Tom's POV

I yelped and looked up; expecting to see the Shadow Men but instead saw a scared looking Jenny. My heart relaxed as I realized it was only a nightmare courtesy of Julian. I stared at her for a second, remembering how withdrawn she was last night; I was unsure of what to do with myself.

She was a wreck; her usually bright forest green eyes were dark and solemn, her honey blonde hair seemed darker than usual, her clothes were torn displaying a wide array of cuts varying in size and an entire leg of her jeans was caked in mud. I looked up at her face, searching for the girl that I loved, but she wasn't there, in her place was an empty shell.

"Say something," she whispered as if afraid to break the silence.

"Thorny," I only said one word but it seemed to be enough. Jenny smiled but it looked wrong on her face, it didn't reach her eyes like it used to.

"Tommy," Jenny threw herself into my arms and cried. She buried her head into my neck and I could feel the tears trickle down my skin from where her head was nestled. I rubbed her back and tried to say comforting things but it felt strange, as if I wasn't supposed to be me doing it. We weren't Tom-and-Jenny: a single unit, we were separate people trying to deal with the past events that had changed us forever. Julian had made us grow apart.

After a while she sniffed and looked up at me, her eyes were red and puffy, but she was smiling. I smiled back but it felt false. For some reason her smile didn't seem to light up the universe the way it used to. She just wasn't my sun anymore.

Jenny got up and held out a hand, but I didn't take it. She looked down at me, worry and pain clear in her eyes. Slowly she walked away, taking a part of me with her. I sat back and closed my eyes no longer hiding behind the charade that I had worn while I was with Jenny.

Jenny's POV

I walked away in a daze, what had just happened there? My plan was to let no one see how Julian's death had affected me, and then I was crying my heart out in Tom's lap. I looked up to see where my feet had taken me: the basement door. I traced the runes carved into the door with my finger tip and felt a metal clamp tighten around my chest. I gasped, trying to breathe past the pain in my heart. If I could go back in time I would change everything. The burning regret flowed up; if I hadn't left him in the first game he would still be alive. The thought swirled around my head bringing despair with it.

I slid my hand down the old oak door till it rested on the handle. I looked around to check if any of my friends were watching and then I twisted the door knob. Hope was rushing through my veins at the thought that the door might open to the shadow world. My heart slumped when it opened to reveal only the basement stairs. Hope crushed; I sat down on the top step and stared at the floor to ceiling bookcase on the opposite wall. I didn't cry, I didn't have any tears left, I just sat.

Julian's last moments kept replaying themselves in my head, whenever I closed my eyes they were there, I couldn't escape my nightmare. Julian was wrong; my worst fear wasn't what happened in the basement all those years ago. My worst fear was losing him.

Tom's POV

I must have fallen asleep again because when I woke up mid afternoon sunlight was streaming through the windows and sounds were coming from the kitchen. I stretched as I got up, my muscles screaming in protest after being forced into a certain position for so many hours in the last game. Great, I thought, I'm going to be a cripple for the next week. I poked my head into the kitchen and my jaw dropped, Audrey's hair was tied up in a neat bun, cooking a dish I didn't know the name of, but that wasn't what drew my attention; it was Jenny. She was sitting on the kitchen counter talking to Audrey animatedly; wearing clothes she wouldn't have been caught dead in last week.

What the hell? Jenny was wearing a black vest top with slashes down the sides and a close fitting denim mini skirt. What happened to the innocent girl I knew who wore long flowing skirts and long sleeved sweaters? Audrey looked up and smiled when she saw my expression, forgetting to answer the question Jenny had just asked. Wow, my thoughts must be written all over my face. Then she turned around.

"We need to talk," I said.

Jenny's POV

I nodded, I knew this was coming. Tom loved it when I wore clothes that covered every inch of my skin. If Julian had taught me anything, it was that I could be independent and should be true to myself. I slid off the counter and followed Tom wordlessly; ignoring the questioning glances Audrey was throwing at me.

Tom led me outside to the back yard. I smiled as the memories came back; Zach and I had spent every summer here until my grandfather was stolen away by the Shadow Men. Tom kept going till we were at the back fence and the house was obscured by weeds and other plants.

Tom stopped and turned to face me, the anger was clear on his face. "What. Is. Going. On?" he asked, making each word a sentence.

I looked at him, knowing I was probably scowling. "I'm doing what I should have done ages ago: I'm being myself."

"This isn't you, Jenny! You don't like these kind of things. You wear long flowing skirts and cashmere cardigans."

"That's where you're wrong, Tom, I've always liked these clothes!"I gestured down at my top,I was half yelling now but I was too angry to care, "I hate the clothes you always wanted me to wear.I just put all those skirts on because you liked them. If Julian taught us anything-"

"Julian taught us NOTHING!" Tom interrupted, "Julian just wanted you to be his. He wanted you and would do anything to get you, even if it meant hurting everyone you cared about. You just loved him too much to care what he did!"

I stared at Tom shell shocked. "That's not fair," I whispered.

Tom just stared at me with a look of cruel enjoyment in his eyes. That ticked me off; I squared my shoulders and stepped towards him. My anger was simmering and all I could think was how much I hated him. I looked up into the face that once made all my troubles disappear.

"I HATE YOU!" I was whispering but I said it with so much venom that it had the force of a shout.

At the same instant pain flashed in Tom's eyes and he doubled over gasping. I instantly wished I hadn't just said I hated his guts. Worry coursed through me and then before I could say anything he crumpled to the ground like a leaf in the autumn.

"Tommy?" I asked the panic evident in my voice. I held my breath and silently begged him to wake up. I felt tears trickle down my face and then my knees gave way. "TOMMY!" I was screaming now, half hysterical as the person who I had loved for almost all my life lay as if he were dead.

A shadow fell over us and I looked up. I almost screamed but it covered my mouth. I looked up into the eyes of a Shadow Man, it was the one with the red crocodile eyes and it was staring at me with an amused expression. Before I could say anything he spoke.

"I have a message...for Tom Locke," he hissed, withdrawing his scaled hand, "tell him –"he broke off to laugh, "tell him that his price has been paid."

"What price?" I asked stiffly.

"Why don't you ask him," he chuckled and then he was gone.

A/N: i dont think many pple have read this soo i might be talking to myself but just in case id like to thank lostliveson4eva for being my 1st fan! :) hope u guys liked it. make me happy and review!