A/N: Without further ado, here is another chapter! I still own nothing.
She could not believe her mother was there. She had honestly forgot about that comment Portia had made a few weeks prior, as it felt like it was years ago, and she hadn't particularly believed her anyways. And now she was there.
Jude slammed a drawer shut as she searched fruitlessly for the button down shirt she knew she had brought with her for the sole purpose of getting her hair done. Well, okay, it was Tommy's button down, but she still was convinced it was hiding in her room. Sadie was going to be so mad if she wasn't down there in ten minutes – she had already been twenty minutes late for her early makeup appointment and had shown up in nothing but a robe. In order to prevent giving everyone who had arrived a little peepshow, Jude figured she had better put on real clothes for the hair appointment. She was just so mad!
She didn't say a word past 'Mom?' the previous night. She had traded incredulous looks with Tommy, raised her eyebrows to her hair at Sadie, and then stalked back into her room, slamming the door. She had felt like a bit of an idiot when she remembered the tape, and the door had simply bounced back open after she slammed it, but she was eternally grateful for Tommy, who had used that as an excuse to come talk to her. He had surreptitiously removed the tape before closing the door gently behind him, and instantly enveloped her in a hug.
They had talked and traded gentle, sweet, reassuring kisses, but Tommy hadn't thought to bring her gift with him and hadn't wanted to chance sneaking out again now that he finally held her in his arms. He hadn't intended to stay the night, but Jude had worked herself in such a state that he didn't feel like he could leave her when she was like that, and then she had practically passed out in an exhausted heap on him. The least he could do was be a good pillow.
"Knock, knock," a familiar voice interrupted her musings and she looked up with a smile on her face. Tommy stood at the door, peeking around to see the state of disarray her room was in. "Can I interrupt, or will I have some form of clothing thrown at me?"
"I know that girls threw their clothes at Boyz Attack, but I hadn't realized you had gotten so used to that, Quincy." She put down the sheets she held in her hand, accepting the fact that the button up was gone, and met Tommy at the door, kissing him lightly.
"Are you looking for anything in particular, or is there no method to this madness?" Tommy asked as he made his way further into the room.
"A button down shirt, actually. It was for my hair appointment in…eight minutes." At his confused look, she continued. "You know, it buttons, so you don't have to worry about it ruining your hair when you pull it over your head."
"Of course. Well, I can get you a new one from my room, since I'm sure it was mine anyways." Her flush told him he was correct. "But in the meantime…" Tommy held out a long necklace box that was black velvet with a tiny silver bow on top.
"For me?" Her voice was like melted chocolate to him. It was so smooth and sweet and he could see that she honestly was surprised it was for her. She had been so accustomed to this weekend being for Sadie, and then with her mother, she had forgotten about Tommy's promise of a gift.
"It was a bit more fitting when your birthday was on your album release party, and I bought this before…us, so it's not as thoughtful or romantic, but-"
"Tommy." She placed her finger against his lips gently. "I'm sure I'll love it. Before we were…us, you were my best friend. I'm sure it's perfect."
He thrust it in her hands, trying to tell her that she had to open it before she made any decisions. She took it and sat down on the edge of the bed, not caring about the time anymore. She took off the small bow and playfully placed it on Tommy's hair. She took it as a sign that he was nervous about her reaction when he didn't even yell at her for touching his hair.
She lifted the lid and was surprised to see the familiar shape looking back at her.
To someone else, it might look like a whale upon first glance, but she knew it was the unmistakable shape of Canada, in about a 2 inch wide pendant, with a small heart cut out. She lifted the necklace by its delicate chain and examined it closely. It was beautiful and simple and she loved it. She turned to Tommy with wide eyes.
He was looking back at her and his own eyes shone back with love and that same nervousness.
"Tommy, it's…"
"Turn it over," he urged softly.
She flipped it and saw numbers etched into the back of the pendant. They looked like nonsense to her, and she looked to Tommy for clarification.
"It's the coordinates for G Major. I wanted you to know that you'd always have a home to come back to there…"
Coming Home. The name of her upcoming album. She looked away from Tommy and back down at the pendant and blinked back tears furiously. She was so touched and moved and it was so perfect and what did he mean it wasn't romantic?
She must have been silent for too long, because Tommy spoke first.
"If you don't like it…"
She didn't even let him finish his sentence before launching herself at him, tackling him to the bed and pressing a passionate kiss to his mouth. It took him a moment to come to grips with reality, but when he did, he instantly opened his mouth to her, and his hands tightened on her hips, pulling her tighter to him.
When they finally broke the kiss, Jude let her forehead rest on his as she caught her breath. She let out a little huff of laughter, distracting Tommy.
"What?" He asked, placing a light kiss on her lips.
"I was just thinking that it was a good thing that I didn't get my hair done before this."
Tommy's left hand had drifted from her hips and buried itself in her hair, independent of any thought command he had. He couldn't help but laugh with her as she pulled herself off of him slowly. His body instantly craved hers pulled against him again.
She silently held out the necklace and turned around, sweeping her hair off her neck and offering herself to him. He understood the command and clasped the jewelry with minimal effort, placing a light kiss where it rested on her neck.
Jude couldn't help but lightly finger the pendant and marvel at the thought that went into it.
"It's perfect. I love it."
"I got that," Tommy responded dryly, before softening his tone. "I'm glad you like it."
"Love it," she corrected.
"Ok, I'm glad you love it."
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder as she still couldn't draw her eyes away from the necklace.
"Today will be okay, right?"
"Yeah, Girl. It will be."
"That was it?" Jude muttered out of the side of her mouth as her and Tommy left the church side by side, as was traditional for the Maid of Honor and Best Man.
The ceremony had been fast, but Jude felt that a lot of that had to do with the man that stood across from her the entire time, looking way too good in a custom fit suit that molded to his body in ways that should be illegal.
"Well you did miss a lot of it by looking at me like I was dessert," Tommy joked.
"Oh please, you were just as bad." Tommy had used his time to look her up and down periodically, making her pulse race with every wink he sent her.
She had no response for that, and instead just felt her face flush and tried to keep her eyes focused in front of her. She kept walking forward until they finally reached the foyer and stood to the side, allowing congratulations to flow around them. She was surprised at how many people had not only come, but fit in the renovated ballroom that the ceremony had been held in, and not only that, but how did Sadie know all these people? As she saw Darius shaking hands with almost everyone that was filtering out of the ballroom, she realized that this was just another publicity stint to him. Of course.
"Now what?" Tommy's voice sounded from right beside her ear, drawing a shiver up her spine. She elbowed him lightly to remind him of his effect on her and the fact that they were in public.
"We get pushed around for pictures, and then we drink a lot of champagne and pray that nothing goes wrong."
"I'll try to limit the champagne for the good of both of us."
"Don't try too hard," she muttered, seeing her mother out of the corner of her eye. She knew that most of the wedding party was trying very hard to keep the Harrison parents away from each other but Jude knew that wasn't a sustainable solution. Something was going to come to a head, and she just prayed she wasn't in the middle of it.
But when had she ever been lucky?
"Jude, why didn't you tell me about this stalker business?" Mrs. Harrison had finally cornered Jude when Tommy was going to hunt down a bottle of champagne for them. He had been against drinking as a means of escape until Jude's father had tried to get him involved in a conversation about how horrible and unhappy his ex-wife looked. After that, all bets were off.
"Are you still asking about that?" Jude cut her eyes to her mother, not bothering to turn to face her.
"I am serious. I am still your mother and I still deserve to know everything about your life."
Jude couldn't control the burst of sardonic laughter that escaped.
"You don't deserve to know anything about my life. The only reason you know about that stalker is because you harassed Darius. The reason I didn't tell you is probably the same reason why you didn't decide to consult with me about running away with Don."
"Oh, and what reason was that?" Her mother was starting to get a little snippy, which is exactly what Jude was banking on.
She turned to face her head on and looked her up and down with contempt.
"A complete and utter lack of respect." She almost felt guilty at the look that crossed her mother's face before her resolve kicked in. "You're not in my life anymore. I don't want you in my life anymore. Respect that, if nothing else."
"This is why I can't talk to you. You are nothing more than a selfish child. I raised you better than this, Jude. Of all the things I taught you –"
Jude cut her off, spying Tommy approaching behind her.
"You taught me how to walk away."
And with that, Jude left her mother gaping behind her and met Tommy, who looked inordinately pleased with the bottle of champagne and two flutes that he had procured, but also looked a bit harried.
"What's wrong?"
"Did you just get in a fight with your mom?"
"Yes, and if we're lucky, that'll be the only one tonight. Now what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I think someone's grandmother just grabbed my ass, but besides that, nothing." He put his prizes on a nearby table and looked around before popping the cork and pouring themselves some well-deserved liquid courage. They toasted themselves with a slight eye roll from each of them and shot back the liquid, quickly pouring themselves another.
"So what are we doing now?" Tommy asked, looking around the room at all the people milling. It was a huge barn, if it could even be called that, with the glass walls overlooking the ocean crashing against the waves. Jude knew that the sun would be setting over those same waves and the thought brought the first real smile to her face in hours.
"We are waiting for Sadie and Kwest to be introduced. Then we eat, thank god. And then I sing some songs and then I fall asleep in your arms," she told him with a cheeky grin. He couldn't help reaching up and brushing his fingers across her jaw. She was beautiful.
"Thought you two weren't coming out of the relationship closet tonight?" Kate appeared behind them in a beautiful dusty rose dress that fell to her feet in gentle waves. It was very age appropriate, but she looked ten years younger at least.
"Oh, we're not," Jude assured her, happy to see a familiar face that wanted absolutely nothing from her.
"The two of you are giving off enough electricity to light this whole place up."
Tommy and Jude blushed, trading a look before taking a step back from each other.
"Oh yes, that'll help," Kate teased, laughing at their concerned looks. "Jude, is that your mother that you were talking to earlier?"
"Yes."
"She looks…contradictory."
Jude couldn't help laughing hard at that description.
"That's the nicest way I've ever heard it put."
"Well, she is your mother…"
"Oh, don't hold back on my account. I am so through with that." To emphasize her point, she poured herself another glass of champagne and toasted the air.
"Tommy, I think you should go find Chaz, dear." Kate gently prodded, trying to get some alone time with Jude. "He was helping that nice Spiederman fellow set up the instruments and mentioned maybe performing a few Boyz songs."
"I'm going to kill him." With that, Tommy drained the rest of the champagne that was in his glass and made his way to the stage across the room. Jude couldn't help but to admire the way his frame filled out his suit as he disappeared from her view in a sea of people.
"Everything okay, Jude?" Kate asked quietly. With Tommy gone, the change was noticeable in Jude. She was shifting her weight on her feet, glancing around, giving off a palpable sense of edginess.
"As happy as I am for Sadie, I'll be happy when this weekend is over. Does that make me a bad sister?"
"No, of course not. You're under a lot of stress right now and you're feeling the pressure for it to all be perfect, which it won't be. This is just one more thing for you to get under your belt. Don't focus too much on anything. Unless, of course, you're taking notes for your own wedding, which I would understand…"
The small smile on Kate's face and the look of sheer terror on Jude's were very telling. Kate hadn't seriously suggested she get married, but she was trying to get her mind off of everything else, and this was as effective as anything else.
"I'm 19," she said blankly. Was Tommy's mom actually trying to marry them off? It was way too soon. Like, years too soon. Decades, even.
"I'm kidding, sweetheart."
"Oh," Jude let out a huge breath, calming down noticeably. "You are sneaky and not that funny, you know that?"
"I've been told worse things," she said good-naturedly. "So, do you think you'll make it through this?"
"Survive it, yes. But probably not without getting a few bumps and bruises." Her eyes drifted to her own mother, who was currently standing far too near her father for her comfort. She saw a familiar look in Kate's eyes and decided to cut her off before she could start. "Don't even think about telling me that I need to forgive her. It might happen in the future, but it is not in the cards for right now."
Kate held up her palms in surrender, claiming mother's instinct, but understanding she had to drop the subject.
"Why do you think she came, anyways?" Kate asked after a moment. "I'm just curious," she insisted at Jude's questioning look.
"Her and Sadie were always close. Way closer than I ever was with her. I didn't even know Sades had been in contact with her. It took me a long time to forgive my father for what he did, but…"
"But he came back."
"Yeah," Jude agree softly. "He told us when he was leaving, and he came back. She didn't do either of those things."
"I can't imagine…"
"I'm okay, now."
"No, not you." Kate's gentle tone belied her harsher words. "I can't imagine being a parent that leaves their child. The idea of leaving Tommy and not looking back…" She took a deep breath. "I know she must have had her reasons, but I just can't imagine them. It's hard for me to grasp."
"Yeah. Me too."
"We look like alcoholics," Tommy muttered as he accidentally kicked a champagne bottle by his feet. Jude grinned at him as she pushed around some melting ice cream on her plate.
They had made it through dinner with no incidents, with Victoria and Stuart sitting on opposite sides of the room, and Tommy and Jude overlooking at the head table. Jude was happy to note Kate sitting near Stuart and looking to be enjoying herself and the conversation. She too was enjoying herself, surprisingly enough, with Chaz and Tommy providing more than enough entertainment. Once Chaz had seen that Tommy and Jude were being unrepentant with the champagne, he had to join in, with the three of them responsible for more than a few empty bottles. The dinner had sobered Jude up enough, however, and she was missing that pleasant buzz that she had before. She noticed that Tommy too was definitively more sober than he was before the entrees had been served, as his hand no longer resided on the back of her chair, tracing patterns on her shoulder.
"Jude, Tommy, you guys ready to give your speeches after dessert?" Sadie hissed from her spot beside them.
"Is 'no' an option?" Tommy wondered aloud, earning a glare from Sadie and a firm shake of the head from Kwest.
"I definitely need more champagne for that," Jude muttered, refilling their glasses.
All too soon the time came for their speeches, and Tommy gallantly allowed the lady to go first, much to her chagrin, and Jude was thrust into the limelight uncomfortably.
The beginning of her speech was pretty boring – nothing too crazy, just how much she loved Kwest and Sadie together and how they belonged there and nowhere else. She cleared her throat as she got to the emotional part for her, and prayed that her mascara wouldn't run.
"When I was little, people used to ask me why I let Sadie do things to me. Why did I let Sadie cut my hair when she was eleven? Why did I let her curl my hair, then burn my face, leaving me slightly disfigured for two weeks? Why did I let her trick me into switching bedrooms when mine was so much bigger? Well, what I would tell people is that I didn't let Sadie do anything. Sadie's got very strong will and she can be a bit bossy – oh, don't give me that look, you know it's true – but that's not why I let her do those things to me. In my head, I knew the real reason. I let her do those things because she's my big sister, and despite all of our differences - our age gap, our style choices, our hair colors for a period of time – I love her. With all of my heart. She is my best friend. She knows what all of my weird faces mean, she knows that I will drink all of the coffee if left to my own devices, she knows how to make me smile when I'm down. She knows me. And I know her. And I know that I have never seen her happier than when she is with Kwest. I have never seen that face – that one where she is smiling so hard and her eyes are so bright and she looks like she just won the lottery and a Ferrari all at one – I have never seen it before she got together with Kwest.
"And now she knows how much Kwest loves her. She knows how much I love her. She knows how much everyone here loves her. I can only hope that later on tonight, when someone comes up to her and asks her why she let her little sister ramble her way through her maid of honor speech – she will be able to say that it is because I'm her little sister. And she loves me."
She wiped away a tear that managed to escape before holding her glass of champagne in the air.
"To Sadie and Kwest, and the adventure of their lifetimes."
She made her way to Sadie as everyone finished drinking and was happy to note that she was crying. Not the first time she had been happy Sadie was in tears, but probably the first time she hadn't felt like she'd end up in hell because of it.
"I love you so much, little sister," Sadie sobbed and wrapped her arms around Jude.
She finally made her way to her seat and was shocked when Tommy leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek as he stood to make his own speech. It was a chaste kiss that was very light, but he had still done it in front of a very large crowd, and she could only imagine the speculation that was occurring as he was talking. She tried to focus on the words he was saying, but she had to expend most of her energy to force her hand to stay by her side, instead of tracing the area where his lips just were.
There was more clapping and drinks being raised so Jude quickly mimicked the guests in front of her, swigging back more champagne.
"You weren't listening to a thing I said, were you?" Tommy murmured to her as he sat back down.
"I'm sorry, someone distracted me."
"Sorry I'm not sorry," he whispered, eyes sparkling.
Jude made her way to the stage, honored to sing the first song that Sadie and Kwest would dance to. This was her first time performing this song in front of a group of people that weren't music executives, so she was understandably nervous. SME looked a little nervous as well, but Jude assumed that they were more nervous about what Sadie would do to them if they screwed up than about what the crowd thought.
It was a mellow song, but one that meant a lot to Jude.
"Hi everyone, I promise I'm not up here to make another speech," she joked into the microphone as she sat on a stool behind it, making sure it was positioned correctly for optimal acoustics. "The song I'm about to sing for Sadie and Kwest is actually a song I wrote about my best friend. I'm happy to say that sometimes you are lucky enough to fall in love with your best friend," her eyes involuntarily found Tommy's before tracking back to the audience at large, "and Sadie and Kwest have proved that. Sometimes it takes a little while before getting it right, but when it's right – it's right."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you once again, Sadie and Kwest."
The piano and synthesized string started up and almost instantly, Jude felt the words bubble up for her to sing. She had written this song for her and Tommy, and it didn't have overt romantic overtones when they had written it together, but now that they were together, the song was deeper somehow. Every word she sang was felt all the way to her core.
"Every time I look at you, the world just melts away
All my troubles, all my fears dissolve in your affections
You've seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am
And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land."
She couldn't help glancing at Tommy repeatedly, but she was taken in by the raw emotion she saw reflected back at her in his eyes. His eyes were dark and heavy lidded, and she wanted nothing more than to be done with the song, be done with the wedding, and just be in his arms.
"You stay the course, you hold the line
You keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire
You save me, you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe."
She almost laughed as she sang the next verse, remembering Tommy coming up with most of the words to describe her. She was happy to note that Kate seemed to be enjoying the song as well, but she had to shift her focus rapidly once she saw her mother leaning in to various other guests and telling her that she was "her youngest born!"
"I get mad so easy, but you give me room to breathe
No matter what I say or do
'Cause you're too good to fight about it
Even when I have to push, just to see how far you'll go
You won't stoop down to battle
But you never turn to go
"You stay the course, you hold the line
You keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire
You save me, you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe."
She allowed herself the instrumental bridge to look at Tommy and she knew he was wishing the same things she was at that moment. Her eyes drifted to Sadie and Kwest and she couldn't help but revel in their happiness. Sadie was laughing as they swayed gently, not to the tune of the song at all, but to their own melody. She looked absolutely radiant, and Jude knew that one day she wanted that too.
"Your love is just the antidote
When nothing else can cure me
There are times I can't decide
When I can't tell up from down
You make me feel less crazy
When otherwise I'd drown
But you pick me up and brush me off
And tell me I'm okay
Sometimes that's just what we need
To get us through the day
"You stay the course, you hold the line
You keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire
You save me, you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe."
She was absolutely beaming at the end of the song. The performance itself had gone well, considering it was the first time she had sung it live for a crowd and she was pretty emotional. Sadie turned to her and mouthed 'good choice,' as the guests clapped, and even Darius seemed happy with it.
"Congratulations again, Sadie!" She gave a little bow to signify the ending of her performance, before adding, "I'll be back again later to perform another song, everyone, but enjoy the wedding!"
She finally slid off the small stage, and was pleased to find Tommy directly in front of her, as the DJ started to play some more music and the dance floor began to fill with other couples.
"How was it?"
"Magical," Tommy told her sincerely.
"My look," Jude noted absently as Tommy stared at her, his face conveying all of his emotions.
"I want to kiss you right now," Tommy murmured, his hand sneaking out to capture her own. There were enough people milling around that he didn't think anyone would be focused on their hands.
"I want you to kiss me right now," she murmured right back.
Their moment was abruptly cut short as the sound of Victoria's voice filtered over to them.
"She is wonderful, isn't she? She told me was thinking of touring in Europe, you know, to be closer to me."
"Wonderful," Jude gritted out between a fake smile as she nodded at the few people who passed by them, congratulating her performance. "If Darius hears that, I'm screwed. He'll either be pissed that I am making global plans without him, or he'll just take the initiative himself."
"Just breathe, Babe." Tommy stroked light circles on her hand and she tightened her fingers minutely, infinitely grateful that he was there for her during this night.
"Hey lovebirds." Chaz popped up out of nowhere; looking like he had that pleasant buzz that Jude so coveted. "What do you say we make this a double ceremony and get you two married off?"
Jude gave Tommy a sardonic smile that somehow came off endearing before leading him away from Chaz by their entwined hands.
"Where are we going, girl?"
"Liquid courage to get us through this night."
The two of them kept getting separated throughout the night, with Darius dragging each of them off to various industry names that had somehow managed to get an invite to the ceremony. It was over an hour later when Jude finally caught Tommy's eye in between tables.
She squeezed her way over to him, grabbing a flute of champagne from a passing waiter.
"There you are!"
"This is more like a PR event than it is a wedding," Tommy complained, dragging a hand down his face before looking at something over her shoulder. "Oh God, Darius spotted me…"
A wicked grin spread across Jude's face and she drained the newly gotten champagne and grabbed his hand.
"Let's dance."
The look on Tommy's face was priceless as she dragged him to the dance floor.
"I don't know if this is such a good-" The song begun to change from the fast pace top 40 hit to a slower ballad, and Tommy relaxed a bit. Swaying was good. He could do swaying.
"Should we keep six inches in between us?" Jude teased with a sloppy grin, the bubbly finally catching up to her.
"No fucking way." With that, Tommy pulled her tightly to him, wrapping his arms around her, feeling relaxed for the first time in a while.
Jude felt the same relaxation seep into her and she let herself rest her head on his shoulder, her lips brushing his neck with every exhale. She surreptitiously lifted herself on her toes to press a quick kiss to his pulse, happy to be with him even if it was for only a brief moment in time.
"Keep doing that and we're going to have a situation on the dance floor, Babe," he whispered into her ear. She laughed softly, snuggling against him tighter.
A minute passed and they simply swayed together, an island of peace in a sea of chaos.
"So," Jude leaned back a bit to gaze up at him, "Who have you been stuck schmoozing all night?"
Tommy tossed his head back and laughed.
"A few industry big wigs and some new producers that are trying to branch into the Canadian market. I don't even remember their names if I'm being honest."
"I have no idea who I met. I just stay long enough to finish a glass of champagne before moving on to the next." She grinned up at him. "You'd be impressed with how fast I can down a glass now."
He smiled down at her indulgingly. "You might want to slow down if you want to remember the words to your next song."
"Ugh, I almost forgot. I still haven't really decided between those two that I was hung up on. SME is prepared for either one but I thought I'd see how the night goes."
The song was beginning to fade out and the pair could feel the tension creep back into their bones.
"Do we have to?" Jude whined. "Can't we just go back to our room? No one would even miss us…" She fiddled with Tommy's tie, running it between her fingers, unknowing of the effect she was having on him. Hell, Tommy assumed she wasn't even aware of how sexy she sounded just then, practically propositioning him.
"As much as I wish we could, Jude…" He trailed off, his eyes focused on something behind her. "Uh oh…"
"What?"
Before Tommy could even answer her, Jude felt fingers grasp her arm and spin her around.
Victoria.
Jude was unceremoniously dragged off the dance floor, leaving a bewildered Tommy behind, who was unsure of what to do. Did he follow? Was it not his place? He felt as if he should, but then there was the fact that people might read into it if he were to start inserting himself into her family life…
He was left to ponder what exactly his role should be while Victoria was practically pushing Jude into the corner of the room.
"Mom, we're just friends," Jude instantly defended. She assumed that her mother had overreacted to seeing her and Tommy dance together, and while it was none of her business, the familiar phrase fell from her mouth before she could stop it.
"Do you care to explain to me what the hell Sadie is talking about when she just gave me a two minute thank you speech for paying for her wedding?"
Oh shit.
Victoria was furious, that much was obvious to Jude. She had no idea what to say. She honestly hadn't even thought about that tiny little detail since she had gotten the shock of her mother actually being there. And then…
"Did you tell Sadie that it wasn't you?"
"What? Jude-"
"Did you tell Sadie it wasn't you?" Jude pressed, grabbing her mother's arms and forcing her to stop pacing in front of her and to look her in the eye instead.
"I didn't know what she was talking about. I thought maybe your father had paid but then he came and thanked me as well, which, I have not heard that man thank me for anything in over ten years-"
"So you didn't tell Sadie that it wasn't you?" Jude had to be absolutely sure before she allowed herself to freak out over this.
"No," Victoria snapped back. "I didn't." She looked around to make sure that there weren't any obvious eavesdroppers before focusing back on Jude. "So it was you then. You paid for this."
Jude swallowed but held her gaze determinedly. "Yes."
"Why."
"Well, you weren't going to pay for it."
"Your father - "
"My father was going to take out a second mortgage on the house to give Sadie her dream wedding!" Jude worked to keep her voice controlled but she couldn't help the volume as she became more incensed at her mother. Who was she to judge Jude for doing what she couldn't? Or wouldn't?
"It does not concern you what your father does. If he wants to take out a second mortgage, then let him. That's not your business, Jude."
"God!" Jude threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "When will you get it through your head? What my parents do actually does concern me!"
"Jude-"
"No, you know what? I am done with this conversation. If you want to tell Sadie you didn't pay for this and I did, fine. Go ahead. But if you want to let her think that her mother halfway across the world actually did this one act of kindness for her wedding, that's fine too. You don't owe me anything. I'm not asking you for anything. Just stay out of my life."
Jude started to walk away from Victoria before her hand reached out and grabbed her again. Jude locked eyes with Tommy, who was standing a bit away, talking to some suit. He looked ready to jump over tables to come to her aid but she shook her head slightly. She could handle this for now.
"Jude Harrison, you will not walk away from me, young lady."
"Yes. I. Will." Jude turned around and looked at her mother, truly looked. Victoria looked completely put together, completely calm and serene, and it gave Jude some degree of pleasure to know that underneath that exterior, she was a complete and utter mess. "That tone of voice doesn't work anymore. I'm not a kid and you don't scare me. So unless you want a scene bigger than any you have ever seen before, I suggest you let me walk away Victoria. We're done."
And with that, Jude left.
"Jude!"
Tommy caught up with her as Jude made her way to the stage again, intent on performing her last song.
"Yes?" She didn't slow down as she weaved through the crowd, Tommy hot on her tail.
"You want to talk about what just happened?"
She stopped at the edge of the stage and whirled around, taking Tommy aback.
"Not really."
She seemed far calmer than Tommy would have thought she'd be, and that concerned him. Jude's eyes lit up as a waitress passed by with a tray of shots and she quickly stepped to the side and plucked one off the tray and downed it one gulp.
"Jude…"
"I know, I know," she smiled, winking at him. "Might not remember the words, but hey, maybe I'll come up with some better ones, eh?"
She flounced up the stairs, leaving a gaping Tommy in her wake, unsure of what was about to happen.
SME was on stage already, talking quietly and tuning their guitars. She was happy to see that they were the actual intended recipients of the shots, and they all looked like they were enjoying the party as well.
"How about option number one, boys?"
The grins on their faces were enough to tell her that she had made the right choice. "And if I change some of the words…don't worry. It's intentional. Maybe."
Stepping up to the mic, the DJ faded out the last song that he had been playing and Jude decided to amp up that reception.
"Who's ready to dance?" She called out to the crowd, treating it like a regular concert instead of her sister's wedding. "How 'bout you, Sadie? You ready to dance?"
She found her sister in the sea of faces, who laughed heartily and nodded. Sadie might not be feeling as good as Jude was at that moment since she couldn't drink for the next few months, but she still looked as if she were enjoying her wedding and that was all she needed to see.
Spied started the guitar riffs and Jude smiled, laughing into the mic. This was going to be fun.
"I've been the girl with her skirt pulled high
Been the outcast, never running with mascara eyes
I see the world as a candy store
With a cigarette smile, saying things you can't ignore"
She smiled at Tommy while singing, knowing that this was about to get interesting.
"Like Mommy I love you," she crooned with a huge roll of her eyes.
"Daddy, I hate you," she shook her head sincerely.
"Sister, I need you" she nodded just as emphatically before deciding to change the next line entirely, locking eyes with Victoria.
"Mother, hey, fuck you" She could hear Tommy choke on his drink a bit, and she heard Wally laugh out loud, but she just continued to sing. This was a fun song and she wanted to have fun.
"I can see everything
Here with my third eye
Like the blue in the sky
If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor
Love is a rhythm
You are the music
If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor
You get what you're given
It's all how you use it."
She was happy to see almost everyone dancing along to her song – even Tommy was swaying at the edge of the stage where she left him, all while shaking his head and grinning at her.
"I've been the girl, middle finger in the air
Unaffected by rumors, the truth: I don't care
So open your mouth and stick out your tongue
You might as well let go
You can't take back what you've done
So find a new lifestyle
A new reason to smile
Look for Nirvana
Under the strobe lights
Sequins and sex dreams
You whisper to me
There's no reason to cry."
She was truly in her element performing and that was clear to everyone in the room as she worked the small stage, getting the crowd involved.
"If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor
Love is the rhythm
You are the music
If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor
You get what you're given
It's all how you use it"
Tommy had to admit: if this was how Jude performed while inebriated, he wasn't completely against it. She was completely unabashed and also more confident in her voice. Not to mention the amount of fun she was injecting into the song and her band (he couldn't remember the last time Kyle, Wally, and Spied looked to be having that much fun on stage with her.) That, plus the winks she was sending him? It was sexy as hell.
"You take what you get
And you get what you give
I say don't run from yourself
Man, that's no way to live
I've got a record in my bag
You should give it a spin
Lift your hands in the air
So that life can begin"
Tommy and Darius both held their breath as Jude was about to attempt some fancy vocal acrobatics, but neither of them had to worry, as Jude completely blew everyone out of the water.
"If God is a DJ…if God
If God is a DJ – life is a dance floor
Get your ass on the dance floor now!
If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor
Love is the rhythm
You are the music
If God is a DJ
Life is a dance floor
You get what you're given
It's all how you use it."
She was out of breath by the time the song ended, with sweat sparkling on her forehead, but she was grinning wildly out at her rapt audience, who looked like they just had as much fun as she did.
"Thank you so much everyone!" She yelled over the applause. "I would love to sing up here for you all night, but I think Sadie would probably kill me."
"Probably!" Sadie called out, but the smile on her face said otherwise, drawing laughter from everyone.
"Well that, and Darius would also probably be pissed if I performed my whole brand new album tonight."
"Probably!" Darius, too, was smiling, but she had a feeling it was less sincere than Sadie's.
"On that note, thank you so much for listening, I am Jude Harrison, this is the Spiederman Mind Explosion, and that is Sadie!" She pointed to her sister with both arms. "If you liked the song, leave her a bigger check," she joked. "Thank you!"
She practically floated off the stage with SME, congratulating them and praising their performances as well.
"Jude, you were on fire, seriously," Wally said as he draped an arm over her shoulder. "Can we perform like that all the time?"
"I was? What about you? Don't think I didn't see you wailing back there. You were into it!" She teased. "And yes. Definitely. We're performing like that always."
They made their way to where Tommy was standing, who proceeded to glare at Wally.
"Arm."
Wally pouted, but removed his arm, causing Jude to get instantly swept under Tommy's.
"You're no fun," Wally complained good-naturedly as the boys went to find drinks, but not before making Jude promise to dance with them later.
"It'll be just like our first tour!" Kyle assured her as he walked away backwards.
"Oh God, I hope not," Jude muttered to Tommy before changing the subject. "Did you like it?"
"Gonna have to get you liquored up more often, Girl. That was electric."
"It was so much fun!" She dropped her voice and leaned into Tommy. "But you know what I really, really want to do now?"
Tommy gulped and shook his head slowly. Jude leaned in, under the guise of whispering something in his ear, but her tongue traced a line from his neck to his ear, causing goosebumps to erupt on his body.
"Dance with you."
He barely had time to register what she said before he was being dragged on to the dance floor in the throng of people moving together to the beat of whatever hip hop number was on. He actually rolled his eyes when he realized that he and Kwest had mixed this particular track. She dragged him far enough in that she felt like it would be truly difficult for Darius or anyone else to get to them, but she let out a squeal of delight when the hand on her shoulder turned out to be Sadie's.
"You just killed it, little sister!" Sadie pulled her in for a tight hug, apparently not minding the light sheen of sweat that she still had going on. "You ready to dance your ass off?"
"Always!"
Tommy sent a look at Kwest that spoke volumes. The latter just shrugged, moving closer to Sadie. "We gotta dance with our girls, Tom. Duty calls."
It was truly a testament to his good mood that Tommy didn't call Kwest out for referring to Jude as his girl – even if she was, secretly – but instead focused on said girl herself, who was standing in front of him, looking at him with adoration in her eyes. She reached a hand out carefully, still staring at him intently.
"May I have this dance?"
It didn't matter that the bass was thumping and the crowd of people were pressing against them. It didn't matter that her mother was no doubt on the edge of the dance floor, glaring, or that Darius was probably searching for them, trying to pawn them off on some unsuspecting executive. It didn't even matter that somewhere out there was a homicidal stalker who had made it clear that Jude wasn't as safe as she thought she was. All that mattered was them, right there and then.
"I'd love to," he told her, before promptly grabbing her hand and spinning her around. Her laughter floated to his ears and he decided that he could handle looking dumb and dancing with her for a while. She didn't have many reasons to smile these days, and he would give her as many as he could.
"My feet are killing me," Jude complained as her and Tommy made their way to their bedrooms hours later. "Hold on, let me take my shoes off."
Tommy opted to not actually hold on, but instead swept Jude into his arms to carry her bridal style. The squeal of laughter that met his ears told him he made the right choice. They were both feeling the effects of hours of dancing and drinking, but neither of those could compare to the sheer joy that they experienced together. This was one night out of many, but Tommy and Jude were both able to put stalkerazzi thoughts on the backburner and just enjoy themselves. It was a perfect night, barring a few setbacks.
They finally got to Jude's bedroom, with Tommy stumbling just a bit in the dark hall. It was quiet – too quiet, really – but it was late. Jude and Tommy weren't the first to leave the reception, but they weren't the last either.
He let Jude slide down his body to stand on her own feet as she dug her room key out of her purse, but she didn't get far as his lips met hers unexpectedly. His hands were on her cheeks as he tilted her head to give him better access and the sound of her purse falling to the floor, forgotten, echoed around them. She tugged him closer to her by his tie and he let himself rest against her, the weight oddly pleasant and reassuring to her. Their lips moved together seamlessly, as if they had been doing it for years. Jude had the fleeting thought that she would never, ever, get tired of doing this with him.
"Jude?" The voice sounded from behind Tommy and they jerked apart, Tommy subconsciously trying to shield her body from any unwanted eyes.
Victoria Harrison stood behind them, light from her room silhouetting her in the hall.
Shit.
"I was just walking Jude to her room, Mrs. Harrison," Tommy spoke up, not breaking eye contact with Jude. Jude, who couldn't look away from his lips, and looked to be one second away from jumping him, audience be damned. 'Stop it,' he mouthed with a smile playing at his lips.
"Of course, Tommy." When no one made a move, she continued. "That was very kind of you to do. I'd like to talk to my drunk, underage daughter now though, so if you'll excuse us."
He studied Jude for a moment, wanting to be sure that she'd be okay when left. At her tiny nod, he stepped away, picked up her purse for her and went to walk back to his room. He couldn't resist giving Victoria a parting shot, however.
"Of course, Victoria," he mocked. "Even if she's not that drunk, definitely not underage, and not that interested in talking to you." He locked eyes with Jude before entering his own room. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jude."
Alone in the hall, Victoria took a step towards Jude, who just held out her hand.
"I don't want to hear it. I'm going to bed."
"You'll thank me tomorrow, Jude. I just saved you from making a mistake."
A harsh bark of laughter escaped Jude. "Tommy? A mistake?" She turned to her door, intent on unlocking it now. "Tommy is the best thing to happen to me."
"You're drunk, Jude."
"I'm really, really not. Goodnight, mother."