DISCLAIMER: None of it's mine... except the plot... and i am not nearly as good as the amazing Lisa Jane Smith. Thank you, come again.
Julian wasn't happy. He could still remember her. Her hair, her golden ray of hair, and her eyes, a beautiful colour, that he knew he must have only dreamed about. Maybe it was all a dream. The feeling of love he had for her. The love that had burned at the ice around his heart, until it finally melted through. He was supposed to be dead. But he had lied to Jenny. He had told her that she could destroy his Rune Stone. She couldn't. He was immortal. A lonely immortal. And, now in his place, in the shadows, he missed her. He missed her so much. It felt like his body was empty, only a picture of what he was. Now, only shadows. His light was gone. His Jenny. Maybe… maybe if he could only see her once more... She would never know. He would be in the shadows. Where he belongs. But, know he had a solution to his problem, he knew a way around Jenny's fears. Her fears that, if she left, people would miss her. Worry about her. She was his now.
His forevermore.
~~~~~
"The ring, Jenny. With the ring you are mine." He whispered in her hot ear. "Say the words, and you are bound to me, forever. Say them, Jenny, say them…" Julian urged her gently. Jenny could hear someone babbling, talking incoherently, as though drunk, whimpering. She realized it was coming from her.
"This ring, the symbol of my oath,
Will hold me to the words I speak:
All I refuse and thee I choose."
Jenny awoke with a start. She was covered with perspiration. She realized that she was having the same reoccurring dream. Every night.
She could feel the lettering on the ring, imprinting the words on her finger. I am my only master. Jenny looked down at her hand, and saw that the golden band, which was given to her by Julian, was glowing. Slowly, she pulled the ring off her finger, and turned it to see the inscription on the inside.
It had said: I am my only master.
But now: Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten.
Those were the last words that Julian had said to her, right before she left the shadow world. And, now, she understood the meaning of these words on her betrothal ring. They were quite simple actually. In two words. They meant;
I'm back.
She knew what she needed to do. Go to her grandfather's house. Alone. Where Julian had once said those words. Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten. Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten. Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten…
Jenny fell asleep thinking those loving words. For the first time in the three months since she left Julian, she slept soundly.
~~~~~
"Passengers, please buckle your seatbelts, for the plane is coming to the Pennsylvania Main Airport. Please gather your luggage, and proceed to the front of the plane once it has come to a complete stop. Thank you and have a nice day." The loud speaker boomed.
Jenny Thornton, was, once again, running away from home. And, once again, to her Grandfather's home, she was running. She couldn't stop thinking about why Julian had wanted her to come alone. She just sincerely hoped that she would not have to play another game. Luckily for her, you had to go into the game, of your own free will. Which meant it could not be a trap.
She gathered her things from the luggage pick-up in the airport, and then went outside to hail a cab.
"1029 Oakbrook Ave. please." Jenny requested. The car took off.
She thanked the woman for the drive and handed her a twenty. Jenny looked around and started up the steps to the house.
She knew that the door would be unlocked, and that no one would be in the house, if this were indeed the place that Julian wanted to meet her. She was right; the door felt like cool china, as she turned the knob and went inside. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel her pulse in her ears. Her palms were damp and sweaty, and she tried to convince herself that it was because of the summer heat. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she did not her someone walk up beside her.
"Jenny…?" The voice asked. Jenny turned around, and her breath got caught in her throat. She knew that she would never get used to his beauty. His ice blond hair framed his face so well, and his even icier blue eyes were always alert, yet still beautiful. It occurred to her that if you looked in them for too long, you could lose yourself in them. Sexy.
"Jenny…I just have to say something, that is why I brought you here. But I don't want you to ask any questions until I am done. First of all, I know that you are wondering how I have come back, I will explain later, first, I want you to come and live with me in the Shadow World, I decided to use your advice, and just ask you." He laughed at that. "And, I know that the reason why you did not stay was because of Tom… and your other friends." He grimaced, as though the very thought of Tom and I together brought him pain. "I know that you think me a terrible person, but I am not. I never killed anyone. I know you are thinking about Gordie Wilson, but that was not I. It was the Shadow animals, and I do not control them, I just try to. My point is that I love you. And I know that I cannot live without you. I am going to give a few choices though. One is you come with me. Two is you leave right now, and I will be forever heartbroken. And three, well, there is no three."
Jenny thought for a long time. Julian watched her intently, watching the emotions play in her eyes. Hate, love, anger, happiness, sadness and pain. Pain, that he knew he had caused her. She chose her words carefully.
"Julian, you know that I cannot leave my friends and family, they will wonder where I am. There are so many things. What about the other Shadow men? What about my life? What about your life? I wouldn't know any special rules you have, and I would feel like I was in a prison. And, you must know that we would have to talk about other stuff too." He looked at her puzzled. She quickly breathed out the last part.
"I mean, it is like we are married. Do you get it now?" He had an impish look on his face and responded;
"Oh. I have a solution to all of those problems, Jenny."
She looked bewildered. "What??" She demanded.
"You heard me. I can erase everyone's memory, so that you were never born, you never went to Maplewood High school, you never went into that basement, and discovered the shadow world. Only we would remember, which also solves the other shadow men problem. You would be free to go back to your world, although, no one would know you. I could make a real world with new friends just like the old one, or you could just live in mine. You could get a job, or go to college, or buy a car, I live in a society to, you know. For knowing the rules, well, nothing you do would ever upset me, because I love you. And that…er…other stuff, we could just figure out later." He said matter-of-factly, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Why should I trust you??" He winced, and knew that all of her remarks would take a lot of getting used to, because she still didn't trust him, let alone loved him.
"I have never physically hurt you!" Julian argued.
"Did it ever occur to you that I could get hurt emotionally, or mentally??" Jenny reasoned.
"Do you realise that, game after game, you took my friends?? I thought that Summer was dead!! My best friend!! My GOD Julian, did you ever think about Tom?? He had to confess that his greatest fear was me!! ME!! What about Summer?? She had to stay a few days in eternal blackness. Waiting for us to rescue her. What about ALL of us?? You changed us all!! For the better, I will admit that. But also for the worst!! How could you?? You claim to love me, but you don't respect me as a person, or my feelings. If you will recall, you had to use a rose, to be able to touch my cheek?? That is not respect. I only have one question. WHY??" She burst out, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her mental guards falling with them. Julian, gaped, open- mouthed at how quickly her guards fell. Touchy situation. He opened his arms and walked over, offering a warm embrace. Jenny willed herself not to move, but she found herself walking over to his strong hold. They stood for some time. Julian's black sweater sopping up her tears. It was Jenny that stepped back.
"I…I'm sorry, I …uh…think I'm tired from the time change… or something." She scrambled, trying to think of an excuse for her loss of control. Julian had a grin the size of the planet on his face. He slapped his hand to his face, trying to prevent some (manly) giggles from escaping. She crooked her eyebrow.
"What is so funny?" He coughed trying to regain some control.
"There is no time change."
"Oh."
"Nervous?" He quipped.
"I'm still mad at you." She retorted.
"Fine. There is nothing else I can say except that- Jenny- I really do love you. I will give you all the time you need, and don't forget I can make people forget you exist. Everyone. Even Tom." She looked up at his remark.
"Especially Tom." He murmured, under his breath.
"Well?" She asked.
"Well what?"
"Don't give me this crap. Aren't you going to tell me which game your going to make me play??"
"I told you, no more tricks."
"None?"
"None." He confirmed. Julian started to walk into the shadows, to draw his threshold that would pierce the veil between the worlds, when a hoarse whisper came from behind him.
"No."
"Hmm… WHAT?" He was genuinely surprised, he had again thought, that true love would make her follow her heart. He saw the way she looked at him. Saw the way she silently forgave him.
"No." She repeated. "I am not going."
Julian wasn't happy. He could still remember her. Her hair, her golden ray of hair, and her eyes, a beautiful colour, that he knew he must have only dreamed about. Maybe it was all a dream. The feeling of love he had for her. The love that had burned at the ice around his heart, until it finally melted through. He was supposed to be dead. But he had lied to Jenny. He had told her that she could destroy his Rune Stone. She couldn't. He was immortal. A lonely immortal. And, now in his place, in the shadows, he missed her. He missed her so much. It felt like his body was empty, only a picture of what he was. Now, only shadows. His light was gone. His Jenny. Maybe… maybe if he could only see her once more... She would never know. He would be in the shadows. Where he belongs. But, know he had a solution to his problem, he knew a way around Jenny's fears. Her fears that, if she left, people would miss her. Worry about her. She was his now.
His forevermore.
~~~~~
"The ring, Jenny. With the ring you are mine." He whispered in her hot ear. "Say the words, and you are bound to me, forever. Say them, Jenny, say them…" Julian urged her gently. Jenny could hear someone babbling, talking incoherently, as though drunk, whimpering. She realized it was coming from her.
"This ring, the symbol of my oath,
Will hold me to the words I speak:
All I refuse and thee I choose."
Jenny awoke with a start. She was covered with perspiration. She realized that she was having the same reoccurring dream. Every night.
She could feel the lettering on the ring, imprinting the words on her finger. I am my only master. Jenny looked down at her hand, and saw that the golden band, which was given to her by Julian, was glowing. Slowly, she pulled the ring off her finger, and turned it to see the inscription on the inside.
It had said: I am my only master.
But now: Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten.
Those were the last words that Julian had said to her, right before she left the shadow world. And, now, she understood the meaning of these words on her betrothal ring. They were quite simple actually. In two words. They meant;
I'm back.
She knew what she needed to do. Go to her grandfather's house. Alone. Where Julian had once said those words. Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten. Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten. Nothing really dies, as long as it is not forgotten…
Jenny fell asleep thinking those loving words. For the first time in the three months since she left Julian, she slept soundly.
~~~~~
"Passengers, please buckle your seatbelts, for the plane is coming to the Pennsylvania Main Airport. Please gather your luggage, and proceed to the front of the plane once it has come to a complete stop. Thank you and have a nice day." The loud speaker boomed.
Jenny Thornton, was, once again, running away from home. And, once again, to her Grandfather's home, she was running. She couldn't stop thinking about why Julian had wanted her to come alone. She just sincerely hoped that she would not have to play another game. Luckily for her, you had to go into the game, of your own free will. Which meant it could not be a trap.
She gathered her things from the luggage pick-up in the airport, and then went outside to hail a cab.
"1029 Oakbrook Ave. please." Jenny requested. The car took off.
She thanked the woman for the drive and handed her a twenty. Jenny looked around and started up the steps to the house.
She knew that the door would be unlocked, and that no one would be in the house, if this were indeed the place that Julian wanted to meet her. She was right; the door felt like cool china, as she turned the knob and went inside. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel her pulse in her ears. Her palms were damp and sweaty, and she tried to convince herself that it was because of the summer heat. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she did not her someone walk up beside her.
"Jenny…?" The voice asked. Jenny turned around, and her breath got caught in her throat. She knew that she would never get used to his beauty. His ice blond hair framed his face so well, and his even icier blue eyes were always alert, yet still beautiful. It occurred to her that if you looked in them for too long, you could lose yourself in them. Sexy.
"Jenny…I just have to say something, that is why I brought you here. But I don't want you to ask any questions until I am done. First of all, I know that you are wondering how I have come back, I will explain later, first, I want you to come and live with me in the Shadow World, I decided to use your advice, and just ask you." He laughed at that. "And, I know that the reason why you did not stay was because of Tom… and your other friends." He grimaced, as though the very thought of Tom and I together brought him pain. "I know that you think me a terrible person, but I am not. I never killed anyone. I know you are thinking about Gordie Wilson, but that was not I. It was the Shadow animals, and I do not control them, I just try to. My point is that I love you. And I know that I cannot live without you. I am going to give a few choices though. One is you come with me. Two is you leave right now, and I will be forever heartbroken. And three, well, there is no three."
Jenny thought for a long time. Julian watched her intently, watching the emotions play in her eyes. Hate, love, anger, happiness, sadness and pain. Pain, that he knew he had caused her. She chose her words carefully.
"Julian, you know that I cannot leave my friends and family, they will wonder where I am. There are so many things. What about the other Shadow men? What about my life? What about your life? I wouldn't know any special rules you have, and I would feel like I was in a prison. And, you must know that we would have to talk about other stuff too." He looked at her puzzled. She quickly breathed out the last part.
"I mean, it is like we are married. Do you get it now?" He had an impish look on his face and responded;
"Oh. I have a solution to all of those problems, Jenny."
She looked bewildered. "What??" She demanded.
"You heard me. I can erase everyone's memory, so that you were never born, you never went to Maplewood High school, you never went into that basement, and discovered the shadow world. Only we would remember, which also solves the other shadow men problem. You would be free to go back to your world, although, no one would know you. I could make a real world with new friends just like the old one, or you could just live in mine. You could get a job, or go to college, or buy a car, I live in a society to, you know. For knowing the rules, well, nothing you do would ever upset me, because I love you. And that…er…other stuff, we could just figure out later." He said matter-of-factly, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Why should I trust you??" He winced, and knew that all of her remarks would take a lot of getting used to, because she still didn't trust him, let alone loved him.
"I have never physically hurt you!" Julian argued.
"Did it ever occur to you that I could get hurt emotionally, or mentally??" Jenny reasoned.
"Do you realise that, game after game, you took my friends?? I thought that Summer was dead!! My best friend!! My GOD Julian, did you ever think about Tom?? He had to confess that his greatest fear was me!! ME!! What about Summer?? She had to stay a few days in eternal blackness. Waiting for us to rescue her. What about ALL of us?? You changed us all!! For the better, I will admit that. But also for the worst!! How could you?? You claim to love me, but you don't respect me as a person, or my feelings. If you will recall, you had to use a rose, to be able to touch my cheek?? That is not respect. I only have one question. WHY??" She burst out, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her mental guards falling with them. Julian, gaped, open- mouthed at how quickly her guards fell. Touchy situation. He opened his arms and walked over, offering a warm embrace. Jenny willed herself not to move, but she found herself walking over to his strong hold. They stood for some time. Julian's black sweater sopping up her tears. It was Jenny that stepped back.
"I…I'm sorry, I …uh…think I'm tired from the time change… or something." She scrambled, trying to think of an excuse for her loss of control. Julian had a grin the size of the planet on his face. He slapped his hand to his face, trying to prevent some (manly) giggles from escaping. She crooked her eyebrow.
"What is so funny?" He coughed trying to regain some control.
"There is no time change."
"Oh."
"Nervous?" He quipped.
"I'm still mad at you." She retorted.
"Fine. There is nothing else I can say except that- Jenny- I really do love you. I will give you all the time you need, and don't forget I can make people forget you exist. Everyone. Even Tom." She looked up at his remark.
"Especially Tom." He murmured, under his breath.
"Well?" She asked.
"Well what?"
"Don't give me this crap. Aren't you going to tell me which game your going to make me play??"
"I told you, no more tricks."
"None?"
"None." He confirmed. Julian started to walk into the shadows, to draw his threshold that would pierce the veil between the worlds, when a hoarse whisper came from behind him.
"No."
"Hmm… WHAT?" He was genuinely surprised, he had again thought, that true love would make her follow her heart. He saw the way she looked at him. Saw the way she silently forgave him.
"No." She repeated. "I am not going."