Speaking of plans, Julian was busy making plans of his own. When he wasn't busy testing out the physical boundaries of the dimension he was trapped in or meditating on everything he had ever learned about what it meant to be a Shadow Man he was occupied with the plans for his reunion with Jenny.

Admittedly he spent a great deal of time contemplating the last item on his agenda. He couldn't help it…being with Jenny was literally what he lived for. He had not given Jenny the idea that he was confident that he was going to be able to find a way back to her because the truth was…he didn't know if he could make it back.

After his name had been slashed out of the runestave he had considered staying away from Jenny once he realized that he was in a place where he could interact with her. After all he had been responsible for some of the most painful experiences of her life. But then he reflected on his last moments with her and knew that she had begun to have feelings for him. So he decided to take the chance that he could only see her in their shared dreams and he had pursued her without hesitation.

At first…

The hesitation had only begun to seep into his consciousness once he realized not only how deep his feelings ran for her but also how deep hers were beginning to run for him. He had always imagined that he was in love with Jenny, of course. He had been consumed with thoughts of her from the moment he laid eyes on her, after all. He felt as though if ever there was a personification of "love at first sight" then he was it.

But then he actually met her…

And he discovered that although he had been watching her throughout various points of her life that he didn't know everything there was to know about her. And he was greedy to know everything he could. He was insatiable in his desire to show her just how true his feelings were, and above all what a better match he was for her than Tommy boy.

Unaware of the thoughts, let alone the existence of the Shadow Man, Tom was lying on his bed, hands interlaced behind his head, staring up at the ceiling yet seeing nothing.

He had taken the breakup surprisingly well. It was only when he was left alone to contemplate his thoughts that he became tinged with melancholy and more than a little bit of bitterness.

He replayed the words they had spoken to each other that day, and he still marveled that he had had the courage to utter some of them. Turning the events over in his mind he realized that he was lucky that Dee had chosen to talk with him before the breakup, especially seeing as he had echoed some of the very things she had talked with him about.

Actually he was very lucky that their friends had taken the news of the breakup with as much aplomb as they had, he mused. This time could only have been made more difficult than it already was solely by their friends' unsupportive reactions. As it stood they were all rallying around the couple and intent on maintaining friendships with both of them that were as strong if not stronger than before.

That was really the only good thing about the whole experience with him, Tom decided. He clenched his jaw as he usually did at any thought of the boy with the blindingly white hair and startlingly intense cobalt eyes. The tight-knit group was virtually guaranteed lifelong friendships after the experience of The Games. It was often said that people who had been through a traumatic experience remained bonded forever, simply by virtue of having been through that incident together.

And The Games had been nothing if not traumatic. Each and every one of them had been forced to face their nightmares and not just privately, but while their friends looked on. In doing so each of them gained a little bit more insight into their comrades' psyches and what made them tick. It was more revealing than any game of Truth or Dare could ever hope to be and it left them all with understandings they kept close to their hearts, secure in the knowledge that while what had been witnessed need never be discussed again it had left indelible impressions upon all of them.

Tom wondered idly if he should call Dee and talk with her about some of this stuff. She seemed to be the perfect choice for him to vent some of his feelings to. His hand was halfway to the phone when he remembered the big girls' night out that had been planned for that very evening at Aba's. Sighing quite audibly he let his hand fall back to his side and decided to just grab a quick shower and call it an early night, maybe read a little to help him get sleepy.

Meanwhile the girls' laughter had finally managed to subside and they were all in the throes of a contemplative silence. Jenny took a moment to thank whatever deity was on call tonight that it wasn't an oppressive stillness but rather a settled calm that allowed each girl to wander in her own thoughts.

Her wanderings took her to Julian, which wasn't a surprise seeing as he was in her mind more often than not these days but also because he had been the most recent topic of conversation. She wondered idly what he was doing right now. Was he perhaps mulling over the possibility of his re-entry into the world? Or maybe his thoughts had turned to plans for their reunion, a reunion she was looking forward to more and more with each passing second.

In point of fact Julian was not contemplating either of those two items, although they did occupy definite slots on his program. He was brooding over his feelings toward Jenny and the progression of their relationship thus far. He grimaced as he remembered how desperate he had been to show Jenny just how right they could be together, how if she would just give him a chance he could make her happy.

So single-minded had he become that he failed to accurately calculate the effect any of his demonstrations would have on both himself and more importantly, on Jenny. He had not been prepared to deal with her sense of loyalty to Tom, nor had he predicted the lengths she would go to for her friends and vice versa.

But the outcome he failed to prepare for that proved to be his undoing was the one he never even considered as a possibility, and that was Jenny actually falling for him. Sure, he had big plans and dreams. In fact, he had many many dreams that revolved around a time when he and Jenny would be together and she would gaze upon him with such desire in her eyes that he feared he would ignite from the promise of the flame within.

He neglected to consider the possibility that it would be anything akin to love. Indeed, he thought she was out of reach for such a lasting emotion. He dared to dream only of the time when he would be able to seduce her into his arms for as long as she would stay. But she never stayed forever, no matter how intense the dream.

Seeing her look upon him with eyes that bespoke of a gentler and infinitely more enticing emotion than simple desire had destroyed him. He was no longer capable of living as the selfish creature he had been for millennia upon millennia. Suddenly he actually cared about her feelings. He still wanted to make her burn for him, of course, but now he wanted to be there to make her smile afterwards, to caress her cheek with his hand, brush away a few stray wisps of hair with his finger, and hold her in his arms throughout the night.

He would never tell her this but he thought he would die happy if he never even made love to her, provided that he could simply bask in the glow of her smile, see love light up her gaze and have her safe in his embrace.

.

In a way having his name carved out of the runestave had been a gift of Fate. He reflected that if his elders had not taken it upon themselves to try and destroy him then he never would have found his way to Jenny in the only place where they were free from the constraints of their respective worlds. The dimension between dream and reality allowed the young couple the chance to get to know each other without any pressures of outside interference.

And the malleable nature of Time in that dimension meant they could progress at a pace that matched whatever mood they were feeling. It was as if Time was directly connected to their emotions. If they were experiencing a deep, meaningful conversation then time seemed to fly by and they were impressed with their ability to maintain each other's interest for so long. But if they were involved in a deep, soul-searching kiss then Time obliged them by appearing to stand still, allowing the young lovers to extract as much pleasure from their simple touches as possible. He grinned at the wayward and romantic nature of his thoughts but clung to one truth…

Their time together had been the greatest blessing of his long life.

But now that she wasn't there with him he took a moment to dwell on the impossibility of their relationship as it was. She had told him that she would never fall in love with someone who wasn't him; but could he ask her to give up a life lived with someone who could fulfill her in ways he couldn't or wouldn't? If she stayed connected to him she would never get married in front of her friends and family, never buy a house or have kids…

That thought brought up an interesting distraction. If he and Jenny were to consummate their relationship in their dreams would she be able to conceive a child from their union? If she were to become pregnant and give birth to their child would he remain trapped, unable to be a father to his own child?

He shook his head at the direction his thoughts were taking. Talk about putting the cart before the horse! And yet, thinking of him and Jenny in, shall we say, compromising positions was another pastime he found himself indulging in all too frequently.

And now was no exception. His thoughts drifted to his plans for Jenny when she came back after her finals. He had promised her a night to remember that involved a Jacuzzi, and he wasn't about to let her down. He called forth a mirror and a variety of swimsuit options for himself and spent more time than he would later admit to looking in the mirror and trying on clothes. Then he conjured up a form of Jenny—the same one he had earlier been involved with when the real Jenny had called out to him—and spent only a few moments choosing her apparel. As she pirouetted in front of him he smiled approvingly…this would be a night to remember.

Disclaimer: thumbing through dictionary and mumbling over how its meaning has been forgotten…Ah yes, here it is: I do not own the characters, only the plot they find themselves immersed in.

Author's Note: No need to tell me I'm a horrible, horrible, horrible person for failing to update for like three months. Ach du lieber Gott! My bad, for sure. I apologize from the very deepest depths of my self. I can't promise that it won't happen again, either. I have a tough semester and I must sadly place school ahead of this fic so I don't know when the next update will be. I really want to work on this more so maybe once I'm really into a rhythm I can set aside more time….I hope.

Looking for a recommendation? Try Nariel's FG story "I Want Her"

melissarxy1—I'm so sorry that you almost forgot about my story. My extremely long delay in updating must have made you completely forget all about it this time for sure. My apologies. Yes, I like to think of Audrey, Summer and Dee as being capable of the gentler, more open personality traits. Thanks for checking in!

clare—Yes, the "telling Tom" may be the worst part. And that is why I didn't want her friends to react too much in a bad way. Then it just gets all angsty and I'm not about that, most of the time anyway. Thanks for reviewing and I'm sorry it took me so long.

AnitaBlake1414—What is it with people wanting Tom to have bodily harm inflicted on him? Lol I'm glad you liked the last update and I hope you like this one! Sorry I didn't get this out sooner!

Amber Evans Potter, Jenny and Amber—Jenny:Why on earth would you want to throw sharp pointy things at me? You know, I think that sharp pain from where it pierced my skin may just be the reason I didn't get any inspiration for a nice lusty scene between you and everyone's favorite Shadow Man. Plus, if I think you don't like my fic I get all sad and trembly. Julian: evil, evil man. I must really insist that you stop being such a tease. If you don't start following through on some of those promises for Jenny and Amber I may just have to resort to my own evil measures. And you wouldn't be happy. Amber: My dear Amber, I apologize for the delay in updating. Disappointing you is something I try hard not to do.

ArchAngel pixxistixx4me—I can't help but feel like me updating is keeping you from doing something more studious with your time. I'm sorry that it took me so long. I really am. More later. By the way, your muse never showed up. And I take it that Fourth of July is still in your head and not on your hard drive? Give the Giant Purple Weasel my best.

Kyia-Kenobi—Well I am sorry both for the long time between updates and for you being forced to wait a little more for Tom to find out. Thanks for reviewing.

Shadow—You are so sweet, making me feel better about the long delay in the last update before this one. Sorry that Julian was all contemplative and not all drool-worthy in this chapter. Sometimes it just works out that way. Glad to hear your exams went well. Hopefully this semester is going okay.

AnimeHuntress—Sorry to keep you in limbo for so long. And I'm sorry that you are still waiting to hear what Jenny wants to do with Julian. Thanks for reviewing.

Amanda Lord—You are so sweet...I am happy to give you a little shout out. I'm glad you really like my story, I really like your reviews. Thanks for checking in!

Amanda Lord—Well even if you made a little oopsy I still adore you. Yes, I can completely relate to your desire to check out any and everything that is related to Julian. And I am on board with you about the whole reviewing a chapter more than once…what is up with that?

uh oh—Well I'm sorry I made you blush or whatever emotion it was that caused you to have to cover your face. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review, I appreciate it!

Amazed Reader Sulking in the Den—Hey there! Well I'm not sure if I can deliver for you but I will do my best, I promise! Thanks so much for your kind words, they are appreciated.

The Jack Loving Misfit—I did start typing pretty soon after your review. I'm sorry it's been so long. Thank you for reviewing again!

RazberyButterfly—My computer has been freezing a lot lately too when I try to review, so I was glad to find someone else who has suffered. You are so generous with your praise and I felt all warm and fuzzy when I read the things you had to say. I'm honored that you would devote such a large chunk of time as to read all 43 parts straight through. That is dedication if ever there was any! Thank you! THANK YOU! And by the way, I went to your bio page and saw my name up there, which made me blush and then do a happy little dance that you'd even consider recommending me to anyone. And yet I also saw that none of your stories are up yet! I will be reading them once you post!

Dusty—Please don't cry or set loose the monkies on me! I'm not sure which thought terrifies me more, actually, so let's just try to avoid both, shall we? Thanks so much for your kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Nariel—Well I personally can't be more happy that you had decided to review, so thank you!

Dusty—No no no! There is no hate! No hate! Only love, I assure you!

All Seeing Goddess—Ah, the death threat. It's been a while since I've been on the receiving end of one of those. lol Brings back memories I can't say are all that pleasant. So what do you say we try to avoid any more of those? Thanks for the swift kick, it helped!

daydreamer5290—Aww thanks. I appreciate your enthusiastic review. It helped me get this chapter out.

Silverdracowolf—I can't say yes because that's committing myself to a path I'm not sure the story it on. It could suddenly become angsty and end badly. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Venus Smurf—Oh how I adore you! I adore you so much, my friend, that I am going to put your whole thank you in BOLD print. It couldn't have been harder to leave than it was to have you gone, I assure you. I found myself craving feedback from you and was immeasurably depressed when I remembered I would have none. It was the Summer of My Discontent, I assure you.

I may just have you join Julian in that Jacuzzi, keep him company for a while as the rest of the cast meanders, I'm so happy you're back.

And how funny are you? You'd go to camp and just "forget" to tell anyone? Crack me up! I'm glad you were okay with the way Jenny handled the situation.

By the way I don't think you're hopelessly perverted for calling nights with Julian. Anyone with half a brain would jump at the chance. Glad that your Mom would be on your side, though. That's a comfort.

It's all right that your friend whose computer you sometimes borrow doesn't want to join the site. Just knowing she enjoys the story makes me feel all waff-y.

I hope things are well for you and that you're getting all the support and encouragement you need to keep churning out the wonderfulness that is your writing. More soon!

F Åñgé£--Very cool name, first of all. I was impressed with your efforts. I'm glad you like my story and that you took the time to review. It means a lot!

ArchAngel pixxistixx4me—I'm going to be thrown off a cliff? I'm pretty sure I haven't seen a recent update from you, my friend. Hello Kettle? Pot calling I myself went to Cali this summer so that's cool that we were in the same state for a while. So how does one control the evil vampiric llamas? Just wondering.

1) School has started and i need escape from tedious biology lab writeups.

You have to know that I don't like the thought that I am keeping you from your school work

2) My friend has my copy of The Hunter, and i need to read the series in order, or else i get all thrown out of whack, so i can't read anything until she finishes it.

And how does my story help this problem?

3) There have been hardly any good FG fics posted/updated in the past bazillion years!

And that's just shy of a gazillion, right?

4) Your writing is brilliant and you should give this fic to LJS so she can write a fourth book to FG.

See now you're getting somewhere

5) I have read almost every single descent FG fic on the net

Not sure how me updating can help with this

6) I have run out of good Labyrinth fanfiction to read. i have raided Marysia.com, and yet i still find nothing to read...

And yet my story isn't about Labyrinth so I will not be solving this problem with my update

7) I'm bored and feel like complaining at you that you havent updated in a really loong time.

I can understand that

8) i want to find out how gasp Tom takes all of this. (Wow... am i actually caring about tom?!?!? gasps and dies

DEAR LORD, what have I done to you? You care about TOM?

9) Lotus, even though she hasnt relaized it yet, wants to read more

Maybe she doesn't

10) I want to read more

I like that reason

11) Because i said so!

Hmm

Venus Smurf—Man oh man was I in bliss to see a review from you! I'm pretty sure I'll be floating on air all week. Yes, I too would be chewing sleeping pills like Pez if it meant I would be with Julian. Maybe someday I'll write a story about crazy Jenny who becomes addicted to sleeping pills in an effort to stay with her Shadow Man.

I am personally allergic to spoilers so I'm not going to answer your questions about the plot, unless you really want to know. Then I'll tell you, 'cause it's you and nobody else. But I will say that I am impressed with the way your mind works…you can definitely tell you're a great writer simply by nature of the deductions you make and the plot potential you can see.

And yes, sadly the art of the love letter is lost to us, possibly forever.

Obsessive hunks, eh? Too funny!

I'm trying not to short Tom here but right now his is indeed a raw deal.

Aww shucks! It's so nice of you to give me such flowery compliments…my dream is to one day write as though I were actually worthy. I too, have a dream…