Jude/Zero [Gideon] centric spin on S3E10~'Possession.'
Jude had been summoned bright and early to Oscar's. When he arrived, unsurprisingly, he'd found that the older man had changed the security codes and the locks. He had to be buzzed in by Security and the housekeeper let him in after three quick knocks on the front door.
He apprehensively walked into the office.
"Sit down," ordered Oscar.
Jude quietly obeyed. He suddenly tasted a familiar, sour dryness in his throat.
Oscar stood over his desk, stuffing his leather briefcase full of papers. "You've got three months to prove your loyalty, or you're out," he said glowering at Jude.
"You want me to keep working for the Devils? For you?" 'Christ.' Jude didn't get it. He was his gay son, who was fucking one of his star players, and oh, by the way, he'd left him to sit in prison…what the hell was Oscar up to?
"You're about to get the education of your life. Keep your eyes open. You'll see how real business gets done."
He then picked up his briefcase and walked over to Lionel who had quietly come through the door.
"I'm gonna go order that personnel change. Don't hold dinner." He then planted a light kiss, not quite on, but near her Dior lips. A look of revulsion passed her face as she wiped it away.
Once Oscar was gone, Jude looked at her. "Personnel change?" he asked as he got up from his seat.
"As mad as he is at us, there's someone he's even madder at."
'Sloane Hayes.' "He's mad at me? He has a funny way of showing it. He offered to keep me on with the Devils, work for him."
"You have a choice. That's great. Meanwhile, I'm screwed." She held up her blood red nails that were adorned with a large canary diamond ring. "Literally. Your dad promised me in no uncertain terms that not only will I stay his wife, I'll be his wife in every way."
He frowned in disgust. 'Damnit, ugh.'
"I made this bed. All the things I've done these past months. But there's still something I can do. Something that might just keep me from going straight to hell."
Of course, neither believed in hell or heaven, so Jude pressed, "What do you mean?"
"I'm going to go warn Sloane. As much as I still don't like the woman, she doesn't deserve your father's wrath. I let the fact that I hated her, blind me to how dangerous he was…or I ignored how deadly he could be, because I wanted her to suffer, and I wanted the team."
He couldn't argue with her. She'd let her personal feelings get in the way of business. Now she and everyone else were paying a price. However, he himself had done his fair share of personal interfering with the professional. So, he had to stick by her side.
"I will say, I'm not surprised that Oscar would want you around. Throughout this, you've had your eye on the ball. Strategizing. A little scheming," Lionel said, as she narrowed her blue eyes. "He knows that you'll fight for the Devils before anything else, you're not going to let personal fuck it. The grasp for power and control trumps his homophobia." She then added wryly, "Progress?"
~~~
After leaving Lionel, Jude made his way home. He was staying in Devils management. He was pleased. He had done a lot to get there. Some of it, okay a lot of it, was not great. There was no way he wasn't going to hang on to it, even if he had to stomach more of Oscar.
He went into the bedroom and saw Zero looking intently at his phone.
"Your investigator got me more info on my sister! She's been living with a family in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. She's in her senior year at BU. She drives a hybrid. He got me her number, I'm gonna call her after the game tonight."
Jude couldn't help but smile at Zero's enthusiasm and optimism. "That's awesome…I'll be there working." Jude walked past Zero and put his jacket and briefcase on the bed.
"Working?"
"Oscar offered to keep me on."
"You wanna work for Oscar?" He gave Jude a skeptical and confused look.
"Lionel's in trouble. I need to look out for her."
"And?" Zero gave his head a familiar tilt.
This man knew him so well at this point, that even when he tried to mask his feelings or intent, often out of habit, his boyfriend saw right through him. He took a few steps closer. "And... it's only a matter of time before Oscar self-destructs, and when he does, I'm gonna be there to take over."
Zero gave him a smile of approving pleasure, as he fiddled with Jude's blue tie. "It's kinda' hot when those Kinkade genes kick in."
~~~
Tonight, it was the Indiana Steeds versus the Los Angeles Devils. Jude sat courtside. Far away from Oscar and Lionel. He still watched, but this time he planned. How could he slowly coup Oscar, make the L.A. Devils stronger and all the while look out for his stepmother?
"Ladies and gentlemen, number 22, Derek Roman!" introduced the announcer. There was a delay, as the shaved baller didn't appear at his cue.
"... Derek Roman!" was repeated. He then finally appeared.
~~~
At the halftime, the Devil Girls appeared and started their performance. Jude and all the others who were sitting courtside cleared the floor for the performance as the music began…
… Like hey mama ma …
Jude noted that Jelena was also back front and center. No doubt a part of Oscar's truce with Terrence and her.
Suddenly, there was a change in music, and it became slow and romantic It's crazy how your heart …
Ahsha seemed to be confused as the other dancers suddenly changed their hip hop moves and dispersed leaving her standing alone in the spotlight... her confusion was magnified on the Jumbotron.
Kyle and Maddie pulled out one of the folding chairs and gently pushed a lost Ahsha onto it, before the two Devil Girls returned to the much slower and different dance that was happening in front of the crowd.
Suddenly the women created an arch, and Derek came sauntering out of the tunnel toward Ahsha. The fans went wild. Everyone in the arena recognized a marriage proposal when they saw it.
Marriage
Derek was on one knee, they embraced, and it was captured. Every emotion played out on the Jumbotron; the crowd stood and cheered.
Jude couldn't help but clap and be happy for them. Even though he and Derek were far from friendly. He couldn't have imagined that when he'd barged into Derek's bedroom and saw Ahsha, thinking 'groupie cheerleader'…he also had to admit, that this was the kind of PR that the Devils needed…
~~~
It had been a real battle royale tonight. There were seconds left on the clock. Jude watched Zero who looked like he was going to shoot but passed it Derek; maybe he had learned to put the team above his ego... Derek took the shot and made it! Devils took it from the Steeds! He had to admit between his public engagement to Ahsha and the winning shot, the Roman Emperor was ruling once more.
Jude was in the bedroom when he heard Zero come through the front door. After the game he'd spent the night at his penthouse. While he was more open with Jude than ever, Jude understood his need to be alone when he called Laura. He'd texted Jude that he was going to swing by his business manager's before coming over
Zero slowly walked in; his signature black leather backpack slung over his left shoulder.
"Well? How'd it go with your sister?"
He threw his keys lightly onto the dresser, put down the bag and let out a breath.
"That bad?"
"I didn't call her." Zero put his hands in his jeans pockets. " And I'm not going to." He gave a self-conscious shrug.
"Why not? You worked so hard to find her."
"And...I did. She's doing great. And I can't risk that." He went to the bed and sat down on the sturdy storage chest at its end. "She had a horrible life. I don't want her to have to relive that. I got reporters up my ass and who knows what they'd dig up on her. I just...I just have to leave well enough alone."
Jude sat down gently next to him.
"Besides...I realized...I already have a family."
Jude looked at him puzzled. Was there something he didn't know? Another scandal brewing?
"You." He reached into the snug jean pocket, pulled out a silver key, and held it up. "This is the house I grew up in. It still has the sledgehammer I put in the wall. I bought it. I put it under both our names. I figured we could renovate it and make that neighborhood the new place to be...if you want." Zero's blue eyes searched his, an open question.
"Of course I want, stupid." Jude smiled, leaned over, touched Zero's face and kissed him happily. He then snatched the key.
Zero tightly wrapped his right arm around Jude, pulled him to his chest and brushed the top of his brown head.
"I heard about the TMZ story. Is that what you meant by 'reporters up your ass?'" Jude looked back at the other man, as he slipped the key into his grey slacks.
"Yeah, they saw me talkin' to Bilchek…I mean it's good that they're barkin' up the wrong tree…"
He gave the other man a look at his use of the familiar phrase.
Zero's response was a feigned innocence. Then a short smile, before becoming serious. "I ran into Pierce Maniscalco after the game, he, and I quote, said,'Trouble in paradise with Jude?'...they're gonna be following this story."
"No trouble. No story," Jude said confidently and then leaned in for another inviting kiss.
It was early evening that same day. Jude was in his office at the arena and received a text from Zero. He'd changed the contact from "ZEROtoGIDEON. 'Umi. 8. I'll be there in 20.'
As Jude walked through the almost empty corridors, bedecked with players and dancers on the walls toward the entrance he heard voices, a man and a woman. He recognized them as Zero and Jelena as he got closer…
"You can't do that."
"I can, and I did. Payback's a bitch...bitch."Her tone dripped with self-satisfaction.
"What just happened?" he asked as he saw the tiny frame of Jelena stride away.
"We're not gonna be moving into that new place anytime soon. Jelena's trading me."
"Jelena?"
"Your pops isn't in the big chair anymore. He got kicked to the gutter."
"That means I got kicked to the gutter." 'Goddamnit.'
"Look, we'll...we'll find a better house wherever we wind up. You'll run that town."
"I can't go anywhere. Lionel. Without the team, Oscar won't have anything else to focus on but her. I can't leave her here to him." To Jude's surprise, Zero didn't argue or try to convince him otherwise.
He simply replied, "Well, if I have to go and you have to stay...where does that leave us?"
Jude's face said that he didn't know.
That set Zero off; he looked up at the illuminated poster of Devil Girl captain Jelena Howard, and suddenly with his elbow slammed it against the glass encasement. Sending chards everywhere. Jude threw up his hands in protection and watched in amazement as the blond, with fists clenched, marched away.