Well well, I thought I'd put this here since it's a fanfiction and people might enjoy it... even if it's not actually finished yet.

I wrote this when I hadn't read the books in about... 8 years? And worked on info from Wikipedia so if there are any glaring inaccuracies please feel free to point them out to me. I can't see any myself but that doesn't mean they're not there! Forgive me for any OOCness but it's set two years after The Kill so I'm allowing myself a little license with the characters given that they will have undoubtedly matured further in the time between the end of L. J. Smith's books and the start of this fic.

Reviews and comments are welcomed and loved! :)

Disclaimer: Jenny and Julian are © L. J. Smith from her trilogy The Forbidden Game. All other characters are randomly thought up for my own amusement and belong to me, which is why they are lame and two-dimensional in comparison :3

Chapter 1

The First Day

Jenny concentrated on her reflection as she slid a clip into the left side of her hair, the twin to the one she wore on the right. Her eyes glittered as she surveyed her appearance and she nodded at herself in satisfaction. A sudden flash of blue in the mirror made her heartbeat quicken, and she whirled around to find the source.

"Ju-" she began, then felt foolish. "It's been two years, Jenny. You're a college student now. Forget about all that, it's over…" she muttered to herself, a frown appearing on her pretty visage. One final check in the mirror and she trotted out of her bedroom door, swinging her rucksack over one shoulder.

It had been two months since she started college, and she was finding it refreshingly stimulating. She'd ended up at a University in Florida, far away from most of her friends, but the vivacious Jenny had soon made new ones so she never felt lonely. Meeting with Anne in the hall, Jenny locked her dorm and hailed her friend.

"Morning Anne!" she called brightly, and her friend skipped over.

"Morning Jenny, wow you look great today! Are those new clips?" Anne asked enthusiastically. An unfortunately plain but very kind girl, Anne often marvelled at the simplest of things other girls used to set off their natural charms.

"Nah, not really" Jenny chuckled, linking arms with Anne, "just haven't worn them here before."

The bell rang to signal everyone should get to their morning class, and Anne and Jenny parted ways in front of Jenny's first classroom.

"See ya later!" they called as Jenny entered her first class. Settling in her chair, she got out her English Literature texts and settled down to read through last week's work.

"Good Monday morning, class" the lecturer chirped brightly as he walked briskly into the classroom and set down a large pile of books. Jenny was vaguely aware of a student behind him also struggling with a large pile, one of which slid to the floor with a papery splat and the student groaned.

'Poor fellow,' Jenny thought, having had to carry the books before on the rare occasions she was slightly late to class.

"Well, this morning I have the delightful honour of introducing a new student to you all."

'Even poorer fellow, it's only his first day…' she mused, turning a page of her workbook with a moistened finger.

"Julian, would you like to introduce yourself?" the lecturer asked the new boy, and Jenny's head snapped up in surprise at the sound of that name. Her eyes locked with his piercing gaze, and she was vaguely aware that he was smiling.

"My name is Julian Shaden" he said, and his voice was rich and warm, "and I'm from Monessen, Pennsylvania."

Jenny couldn't tear her eyes from him, even as talking about the handsome boy erupted around her, she was mesmerised by his sapphire gaze.

"Oooh, Jenny's in lurrrrrve" she heard a friend tease nearby, and she regretfully dragged her gaze away from Julian.

"Don't be silly" she said, blushing furiously, "I was just trying to work out if we've met before, my Grandpa lived in Monessen you know…"

"So, you think you might have played together as kids or somethin'?" another student asked curiously.

"I… dunno, maybe?"

At that moment the lecturer called for everyone to settle down and 'Mister Shaden' to take a seat. Jenny couldn't concentrate for the whole lesson, and doodled runes all over her page instead of making notes. When the bell finally rang, she looked at the page in chagrin and hoped she'd be able to borrow someone else's notes. Packing away, she walked out of the class and headed for her locker to store her books – she had a free period next and was looking forward to relaxing before lunch. Suddenly, a sheaf of papers was thrust under her nose.

"What?" she exclaimed, surprised. Turning, she saw the new student bowed with his arm outstretched holding what appeared to be complete notes of today's lesson. "Uh…" Jenny was unsure what to say.

"You looked like you were doodling, so I brought you my notes." Julian straightened up and smiled, a warm look which contrasted his icy-blue eyes.

"Th… thanks?" Jenny stammered, unsure of what to say. His expression changed as he looked at her to one of chagrin, and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"I know it's been two years, and I dyed my hair black, but surely you haven't forgotten me Jenny…" Julian's voice was full of deep hurt, and Jenny's hand reached out of her own volition to touch his shoulder.

"Shaden…?" she queried, "couldn't you have thought of a more inventive surname, Julian?" His head rose and a look of joy leapt into his eyes at her acceptance.

"I, uh, well…" he looked sheepish.

"You've changed a lot too. Wait, let's not talk here," Jenny was conscious that they had begun to get bumped by impatient students wanting to get by them, "we'll go and chat outside."

Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him to her locker, threw her books inside and then steered him out into the sunshine. Blinking, he groaned for a second as his vision adjusted.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to summer in Florida" he moaned, squinting. "It's so bright in this world!"

"Julian…" Jenny said sympathetically, a small smile crossing her lips as she found them a shady spot to sit in.

"Thank you."

When they were both seated comfortably, Jenny began to wonder what they would say to each other.

"How… how are you here?" she began, remembering that he had given his soul to the Shadow Men in her place.

"I… well… I'm only here for a week." Julian's answer was short and to the point. "I have seven days, and then I have to return. I… wanted to see you…" his last words were almost a whisper.

"But… it's been two years, Julian, two years. I… it's good to see you again." Somehow, Jenny felt like a high school student again, confessing a crush to a senior.

"I know, and I'm sorry for barging in on your life like this. But I needed to see you."

"But why? Whatever for?"

"We're fading away, Jenny. The Shadow Men and I. We're not long left in this world or any other. Soon you'll be free of us." His voice had taken on a rueful note.

"What! How can that be?"

"That's not all. When we vanish your memories of us will vanish too. You'll forget everything you went through in the Shadow World, and you'll forget me. That's… why I'm here. You can't forget memories made in the human world, even with Shadow Men."

"Oh… Ju…" tears rose in sweet-natured Jenny's eyes as she thought of the whole Shadow World vanishing. Even though they had been enemies at one time, she didn't want them to just disappear.

"It's ok" he smiled, "as long as I get to spend this week with you."

This made something snap in Jenny's mind.

"Well, you can't disappear with the Shadow World if you don't go back, right? And while you're here, we can find a way to stop it, right? Don't worry Julian, we'll think of something, I promise!" There was fire in her eyes as her brain worked overtime trying to think of some way to prevent their tragedy from occurring.

"Oh Jenny, dear Jenny!" Julian exclaimed, clapping his hands in glee. "I knew I could count on you!"

Jenny realised she'd been duped again by the handsome, manipulative Julian.

"Juliannnn" she frowned. "I thought you'd changed…"

"I have, somewhat." Julian laughed and placed his hand on Jenny's. "And I really do want to spend my last week in existence with you" he said sincerely, gazing into her eyes as he said it.

"I think… you are mistaken. It's not your last week at all…"