Part 8:

Jenny woke up that morning with sweat fringing the roots of her hair. She had dreamed of Julian… and every time he died at the end. There was nothing that she could do about it, no way she could change it. She had the strange desire to run to him and see if he were okay. He always just died… faded away into energy, slipping through her fingers like air. Every time she had cried and turned to Tom… and somehow that seemed to wrong to her. She was getting a headache just trying to figure it out. Somewhere deep inside of her, she felt that it should have been Tommy that disappeared… it should have been Julian that she turned to to cry on. She, however, would never truly admit that to herself.

What she did need to do was find Julian…. She didn't even know where to begin. She didn't know where he lived! She sighed, waking up and pulling her cloths on. She quickly ran a brush through her hair, and went to the door. She would just have to walk for a bit and see if she could find him.

However, the answer came knocking at her door, a rose in it's hand.

"Hi… I ahh…" He made a small motion, as if to step forward, then stopped. "Here." He handed her the white rose. For a moment it seemed to flash silver… it reminded her of something. With a small shake to her head she took the rose, instinctively rubbing it against her cheek. Julian's eyes widened for only a moment before he smiled.

"Come on in Julian, I was just thinking about talking to you." She smiled warmly.

Great, Julian thought inwardly, just great. He bit his lower lip. She is going to tell me how I'm coming between her and Tom, and how she just wants me to leave. He braced himself for it.

What came instead was quiet unexpected. Jenny threw herself onto his shoulder and cried for all that she was worth. His arms automatically came up to surround her, and he stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. He murmured soothing words, and when Jenny finally calmed down enough to speak, she didn't remove herself from his arms. If anything, she clung tighter.

"I'm sorry," She hiccupped slightly, "I didn't mean to just… attack you like that. I've just been having this dream."

He shook his head… he thought that he had quieted her dreams… apparently he hadn't. "Tell me about it."

Just his voice soothed her, and she didn't know why. She took a deep breath and told him about it. "And in the end, I always run to Tommy."

His face fell…

"But I don't want to."

Hope suddenly flared inside of him. She was still in his arms, and he prayed that she would never pull back.

"Well… Jenny… it's just a dream. You don't even really know me that well." It hurt him to say it, but it seemed like he had to.

"But Julian… I feel like I do, like I should. Even if I don't… even though you're almost a stranger, I want to… I want to get to know you." She didn't know what was making her say these things, but she knew that it was coming from her heart.

She looked up at him, and realized suddenly that there faces were mere inches apart.

"I think that I want to get to know you… I want to know who you really are." She repeated herself softly.

Julian was so tempted at the moment to just whisk her off to the shadow world and keep her under lock and key while she was acting like this, looking up at him with her green eyes so full of love. He had to clench his hands to keep them from running up and down her body.

"I think that—" Julian was cut off as he heard footsteps outside. Right before the door opened, he sprang from Jenny, sitting down on the couch and looking for all the world like he had been there all along.

"Hey Thorny." Tom looked down at her, and then his eyes flickered to Julian. "What is he doing here?"

"I—" Jenny was panicking, but Julian quickly cut in.

"I came to get my jacket. I left it here before." He produced a leather jacket from behind him quickly.

"Oh." Tom said, suspicion and anger still very apparent in his voice.

"Tommy… I'm not feeling too well." Julian's eyes widened. She was trying to make Tom leave!

"Well Thorny, why don't I stay here with you."

"Tommy… I think you need to go, I don't want you to catch whatever this is. It feels like it's going to get bad." She looked pleadingly and pathetically at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked her again, feeling her forehead with one hand while holding her cheek with the other.

"Yeah, I think I'm just going to go to bed." She gave Julian a sideway look. He got the meaning.

"Okay, I think that WE are going to leave then." He went over to Julian, taking his arm ever so roughly.

"Oh… yeah…" He left the jacket on the soft, trying looking from it to Jenny. He was trying to tell her that he would be back. She got the message.

When Julian and Tommy were at the door, she went to the couch and picked up Julian's jacket.

"Don't forget this." She brought it to him. Their eyes met, and a small smile flickered on her lips, quickly fading as she looked back at Tommy.

"See you Tommy." She watched him walked outside and get into the car. She then watched as Julian came back.

"Hi." A small spout of laughter bubbled from her lips.

"Hey."

"Come in, quick." She looked up and down the street, and grinned again as she pulled him inside.

"Jenny, I—" He was once again cut off by her coming to him and wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm so confused." She hiccupped softly.

Yeah, me too. Julian thought as he stroked her hair softly.

"I don't know what's going on… I just met you, but I feel so…" She looked up and this time there lips brushed. It sent shivers through Jenny and a pure wave of sweetness through Julian.

Julian leaned down again, making their lips brush once more. Jenny didn't resist. Instead, her hands flew up, tangling in his hair as she kissed him back.

It was soft, and Jenny was trembling only a few moments after it started. Her knees gave way, and, instead of supporting her, Julian sank to the ground with her.

Kissing Tom had never been like this… he was always so demanding… it was always so hard and it left you breathless.

Julian left her breathless for a whole different reason.

She pulled back slightly and murmured softly… "I feel so right with you." They kissed again.

Oh Jenny! Julian was thinking. I cant believe it. After all of this time, and you came to me… I love you Jenny… I love you, I love you… He was so deeply absorbed in his thoughts and the kiss that he didn't hear the new footsteps as they approached. When the door opened, neither could seem to pull apart from the other.

"Jen!" Came a rather shocked voice.

Jenny looked rather guiltily at the figure who stood with hands on hips at the door.