, "Sadie is my best friend. I've…I've lost a lot of people in a really short time frame these past few years. It sort of made me appreciate just how quickly people can leave your life. But Sadie has always been there and will always be there. Sometimes, especially in times like these, where my world is kaleidoscoping out of control, it's nice to know that there are a few constants still in my life."

"I had no idea you two were so close," she said with a speculative stare, and Jude just shrugged.

"Sadie's a great person; she's beautiful inside and out and has a way of making everyone comfortable around her, and she always knows the right thing to say. We haven't always been close, but she's always been my role model. She's smart and beautiful and getting married this week," Jude said with a wide smile. "She's starting this entire new chapter of her life and I've never been happier or more proud of her."

"It's great to see such a wonderful relationship between you two then! Now, onto other songs on the album – is it safe to say that there is a significantly less amount of love ballads on the album in comparison to your others? Do you think your younger audience, which thrived on those somewhat borderline pop songs, will still be able to relate to these new songs?"

Jude paused momentarily, mulling the question over.

"Well, I think you're correct in assuming that there are fewer 'love ballads,' as you called them, on this album, but I certainly don't think I'll lose any fans through this. I think a lot of my fans are growing up with me, and they'll be able to relate to a lot of what I write about. As for the younger audience, I think this album will prove to be a great inspiration for them. There are songs about becoming independent and stronger, and the idea that you don't have to be in love to be happy. It's all about going after what you deserve, which is the best.

"But don't get me wrong – there are still some love songs on there. Wouldn't want anyone to think I'm getting all coldhearted on them. Trust me – there are some pretty intense songs."

"Anyone acting as particular inspiration for those songs?"

Jude shook her head ruefully.

"No one at the present moment, no."

"And the stories about you and Tom Quincy being involved are-"

"Rumors," Jude assured her.

"Rumors start with a kernel of the truth, Miss Harrison," Naomi said with a somewhat devious smile. "And from what I hear, Tommy's the kind of guy that has lot's of … kernels… in his life."

"Look, Tommy's my best friend. He is a genuinely great guy. When no one else is there, he is. Words can't describe how grateful I am for him being there for me during this entire stalker fiasco, and he has not once faltered. I have no idea where I'd be right now if it wasn't for him. He has always been there for me-"

"Babe," Tommy tried to calm her down, but instead, Jude just got more irate.

"No, Tommy!" Jude turned to him. "I'm sick of having to justify our relationship, like it's something bad!" She turned back to the reporter. "His friendship is the best thing in my life. You want a constant in my life? He's my constant. He's my everything. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you vilify him and make our friendship into anything less than amazing, because it's not!"

Jude was breathing heavy by the end of her rant and upset tears started to well in her eyes.

"Excuse us for just a moment," Tommy told Naomi, as he picked up Jude's hand and led her to the door. He could've sworn he saw someone's shadow outside it, but no one was there as he opened the door and stopped in the hallway.

"Tommy, I'm sor-"

His soft lips cut her off.

- - - - -- - -

Tommy couldn't explain what had happened in those minutes in the small conference room in G Major Toronto. His life changed forever, that was sure. He watched and listened as Jude answered every question asked of her with such eloquence and grace. She was heartfelt and emotional and she didn't try to sugarcoat her relationship with her family or anything. She was honest and real, and that alone touched Tommy's heart. He thought she dealt with every question with grace, and it was really heartwarming to hear her praise Sadie despite their current situation. That was just the type of person Jude was – giving and selfless, and she somehow managed to focus on the good parts of a person rather than the negative.

But when Jude started to describe his and her relationship…he hadn't thought it was possible for his heart to swell to the epic proportions it was at currently. She got so angry and flustered and frustrated…it was the sweetest thing he had ever seen. So that led them to their current position. Jude, standing there, arms hanging by her side, and Tommy, hands cupping her face, kissing her. It wasn't long and it wasn't deep, but it was a definite kiss. A kiss that sent lightning bolts up and down his spine, clouding his mind, igniting his body.

He broke away slowly, leaving a blinking Jude. She slowly reached up to touch her lips softly.

"You kissed me."

"Yeah," Tommy whispered, still shocked himself. Why did I kiss her? He thought frantically. Of all the times to kiss her, this is really one of the worst.

"Why did you kiss me?" Jude's voice was still soft, and sounded alarmingly devoid of emotion.

"I'm not entirely sure."

"Okay then." Jude refused to meet his eyes.

"You didn't need to say all that in there, you know that, right, Jude?"

"She made me angry."

Truth was, Jude was making Tommy angry at that moment. It was unlike Jude to not be vocal about her emotions. He was expecting her to be interrogating him at that moment, to be demanding why he kissed her and a full synopsis on everything he had felt at that moment. Instead, she looked to be deep in thought, her eyes focused on the ground, brow furrowed.

"Jude, I-" Tommy was surprised to see tears swimming in Jude's eyes as she looked up at him. He cleared his throat, attempting again, when all of a sudden a blonde blur passed him and tackled Jude to the ground.

Gaining his composure quickly, Tommy turned to Bear, who was relaxing on a wall at the end of the hallway, leaning back with his feet crossed in front of him.

"Aren't you supposed to be preventing her from getting attacked?" Tommy asked with a smirk, gesturing to the figures on the ground.

"No one said anything about the suspect wearing high heels," Bear said with a grin. "Why don't you come with me, Tom? Give them a moment…"

Tommy gave another lasting look behind him and followed Bear down the hall, leaving the two girls still tangled on the floor.

- - - -

Jude was completely taken aback when Tommy had kissed her, but then to top it off, she was tackled by a blonde bombshell in three inch heels. She closed her eyes instinctively, but the whiff of Victoria's Secret Pink was enough of a clue as to who had jumped her – Sadie Harrison.

As they collided with the floor (an unfortunate regular occurrence for accident-prone Jude), Jude held her hands up instinctually in front of her face to ward off any blows that might be coming. It wasn't until she heard a sniffling and a muffled laugh did she lower her hands and squint her eyes open.

"I'm not going to hit you Jude," Sadie said through the tears that were streaming down her face.

Satisfied that she wasn't going to be assaulted, Jude sat up straighter, scooting backwards so that she could lean against the wall.

"Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly. "You probably shouldn't be, um…tackling people. In your condition."

"Yeah, well, it would help if you had a little meat on your bones," Sadie grumbled. "A little cushioning wouldn't have hurt."

"Sorry," Jude muttered, looking away.

"No," Sadie sighed. "Don't be. I should be sorry. I…should be so sorry. So completely, entirely, with-all-of-my-being sorry." Sadie looked up and saw that the door to the conference room was still ajar, and she could see the interviewer straining to pick up the words they were saying.

Jude noticed her stare and reached up and pulled the door shut, not sparing a glance for the rude journalist.

"Sadie," Jude sighed. "You don't have to-"

"Yes," she cut her off. "I do. I have to because I was so out of line yesterday. And now you're having to deal with all these terrible things, and dead bodies, and creeps, and I just saw Tommy kiss you so now you have to deal with the rollercoaster a la Quincy, and the interviewer was being mean to you and oh my gosh, I'm just so sorry!" Sadie practically jumped into Jude's lap to hug her tightly, her tears coming down fast and steady and a few trickling out of Jude's eyes as well.

"Sadie, I hope you really know that I never wanted to take anything away from you, at all. I never wanted to! I want this to be your week. And it will be, I promise."

"Oh, Jude! I know that. I just…I overreacted. In a major way, and I'm so sorry. I think I was just more angry at myself for forgetting my baby sister's birthday. And dad…I can't believe he forgot, too. He was the one who suggested this Friday, not even you. I'm so sorry."

"You've had a crazy couple of weeks, Sadie, it's okay," Jude tried to convince her.

"It's not okay, you have every right to be mad at me," she chuckled mirthlessly. "God, when Kwest heard what I said yesterday…I've never seen him be that angry at me. I was being selfish and projecting my anger at myself on you."

Jude looked up at Sadie with a questioning look.

"You've been watching Dr. Phil with Kwest, haven't you?" Sadie just laughed and shrugged.

"It grows on you, after a while."

"You try telling me that after two hours of psychoanalysis on my songwriting from your fiancée." They shared a laugh at that, and for the first time since all the crazy wedding and baby drama, Jude felt like her and Sadie were sisters again.

"I heard what you said, Jude," Sadie said softly after their laughter died down. "To that interviewer in there. About me."

"Oh, about the wedding? I didn't mean to tell her that, I know you guys didn't want a lot of publicity for it – if you want, I can make sure she doesn't print that part."

"No, I don't care about that. Jude…am I really your role model?" Jude bit her lip, trying to think of an appropriate answer.

"Yeah, I mean…I guess you are. Always have been. I know I never wanted to, you know, dress like you, or be popular like you, but that's just cause you were so good at it. I wanted you to have your thing, and me to have mine. I've never been able to stand out in a crowd like you, or know the right thing to say like you, or make someone feel better like you. I always wanted to be you, Sadie, I just…I just didn't show it, I guess. I didn't want to try to be like you and fail, so I just forced myself to do the polar opposite – all things that you hadn't tried before. I couldn't fail at stuff that you hadn't succeeded at already."

"Jude, don't think for one second that if you tried to be Miss Popular in school that you couldn't have done it. You haven't failed at one thing so far, and to be honest, I just don't think you can. Fail, that is. You're amazing, little sister."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my birthday when you told me the rehearsal dinner date. Please don't think that I didn't say anything to…to get back at you or anything. I just want you to be happy. I've had the limelight long enough."

"I'm so sorry I forgot your birthday, Jude. And if you want me to-"

Jude held up her hand to stop her.

"Don't. Don't even ask. I'm fine. I'm actually looking forward to this whole rehearsal dinner and wedding shindig. I've already even chose out the songs that I'll sing at the reception, and you'll love them."

"Ooh, what are they? Can I guess?"

And in those few minutes that they talked, a new bond was formed – somehow stronger and sturdier than the previous sisterhood bond they shared. Before Jude could answer Sadie, however, they were interrupted.

"Are you two done? 'Cause I do believe we have an interview to get back to, girl." Tommy said as he sauntered towards them, interrupting their moment.

"Yeah, you should get back," Sadie said as she stood up, brushing herself off. "I can't believe I just sat on G Major floor," she added, looking disgusted.

"Me neither," Jude said with a laugh, taking Tommy's offered hand to pull herself up. Sadie pulled her into one last hug, with a whispered 'I love you,' and was gone.

"Everything okay?" Tommy asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Jude said with a small smile. "I think it is."

"Good. And Jude, about before…"

"Tommy, I can't." She cut him off, eyes closed, exhaling deeply. She was so convinced on what he was going to say – that he didn't mean it, that it was in the heat of the moment, that he didn't want to ruin their relationship – and at that moment she just didn't want to hear it. She couldn't. She was fragile enough, without the added stress of not being wanted by Tommy, and having verbal confirmation of that.

"You can't?" He questioned, confused.

"I can't. I just have too much to deal with right now. My mind is going to explode. Dead girls and psycho paparazzi are one thing. You….you are an entirely different thing. I just can't. Please. Please don't make me have this conversation with you." She pled, not opening her eyes once.

"Of course," Tommy said warmly, although he thought he could feel his heart being ripped apart inside. She doesn't want to talk about it because she doesn't feel the same way, he told himself. And she has too much on her plate as it is, of course she doesn't want to deal with some guy who she has to let down easy, let alone the same guy that she has to share a bed with. I can't even blame her. Instead of voicing any of his concerns, he just wrapped an arm around her waist and rubbed circles in the small of her back, trying to remain normal. "We won't do anything that you don't want to do."

And with that, they went back to the interview.

- - -

Over an hour later, Jude and Tommy trailed out of the conference room behind Naomi, feeling somewhat disoriented still. It had taken a while after they had returned to the interview for it to fall back into it's normal pace and Jude had still only been there fifty percent – drifting in and out, having to have questions repeated several times and some of her answers were so vague that Tommy had to interject with more details for the sake of her career.

It felt strange for Jude to walk just next to Tommy. She was so accustomed to his arm being wrapped loosely around her waist, or him tugging her close to him with an arm draped over her shoulders, or even just holding hands. But instead, they just walked side by each, arms hanging awkwardly, fingers occasionally stretching out – itching to intertwine with the others.

Finally, after walking into the lobby, both stopped and turned to each other, starting to speak.

"I-"

"Jude-"

They snapped their mouths shut simultaneously, allowing a nervous laugh to escape both of them. It had been years since they had felt this uncomfortable around each other.

"You first," Tommy said softly.

"I just…oh my god," Jude breathed, her eyes looking past Tommy's shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"It's him."

"Him? Who him? Him him?" Tommy positioned himself in front of Jude and had her hand enveloped in his in an instant.

"What? No, not him him. But him…as in…Chelsea's fiancée." Jude had recognized him from a picture that Chelsea had shown her. A picture that Chelsea had kept tucked in the back of her iPod case, ever since he had proposed. Jude had thought the entire thing was just too cute. And yet…he was there. Sitting on a couch in G Major Records, looking completely destroyed.

Not that anyone can blame him, of course. Least of all me, Jude thought miserably.

Tommy felt immeasurable relief flood his body as Jude told him who the man that had made her face lose all of it's color was. He had no idea what he would've done had anything actually happened, but he knew that in his mind it was one simple fact: his life before hers. And while he doubted that anything of that caliber would go down in G Major, it was that one simple fact that carried him through the days. It wasn't even a conscious decision, it was just…irrefutable.

"What's he doing here?" Jude whispered in Tommy's ear as she leaned heavily onto his back, still grasping his hand.

"I don't know, girl," Tommy whispered back.

"I can't…I mean…he blames me. He has to. And, I know, I know, it's not my fault," Jude rushed out as Tommy opened his mouth to argue, "but…how can he not?"

Before Tommy could reply, Darius had emerged from the other wing of G Major and was striding purposefully over to the man in the lobby – Marc, if Jude remembered correctly – and extending his hand.

"Darius Mills," D introduced himself. "You must be Marc Hoyle, right?"

The man just nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," D said with more sincerity than either Tommy or Jude had ever heard him use before. Just then Darius looked up again, noticing the two standing a little ways off. "Tommy, Jude, good. You should probably be here for this. We're meeting in my office."

Tommy and Jude shared a confused look, but followed both Darius and Marc into D's office, holding hands still. Tommy could feel Jude trembling from her anxiety towards the whole situation, and he paused with her before entering the room.

"Calm down," he pled gently. "It's not going to be that bad, I promise."

Jude shook her head furiously. "He's going to be mad, and I took his fiancée from him and oh god, Tommy, I can't do this! I can't!"

"Shhh," he hushed as he gathered her into his chest, shooting D a pleading look from over her head through the open doorway. D looked understanding enough, but still gestured for them to come into the room. "We've got to go in there, girl," he whispered into her ear. "But I'll be right beside you the entire time. You can do this."

Jude pulled back with a resolute nod, wiping any remnants of tears from her face. "You're right. I have to face this. I have to get what's coming to me."

She stepped into the office with Tommy following with a muttered "that's not what I meant."

Jude took a small step towards Marc. She didn't bother extending her hand, she just looked him directly in the eyes.

"I'm Jude Harrison, Mr. Hoyle." Her jaw trembled a bit, but her voice remained steady. "And I am so sorry."

"I know who you are," he said in a quiet voice after a pregnant pause. "And thank you, for everything."

"I…I'm sorry?" She didn't understand.

"Chelsea loved you," he continued in the same soft voice. "All weekend she talked about you, about how excited she was that she got to meet you, how fantastic you were, how real, how normal, how sweet. I don't doubt that if Chels knew she was going to die, meeting you would be the one thing she would've wanted to do before then."

"She…" Jude blinked the tears back harshly before continuing. "She was wonderful, really. We had plans to go shopping in a few weeks."

Marc let out a loud laugh at that, making Jude jump a little.

"I thought she was making that part up," he admitted. "She was so happy you paid attention to her at all."

"That was the problem though," Jude said sadly. "If I hadn't have talked to her, none of this would've happened. I can't ever tell you how sorry I am, and had I known any of this, I wouldn't have asked for her help in this investigation at all. I'm just…so sorry." Her tears started to fall in earnest. "It sounds so trivial to say that, but trust me, I've never regretted anything more in my entire life than I do that moment, and I've done some pretty dumb things in my life. I understand if you blame me completely, and please believe me when I say I do as well."

The room was silent for a stretch. D was watching the interplay with a sort of morbid fascination, as he had never seen Jude react like that. Tommy was frustrated because it seemed as if every time Jude took one step forward, she took four back. Bear, Ace and Ram stood to the side of the room, completely unnoticed yet very aware of the situation. And Marc just stood there, staring at the woman in front of him. He watched her bite her lip – either out of nerves, or to keep the tears at bay, he didn't know – and she seemed to be taking deep, soothing breaths, although her body demeanor proved she was anything but soothed. Finally, just when Tommy was about to stand up for Jude, Marc spoke.

"I could never blame you for something like this, Miss Harrison."

"Jude," she corrected softly.

"Sorry, Jude. I could never, and would never, blame someone for another's actions and decisions. She…it's not real to me yet, unfortunately. She never came back from her early morning run yesterday. Then the police came and…it's just not real yet. I remembered some things now, things that I think could help, but I was told at the police station that all of their resources were going towards finding your stalker, Jude."

Her eyes widened. "I would never-"

"Other people's actions, not your responsibility. I just want to help, and I was told that the police were working in tandem with your own security firm, and I figured if I couldn't tell the police, then I'd tell the next best thing." He took a deep breath before looking Jude in the eyes. "She did the right thing, helping you out. I'm proud of her."

"Me too."

"Mr. Hoyle, if you're up to it, you can talk to Jude's security team right now," Darius interjected, steering Marc towards the three bodyguards.

Jude sat down in the chair closest to her and spaced out.

This guy is crazy, she thought hopelessly. He killed someone for helping me! This is so much worse than anyone had anticipated. He's willing to hurt innocent people – I don't even want to know what he wants to do to me.

Slowly, Tommy knelt before Jude, taking her hand in his, letting her work out whatever she needed to before speaking to her. When Jude finally noticed him squeezing her hand gently, she realized they were alone in Darius' office, with Tommy smirking at her.

"I'll never understand how you just space off like that, no matter what the situation."

Jude shrugged, still a little unfocused. "Must be a defense mechanism."

"It's probably for the best," Tommy sighed. "I doubt you wanted to listen to all that anyway. D's arranging for Marc to be put in a safe house for a little bit, until this all blows over."

"Safe house?"

"I guess the security firm has a few in the area. From what Marc said, whoever did that to Chelsea knows where he lives, so it's just to be careful. Put his mind at ease, let him grieve in peace."

"Did he say anything…useful?"

"Not a lot that we didn't already assume, but it was nice to have it confirmed. Chelsea had been complaining about the feeling of being followed, and could've sworn that she saw someone who looked like a paparazzo outside her house, but Marc blew it off as just wishful thinking after spending an afternoon with you."

"It's the same person, isn't it? The same man that jumped into the Hummer? It's all him."

"Nothing we didn't already know, Jude." He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers, yet not meeting her eyes. "It'll all be okay. You'll be okay. I promise."

"I'll be okay?" Jude scoffed as she pulled back, standing up.

"Yes," Tommy repeated, standing up to match her stance. "That's all that matters, girl."

"All that matters?" Jude echoed. "Yeah, sure, I'll be okay, Tommy – but at what cost to others? What happens when next time it's someone I love getting hurt, not just some innocent bystander? What then, Tommy? Huh? What then?? You think I'll really give a damn about whether I'm okay if you're dead? When that happens, I might as well just give myself over to the fucking psycho at that point!"

"ENOUGH!" Tommy roared, grabbing her shoulders roughly and holding her in front of him. "Don't ever let me hear you say that again, you hear me? Huh? You understand me, Jude?" He gave her a little shake when she didn't respond, eliciting a teary nod from her. He relaxed his grip and softened his tone, but did not release her. "You are everything, Jude. Everything. I just…don't…" he swallowed thickly as he struggled for the appropriate words. "You can't say things like that," he finally said, softly, brokenly. "You just can't."

With the sight of a small nod from Jude, Tommy pulled her into him, her arms wrapping instinctively around his neck, clasping tight. They held on for minutes on end, the silence stretching, each one lost in their own thoughts. Jude was letting the tears fall for what felt like the millionth time that day, while Tommy had his eyes closed tightly, keeping the tears he so desperately wanted to shed at the thought of losing Jude away.

He didn't know what made him blow up at Jude at that moment. Well, he did, but if that had happened any other day, he knew he would've handled it differently. Not better, necessarily, but different. It just seemed that right then, the culmination of so many things seemed to come upon him at once, and it was just too much all of a sudden. Too much to think about, too much to deal with, just…too much. He didn't regret saying what he had said to Jude, but he realized his deliverance wasn't the best.

And just as soon as the moment had come, it had gone. Jude pulled back just a little bit, wiping her eyes furiously.

"Tommy, I…" She began hesitantly.

"I know, Jude. Not a good time to talk about my feelings. You can't deal with it right now. So how about you let me know when it is a good time to tell you how I feel, okay?"

And with that he pulled away completely and walked out of the office, leaving Jude to stand there all alone.

"I love you," she finished in a broken whisper, watching him retreat.