Part 3:

Julian couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Jenny and Tommyboy sitting there together, cuddling… holding hands. It seemed to amaze him that he had been here this long and not sent that ignorant boy into the Shadow World to be torn apart by his elders. It was such an appealing idea…

He looked around the room, taking in the appearance of the people sitting comfortably around him… the people who had ran screaming from him before:

Deirdre… sitting there with her long legs sprawled on Mrs. Thornton's blondwood coffee table.

Audrey and Michael sitting on the couch together. Julian, of course, knew that they really loved each other. He had figured that out when they defeated the Tunnel of Love and Despair together. Who would teach that to them now, if not he?

Summer. Sweet, ignorant Summer who for the second and most of the third game was thought to be dead. Julian couldn't bring himself to kill her, even though she was his rightful prey. He had watched Jenny, and knew how much she meant to her. He couldn't and wouldn't do that to Jenny. He had the plan of keeping her for Jenny, so that she could have company when he won.

Zach, spaced out, thinking about how the world of fantasy was so much better than reality. Either that or of Jenny… Who would teach him that fantasy had claws?

His attention was reluctantly drawn back to Jenny and Tommy. Tommy, who was his number one problem… He never could see what Jenny saw in him, he was self-centered and overprotective. Julian had watched once as he nearly killed a boy for asking Jenny to go on a date with him. He had, of course, completed that task where no one could see him. The boy had pleaded a bike wreck….

That was of course, when everyone saw them as Jenny-and-Tom, a single unit. He growled in disgust, knowing that it would be a challenge to not kill or at least torture him somewhat.

"So…" Audrey filled in the silence. "I fixed food, if you guys are hungry?"

A light filled Tom's eyes. "Summer, why don't you go and get seven plates so that we can eat."

Julian could take the hint. Seven plates, and he would make eight. He knew how to take the hint of being kicked out. He started to stand to leave, morbid thoughts once again dancing through his head. I could just kill him now… A blue fireball started to form in his hand, his temper getting the best of him. However, it died down at what happened next.

In a tone that clearly said Tommy had made a stupid mistake, Jenny corrected him. "Eight plates."

"Thorny," Julian hardly kept back a growl of disgust, "There are only seven of us." Jenny opened her mouth to protest, and Tom hammered on. "Dee, Mike, Aud, Summer, Zach, You and Me. That makes seven." He spoke to her as if she were slightly off of rocker.

Julian had seen Jenny crumple at that tone before… but something close to anger flashed through her eyes. "What about Julian?" Her tone clearly said that she was stating the obvious. Julian felt warmth spread throughout his whole body. It was chased by tingling bursts of happiness as Jenny took his hand, as if to further make her point.

"Oh," Tommy's nearly growled out. "I wasn't aware that he was invited."

"Tommy," She said, looking up at him with a pitiful (and rather fake) glance. "He saved my life, or at least my dignity. Don't you think that you could at least show him enough gratefulness as to allow him to stay and eat?" This was the first time that Julian had ever heard her speak so sharply to him. A smile crept across his face, which he quickly hid with his hand.

"I didn't think of it that way." Tom said, clearly as shocked as Julian that she had argued with him.

"Jenny's right." Dee spoke up, sliding an arm as hard as a boys across Julian's shoulders. "You could be a little more grateful to the guy, even if he is a bit of a mystery." She looked at Julian, who had no idea what to do about her arm around his shoulder. "Thanks for saving Jen." She gave a wink and went back to her perch.

"I'm shocked." Audrey said, standing and thanking Julian. "Deirdre was finally right about something." Dee flashed her a dirty look, tinged with a small smirk.

Michael had followed Audrey, sticking a hand out to Julian. He slowly took it, shaking back. "Thanks." Michael said, quickly darting back with Audrey.

Zach stood and gravely shook Julian's hand as well, saying nothing as he returned to his seat.

Summer, in contrast, broke into uncontrolled sobs and flung herself into Julian's arms, nearly choking him with her hug. "Thank you for saving her! She could have been killed or hurt… or… or…" She continued to sob onto his shirt until he was thoroughly drenched until she abandoned his wet shirt for the bathroom.

Everyone in the room looked at Tom expectantly. He glared defiantly at them all, and they stared right back at him. Tom looked down, but didn't move from the spot.

Jenny moved for him.

"Thank you again Julian." She gave him a hug, and kissed his cheek, whispering. "Thank you so much." A hungry smile flickered across his mouth, and he battled the temptation to take her right then and there… or at least kiss her back. Their gazes held until Tom jerked Jenny back to him, his arm going around her shoulder and hugging her tightly to him. Julian's jaw clenched tightly, trying to keep himself from saying something that would revoke his invitation.

"Jenny, let's go get some food." Tom glared at Julian as though he had committed some deadly sin. Jenny nodded in agreement, but her green eyes continually flickered to Julian, giving him one of the strangest looks.

And so… everyone at. They ate at the table instead of in the living room like they did on the night of the game. Julian was, surprisingly, placed beside Jenny.

Jenny didn't know exactly what it was about Julian had drew her to him… aside from his amazing looks, and his shocking eyes… She simply dismissed it as gratefulness. However, she knew that she needed to talk to him alone to figure out exactly what it was going on inside of her.

The whole 'girls spend the night thing' had been canceled, even though Audrey protested in a vivaciously false tone. It was clear that she was still worried about Jenny, and didn't want to leave her alone.

The problem, of course, was how to convey the message to Julian. If she just outright told him that she wanted him to stay afterward… she couldn't exactly predict what Tommy would do, but she knew that it wouldn't be pretty. And so, she was in the bathroom, doing one of the craziest things that she had ever done in her life.

She scrawled across the note, 'Please stay after the party… we need to talk'.

She was going to give it to Julian.

Julian's eyes followed Jenny as she made her way back into the room. Something was suspicious was going on, and yet he was awed just at the site of her, no matter how many times he saw her she always amazed him.

However, the suspiciousness once again leaked into her voice as she smiled brilliantly and offered to get the dishes. She collected everyone's plate but Julian… when she came back the second time to get his, she slid a piece of paper into his hand. His fist clenched tightly around it.

He looked up… it was nearly midnight, and near time for everyone to be leaving. He snuck a look at the paper as he walked towards the living room, and his heart leapt in his chest.

"I need to get going." He walked slightly in front of everyone, pausing to look back at them.

"Goodbye!" Tom's voice rang out to him, overly excited. Julian hid a smirk on the inside, walking out the door without a second glance back.

He waited, crouched in the brushes outside of the Thornton house, watching everyone leave. He ticked them off slowly, until Tommyboy finally left. Jenny was alone, standing out on the porch, her weight resting on one ankle. He was going to have to fix that She was waiting for something… waiting for him.

He stood, brushed himself off, and walked towards her.

"Hey." She said, shyness once again creeping into her tones.

What else could he say? Jenny, I love you? "Hello." He would have to settle for that, he supposed.

"I… umm…" She looked down at the ground, not sure what to say now that she had him alone to say it.

"What is it." The gentleness in his tone made her tremor. She looked up, answering.

"I just didn't get the chance to thank you properly before." He thought back to the hug, that was more than enough.

"Well…" He was cut off by her lips pressing against his. Shock swept through him, followed by a surreal sense of sweetness. This was honestly happening… she was kissing him. Of her own free will. He assumed control of the kiss, softening it, yielding himself to it, making it perfect.

She pulled back breathless. "There." She smiled up at him, satisfaction and a fraction of passion still lingering in her eyes. "Just don't tell Tommy that I did that. I…" She faltered slightly, as if thinking. "I don't want to lose him," Pity… "But I think that that is a little more appropriate than a hug." He smiled down at her.

"So, I'll… umm… see you around." Julian knew that he needed to go. He didn't want to give her an overload. He quickly said a rune under his breath, placing a small healing energy towards Jenny's ankle.

"Yeah… see you around." She looked nearly as forlorn as he did as he walked away.

She couldn't know what it meant to him… what it did. Towards the end of the third game, he had known that she would never kiss him openly like that, not of her own free will, and certainly not in a show of gratitude.

The only thing that the kiss did… was further convince him that Tommy had to go.