Ooooh, this is interesting! Katie Holmes has covered the last People Magazine cover (“How Katie Took Control”) so now it’s Tom’s turn. I do feel bad for the tabloids – they were looking forward to months of TomKat covers as a potential divorce settlement turned ugly. But since Katie is ah-mazing and she got a favorable settlement in 11 DAYS, Team Cruise is still playing catch-up. But there is movement, for sure. Team Cruise got a royal reception from the paparazzi as Tom picked up Suri yesterday. And now Team Cruise is pushing back in none other than People Mag:

This was not how Tom Cruise expected his life to be. The 50-year-old megastar, who was blindsided when his wife of five years, Katie Holmes, filed for divorce on June 28, “was thinking, ‘What did I not see?’ ” a source who knows the former couple tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story.

Especially tough: His month-long separation from 6-year-old daughter Suri, which finally ended when the pair reunited on July 17 in New York City.

What took so long?

“He’s wanted to see her as fast as possible since this started,” a source, who cites Cruise’s obligation to his sci-fi thriller Oblivion as the main obstacle. “He couldn’t shut down production, cost people their jobs. People count on him.”

In agreeing to a divorce settlement in a mere 11 days, “Tom tried his best to do what’s right for Suri,” according to his longtime friend and lawyer Bert Fields, who says the star is “sad” but not “bitter” about the situation.

Cruise has been leaning on his older children, Connor, 17, and Isabella, 19, his three sisters and his mother – all of whom share his Scientology religion. Several members of his family joined him for support as he filmed his final scenes for Oblivion.

“Tom is not ashamed of his beliefs,” says the source, who knows the former couple, “and won’t hide them from his daughter.”

[From People Magazine]

This is just chock full of goodies. First of all: “Tom is not ashamed of his beliefs and won’t hide them from his daughter.” IS THAT A THREAT? Because Katie can easily begin to tell Suri that Xenu kills puppies. That Xenu is the reason that she can’t have a puppy. Two can play that game, Tommy. As for Tom being in a strange place and asking himself, “What did I not see?” – do you really think he’s asking himself that? Because even if you took Tom and Katie’s marriage at face value, they were barely spending any time together in the past six months. Tom didn’t know what was going on with Katie because he simply wasn’t around. And because Xenu kills puppies. See how that works?

Speaking of “what’s next for Tom,” the speculation has already begun for “Who Will Tom Date Next?” When you think about, he’s probably looking for a girlfriend and not a wife right now, so we don’t have to dust off our list of “Sweet, Innocent Actresses Who Would Be Down With Xenu” at the moment. For now, he can date someone who isn’t down with Xenu – in fact, I’m sure that’s what he’s being advised to do. I bet Tom is really upset that Julianne Hough is already “with” Ryan Seacrest, because Julianne would be PERFECT. LaineyGossip suggested Jessica Chastain, who… I don’t know. Jessica is a weird choice – she’s incredibly talented, she lies about her age, and she’s already really secretive about her personal life. I kind of think Jessica and Tom would be too alike in personality – tightly-wound, workaholic perfectionists.

Radar/The Enquirer also has a story about a potential love interest: “Latin beauty” Yolanda Pecoraro. She’s already a Scientologist…? The basics: she’s 27 years old and some describe her as a “Scientology princess”. Also, she and Tom briefly dated in 2004 (allegedly) which would have made her… 19 at the time…? YIKES.

In the wake of Katie Holmes’ split from hubby Tom Cruise, speculation is building as to who will be the next Mrs. Tom Cruise, and it just might be Yolanda Pecoraro. Experts predict the 27-year-old Latin beauty will be the perfect match for the Mission: Impossible star because she’s a devout Scientologist — and the two dated in the past!

“Tom’s next marriage will be inside the church,” Scientology expert Margery Wakefield told the National Enquirer. A former member of the church told the Enquirer that Yolanda is a “Scientology princess, perfect for Tom,” both her parents were members and that she’s been taking Scientology courses since she was just 13 years old.

Yolanda lives in a modest Silver Lake, Calif. apartment and told the Enquirer, “Yes, I knew and still know Tom Cruise. And no, I’m not married or engaged.”

Andrew Morton’s unauthorized Tom tell-all, Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography claims that Yolanda and Tom met at the opening of a new Scientology center opening in Spain in 2004 and that he fell head over heels for her. One source goes so far as to tell the Enquirer that Tom has paid for Yolanda to attend expensive Scientology courses at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood! And even though Yolanda lives with a boyfriend, also a Scientologist, an insider claims the church will do whatever it takes to provide damage control to the very public divorce between Tom and Katie.

“With the embarrassment his divorce has caused the church, they want to stabilize the situation quickly,” the source said. “They also want to show that Tom has rebounded fast and that his new wife is beautiful and steeped in Scientology. If the church decides to make Yolanda Tom’s next wife, they’d certainly want her to have a child soon. So she could quickly be going from her modest apartment to a mansion in Beverly Hills with a baby on the way. And there’s little doubt she’d do what’s best for the church.”

[From Radar]

See, that might be what the Church of Scientology wants, but I have to wonder what Tom’s Hollywood advisors are saying. I doubt they believe Tom should jump into something “serious” with a 27-year-old Scientologist and immediately get her pregnant (cough). Plus, could Tom’s ego handle being with someone without her own profile as a celebrity? This is why Jennifer Love Hewitt needs to be in the mix. I still think she would be perfect.

I’m including a photo of Yolanda in 2004, and some photos of Tom on set with Olga Kurylenko, because Xenu was trying to make THAT happen only Olga’s people shut it down.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, People and WENN.