Audrey's POV

I slipped out of the house at dawn. The sun was rising, a mixture of bloody reds and deep purples. It was so beautiful; I wished I could share it with someone. But there was no point. I was going to a new country; I was wiping the slate clean. Anybody from this 'life' as it were, was just a dead weight. No one would want anything to do with me once they realised I had abandoned them anyway, so carrying their memory with me would just pull me down. I was running away from everything I had built up. After all we had been through a simple problem was all it took to tear us apart.

I didn't leave a note explaining my whereabouts. I didn't leave anything except the things that would remind me of my friends. I only left enough for them to know that I left of my own accord. Did that make me selfish? To leave without saying goodbye? I suppose it did. But I wasn't strong enough to say it - to say that I was leaving, because I knew that by the end of the year I would be but a memory, everyone would have moved on seamlessly and I would no longer matter. I couldn't face that truth, so I wouldn't. Instead, I would lie to myself, I would pretend I mattered.

I closed my eyes against the sunrise and took a deep breath. I was really doing this. I slid into the driving seat of the car and quietly turned the key in the ignition. Tears blurred my vision; in all my years of shifting around, it had never hurt this much.

"I'll miss you" I whispered, as I reversed the car out of the drive, "goodbye."

Michael's POV

"Has anyone seen Audrey?" I called as I skipped down the stairs, "I haven't seen her all morning and she isn't answering her phone."

I walked into the kitchen, it was empty. Meaning everybody was still asleep. I winced; I was so in trouble if I woke anyone up.

I glanced out of the window, there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining warmly, but something was off about the scene in front of me. I stared at it for a long moment before it clicked.

The car was gone. I blinked and was still for one agonizing moment. Could she have left? I dismissed that thought instantly, she's probably food shopping. She likes it here too much to leave, she's happy with me. But the panic was still there, deep in my stomach.

I turned and opened the first cupboard I laid my hands on, hoping that it would be empty and I would be right to think that Audrey was food shopping. It was full of food. I swore and checked the next one. And the next, and the next, with each full cupboard my dread deepened. I pushed my head into my hands.

She was gone. She was gone. Gone.

I swore again, louder this time. I didn't care if I woke up the whole neighbourhood. Audrey was gone! I ripped the food from the cupboard in front of me and threw it to the floor. Then I stripped the other cupboards and the fridge of their food too. Why did she go? I kicked a bag of flour that had dropped so hard that it split, but it wasn't enough. I kicked again and again until I was covered in white powder. I thought she was happy here, with me. A low guttural sound erupted and I felt another surge of anger. I found the box of eggs from their place on the floor and threw them at the walls. Why did she leave me? Was I not good enough for her?

I sank down in the midst of the chaotic scene I had created and raked my hands through my hair, not caring about the egg and crap that would now be stuck in it. I shivered as my anger left and other stronger emotions overcame it. The pain left me gasping; I curled into a ball and cried.

Why did she do this to me? To us?

Jenny's POV

I closed my eyes against the sky. It was the perfect blue that reminded me of him, I couldn't look at it right now. I was too vulnerable. I got up, stiff from sitting still for so long and yanked the curtains shut. I abruptly turned and went up the basement stairs; my eyes were red and puffy from crying but I didn't care. They should know that I had been crying and that I missed and mourned the one man that they had grown to hate.

When I reached the top of the stairs I stopped. The carving on the door was fresh; it was the doorway to Shadow World. I traced the markings slowly. Had it only been a few days since Julian had died? Since he disappeared from my grasp and vanished into thin air? I think that's the worst part - the fact that he's just gone. It cuts me like a knife. I can't mourn him properly, like I should be able to. There is no cemetery I can go to when I need him, no funeral to cry at. There's just nothing. It's like he never existed. The others refuse to talk about him, unless it's to say something along the lines of you're better off without him. But I'm not. How could I ever be when he's the one who's protected me from everything?

When I look back at his last days, I want to cry even more. Whatever cursed me to say that I didn't love him? That I didn't care? I wish now, more than ever, that I could take those words back, those actions, because I know without a doubt, that if it had been Tom who had died, Julian would comfort me all the way.

I opened the door and slipped through it silently. The sun had risen and the perfect blue of the sky had faded. I heard something drop to the floor in the kitchen and turned. I thought I was the only one up. I walked forward slowly, hesitantly. When I got to the kitchen it was a mess. I heard soft crying and looked over the breakfast bar.

"Michael?"

I slipped around to the front of the kitchen and knelt down in front of him. He barely seemed to see me though; his gaze remained focused on something behind me.

"Michael, what happened?"

"She's gone," his voice was a hoarse monotone whisper; "Audrey's gone."

A/N: Ooooh... cliffy, well semi- cliffy. You know what happens, I think. I wrote this a while ago and then forgot to upload... :S I know kinda dumb. I'm kinda failing at the whole updating regularly...my bad *hangs head in shame* I need to stop reading so much and work more! :D If it makes you feel better I've semi started writing the beginning of the next chapter! :D

Also to anyone reading my other story My Bleeding Heart that's going to be very slow in progress, I think I'm gonna have to write it backwards cos I have the plot all jumbled in my head...so my apologies there. :P But once its all written I should update faster. No promises though! :D

Thanks for reviews I got for last chapter, particularly Grell's Girl 13, your comments really made me smile and I'm glad you've liked what you've read so far, and also LilBlondeRikku for your constructive criticism!

I look forward to hearing everyone's comments! :)