Jenny jerked backward in surprise and ended up dunking herself in the process. When she broke free of the water she started sputtering and coughing, completely out of the fantasy. She groaned aloud and leaned her neck back onto the rim of the tub, calming her heartbeat and trying to divest her system of the rest of the burst of adrenaline that had preceded her dip under the water.

Sleep would be a long time in coming for her.

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Summer and Dee had been summoned to Audrey's in order to talk out everything that was going on with the 'Julian situation', as she was now referring to it, but they had only managed to stall, flipping through magazines and sipping sodas.

"What's bothering you, Dee?" Audrey's voice broke the silence that had enveloped the girls for the better part of an hour.

"I'm guessing it's the same thing that's been tumbling about in that space where your brain should be," Dee retorted without any real bite to the comment.

"Jenny," Audrey sighed, flopping over onto her back and lifting a hand to inspect her nails without any enthusiasm for the task.

"Right. I mean…well, am I right in guessing that you're thinking the same kinds of thoughts I am right about now?"

"Thoughts like 'Is it true?' or 'Dear God how upset is Tom going to be when he hears about this?'…"

"and 'I know I'm a horrible friend but part of me really hopes that Jenny is just making the whole thing up.'" Summer chimed in.

"No, I'm with you on this, cherie. I don't want to think that Jenny's crazy, mind you, but I'd rather deal with crazy Jenny than with Julian's re-entry into our world." Audrey remarked.

"So what are we going to do?" Dee bit out, but there was no response forthcoming. After a minute the three friends exchanged glances and one by one went back to their reading.

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After writing in her journal and listening to a CD Jenny still didn't feel like going to sleep. She paced around her room, looking for other stuff to do. Her eyes fell on her overnight bag and she decided that she could get a head start on packing. After all, she only had days to go until it was time for her to leave for Camp Penwick.

Days.

Jenny's stomach knotted up just thinking about leaving her home and living somewhere else, even if it was only for the summer. Being on her own was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Of course she would have Julian to keep her company at night, so it's not like she would be entirely on her own.

Or would she?

She hated thinking this way but she had been pushing thoughts of this nature out of her head for so long that the minute she lowered her defenses they broke through and refused any attempts to be denied. So she gave them their time as she folded shirts and shorts.

What if she couldn't interact with Julian? What if somehow it was connected to being in her room? Or—as she remembered the night at Aba's—with her friends? Her eyes teared but she refused to give in to the sadness, deciding that there must be a solution out there.

She lay down on her bed and turned to her side, thinking of all the times she'd seen Julian—where she was, who she was with, what time of day it was, but couldn't detect an overall pattern. The answer to her almost-dilemma came to her between breaths and when it did she laughed aloud at its simplicity—if she couldn't be with Julian there then she'd simply come home every weekend she could.

That said she closed her eyes and thought about a more promising way to end her earlier fantasy. Almost drowning in the bathtub was just not going to cut it.

His lips were on hers before she was even aware that she had fallen asleep.

"I thought about you every time I breathed," Julian's voice was husky and rich in her ear, and sent tingles up her arms.

Jenny wanted to reply, she really did, but Julian's lips were on hers before she had a chance to even try and think of something half as sweet as his comment.

"I missed you," he murmured against her mouth between kisses.

"I missed you, too," she replied, winding her arms around his neck and pulling closer.

He moved from her lips to bury his face in the side of her neck. She almost laughed when she felt him breathe in deeply.

"Mmm, peaches," he whispered, weaving his fingers through her hair and pulling it off to the side, "You smell delicious."

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped at that pronouncement.

"Thanks. I had a nice long soak in the tub to try and calm me down enough to go to sleep."

"And did you find yourself thinking about me when you were in there all warm, wet and naked?"

If only he knew! Jenny thought to herself. She decided to tease him a little.

"Mmm. What if I did?"

"Then I want to hear all about it, every last image down to the tiniest detail."

When she didn't say anything he lifted his head up and studied her. His eyes widened as he took in her pink cheeks.

"Jenny?" His tone was accusing and demanding at once. She looked at him with a small smile.

"Yes?" She trailed her fingernails down his arms.

"Were you thinking all sorts of lusty wrong thoughts in the tub? Is that why it took you so long to fall asleep?" She pulled him to her and didn't answer until she was a kiss away.

"Maybe."

The innocent tone didn't fool him for a minute. She had thought about him, and if the blush on her cheeks was any indication, her thoughts had been quite naughty. He felt the heat rise in him and became determined to get her to share her fantasy.

"Jenny," he growled, pinning her hands above her head, "tell me what you were thinking about."

She shook her head from side to side, not bothering to try and get free.

"Why not?" he pleaded, sounding a hair's breath away from outright whining.

Jenny laughed, pleased beyond measure with the turn of events. Having Julian beg her for anything was a kick, and she became just as determined to hold out as long as possible.

"I'm not here for that," she replied with a toss of her head, "I'm here for a reunion that is supposed to involve a hot tub and, well, I don't know what else. I'm not going to disrupt your plans. You put a lot of thought and effort into those plans and I respect that too much to go around messing them up with idle chitchat."

He quirked an eyebrow at her and chuckled.

"You respect me too much, is that it?"

She nodded, although she didn't trust his reaction at all.

"Well I do appreciate your recognition of my plans, and I do indeed have plans for us, Jenny. However, I think you may be overlooking a crucial element here."

She gazed up at him and took in his expression, which was entirely too self-satisfied for her liking. She had a sinking feeling that she was about to lose this game of wills. She gave up and took the bait a moment later.

"And what element is that?"

"What it means if you tell me."

"Oh? And what does it mean?" she challenged, although she had a pretty decent idea what it meant.

"I get to make your fantasy come true."

From the way his eyes darkened after that statement it was a wonder Jenny didn't swoon. And while it was no surprise to her that she laughed, it was a big surprise to Julian. However, he just waited for her to explain herself.

"I don't think that's something you'd be interested in, trust me," she giggled.

Now his curiosity threatened to eat him alive. What could she have been thinking of that was something he wouldn't be interested in?

"What could you have possibly been thinking of that I wouldn't be interested in?"

She just continued to laugh and shake her head.

"Did this fantasy involve kissing?"

"Yes," she admitted with a smile.

"Did this fantasy involve touching?" She bit her lip in remembrance and answered with a nod of her head.

Julian's mind was whirring. He had just listed two of his favorite things to do with Jenny, and she had confessed that both of those activities occurred in the fantasy. So why wouldn't he want to take part in it? As quickly as his mind asked it there was an answer. What if her fantasy wasn't of the two of them together? The mere thought made him feel nauseous.

"Was it you and me in this fantasy?"

Her eyes widened and she laughed until tears ran down her face.

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8/8 update: I just learned that I am not supposed to have long author's notes so I have moved the thank you's to my profile, where I hope they're allowed to be.

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Author's Note: Seriously, it CANNOT have been over a year since I updated? NO FREAKIN' WAY! I suck beyond the telling of it, that's for sure. I am really sorry about that. And I won't get into the things that have happened, because I want to leave them behind me and not get all wallowy. Wallowy me is not conducive to writing. But know this—Your reviews have kept me going, I assure you. They really make the difference between this being shelved forever and it being finished.

Disclaimer: I was crying myself to sleep over the lack of rights the other night when it occurred to me that in a universe of infinite possibilities there exists a reality in which I actually DO have ownership. Sadly, I do not presently occupy said universe. SO until then, I own nada.