Okay, no I have not given up on my other story... I just took a temporary mental break. This is my first attempt at a one-shot, let a lone a song fic. So I hope you like it... I actually have like two other songs that I want to write... at somepoint. If this one doesn't THAT many bad reviews, that is. They're all very different though. So, please bear with me... And PLEASE, let me know what you think... honestly. I won't get any better unless I know what I need to work on. But, feel free to write about how much you love it! Just kidding...

I Will Always Love You By Dolly Parton / Whitney Houston (whichever version you prefer)

If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you every step of the way

Tommy sat on the side of their bed with his head in his hands. After all they had been through, after all of the years, how could she just decide to leave. He knew the reason though. Well, he knew the reason she told him. He couldn't help but think that there was more to it. Was it something he had done? Something he said? After all it took to finally get them together, what could possibly make her want to just pack up and go?

"Tommy, don't be like that. You know this is the best thing... for both of us." Jude reluctantly said while walking from the dresser back to the bed where her suitcase lay open, already half full.

"How can us breaking up be the best thing?" He asked, finally looking up at her. The tears she saw in his eyes broke her heart, she knew she had hurt him deep but she truly believed that this was the only way either of them could ever be happy.

Lately, all either of them had done was fight and argue, and with him being put in charge of G-Major in Darius's absence, hadn't made the situation any better. In actuality, it seemed to only make things worse.

In the beginning, as just co-producers, they had been able to leave their work at the studio, so their time spent at home was virtually stress free. Her albums had been selling well so they truly didn't have that much to worry about. But over time, things changed. After living together for almost three years, Jude was ready to take the next step and get married, but Tommy wasn't. She wanted to move out of the apartment and into a big house and start a family. Tommy, on the other hand, liked things just the way they were. Sure, he wanted kids and a family... someday. But unfortunately, someday just wasn't good enough.

To make matters worse, after Darius's lengthy trial over his participation in covering up Portia's involvement in Angie's death, the G-Major board finally decided to re-open the label, putting Tommy in charge of the Toronto division. It wasn't too long before he started bringing work home, along with all of the stress and worry that accompanied it. Naturally, he took it out on Jude, and the bickering got worse. It wasn't that he was mad at her, but she just happened to be there so she took the brunt of it. Most of the time he felt like he was in way over his head, but he just couldn't admit it to himself, especially, not to Jude. The last thing he wanted to do was let Jude down, he couldn't bear to disappoint her.

Then as her contract was up for renewal once again, Jude decided to explore all of her options. None had really peaked her interest though, nothing could compare to what G-Major had to offer her... or so she thought. Eventually she was offered a deal that she just couldn't refuse. And surprisingly enough, it was Jive Records that was making the offer. True, most of what they produced in the past had been more "pop" than her edgier style, but they had really expanded their genre base throughout the past few years.

Although her Canadian success was more than enough to make most artists green with envy, in the U.S. she still had far to go. That was what Jive had to offer. They had the resources to make her a star... worldwide, that is. It was what she had always dreamed of, well not the stardom, but for the whole world to be singing her songs. And with the way things had been at home lately, what was stopping her? The bright future she once saw with Tommy was quickly fading away. So this time it just seemed better for everyone involved if she left... for good this time.

And I will always love you
I will always love you
You, my darling you, you...

"Tommy, you know this isn't what we wanted... This isn't how it should be. You are still and always will be my best friend. I just want more than what you can offer... more than you can handle."

"But Jude, I love you... Doesn't that mean anything to you?!" He almost broke down right then and there, the words barely escaping his mouth.

She stopped her packing momentarily and walked over to the bed and sat down beside him, taking his hand in hers. "Of course it does... You know I love you too, that will never change. We just want different things, that's all."

Slowly, he looked up at her while tightening the hold he now had of her hand. "But how am I supposed to go on without you? I don't think I can do this without you. You're the glue that holds me together, you know that..."

She softly sighed before gently rubbing his back. "You know that's not true. You'll be just fine without me. Look at it this way, one less distraction..." She tried to lighten the mood, but all it did was earn her a sad, unamused stare from Tommy. Sighing once again, she continued. "Look, you were doing great long before I ever came into the picture, and you will be again, I know it. You were a great producer and now you're a great VP. You have a good ear for music. Just have faith in yourself. You know I will always believe in you. I'll always be here for you..."

"No you won't, you'll be in New York. What good will that do me here?!" He quickly spat back in a very sarcastic tone while standing up. He started to pace back and forth while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on, it's not that far. And I'll still only be a phone call away. Besides, you know that's not what I meant. I'll always be here for you... right here." She stood and placed her hand on his heart. He started to cry again as she took him into her arms, he held on as if she was the only thing keeping him alive at that very moment... that she was his life-preserver and he would ultimately drown without her arms around him.

Bitter sweet memories
That is all I'm taking with me
So goodbye, please don't cry
We both know I'm not what you need

Slowly pulling back, but not letting go of him, she looked into his eyes before she spoke. "Please don't cry... Just think about all of the good times we've had together. I will never, and I mean never, regret any of it. I won't be sorry..."

He looked away for a moment before staring back into her deep blue eyes. "Me neither... I'll never regret a moment since the day I met you... well, maybe except for this one." This time it was he who was trying to lighten the mood. Wiping his soaked eyes with his palms he softly laughed as he started to recall a lot of their most memorable moments. "Hey, remember your 16th when I stupidly thought you were ready to drive? What was I thinking?! You weren't ready for bumper cars, let alone real ones!" Finally starting to smile, she spat back "Hey! It was your idea, remember? Besides, is it my fault that the dog ran out in front of us?!" Now laughing, he tried to answer. "Umm, yeah, I'd say so since the dog was on the sidewalk!"

"Well fine then... What about that time you tried to race to the studio so you wouldn't be late for your first big meeting as Vice-President? Not only did you get a ticket, but the cop also gave you a long lecture on the dangers of speeding and reckless driving and you ended up getting there an hour and a half before the meeting was even supposed to start. You couldn't even remember when YOU had scheduled it for!" "Oh, no, no, no... I remembered it just fine. You had just set the clocks wrong when the time changed back from daylight savings time to normal. Instead of setting it back an hour, you went forward yet another hour so it was two hours off so naturally I thought I was going to be late." "Oh yeah... Sorry about that!" Even though it had happened years before, she still blushed.

They sat on the bed telling stories for the next hour and laughing like they hadn't done in a really long time. They really needed this. One last good moment to look back on before it all ended. She just couldn't bear to leave on a bad note, to leave him crying over her. All she wanted was for him to be happy.

Jude was holding onto her side as it ached due to how hard she was laughing at the current story Tommy was telling. "And would you listen to me? Of course not! So, once we got there you finally realized that it was a gay bar. Actually, you didn't realize it until some butch looking girl came up and started hitting on you... And after your eyes finally popped back into their sockets you grabbed onto me for dear life and told her in a very deep voice that sadly, you were taken." He doubled over with laughter as she just hit him on the shoulder.

"How was I supposed to know it was a gay bar?" She asked while barely containing her amusement looking back on that night. "Well, wasn't it Mason who told you about it?" He asked. "Well, yeah... Why? He's recommended lots of good clubs." "Yeah, but how many of them actually turned out to be normal?" He asked with a slight smirk. She didn't say a word. "See what I mean... You know I love Mason, but when a gay cowboy starts recommending hot spots to check out, you should expect the worst. Remember that one he took the whole gang to?" They both thought back to that awkward, although later really hilarious, evening. "Oh yeah, Sadie pretended to be my girlfriend while Speed and Jamie were forced to dance together to keep from being hit on. Oh... And the best part was you and Kwest. You were both way too macho to act gay so you had to dodge men and their advances all night long and once we got home you had like ten phone numbers in the pocket of your jeans. And the worst part was you had no clue how they got there." She laid back onto the bed as she continued to giggle. "Hey, that still creeps me out. There's no telling how many guys had their hands in my pocket and I didn't even feel it." He shuddered before he went on. "And I still blame you for that... Even if it was Mason's idea, you drug me there and made me stay long after we realized it was a gay bar just so you could dance with Sadie." He said while giving her a knowing smile.

"Whatever... Is it my fault you're so damn sexy?! Besides, you know you enjoyed it! You were just loving all of the attention you were getting... You are such an attention whore!" She held onto her side once again as she barely got the words out between fits of laughter. Feigning a shocked expression he leaned over her on the bed. "Oh really?!" Her eyes went wide as he began to tickle her mercilessly.

And I will always love you
I will always love you

She begged and pleaded for him to stop, but to no avail. He continued to tickle her until long after she was red in the face. "Okay, okay... I take it back. I take it back! I'm sorry..." And with that he finally stopped tickling her, but he didn't move from above her. She slowly stopped laughing once she saw his lust-filled blue eyes staring down at her. She made no attempt to move as he slowly lowered his lips onto hers. Even though she knew it was wrong, she quickly responded and kissed him back.

As much as she wanted to deny it, she was going to miss this most of all. The sheer feel of his lips against her was enough to send chills down her spine and back up again. That was definitely something where no other man could compete... No man could ever make her feel the way Tom Quincy did.

He kissed her with all of the passion he had inside of him. No one, especially her, could ever deny what he felt for her. He prayed that it would be enough to convince her to stay... to stay with the one person who truly loved her.

As he continued to kiss her, he rolled them over so she was on top of him. She raised herself up to look down at him as she sat there straddling his hips. She almost climbed off of him to resume packing. She was tempted to just run out of there and let it be over and done with. But those eyes... Those lips... The feel of him against her. She never could say no to him. He was her one weakness, the one person she could never resist. Although her mind was screaming no, she eventually thought "Oh screw it!". And with that thought she quickly lowered herself back onto him, kissed him deeply and plunged her tongue into his mouth. She was almost devouring him. She really needed this... to feel him inside of her. She had truly missed the feel of him against her... As the fighting escalated over the past few months, their sex life had quickly declined.

Clothes were quickly thrown across the room and moans soon filled the spacious apartment. They both held onto each other for dear life, neither wanting the moment to end. But deep down they both knew this was the last time that were going to be like this... This was the last time that she would his and he would be hers. They clung tightly to each other as orgasms raked through their bodies. They stayed united for what seemed like hours as they simply gazed into each others eyes. No words needed to be spoken, they both knew what it meant... They both knew it was over.

I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you dreamed off
And I wish to you joy and happiness
But above all this I wish to you love

Jude laid in his arms until long after he drifted off to sleep. He had fought it though, he didn't want to go to sleep and lose this moment. But eventually, his exhaustion from the day finally overtook him. She carefully slipped out of his arms with a silent sigh. She really didn't want to leave him, but she truly felt she had no other choice. Nothing was going to change... She needed to stop kidding herself and just move on.

As she sat on the side of the bed, she watched him sleep. He looked so calm... so peaceful. It was a very different sight compared to the one that had been before her mere hours before. His tears were now gone and his frown was replaced by a small serene and sweetly content smile. She listened to his breathing, the slow, soft melodic inhaling and exhaling... Something so small that she had taken for granted for all of these years. She knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep for a long while... not without that sweet soothing sound lulling her to sleep every night.

She sighed once again as she slowly stood from the bed, quietly searching the room for her clothes. Once she was she dressed, she continued packing after getting her suitcase off the floor where it had been kicked to in the midst of their passionate love making. She looked around the room, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Once she was sure she had everything she needed, she pulled out a notepad and sat down at the small table in the corner of the bedroom and began to write her final goodbye to Tom Quincy, the first, and mostly likely last, man she would ever truly love.

My Dearest Tommy,

I sit here watching you sleep, not wanting to leave but knowing that I can't stay. Let me just say once again that I will never regret spending the last many years with you. I will treasure every moment we have ever shared. You were a very precious gift that I was just not meant to keep. I wish more than anything that you do find what you're looking for... someone who truly makes you happy. I know you thought that it was me, but we both know that we are just to different for this to have ever truly worked out in the long run. Please, don't be sad. Keep the good memories close to your heart, but don't let them rule, and inevitably ruin, your life. I honestly just want you to be happy. I know you're under a lot of pressure and I sure didn't make it any easier for you. I know I just made things worse by trying to push you into something you weren't ready for. But I understand... Honestly, I do. I know you think we have still have lots of time, but no one knows what may lie around the next corner. But even as I understand your point of view, I can't deny how I feel. I just simply want more. Who knows, maybe you just gave me everything I've wanted, but I guess only time will tell there. I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens I will never forget you. I have loved you and every moment spent with you since that first day when you told me off and then insulted my song. Definitely not the beginnings for a fairytale romance, but we always were the odd ones, weren't we?! Well, as I said, I will never be sorry. You have changed my life in so many ways that I couldn't even begin to describe. But please know that it was all for the better. I would not be who I am today if I hadn't had you in my life. Please, smile when you hear any of my songs play over the radio... you can be sure it was about you, as most of my songs always have been. Which reminds me, play the CD sitting under this note, it's just yet another song that says it so much better than simple spoken words ever could. Yes, it was Kwest who helped me with it earlier today. Please don't kill him for not telling you, I made his swear... Actually, I threatened him, which naturally ensured his silence. But really, don't be mad. Well, I guess I'd better get out here before you wake up. I really don't think I could handle a tear-filled goodbye right now. Leaving alone is hard enough, but to leave you standing in the doorway watching me drive away... I don't even want to imagine that. This is gut-wrenching enough as it is. Just remember that you will always have a special place in my heart that no one else could ever touch. I know I'll see you again, even if it's only in my dreams. I can't... no, I simply won't say good bye. So, I'll just give you a soft kiss, so as not to wake you, and leave with a simple "See ya later..." Never doubt what we had and please know that no matter what happens, I will love you forever...

Your Girl Always,

Jude

And I will always love you
I will always love you

She did just as she wrote she would, she softly kissed his lips and he didn't wake up. She left the letter and CD case labeled 'I Will Always Love You' on her pillow for him to find when he later awoke.

She looked over the room one more time before walking over to the dresser to look at a picture of the two of them. It was taken that early morning when they "trying" to record the bootleg in attempt to prevent her forced four month hiatus. She was on Tommy's back with her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist while he held onto her thighs holding her up. They both had huge grins on their faces. They had just finished yelling and screaming to relieve a lot of pent-up tension when she jumped on him and he carried her around the room as they both laughed carelessly. Kwest had snapped the shot just before Spied hijacked his camera and took dozens of pictures of him making funny faces. They both looked so happy back then, it was a much simpler time she thought.

She picked up the picture and put it in her bag, it was definitely a moment she never wanted to forget. She looked around one last time and sighed. She walked back over to Tommy and watched him sleep. She gave him one more soft, sweet kiss then turned to leave. She stopped at the doorway to their room. She looked back at him and softly said "See ya later, Quincy. I love you..." And with that, she turned around and walked out of their room... out of their apartment... and out of his life forever. She stood for a moment looking at their townhouse before she slowly got into the cab that had been waiting to take her to the airport. As it started to drive away she felt eyes watching her but she brushed that thought aside, not able to bear the thought of him watching her leave.

I will always love you...

As her taxi slowly drove out of sight, Tommy continued to watch through the bedroom curtain and softly spoke, knowing that no one could hear him. "Goodbye, Harrison. I will always love you..."