Part 9:

Jenny stood wide-eyed as Dee walked into the room.

"Uh…" She was blushing under her nightdark skin. "I— was I interrupting something important?" She looked out the door, and quickly spoke. "You're in luck that I did… Tom is coming." She looked pointedly at Julian. "I would hide if I were you."

She shoved him into a closet, shutting the door and leaning against it just as Tommy entered.

"Hi Tommy." Jenny said, her hand automatically smoothing down her hair. She put on a weak voice, faking sickness.

"I just thought that I would come back, now that Julian is gone. I figured you were just making me leave on his behalf." Dee's brows hiked at that. Jenny was glad that Tom could see her. Her look clearly said, 'You better explain this as soon as we're in the clear.'

"Tommy, I really don't want you to catch this." Jenny said softly. Dee once again gave her a look. This one said clearly, 'I betcha Julian will catch it…' Her white teeth flashed momentarily in amusement.

"Dee is here." He pointed across the room at her.

"Yes… well…" Jenny didn't know what to say.

"I'm her because I came to bring Jenny some cough syrup." It was an extremely pathetic reason, and she was sure that Tom would see right through it.

"Well…" Tom looked around for a moment.

Dee, regaining her cool, picked up again. "Besides, I'm her friend, not her boyfriend. I wont be kissing on her, so I can be here." Tom gave her a small look.

"Yes Tommy, and I really wouldn't want you to get it." That was sounding rather old… She gave a pathetic cough.

"But Jen…"

"Go on and get out!" Dee yelled at him, shoving him towards the door. That's when he saw the rose. He looked at Jenny, anger flashing through his eyes.

"Where did that come from, and don't you tell me that Dee brought it." He growled out.

"Mom got it for me for my birthday." Finally, a lie that sounded plausible.

"Don't be stupid." He said rather harshly.

Julian was getting rather angry from his prone position in the closet. Tommyboy shouldn't talk to Jenny like that. Julian wanted to get out of the closet and tell him exactly that… of course… right now he was trying to make his nose stop itching.

"Look Tom, why would I lie to you?" Jenny smiled cajolingly at him.

"Because… someone else… a guy brought it to you." A cold look crept into his eyes.

"What other guy do you think would do that!" Jenny said, a small amount of guilt traced in her voice.

"Julian." Tom didn't even have to think about his answer. He had seen the way that they had been looking at each other. He wasn't an idiot… (or so he thought).

Dee looked at Jenny, then at the closet. A sniffing noise could be heard. Tom, however, ignored it as he glared at Jenny.

She bit her lip guiltily. "You didn't see it when you were here before, did you?"

"Yes… well… he could have came back! He might even be here right now."

"He's not!" Jenny said, just as an extremely loud sneeze emitted from the closet. Tom and Jenny both whirled around, and Dee quickly put her hands up to her face, and snuffled.

"Excuse me." She grinned, rubbing her nose.

"I don't think so." Tom growled, and started to stalk towards Dee.

"Tommy!" Jenny yelled suddenly. He couldn't go to the closet… he couldn't! She did the only thing that she could think of. She pulled his face between her hands and kissed him as hard as she could. It was so strange but… for the first time she really didn't want to kiss him.

She glanced over Tom's shoulder as Dee quickly pulled Julian out of the closet and pushed him into the kitchen. Tom started to turn around, and Jenny quickly pulled him back to her.

After a few moments, with Julian safely hidden away in the kitchen, and Dee standing back in her place, she let Tommy go. He was smiling. She had to force herself to do so. She had never realized how much control he had of the kisses, and how rough it was… now Julian, on the other hand…

"I'm sorry Thorny." Tom said, the smile still in place. "You couldn't kiss me like that and possibly be messing with Julian." He gave a rueful smile. "I guess I just got a little jealous when I saw you leading him around." He placed an arm on her shoulder and gave her a brief hug. "Sometimes I just forget how good you are."

She smiled weakly. "It's okay." She suddenly remembered that she was sick and gave a cough. "If you get what I have now, I'm blaming you."

Tommy laughed. "I deserve it, just… I'm sorry. I guess I'll get out of here before I stick my foot any further into my mouth." With a smile, he left.

Julian's head peeked around the corner. "Is he gone?"

Jenny nodded, and Julian came back out to stand beside her.

Dee stared from one to the other. "You better start explaining Sunshine." Jenny smiled ever so slightly as Julian picked up the rose and offered it to her. She took it, her fingers smoothing over the petals lightly.

"Guys!" Dee said, watching the interaction. "What's going ON?" Dee knew what was going on… and she wasn't positive that she liked it.

"Well…" Jenny said helplessly…

"Deirdre," Julian said, as if to explain. However, when he said her name she got a flash of something she wasn't even sure happened. She was standing by a clock with Tom and Jenny and the others. Julian was there saying something. "I am only hungry for one thing at the moment Deirdre." There were two luminous animals beside him… a wolf and a snake… Creeper… Lurker. Dee snapped back to reality, the trail of thoughts slipping away.

"Dee? What's wrong?" Concern lilted Jenny's voice.

Dee looked at Julian suspiciously. He returned it with a look of mild humor at the whole situation. It just goes to show you, you can take the shadow out of the man, but you'll never take the man out of the shadow…

Jenny nibbled at her lower lip, and finally blurted out… "Dee, you don't tell Tommy will you?"

Dee looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course I wont." Her dark eyes once again flickered back to Julian. There was something about him…

"Thank you." Jenny smiled, hugging Julian.

"But when are you going to tell him?" Dee leaned against the wall, looking at the couple.

Jenny sighed. "I suppose I'll tell him tomorrow."

Dee nodded. "You do need to tell him."

Jenny gave a sigh; Tom would throw a fit. "I'm afraid of what he'll do."

Julian, ever the helpful one, proffered up a suggestion. "I could just kill him." The dirty looks he received from both girls was extremely humorous, but he put his hands up in defense. "Joking!"

He was starting to remember why he didn't like Jenny's other friends very much.