(Author's note: I'm done!!! I'm finally done with this thing!! Whoo hoo!! *dances in a circle* You don't understand how glad I am to finally have this done. lol. I started it in August of 1998. That's a long freaking time! *sigh of relief* I only hope the ending is good, because if not… What a waste. :-P So, let me know what you think of the end! Did I leave out anything that needed to be tied up?
Mandy: lol, yeah, Troy finally got his. Just goes to show, if you're gonna be evil, don't be evil around the protagonist. ;-) Hehe, anyway, I hope this ending satisfies you. Let me know!
Dragon Fire: Well, I didn't exactly hurry on this… But it's the last chapter, so there won't be any more waiting. lol. And Damian's around somewhere, don't you worry.
Laney: I'm glad you liked that chapter! I wasn't too sure about it, and I worked hard on it, so it's good to hear you liked it. *grin*
The Cat: Too late for more threats. It's over now! lol. Oh well, nice try. ;-)
Redaura: LOL! Little happy jig there? Hehe. And like I told Dragon Fire, Damian's around. He'll show up again. :-)
Spunky: You think that last chapter took long enough… lol. I just couldn't get myself to write this one, hence the long delay. But I hope you still think the story kicks ass after you read the end!
Soraia: *cringe* Now I feel bad again, because I never got around to reading your story. Sorry… I swear one of these days I'll read it! And Damian's not a wuss. lol. He was just … busy… probably beating up someone else. ;-)
Goss: I would never do such a thing as that… Michael's just Michael. I don't *need* to bump him up by putting a sword through him. ;-)
Anonymous: Well, you didn't put a name, so I named you. lol. I'm glad you like the story.
Ryl: Gee, how do you really feel about that? hehe. Well, read on and you'll find out what happens.
Baloo: Ooh, comparing my story to an Anita Blake novel? Makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside. lol ;-) I'm glad you finally picked up LKH's books, by the way. AHH! How could you say that about Raina and Michael? Gag me. Lol. Whatever gave you the idea that they might? Just 'cause she has a crush on him? Not good enough. Hehe. As for your "sequel" idea. It's funny you mentioned that because I had been thinking the same thing. About following another character later on. But I haven't decided if I'm going to do it or not. I much prefer writing original stuff, so… I might, though. :-) Oh, and two words: THE RESURRECTION! WRITE IT! NOW! Okay, so that was five, but you get the drift. ;-)
Emmanuelle: Wow, you read it all in one sitting? *I* couldn't even do that, and I wrote the stupid thing! lol. As for the soulmate thing… *sigh* People keep saying that. But I honestly don't know how to change it because this is how I envisioned it. Maybe I'll do a rewrite someday.
Leian: Glad you read it and liked it. :-) I've been meaning to read your story, A New Leaf, but I haven't really had the chance to yet. Not to mention I just suck at sitting and reading at the computer. :-P I'm glad you liked my portrayal of Damian. I was really unsure about that throughout the whole story because I thought I might have made him too unbelievable and wussy. So it's reassuring to hear you say that. As for Michael, all I have to say is I never said he was dead. You interpreted that yourself (which surprised me, I admit). ;-)
Thanks everybody who's been commenting! I really, really, REALLY appreciate it! It's nice to get feedback on stuff I write. I do prefer writing original stuff, but then I have nobody to give me feedback – that's what's nice about fanfiction. So I might take Baloo on her idea. Maybe. If you guys have any ideas about what I could do with a follow-up sequel about another of the characters, let me know. :-) Okay, here we go with the end!)
*Chapter 34*
"Jenny…"
The voice drifted slowly, distorted as if it had to fight through a thick fog.
Go away, she found herself thinking. She floated in semi-consciousness, blanketed in warmth and gentle light.
"Jenny." The voice was more insistent that time, and it caught Jenny's attention.
Oh, for the love of God, okay…
She peeled one eyelid open to find three figures standing over her, backlit by harsh light. She blinked and opened her other eye.
"Are you okay?" Mari stared down at her with concern in her eyes.
Jenny's heart jumped as everything came back to her in a rush. Oh my God, Troy! She sat up quickly, and her vision spun. She groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. "What happened?"
"You beat Troy, that's what happened." That was Gunther. Jenny dropped her hands and blinked against the light. Even kneeling next to her, Gunther towered above her. Mari grinned. "And once he was gone, everybody else ran. What a bunch of cowards!"
Jenny glanced around and realized people – humans – were cheering and hugging each other. They'd done it! She could see Tiffany and Carl talking over at one side of the room. Damian was nowhere in sight.
"What about Hunter?" she asked.
"Bastard got away in all the chaos," Gunther muttered.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "That figures."
Standing next to Mari, Ashton held out a hand and helped Jenny to her feet. She had dirt smudged on her face and dust in her hair, but she still managed to look radiant when she smiled at Jenny. "I'm glad you made it."
Jenny couldn't help but smile back. "Me too. Dying probably would have ruined my day."
To her surprise, Ashton swept her up in a hug. "Thank you," Ashton breathed.
Jenny stepped back. "For what?"
Ashton's eyes gleamed. "Everything. For coming after us. Taking care of us. Saving us all."
"Oh, it wasn't just…"
Mari interrupted. "Yes, it was. It was you, Jenny. If you hadn't come after us – if you'd left us down here to die – you wouldn't have been here to kill Troy. And we'd all be dead now."
Heat rose to Jenny's cheeks. "Any of us would have done it. You just happened to get caught first."
Mari wrapped her small arms around Jenny, and Jenny hugged her back tightly. "Thanks," Jenny whispered.
When they pulled back, Mari had a serious expression on her face.
"What's wrong?" Jenny asked.
"We need to talk," Mari said softly.
"Uh oh. About what?"
"Come over here."
Mari led her away from Gunther and Ashton, who were helping up a girl who sat dazed on the ground behind them. When they were out of earshot, she stopped. She gazed at Jenny, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Is there something going on with you and Damian?"
Jenny thought her heart stopped for a second. She hadn't been expecting that question. "I… What do you mean?" she stammered.
"I heard you talking to that Selene girl last night, about soulmates. You… Well, I got a feeling about things after I saw you out there fighting him. Just tell me I'm crazy."
Jenny paled. What should she say? She wanted to tell Mari she was crazy, and have her forget it all. But at the same time, she was dying to talk to her about it. Mari was her best friend after all. She shouldn't keep things from her. But she was scared of what Mari might think of her when she found out the truth. Maybe all that telling her would accomplish would be losing her. "I…"
Mari must have been able to read her expression, because her face softened, and she said, "Don't worry. I won't hate you for it. I promise."
Jenny frowned. "I think… I know … Damian and I … we're soulmates."
The surprise that Jenny expected never surfaced on Mari's face. Instead, Mari gave a small smile. "I knew," she said softly. "Somehow I just knew. After that first night… When you said he was dead, and then he wasn't… It just wasn't like you. But I didn't stop long enough to think about it."
She grabbed Jenny's hand and squeezed it. "What are you going to do?"
Jenny blinked. "Do? Nothing. I already told him it can't happen. We're going to go our separate ways."
Silence. Then Mari narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head to look at Jenny inquisitively. "Are you sure? Because from what I've heard, soulmates can't live without each other."
"But he's…"
"A vampire. I know. But I just think… Well, you shouldn't dismiss him so quickly. After being down here, I've met quite a few vampires who are decent. And… Jenny…" She hung her head. "I don't think I want to be in the gang anymore after this."
Jenny stared at her a moment. "Mari…"
When Mari lifted her head again, her eyes were wet with tears. "I know I should hate the Night World even more after all this. But… I don't think I could ever hunt again without wondering if the vampire I killed was like Ashton, and didn't deserve to die. They're just like us. Some are good. Some are bad. I couldn't live with myself if I just killed randomly." She looked at the ground.
Jenny gave a small smile and patted Mari's arm. "I know exactly what you mean. I was going to tell you the same thing. Only you put it much better."
Mari wiped at her eyes. "But you still don't want to be with Damian? I know he's kind of a bully. But from what I've seen and heard from him, he seems like a decent guy."
Jenny set her jaw and tried not to think about it. "No. It's just … impossible."
"Is this… about Michael?" Mari narrowed her eyes at her again. The girl was just too damned perceptive for her own good.
"I … don't know. I really don't…" Jenny stopped, her eyes widening. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God! Michael! He was hurt!" Why hadn't she remembered him until now?
Mari's eyes widened. "Where is he?"
Jenny was already scanning the room. She found him about 20 feet away, still lying on his back with a pool of blood spreading underneath him.
"Oh God." Jenny raced to him and threw herself to her knees next to him. "Michael!" She shook his shoulder. "Michael, wake up! Are you okay?"
For a moment, she got no response, and it felt like the blood in her veins froze to a stop. "Oh, God, Michael, you can't be dead!"
His eyes fluttered, then opened. His dark eyes stared vacantly in her direction for a few seconds before focusing on her. He groaned. "What happened?"
Tears spilled down Jenny's cheeks. "Oh, thank God, you're okay!" She threw her arms around him, lifting him slightly off the ground. "I thought you were gone."
His laugh sounded more like a groan. "Takes more than a flesh wound to keep me down."
She laughed and buried her face in his chest. "Oh, Michael."
A hand stroked her hair softly, and she raised her face to look at him. He gazed at her intently, his eyes seemingly looking into her soul.
"What?" she whispered.
"Jenny… I've been meaning to tell you something."
Her eyes widened. People sure seemed to want to talk a lot all of a sudden.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear gently. "I want to be with you, Jenny. I… I've wanted to for a long time."
Jenny opened her mouth, and he silenced her. "No. Wait. Let me finish."
He struggled to a sitting position, gasping in pain with every movement. "I knew what I felt. But I never wanted to admit it. I don't know why. I just … I guess I wasn't sure what you would think. And now… after all this… I don't think I should wait anymore." He took her hand in his, and she stared at him, awestruck. "I think I'm in love with you, Jenny." He leaned toward her and kissed her softly on the lips. The kiss was gentle, almost shy, and ended almost as fast as it had begun.
She couldn't move, couldn't speak. All she could do was stare. For a moment, she wasn't sure she'd heard him right. But he kept watching her expectantly, his eyes filled with an emotion she hadn't seen there before. Oh God, how she'd wanted nothing more than for him to look at her like that.
Take it back, she found herself thinking. She'd been waiting for this for so long, and now that it seemed to be here, she suddenly didn't want it to happen. So why wasn't she jumping with joy? Michael was everything she'd always wanted, and now she could have him. He was offering himself to her on an open platter, and she suddenly felt the urge to send it back.
And when she'd regained consciousness, her first thoughts had been about somebody else.
"Michael…" Her voice came out deep, laced with emotion. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that."
A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth, and it made him even more gorgeous than usual. He started to say something, and she put a finger over his lips to quiet him.
"Wait. I'm not done." He closed his mouth and gazed at her. A lock of his curly hair fell over one eye, and she brushed it away.
For a moment, she couldn't get her mouth to work, and when it finally did, she couldn't believe what came out.
"I can't."
His face fell, and he let go of her hand. "You … can't?"
She shook her head and stared at the dirt floor beneath them. "I'm sorry."
"But… why? If you feel the same way?" He couldn't disguise the hurt and disappointment in his voice.
"I do love you, Michael. I always will. I just think … It's not the same anymore."
He bent over, wincing against the pain, to put his face between hers and her view of the ground. "What's not the same?"
Her eyes filled with tears. An image popped into her head, a face surrounded by dark hair and with eyes like icicles surrounded by violet sky. She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't pretend. "You mean so much to me," she whispered. "But there's … somebody else I have to be with… I want to be with."
Michael raised a brow. "Who?"
Jenny smiled sadly at him, but didn't answer. At that moment, Mari and Ashton came over to help, and the moment was broken. They helped him to his feet, and Mari fussed over his wound. As soon as Michael's eyes were off her, Jenny let out a deep breath, feeling a bit shocked at herself.
"Will he be okay?" she asked Mari.
"Good as new in a few weeks. We just need to get him to a doctor is all."
Gunther appeared and slapped Michael's other shoulder. "You're lucky Troy missed your vital organs."
Michael winced. "I know."
Raina walked up then. Her red hair curled around her face, which was flushed with excitement. "Everybody okay?" she asked. If you hadn't known she'd just about been lunch, you never would have guessed, with the way she eyed them calmly.
"We're fine. Are you okay?" Mari asked.
Raina arched an eyebrow and looked at her fingernails. "Oh, me, I'm fine," she said, trying to sound bored. Then she grinned. "Some fight, huh?" Her eyes met Jenny's, and she nodded at her, a smile at the corner of her mouth. Jenny nodded back. She and Raina understood each other better now. Although they could never be friends, they would respect each other.
For a while anyway.
The group began chatting about the fight. Jenny watched them talking with a kind of detachedness, her mind a million miles away. She still couldn't quite believe she'd turned down Michael. He seemed to be taking it okay, though. He looked at Jenny occasionally, but didn't say anything, and when Ashton looped her arm through his, he hadn't pushed her away.
Jenny sighed and gazed blankly into the space over Michael's shoulder. That was when she saw the figure in black walking away from them, heading for the exit.
Her mouth fell open and she gasped.
"Damian!" she cried and took off after him, surprising Michael and Gunther.
Damian stopped but didn't turn to face her. She could see his shoulders tense up as she approached him.
She reached him and grabbed his arm, spinning him to face her.
"Where are you going?" she asked as he turned. Her mouth went dry as she saw the expression on his face. Sorrow. So much of it. He was so sad, and hurting inside. He tried to hide it, but she could see it anyway.
"Why are you here, Jenny? Shouldn't you be over there with your boyfriend? What difference does it make where I'm going?"
"No…" she breathed and instinctively reached for him. He pulled away, out of her reach. Oh God. He'd seen Michael kiss her. And she'd told him she wanted to be with Michael. "Damian…"
He turned from her. "Just leave me alone. Quit tormenting me."
She caught his hand. "Damian," she repeated. "Look at me."
He sighed and obeyed. She gazed into his eyes, trying to put everything she felt into that look. "I can't do it," she said.
He snorted. "What? Look at me?" His voice was so cold, so bitter. He stared angrily at the ground.
Jenny shook her head. "Live without you."
Slowly, he raised his eyes back up to hers. "What … do you mean?"
"I've been stupid. I've been clinging to this idea, that Michael is the one I want. And now that I can have it… I don't want it." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I want you."
"You … really mean that?" Suspicion filled his eyes. She could tell he wanted to believe her, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.
"I mean it more than anything in this world." She spoke with conviction, taking his hand in hers as she said. "I love you, Damian Silverwind."
His expression changed, as if something hard and horrible was melting away. "Jenny," he gasped.
She smiled, feeling for the first time in her life that she knew exactly what she wanted and was in the right place at the right time to get it. She wrapped her other hand around his neck and pulled him down to her, bringing her lips to his.
She could feel the change in his body. The tension disappeared, and he leaned against her, his arms wrapping around her. The connection between them sang; his presence around her comforted and caressed her. Yes, this was right. No matter how much she'd fought it.
He pulled away from her, smiling radiantly, but left his arms around her. He looked down at her, eyes glowing. "You're … not going to stay in the gang, are you?"
She smiled back. "I'm retired. My vampire slaying days are over."
"Well…" Damian grinned at her wickedly. "You can 'slay' me anytime."
Jenny rolled her eyes, but hugged him tighter. "Does this mean you forgive me for being a stubborn, pig-headed, illogical human?"
He glanced at the ceiling and shrugged. "I'll think about ways you can make it up to me."
She giggled and rested her head on his chest. He stroked her hair. "I love you, Jenny," he whispered.
She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, content. This was where she was meant to be, always. There were a lot of things she didn't know about Damian, and a lot he didn't know about her. But they had plenty of time to find out.
And at that moment, Jenny felt like she had all the time in the world.
THE END (AT LAST! I've been dying to type that!)